7 of Wands

I will not give

The Seven of Wands indicates a struggle to maintain a position. From an initial stance of success, there will be challenges from others fighting to achieve the same results. When something is worth having, the competition is fierce and we must continually prove ourselves and call upon every ounce of power and skill in order to triumph. If your vision and creative effort is fully realized, attracting acclaim, then you must expect competition and challenge. Other people and organizations will also desire the same benefits and recognition as you and be prepared to act decisively to get them.

In the Seven of Wands we see the character of a warrior hero artfully perched on the edgy of a concrete block ravaged by war. Chaos and destruction rain down on him, but he is poised and ready to defend his position. Although the assault is merciless and assassins stalk him on the ground, there is no sense that he is defeated. There is even a wry smile on his face indicating his freedom despite the throes of the maelstrom. He knows that freedom arises when there is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do except what you are doing: the decisive moment is upon him. In the sky a vulture hovers, awaiting a fresh cadaver to pick clean, but it will not be his.

While it appears the way forward is blocked and your vision is in danger of being destroyed you must call upon your talents, self-belief and sheer strength of will to withstand the challenges and obstacles. It is vital to remember when you masterfully create and live a truly powerful vision, it too has “intelligence” that can guide and keep you focused when the going gets tough. It is time to see just how formidable and tenacious you are when you believe in something, when you take a stand for something important.

Most of my adult life has been about bringing creative ideas to life, I can say wholeheartedly that this card of fierce opposition will come into your arena at some point. If you have been an innovator, or challenged something in a particularly creative way, you will come up against criticism and hostility. There will be times when severe challenges will fly at you from all angles. Intense resistance can also surface as you get close to completing a project that carries great potential: the closer you get, the bigger the dragons. This is why so many great ideas never make it off the launch pad, or end up watered down and compromised.

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer is often credited as saying, truth passes through three stages: First, It Id Ridiculed. Second, It Is Violently Opposed. Third, It Is Accepted As Self-Evident. Often the same path awaits a great creative idea.

Working with Bowie, the guiding principle was always that creativity would never, under any circumstances, be compromised. Creating the artworks for the Outside album, I found myself dealing with worried publicity departments on several occasions, wanting to remove a particularly provocative element from the art. In every case Bowie would wave the opposition aside, creativity must triumph. There was never any question of doing something to be popular or please people.

In this spirit it is time to strengthen your resolve. If you have a strong enough “Why,” the “How” will be taken care of. The ability to defend a vision against tremendous objection and setbacks is key to following through, not letting anything derail the cause. There is genius in not giving up.