The Seven of Cups is about fantasy, illusion, and insatiable desires. This card shows up when you’re living in a world of daydreams and escaping reality without taking the steps needed to make changes in your life.
It can also signal a troubled marriage or deep issues like past trauma or escaping into addiction. But The Seven of Cups isn’t always a negative card. The Seven of Cups can show you have many wonderful options in front of you, or are in the creative, dreaming phase of a new project.
The reversed Seven of Cups card shows many options, but here they’re overwhelming you. You have too many choices!
This reversed card can show you’re getting lost in fantasy when considering those choices, just like when it’s upright. If you get caught up in pipedreams, you might make a poor decision, so make sure you’re using logic along with intuition to make the right choice.
On the other hand, this reversed card can also show a lack of options. You might feel stuck and like there’s no opportunity for progress. Maybe you think the best option has already passed you by, or maybe you’re feeling frustrated by stagnancy.
Consider how you may have fallen short in the past and how you can improve to open up more opportunities in the future. The reversed Seven of Cups card can also show you’re lacking purpose and clarity.
Reading this reversed card using the “blocked/restricted” meaning
Okay, let’s talk about how you can read your reversed Seven of Cups card. One way is using the “blocked/restricted” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you try to find an obstacle standing in front of the card’s upright meaning.
For The Seven of Cups, this can mean something is keeping you from having choices and opportunities. Ask yourself what’s keeping you stuck in the same place you’ve been for so long.
For example, let’s say you pull the reversed Seven of Cups card while thinking about your career.
You’ve been working as an adjunct math professor for years. You love your job and worked hard to get where you are. But as an adjunct, the pay is meager, and you don’t feel you have a lot of opportunities for career growth.
Here, the reversed Seven of Cups card shows that maybe what’s blocking your options is that you haven’t taken the necessary steps to make them appear. In a competitive field like higher education, you need to keep your skills fresh and sharp for new opportunities to arise.
What training or continuing education does your college offer to the faculty? Do you need to up your publishing and presentation game? That’s a great chance to weave yourself into the school and maybe have a shot when a full-time position opens up.
You can also start teaching at other schools along with your current one to make connections and find opportunities for career growth. Sometimes, options only arise when you make them happen for yourself.
Reading this reversed card using the “opposite” meaning
You can also read your reversed Seven of Cups card using the “opposite” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards this way, you’re looking for the opposite of the card’s upright meaning.
So, for The Seven of Cups, instead of fantasy, illusion, and options, you have reality, truth, and certainty. Maybe you have a vision that seems like a pipedream to others, but you know it’s not.
Say you pull the reversed Seven of Cups card thinking about your personal aspirations. You want to start your own digital marketing company, and you’ve been striving towards this goal for years.
This means working in the field, taking courses to improve your skills, and meeting with a financial planner. But the people in your life look at the fact that you’re young and only have a bachelor’s degree in English and think you’re chasing a dream that will never come true.
Here, the reversed Seven of Cups card tells you you’re not getting lost in a fantasy. You’ve researched this thoroughly and you have a lot of good ideas. You’ve also taken important steps to understand what starting a business entails and you have a solid plan.
Don’t let the fact that some people don’t understand your vision stop you. If you’re feeling prepared, there’s no reason you shouldn’t take a chance on yourself!
Reading this reversed card using the “worse” meaning
Another way to read your reversed Seven of Cups card is using the “worse” reversed card meaning. When you look at your cards like this, you take the card’s upright meaning and put it in a negative light.
For The Seven of Cups, this means you have choice and opportunity, but maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed and can’t decide. You’re lacking clarity and aren’t sure how to move forward.
Say you pull the reversed Seven of Cups card thinking about your dating life. You’ve recently put yourself back on the market after being in a six-year relationship.
You’re attractive, interesting, and kind, so you have a lot of options. Even with only one dating profile, it seems like everyone wants to go out with you, and the choice seems overwhelming.
There are a few people you’ve connected with, but you’re finding it hard to see them because you have other obligations in life. Here, the reversed Seven of Cups card tells you not to get bogged down in choices.
Dating should be fun, not overwhelming and stressful. Also, if seeing these people is taking away from your career focus or the time you spend with friends, it might become a problem.
Try taking a couple of weeks off from dating and realign your priorities. If someone really likes you, they’ll still be there when you’re ready to go out again.
People also tend to show their true colors when they don’t get what they want, so pulling away a bit can help you see how your dates behave when they don’t have your full attention. This can help you decide if someone is worth getting to know.
Reading this reversed card using the “no/not” meaning
Finally, you can read your reversed Seven of Cups card using the “no/not” method. When you read your cards this way, you put a “no” or a “not” in front of the card’s upright meaning.
So for The Seven of Cups, you have “no fantasy” or “no opportunity.” You’re lacking the fantasy and opportunities that keep life exciting and fun.
For example, you might pull the reversed Seven of Cups card thinking about your home life. You’re married with three kids, and it seems like you devote all your time and energy to work, family, and your domestic duties.
This means you never get to escape into fantasy anymore or indulge in your hobbies. Even worse, you feel like your enthusiasm for these things has faded.
Here, the reversed Seven of Cups tells you to rekindle the fantasy and passion in your life. Make time to escape into your mind and have fun with the hobbies you used to enjoy.
If you’re lacking the energy, try changing your fitness regime or diet. Also, set a sleep schedule you can stick to so you can get the rest you need to have fun when you can.
Most importantly, talk to your partner about how you’re feeling so the two of you can work out a schedule together and look for opportunities for you both to flourish.