Cosmic Tarot - Seven of Wands
Norbert Losche
F.X. Schmid, 1988

A man stands in a defensive position, his right leg crossing his left, his right arm crossed over his body, brandishing a rod. Six wands are pointing toward him in the foreground of the picture; their wielders are not visible. An uneven fence with missing slats is behind him. Above the fence is a sunny sky with fluffy white clouds. The man’s face doesn't look fearful, or defiant. It looks disdainful.

LWB: A man stands in front of a fence and defends himself in a heroic posture.

Meaning: valour, action without planning, negotiation, contest, strife for success, courage, worry, agitation, perplexity.

My take: The first thing I noticed was the fence. It looks old and tattered. The slats are not an even height, and there are holes in the fence. This makes it seem that he is choosing to defend himself, rather than that he has to. I have to say, I hate the look on this man's face. He looks disgusted by his attackers. Which makes sense, I guess, but it turns him into an unsympathetic character. It is hard for me to like him. He doesn't appear heroic - as if he rises above the antics of his attackers. He looks as if he has sunk to their level. Maybe he has just had enough and needs to fight back, but it still doesn't make it valiant. Was the Columbine massacre valiant? That's what this card makes me think of -- the "I'll show them!" mentality. Maybe the people with the sticks are not even attacking him -- they could be trying to keep him at bay.

I like this deck, but I don't think I like this card much.

Arcana