Reading In The Flow - Cards in Combination: 7 of Swords, 5 of Cups, The Hierophant

This is the fourth edition of our series “Reading In The Flow: Cards in Combination”. If you’re new to the series (can be found via Resources), “Reading In The Flow” is a term I use to describe taking a bird’s eye view of a spread in order to observe all the ways in which the cards interact.

Similar to the last combination, I will be working with my partner Tim to break down the possibilities within a set of 3 cards. We will explore elemental distribution, note-worthy observations, how the cards Qabalistically correlate, and what the message may be with all things considered.

The three cards we’ll be using for today’s exercise came about through “random” shuffle. They are the 7 of Swords, 5 of Cups, and The Hierophant. I have arranged them sequentially in a horizontal manner and have not ascribed a question or positional meanings. This is a general reading where the cards are meant to be read in tandem.

Similar to the last time, I am asking readers to take a step back and observe the landscape at large. Consider what is similar about the cards, what is different, how they interact, what the figures are posturing, the colours, repeated imagery or anything else that stands out! There are no right or wrongs in this approach. Bring in any elements you personally work with (numbers, astrology etc.) whether I’ve mentioned them or not. This isn’t about guessing what I’m going to see, it’s about expanding your own unique vision. So, take a look at the image below, and using the prompts above, note what you observe!

Here are our notes. Keep in mind, there are endless possibilities - this is just what popped out for us! This is also a whole lot of theory. When reading in practice, it is wise to combine learned meanings and intuitive hunches for the best results.

Majors Vs. Minors:
1 Major, 2 Minors

This is a reasonable ratio given there are more minors in the deck than majors. Statistically, this makes sense and likely points to some balance in terms of the overall vibration of the reading. It is concerned both with the day-to-day and perhaps bigger life lessons.

Elemental Distribution:
7 of Swords = Air
5 of Cups = Water
The Hierophant = Earth
What is missing? Fire

The landscape here contains all elements with the exception of Fire. Of course, with only 3 cards drawn, we can expect there to be at least one element missing. It’s difficult to say what this may say overall, but seeing that the other three make an appearance indicates a degree of balance. The lack of fire may indicate that energy or inspiration is the missing ingredient.

Basic Numerical Breakdown:
The main numbers represented are 5 and 7. There are 2 5’s present though, which may be significant. 5’s tend to indicate fluctuation, change, and sometimes turmoil.

The total number is 8 (7+5+5=17 and then 1+7=8). The number 8 falls near the end of the 1-9 sequence and represents the coming together of efforts put in previously, the idea of you reap what you sow, willpower and success.

Repeated or Notable Imagery:
-We observe very different body language across the cards. In the 7 of Swords, the figure is profile facing, moving forward but looking backward. In the 5 of Cups, the figure is turned around totally and in The Hierophant we see a figure face on. This may indicate a shifting of perspective over time.

-Speaking of directions, the 7 of Swords and 5 of Cups both face to the left of the image, possibly moving them toward severity on the Tree of Life. By contrast, The Hierophant sits between 2 pillars, indicative of taking a middle path or moderate approach.

-Silver and Gold elements stick out to us. In the 7 of Swords, we see 7 silver-looking swords. The Cups in the 5 appear gold in colour and then in The Hierophant, we have a silver and gold key at the Hierophant’s feet. Silver and Gold are also representative of the Sun and The Moon or the male and female aspects. It could be said that The Hierophant is seeking to blend what was separated in the previous two cards, creating more harmony than what was previously.

-In The Hierophant we see two figures kneeling. We felt this could be representative of the figures in the other two cards coming together to honour something greater than themselves.

-The suit distribution in the 5 of Cups and 7 of Swords is similar. In the 7, the figure grabs 5 swords and leaves 2 behind. In the 5, the figure faces 3 cups with 2 behind. We suspect this landscape is drawing our attention to what is consciously experienced vs. what we are ignoring or turning our back to.

-Themes around willpower are preset in the cards. In the 7. we see someone acting willfully in making off with the majority of the swords available. In the 5, we see 3 cups with spilled blood, a symbol of will wasted. And in The Hierophant, we are faced with will in the divine form which, if applied, will allow one to make better decisions and thus not spoil their resources.

Possible Message:
To us, this feels like a series of transitions that result in having to reassess past actions and what they have culminated in. Perhaps a decision was made that became a regretful one. Due to one’s inability to predict the less than ideal outcome, they found themselves mourning what they ended up losing in the process. Of course, not all losses remain as such and this experience looks like it could be a catalytic one. As we apply reasoned retrospect to what has transpired, we can learn from what has transpired and come into a new knowing. Where did we go wrong? How can we avoid inaccurate thinking in the future? In the end, we must learn to not react quickly, but give time for the inner teacher to air their guidance. When we rely on external cues or selfish desir4es alone, we can seriously miss the mark. So while a difficult time may have resulted due to a misunderstanding of one’s true objective, there is always learning possible. If we can approach the practice of reflection here with reverence, it may bring us to a place of wisdom and clarity in which the future self will learn and benefit.

So, what did you think? What did you see? What popped out!? While this is a fairly objective and rational approach, also consider that your intuition will have a way of bringing forward the aspects that are key! In this way, you may consider a “missed” connection to be irrelevant to the seeker involved. And also consider, what you noticed today, may not be what you notice tomorrow - context and situation mean a lot! Ultimately, I love this approach because of its versatility and I hope you too can see the value in the bird’s eye view. I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have card combination suggestions for future posts, leave them in the comments!

You can also find my collection of card meanings here, which you may find helpful if you’re new to tarot!

Julia