Seven of Swords (7 of Swords) tarot card from the 1909 deck by Pamela Colman Smith

Seven of Swords tarot card meaning

The Seven of Swords upright points to secrecy, sly tactics or someone trying to get away with something, and that someone could be another person or you.

deception
strategy
secrecy
getting away with something
going it alone

Draw a card Ask yes or no

Arcana	Minor, suit of Swords
Number	7 of Swords
Element	Air
Yes or no	No upright, maybe reversed

Written by Orbitarot · Sources: our own meanings; card art by Pamela Colman Smith, 1909; A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1910 · Updated October 7, 2026

On this page (12)

What the card shows

Under a yellow sky, a man in a red cap and red boots tiptoes away from a camp of bright tents, carrying five swords in his arms and glancing back over his shoulder with a half smile. Two swords stay planted in the ground behind him, and in the far distance a small group of soldiers stands near a cloud of smoke. The bundle of swords and backward glance are read as taking something unnoticed, and the swords left behind as a plan that may not be as complete as it looks.

Seven of Swords upright

The Seven of Swords is the card of the sly move. Someone is acting in secret, bending the rules or taking more than their share and hoping nobody notices. It might be a person around you, so this card can be a quiet warning to keep your eyes open, double check agreements and not hand out trust too freely.

It can also point at you. Maybe you are avoiding a hard conversation by working around it, or telling yourself a small deception does not count. Sometimes the card is gentler and simply describes strategy: doing things your own way, keeping plans close to your chest, or handling a problem alone instead of in a group. That can be smart. The question is whether your methods would hold up if everyone could see them. Notice the two swords left behind. Shortcuts usually leave loose ends, and loose ends have a way of being found.

Seven of Swords reversed

confession
coming clean
a plan exposed
conscience
returning what was taken

Reversed, the Seven of Swords often means the secret is out, or about to be. Someone may confess, a scheme may unravel, or you may decide that hiding something is costing more than it saves. Coming clean can feel exposed, but it usually brings relief.

It can also describe a conscience catching up: a wish to put things right, give back what was taken or stop playing games. In other readings, it shows you trying too hard to manage how everyone sees you. Honesty is simpler to keep track of, and it lets you rest easier.

Seven of Swords in love

Upright: Single, someone may not be fully honest about their intentions, so take your time getting to know them. In a relationship, the card can point to secrets, mixed loyalties or one partner keeping something back.

Reversed, a hidden truth may come out, giving you both a chance to clear the air. Honesty now can rebuild trust.

Seven of Swords for career and work

Upright: At work, watch for office politics, credit taken by others or agreements that are not what they seem. Keep good records and protect your ideas.

Reversed, a shortcut or hidden issue at work may come to light. Fix it openly rather than covering it up.

Seven of Swords as feelings

They may be holding something back from you, or they are unsure how much of themselves to reveal.

Seven of Swords as advice

Keep your eyes open, protect your interests and choose honesty over shortcuts.

Seven of Swords in a tarot reading

The same card reads differently depending on where it lands. These are the readings our spreads use when Seven of Swords appears in each position. Try it in a three card reading, Celtic cross.

Upright

As the past	Secrecy or sly tactics played a part in getting here. Someone, perhaps you, took a shortcut or kept something important hidden.
As the present	Not everything is out in the open right now. A strategy, a secret or a quiet maneuver is shaping events behind the scenes.
As the future or outcome	Hidden moves may come into play. Watch for plans that are not quite what they seem, and keep your own dealings clean.
As the obstacle	Deception, yours or another person's, is the obstacle. Trying to get away with something tends to cost more trust than it saves.
As advice	Be strategic but honest. Protect what matters, check the details of any deal and do not cut corners you would not want seen.

Reversed

As the past	A secret came to light, or someone had a change of heart. What was hidden in the past has started to surface.
As the present	The truth is coming out. Someone may be ready to confess, return what was taken or stop cutting corners for good.
As the future or outcome	Openness is where this is heading. Plans made in secret tend to be exposed, so dealing straight now is the wiser path.
As the obstacle	Guilt, or the fear of being found out, is holding you back. A conscience that will not settle is asking you for something.
As advice	Come clean. Admit what needs admitting, make amends where you can and choose the honest way forward from here.

What A. E. Waite wrote about Seven of Swords in 1910

Waite designed this deck with Pamela Colman Smith and published its meanings in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910, public domain). His words, as printed:

Divinatory meaning:

Design, attempt, wish, hope, confidence; also quarrelling, a plan that may fail, annoyance. The design is uncertain in its import, because the significations are widely at variance with each other.

Reversed:

Good advice, counsel, instruction, slander, babbling.

Modern readers focus on secrecy and sly tactics. Waite admitted the meanings vary widely, listing design, attempt, hope and a plan that may fail, while his reversal of good advice mixed with slander and babbling has little to do with secrets coming to light.

Is Seven of Swords a yes or no card?

Upright: No A figure sneaks off with an armful of swords and looks back to check he is not seen, a sign of hidden motives, so upright the card leans no.

Reversed: Maybe Reversed, secrets surface and there is a chance to set things right, so the answer moves to maybe.

Ask your own question with the yes or no tarot. No cards at hand? The yes or no oracle answers with a pendulum.

Learn more: how to read reversed cards, how to read this card with others, what the number 7 means across the suits.

Questions

What does Seven of Swords mean in tarot?

The Seven of Swords upright points to secrecy, sly tactics or someone trying to get away with something, and that someone could be another person or you. Reversed, the Seven of Swords suggests secrets coming to light, a change of heart or a decision to stop cutting corners and deal with things openly. Yes or no: No upright, maybe reversed.

What does Seven of Swords reversed mean?

Reversed, the Seven of Swords suggests secrets coming to light, a change of heart or a decision to stop cutting corners and deal with things openly.

Is Seven of Swords a yes or no card?

No when upright. A figure sneaks off with an armful of swords and looks back to check he is not seen, a sign of hidden motives, so upright the card leans no. When reversed, it leans maybe. Reversed, secrets surface and there is a chance to set things right, so the answer moves to maybe.

What does Seven of Swords mean as feelings?

They may be holding something back from you, or they are unsure how much of themselves to reveal.