Some challenges in life appear to extract the divine wisdom in us. Without them, we would be left utterly unaware of our own power. All the 7’s in the tarot are numbers of wisdom. Sure, they often indicate a challenge of one kind of another. 7 of Swords, for example, is a call for mental agility as we navigate ethically tricky or otherwise complicated scenarios. What the card is pointing to is the divine intelligence that we possess, ever available to guide us through, and not just announcing a mental problem. Likewise, 7 of Wands brings out the fire in us. Faced with forcefully challenging situations, feeling fenced in and like there is no solution but to either stand our ground or rush into things headfirst, we are left wondering why Spirit brought us to this in the first place. Some life issues are unlike any others. They pester, they persist, they find us when we turn the next corner after we thought we had finally managed to run away. Their source seems to be deep, unlike the ordinary problems of life. Some challenges feel like they are part of a soul contract. They require we utilize all our thirst for life, and all our resources, and all the passion in our hearts. After all has been said and done, we look back, only to realize: the situation was here to carve me and refine me like a jewel. It came to show me my own power, and that I am much stronger than I thought. Some challenges are the grit through which Spirit brings out our innate soul wisdom. 7 of Wands does not just point at a problem. It reminds we are undergoing a sacred purification process. Wisely, we consent to that. Freed from resistance, we know just what to do.

Deck: Brady Tarot.