In Seven of Swords, a man sneaks away from what seems to be a military camp, arms full of swords. This is a card of being sly and crafty. To go into something alone but determined, and to be smart - but not necessarily too honest - about it. It's about situations where someone:

• Is diplomatic and flatter people to get to where you want to be.

• Acts shrewdly instead of confronting issues head on.

• Cheats a little.

• Takes the easy way out.

 

However, be warned not to take this deception too far, into outright betrayal and lies; the price may be high, especially if you're found out. Ask yourself if in doing these kind of things, you burden your conscience too much. How does this affect other people? Consider if you're just running away from something that you'd better look straight in the eye. There's no ultimate answer to these questions; it really depends on the situation.

 

But maybe you're on the other side of it, being affected by somebody who tries to outwit you, takes the easy way out, steals your ideas, or goes behind your back. How do you deal with that?