7 of Swords is, in my view, one of the most complex cards in the Tarot. It is full of nuance, and its appearance in any reading can bring up many more questions than answers. Like any 7, the energy here is split or fragmented in some way. It’s often interpreted as a card of deception, cheating, or lying, and while that may certainly be true, it’s not always such a scathing indictment. Sometimes we *are* obfuscating our intentions, but it’s not always nefarious. The Next World Tarot, for instance, uses the keyword ‘escape’ for this card, and I really like that. Sometimes we do need to hustle out of a situation with haste and without owing anyone an explanation, and 7 of Swords can indicate that for sure. Or sometimes we are putting up some sort of smokescreen to hide our real motivations, and while sometimes that’s a necessary sleight of hand, it can also indicate a lot of shame. 7 of Swords can also indicate a major and very unexpected ‘plot twist’ in the story of our lives, and sometimes it reflects that we’ve left something significant unsaid and it’s causing us a lot of regret and misgivings. I also find that it often shows up for those of us who tend to keep our emotional bags always packed and sitting at the front door, so to speak. It’s astrological correspondence is Moon in Aquarius, and that energy can be remote and hard to pin down. If this card reflects that tendency within you, it’s worth asking if you’re able to go ahead and settle in to whatever situation or relationship you find yourself in, because commitment of some kind may offer you a lot of room to grow.