Sevens are about control, power and authority. These concepts can be displayed in a variety of ways. I chose the images and the words you see in an attempt to take in the breadth and scope and show you how you can see this card in nature.
Let’s look a little more closely at the card. There is no one dominant image here. This card shows different seasons, spring and winter, and various stages of those seasons. We’ll start with the background and bring ourselves forward.
In the background, we see elk. Two males are fighting for control of the females, which look on with feigned interest. Each male is standing his ground and is full of conviction that he is the strongest and most dominant. This is a power play and it is all about control. Control of territory, control of seeding genes, control of being the male others will have to fight to usurp and take control of all he has. There is authority here. Conviction is the strongest word I can use to illustrate this. I use this because not all males will fight. It will only be those that have a chance, those that are in their prime, those that convict themselves to the task. Losing separates the loser from the rest of the herd and sometimes costs him his life. It is a huge price to pay for his convictions.
Coming a bit forward, we see a pack of wolves. Two of them are fighting. It is defiance at its best. The alpha male will have control of the pack until he grows old or gets wounded and can be challenged defiantly by one of the younger males. It is the age old struggle, literally. Youth, virility and defiance against age, decaying virile reserves and control. It is another power play in a different way. The pack contains young males and females. Only one defies the aged alpha male and only one will test him. If he loses, he becomes an outsider, relegated to find a foreign pack or to trail this one at a good distance until the time is right to try again. Defiance comes with a price.
Coming forward a bit more, we see the bare branches of early spring and the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Instinct is at play here. Instinct for the caterpillar that spins a cocoon and surrenders to the forces of nature, losing himself to magically change into a butterfly. I put this here because it is the ultimate of power, control and authority. It is nature that controls and has power and authority over all things. This instinctual act of a small creature is so beautifully sacrificed and changes into a beautiful butterfly with such fragile control over the air as it flits from flower to flower until such a time that it is no more. This is ultimate power, control and authority demonstrated by paying the ultimate price twice in this cycle of birth, death, resurrection and then death, birth, death and resurrection. It is the greatest cycle displayed brilliantly and beautifully. Instinct, the need to follow and exhibit certain behaviors and displays and willingly lay down your life knowing that something more beautiful follows is the most profound example here.
Let’s look at the symbols on the card. Across the top are the symbols for Mars, Fire and Leo. Under the Mars symbol are the runes Algiz (the divine plan, awakening) and Tiwaz (self-sacrifice and victory). Under the symbol for Leo are Uruz (raw primal power, survival) and Nauthiz (force of growth, short term pain for long term gain).
The Tree of Life path is Netzach (victory) in Atziluth (emanation).
What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?
Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!
Journey Through Tarot 