The Sevens in tarot have an energy of both Wisdom and Challenge. Challenges arise in our journey as we upgrade our mastery in an area of life; and as we approach the final stretches of the cycle we are currently in. Our innate Wisdom is evoked as we engage with those challenges from a place of stability but with a strong pull towards continued expansion. Seven, after all, is composed of a Four and a Three. Four is orderly and stable. Three is expansive and optimistic. Seven combines those traits: it is divinely guided, protected, disciplined growth.
Have you ever grown veggies in your own garden? That is a prime example of disciplined growth. It takes persistence, positivity, and an eye towards future rewards. But, above all, it takes presence. If you are not present, you won’t give your tomato or pepper plant the love and attention that it needs; you won’t have an enjoyable gardening experience; and you may end up with bad or no crops at the end of the process. Gardening is a balancing act of patience and excitement. You cannot wait to enjoy a delicious homegrown tomato off the vine, but you also savor the experience of growing the fruit in the first place.
In the Pentacles suit, the 7 of Pentacles appears as Challenges and their corresponding Wisdom arise in the earth realm. Perhaps we have been building something that has not quite come to fruition, and at the sight of new obstacles, we ponder whether to give up. Maybe our entire lives feel like a frustrated chase that does not seem like it will go anywhere. We may be looking at our skills and at our legacy and wonder if we have made any progress at all. 7 of Pentacles is our medicine when we feel like our rewards or results may never, ever come. It reminds us that obstacles are a milestone of how far we have truly come. It connects us to the intelligence of Spirit that knows the pushes that we need to graduate from the current lessons. It is a call for patience, equanimity, persistence, and resilience. But, most importantly, it whispers that, from the perspective of our soul, there is no “There.”
These fruits we have been working for are a device of this impermanent world. Yes, they are an important part of our journey. Yes, we should continue tending to this garden. But the caring for the crops are just as important as the produce. When we are present for the Now, we are fully engaged in our own growth and evolution. Time goes by a little faster—not that it needs to. We remove the weeds and fertilize the dirt a little more. And then, before we know it, the time of ripening comes. At that stage, we will be fully prepared. We will have matured, enjoyed, toiled and learned. From that stable platform, we will continue to grow. At that stage, the winds of evolution will accelerate to a dizzying speed. Until then, we best have developed strong roots.
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