February 22 - The Seven of Wands

Today started low, a little hopeless, and so my question was low and a little hopeless too, wondering what the point was even as I asked, "What do I need to know today to bring true happiness into my life?" What came up is the Seven of Wands.

The man depicted on the Seven of Wands is attacking and under attack. It's a card of asserting yourself, refusing to yield, being sure. I can safely say these days that I am not sure about anything. There is what I wanted once, which I still want but I'm not sure whether it is habit or true desire. There is what I have that is fine enough, but I have little passion for. I don't know myself well enough to take a stand, or at least that's how it seems.

(Because I had such trouble with this card, I drew another, Justice. This clarifies things some. Justice is about acting ethically, assuming responsibility, understanding cause and effect, and setting a course for the future. It comes up either when you need to set a course or are facing the consequences of a path you took before. Hmmmm.)

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Seven of Wands depicts Elizabeth Bennett holding her own against Lady Catherine de Bourgh, an imperious and rather supercilious aunt of Fitzwilliam Darcy, who learns of Darcy's proposal and wants to make sure a union between Darcy and Lizzie doesn't happen. At this point, Elizabeth has no idea of Darcy renewing his proposal. Still, with verbal deftness and resolve, she holds her own Lady Catherine and stands up for herself and her family. The Seven of Wands/Candlesticks suggests that even if you are feeling outmatched or fighting a losing battle, you have right on your side, which evens the battlefield. It is not a time for pessimism or negativity, but one of purpose and courage. The hardest battle is always against my own perceived limitations. This, I think, is the lesson of the Seven of Wands for me today, to believe in myself and my lovability, to believe I deserve the good things of life including love, especially love.

What Would Jane Do?

"Courage is an easy quality to assert when the playing field is distinctly to your advantage, but valor can only be claimed when you are truly challenged by your circumstances. A weak position stems not only from an inequitable distribution of weaponry, but a more dangerous defect: a failure to recognize your own worth. Once you realize your strength comes from your inner value and not your valuables, your opposition's superiority begins to dissipate." p. 67