Tarot Cards Explained:Eight of Swords
What it can mean for your career, health, and lovelife
The Eight of Swords is a card that embodies feelings of restriction, fear, and late discovery. It is often related to situations where an individual feels trapped or imprison. But it also depicts a glimmer of hope in the midst of despair, indicating that the limitations or barriers one may feel are often self-imposed and can be broken with a change of perspective.
Symbolism
In the Rider-Waite deck, the Eight of Swords shows a woman surrounded by eight swords, bound and blindfolded, suggesting central themes of constraint and blindness to one's situation. However, her feet remain unbound, implying the possibility of escape. The water by her feet symbolizes intuition and the castle in the distance represents knowledge and strength.
General Meaning
The Eight of Swords generally represents a situation of feeling trapped or restricted, and perceiving no way out. But it also show that these feelings are often self-imposed and that with introspection, a clear way forward may be revealed. It is a card reminding us to break through our mental barriers.
Love and Relationships
In a love reading, the Eight of Swords may indicate a sense of being trapped in a relationship or harboring fears and insecurities. It's prompting the need to communicate and express these feelings. For singles, it may indicate feelings of fear or defeat in the pursuit of love.
Career and Finances
In context of career, the Eight of Swords could signify feeling stuck in a position or job without opportunity of advancement. In financial matters, it suggests the fear of financial instability but also the need to reevaluate and make necessary changes.
Health
In health readings, the Eight of Swords may point to feelings of worry or fear about health, which can create unnecessary stress and impact well-being. It reminds that a proactive approach is necessary to improve mental and physical health.
Spiritual Contexts
On a spiritual level, the Eight of Swords suggests feeling lost or disconnected from one's spirituality or spiritual path. This card encourages soul-searching, self-exploration and release of limiting beliefs.
Past, Present, and Future
In a 'past, present, and future' reading, past means one was trapped by limiting beliefs; present suggests a current state of feeling bound and blind to possibilities; future signifies that if current paths aren't changed, one may end up in a self-imposed prison.
What it means if Reversed?
When reversed, the Eight of Swords indicates freedom, release, and a new perspective. It suggests the breaking of bonds and overcoming of self-imposed barriers, leading to liberation.
What it means in Yes or No Reading?
In a Yes or No reading, the Eight of Swords generally leans towards a 'No', but it is also a reminder to remove self-imposed limitations and barriers to allow positive outcomes.
To sum up, the Eight of Swords depicts a period of fear, self-limitation and feeling trapped, but it also signifies that this imprisonment is self-imposed and can be broken with a shift in perspective. This card reminds us to remove our blindfold and see the possibilities to move forward.
