Upright Keywords
trapped, restricted, victimised, paralysed, helpless, powerless, imprisonment
Reversed Keywords
freedom, release, taking control, survivor, facing fears, empowered, surrender
On the Eightof Swords is a woman who is tied up and blindfolded. There are eight swordsplaced strategically around her in a way that restricts her movementas though she is in some kind of trap or jail. However, it seems as thoughwhoever built the trap was a little lazy or hasty, leaving some open spacewhere she could escape. But because of the blindfold preventing the womanfrom seeing, she has no way of finding her way out ofthis trap. The barren land around her might signify a lack ofcreativity of some sort, while the grey sky in the backgroundcan signify despair, since there she feels that there is no hopeof her breaking free from the kind of situation that she is bound to. Ifonly she could take the blindfold off, she would see that she could simply justwalk out of this situation.
The generalmeaning in the Eight of Swords is that of a feeling of being trapped andvictimized. You may feel powerless because, in your mind,you feel that changing the situation might be beyond you. Thisfeeling of helplessness that you have, the feeling that you have no agency inyour life, has played a major role in making your situation worse.
Surrendering one’spower to an unknown entity, whether it's fate, or God, the government orsomething else means that you are giving away your own personal responsibilityto affect change.
Surrenderingone’s power to an unknown entity, whether it's fate, or God, the government orsomething else means that you are giving away your own personal responsibilityto affect change. You have willingly relinquished the driver's seat in thejourney of your own life, and it isn't going well for you. It is advisablefor you to avoid making an important decision at this time sinceyour judgment is likely clouded.
The good newsis that because these traps are things that we create ourselves, we can alsoleave them if we put our minds to it. It is simply the matter of taking off theblindfold, and seeing beyond the limited perspective that we created forourselves - to see the possibilities, and to recognize that you have your owninternal power.
Upright Love Meaning
feeling trapped, suffocated, smothered, passive in love life
Upright Career Meaning
dependence on job, can’t change careers, fear of job changes
Upright Finances Meaning
anxiety about money, can’t see financial opportunity
When the 8 ofSwords appears in a love tarot reading, you may be feeling trapped; do you feelsmothered in a relationship, or in a now stale partnership you cannot leave?You may feel as though you have no choices, but this usually isn’t the case ifyou look at the bigger picture. We deny ourselves possibilities when we are tooscared of doing the hard work of communicating our boundaries or standing upfor ourselves. In order to make changes, you must be the one to take action andcontrol. Freedom doesn’t come with passivity. If you’re single, this card canalso point to being too passive in your love life. You may be unwilling toventure and meet others, hoping that the solution to your romantic life will bea person that can sweep you off your feet. This often doesn’t yield results.
Your careerisn’t quite what you thought it would be. Yet because your job is tied to yourmeans of living, you feel that you can’t leave right now. You may feel you donot have a back up plan, or other positions, jobs or career paths available toyou right now. If you’re looking to switch career paths, it may take someeducation, but this can be difficult without having a steady income. While itmay feel like you don’t have options, you may just need to think outside thebox. Anxiety may make you feel like you have less options than you actually do.Ask for help, look over your budget, turn a hobby into a business, find areputable place to get a student loan; there are likely many options, where youdon’t have to keep suffering.
You may feellike things are closing in on you right now when it comes to your financialsituation. Anxiety about the state of your bank account can alter how youperceive the reality of the situation. If you’re looking to make more cash, youmay have more tools to do so than you think. Do you have a talent that someoneelse would pay for? Are you a talented writer? Ask if local businesses need awriter for their blog. Read tarot cards? Start charging for readings at yourlocal cafe. There are so many ways to better your situation, you’ll just needto be a little more creative.
Getting thereversed Eight of Swords is a good sign, since it shows maturity andself-acceptance, and a recognition of one's own power and responsibility -especially after a long struggle of doubt. It means that one is capable ofmaking conscious decisions because they are confident in who they are, andtheir power to affect change in both themselves and the world. It's timeto free ones self from the past and proverbially clear out their closet,creating room for new things and experiences.
Reversed Love Meaning
clearer perspective of relationship, active role in love life
Reversed Career Meaning
new job to reach potential, freedom from anxiety, continued struggle
Reversed Finances Meaning
lessened anxiety, intensified anxiety, fears clouding truth
As you takeoff the blindfold, take a long clear look at your romantic life. The 8 ofSwords tarot love meaning can suggest that your perspective is changing nowthat you have a more clear and objective understanding of your relationship.Anxieties may be lifted, and it can now be clear to you what needs to be donein order to feel happier in your romantic life. If you’re single, you may findyourself more willing to take your love life into your own hands. Fears andanxieties that have blocked you from truly pursuing romance can be lifted.
It may havetaken a while, but you have finally found release from your anxiety about yourcareer. Things can be a bit easier now, and your vision is less clouded fromstress or fear. Sometimes, this card can suggest a new job or position that youhave attained, one that allows you to realize your full potential. The reversed8 of Swords however, can at times also signify just the opposite. You mayinstead have lost all hope, resigned yourself to the idea that no matter whatyou do, this is the only path for you. Every day may be a struggle. Rememberthat you do have the power to change things, so long as you open your eyes toall possibilities, and don’t let fear take over. Nobody will save you exceptyourself.
The reversed 8of Swords can signal that your anxieties about money have either lessened, orintensified. You may finally be learning to see all the possibilities that areavailable to you, or alternatively, your fears and anxieties have justcontinued to get worse. You will need to address these fears before theycontinue to do damage to your mental health.
BooksArtworkBlanketPremium boxPresentatieThis project is made by Jan Otte for his final project at Ap hogeschool.
You can find more of his work at his personal website.