You know, people always panic when the 7 of Swords pops up in a love reading. They immediately jump to, “Oh my God, they are definitely cheating on me, right?” I used to be one of those people, thinking every time I pulled it for a relationship question, it was automatically a pink slip for the partner.
But that’s too simple. Life, and the Tarot, is rarely that straightforward. The 7 of Swords isn’t always about sneaking into someone else’s bed, but it is always about sneaking around, a tactical retreat, or flat-out theft. So I decided to dig into this myself and track actual readings for a few months, specifically when the question was about a partner’s secrets, intentions, or honesty.
The Start: Testing the Cheating Theory
I started this project after a reading for a friend, let’s call her Mia. Mia was super stressed. Her dude, Jake, had gotten really distant. He was constantly “working late” or “hanging out with the guys” but his stories never quite added up. She was freaking out, but she also really didn’t want to believe he was messing around. She wanted me to give her a straight answer, and maybe tell her everything was fine.
I laid out a simple three-card spread:
- The Relationship’s Vibe right now.
- Jake’s Underlying Intention/Action.
- The Likely Outcome/Advice.
When I flipped the second card, Jake’s Intention, there it was: The 7 of Swords.
I stared at it. I felt this instant, cold pit in my stomach because I knew what I was looking at. I pulled a clarification card—the Hierophant reversed. Okay, so not only is he sneaking around (7 of Swords), but he’s also disrespecting established commitments and traditions (Hierophant Rev). I felt like I had to be careful with how I delivered this, so I initially talked around the issue. I told Mia, “Look, he is definitely avoiding telling you something. It could be something big, maybe he’s thinking of moving for a job, maybe he’s got financial drama, but he is actively stealing something from you right now, and that thing is the truth.”
I tucked my deck away, feeling like maybe I got it wrong. Maybe I was just being paranoid. But Mia wasn’t satisfied. She pushed me, asking specifically about infidelity. I admitted that the cards had all the hallmarks of a cover-up, regardless of the topic.
The Detailed Process: Going Back to School
The next week, Mia called me absolutely furious and heartbroken. Guess what? Jake wasn’t cheating physically, not exactly. He had secretly drained their joint savings account to pay off a massive gambling debt he’d been racking up for six months, and was planning to leave town the following Monday. He was literally stealing their future and sneaking out of the relationship and their shared home. The 7 of Swords was about theft, plain and simple.
That realization hit me like a ton of bricks. My soft-pedaling almost let Mia get completely blindsided financially. I had treated it like a metaphorical secret, when it was a very literal, very damaging one.
This is where I started my dedicated tracking. I went full-on detective. I created a private, digital journal and started logging every single reading where the 7 of Swords appeared in a ‘what is their action/intention’ position in a love reading. I labeled it “7oS Case Files.”
- Case #1 (Mia/Jake): Confirmed Literal Theft + Sneaky Exit.
Outcome: Relationship over, police involved over the money.
- Case #2 (A client named Rick): 7oS appeared about his girlfriend.
Outcome: She was secretly applying to colleges 3,000 miles away and planning a move, but kept telling him she wanted to settle down next year. Sneaky tactical retreat from commitment.
- Case #3 (My own reading): I pulled it for myself asking about a creative project I kept procrastinating on.
Outcome: I realized I was “stealing” time from myself and sneaking away from the hard work. It was about me avoiding my own responsibility.
I pulled dozens of these. I started to see a pattern emerging. I documented how the surrounding cards shifted the focus, but the core feeling remained the same.
The Final Realization: The Takeaway
What I learned is that when the 7 of Swords shows up about a partner, you can stop asking if they are hiding something, because the answer is always a screaming YES. It doesn’t matter if it’s a secret affair (which it is sometimes!), a hidden financial drama, a secret escape plan, or just the avoidance of an uncomfortable reality. Someone is actively, tactically trying to get away with something or get away from something by using deception. It’s the action of taking the five best swords (the necessities) and leaving the two junk ones behind, hoping nobody notices. They are making a run for it.
So, is your partner hiding a secret affair? Maybe. But they are absolutely hiding something that involves a calculated risk they are taking behind your back to benefit themselves. You need to stop waiting for proof, look at the evidence you have, and connect the dots. Don’t be like me, initially trying to make the card mean something nicer. When you see the guy sneaking off with the swords, just know he’s not coming back to mow the lawn; he’s taking something important with him. Trust your gut and the very blunt answer the 7 of Swords is giving you.
