The Seven of Swords — Deception & Strategy Playlist
The Seven of Swords is all about stealth and strategy, the shadow side of cunning. It’s the whisper of secrets, the tension of what’s hidden, the uneasy dance of half-truths.
This card doesn’t always mean betrayal. Sometimes it’s about protecting yourself, moving carefully, or playing your cards close to the chest. But it asks: “Are your strategies serving or sabotaging you?”
And that’s where music comes in. A playlist for deception like this acts as a spell. It sharpens your instincts, tunes you into subtleties, and mirrors the atmosphere of secrecy and survival.
But first, let’s talk about what this card means.
The Seven of Swords in Tarot
In the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, the Seven of Swords shows a figure sneaking away from a camp, carrying five swords while leaving two behind. It is stealth and cunning made visible.
At its core, this card represents:
✨ Deception and Secrets — what is hidden, withheld, or strategically obscured.
✨ Strategy and Tactics — finding unconventional ways to achieve a goal.
✨ Self-Protection — acting in secrecy to safeguard yourself.
When this card shows up in a reading, it can be a warning of deceit—or an encouragement to sharpen your strategy and move carefully.
Music as Magic
To me, music is one of the simplest kinds of spellwork. A playlist can set the tone for an afternoon of creativity, a ritual, or even just a mood shift. The songs we choose become the energy we’re weaving around ourselves.
The Seven of Swords playlist is one I imagine playing while:
Journaling about where I hide truths from myself or others.
Planning strategies for moving carefully and wisely.
Casting a circle for protection and discernment.
Meditating on shadows and secrets.
It’s music for stealth, insight, and learning from hidden places.
The Playlist
Here’s the soundtrack I curated to capture the essence of the Seven of Swords:
Smooth Operator – Sade
This sultry classic opens the playlist with a reminder of how charm can be a mask. The Seven of Swords often hides behind allure, and this track mirrors that silky exterior covering sharper intentions. It sets the tone for the card’s energy: deception draped in elegance, strategy concealed in grace.Secret – Madonna
Secrets are seductive, and this track pulls you into the intimacy of the unspoken. Madonna’s voice feels both confessional and withholding, like someone sharing only bits of the truth. It reflects the Seven of Swords’ lesson that what’s hidden can be as powerful—and dangerous—as what’s revealed.Dirty Little Secret – The All-American Rejects
Catchy and confessional, this anthem is all about the thrill of what we keep tucked away. It captures the duality of secrecy: the adrenaline rush of hiding something and the looming tension of discovery. Just like the Seven of Swords, it asks what’s worth concealing, and what’s at risk.Little Secrets – Passion Pit
Bright and infectious on the surface, but full of pressure underneath. This song mirrors the Seven of Swords by showing how secrets can bubble up beneath a cheerful façade. Sometimes strategy looks playful, but it’s still rooted in tension. The upbeat sound masks the heavier truth.Poker Face – Lady Gaga
The art of bluffing is brought to the dance floor. Gaga’s anthem of disguise captures the essence of strategy, performance, and keeping your cards close. Like the Seven of Swords, it reminds you that masks can be protective, but also isolating. Winning sometimes depends on how well you hide your hand.Mastermind – Taylor Swift
Every detail is intentional in this song, just as every action is in the Seven of Swords. Swift sings of calculated moves and hidden plans, revealing how foresight shapes outcomes. The track embodies both the thrill and weight of strategy, asking: when you orchestrate everything, what room is left for trust?Tainted Love – Soft Cell
This synth-driven classic dives into the way secrets corrode. Lies, half-truths, and hidden motives eat away at trust until love itself feels poisoned. The Seven of Swords warns of this shadow side: deception may offer momentary protection, but the long-term cost is often broken trust and isolation.Secret Agent Man – Johnny Rivers
This track adds levity to the tension. It celebrates disguise, stealth, and living undercover, showing the more playful and cheekier side of deception. The Seven of Swords isn’t always heavy—sometimes strategy is necessary and even fun. This song reminds us that secrecy can feel adventurous.Clandestino – Manu Chao
A haunting song of hidden lives and moving through the world unseen. It echoes the Seven of Swords’ shadow: exile and surviving in the margins. The lyrics carry sorrow and resilience, reflecting how secrecy isn’t always about deception—sometimes it’s about staying safe in the shadows.No One Knows – Queens of the Stone Age
Closing with paranoia and mystery, this track leans into the disorientation of not knowing what’s true. Its gritty energy mirrors the Seven of Swords’ descent into suspicion and uncertainty. The song leaves you with the card’s core tension: when we live in shadows, clarity is hard to find.
Journal Prompts for the Seven of Swords
If you want to go deeper into the energy of this card, try reflecting with these prompts:
Where am I being asked to look more closely beneath the surface?
What strategies am I using to protect myself—and are they serving me?
Where do I need to shine light on deception in my life?
If you want to explore these prompts more deeply, I created a free worksheet to guide you.
Blog Rewards Program
The Seven of Swords carries stealth and strategy. 🕵️♀️ Get the Strategy Insight Kit with a tarot spread and reflection prompts to uncover hidden truths. Sign up for the Blog Reward Program to download it.
The Blog Rewards Program turns your witchcraft learning journey into an engaging experience where you earn points and unlock exclusive rewards just for reading insightful, magical content each week.
Bringing the Seven of Swords Into Your Life
This playlist sharpens awareness and invites discernment.
Observation Exercise: Play it while people-watching, noticing body language and subtle cues.
Candle Ritual: Light a black candle while listening, asking truth to be revealed.
Shadow Journaling: Reflect on where you’ve hidden truths—from others or yourself.
Affirmation Work: Repeat, “I see clearly. I move with wisdom.”
By making listening intentional, you transform music into magic.
Final Thoughts
The Seven of Swords shows us secrecy, strategy, and the shadows of half-truths. This playlist dances with cunning, cleverness, and hidden motives.
So press play as you reflect on where you’re guarding your energy. Let the music remind you that sometimes stealth protects—but honesty heals.
✨ Want to go deeper? Pull a card for “what truth am I avoiding, and why?” as you listen.
