This December, the Seven of Swords — the card of strategy, subtle action, and quiet progress — steps forward with a gentle reminder: not everything needs to be rushed, revealed, or shared before it’s ready. Some of the most meaningful breakthroughs happen behind the scenes, in silence, at your own pace. It’s in the small decisions, the private moments, and the careful steps that real growth settles in.
And honestly…. I’ve been living this energy myself.
Just the other day, I completely broke down. I cried until my chest hurt. I felt disappointed, exhausted, and painfully alone — like I was carrying every responsibility with no room to breathe. I stayed up late finishing my book, sorting the house, preparing meals, doing everything that needed to be done. And for a moment, I thought: “Maybe it would be easier to sell everything and leave… because I already feel alone now.”
That’s when the Seven of Swords made perfect sense.
People often think this card is only about deception or something sneaky — but that’s just the surface. On a deeper level, it speaks to the times when you’re carrying too much, when you’re overwhelmed, when you need to step back and withdraw so you can protect your energy.
In the card’s imagery, the figure carries five swords and leaves two behind. That’s exactly what this season is teaching us: You can’t carry everything. You’re not meant to. You’re allowed to put things down.
Those five swords represent the weight of burnout, expectations, disappointments, responsibilities — everything I was feeling when I reached my breaking point. And the two swords left behind? Those are the tasks, conversations, or decisions we simply cannot deal with right now. And that’s okay.
The Seven of Swords isn’t judging you for stepping back — it’s supporting you. It whispers: “Move quietly. Protect your peace. Heal privately. You don’t owe the world constant visibility.”
This card is a reminder that the most powerful growth often happens in private, in silence, when nobody sees the work but you. It teaches us that stepping back is not weakness — it’s wisdom. It’s strategy. It’s self-preservation.
So if you’ve been feeling drained, doubtful, or stretched too thin — you’re not off your path. You’re moving through the exact lesson this card holds: trusting the work you’re doing behind the scenes.
Even if progress looks slow, even if nothing is visible yet, your energy is rearranging itself for something meaningful. Quiet growth is still growth. And by the time the new year arrives, you’ll realise that every private step you took, every boundary you set, every moment you allowed yourself to rest… it was all building a stronger foundation for what comes next.
You’re not falling apart. You’re shifting, protecting, healing, and preparing — exactly the way the Seven of Swords asks you to. So, please be gentle with yourself this December. Go make yourself something comforting. In fact, go make yourself some pancakes — here’s mine.
I’ve been eating an embarrassing amount of pancakes since my breakdown, honestly. Sometimes healing looks like deep inner work. Sometimes healing looks like pancakes. Both are valid.
With all my heart, 💛 — Urai
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