The eighth card of the Minor Arcana appears to show that the person is being sabotaged by their own fears and thoughts. Frustration for not being able to solve all the problems at the desired time ends up accumulating and turning into monsters that inhabit the mind and appear at all times to inhibit the person and make him believe that he is weak and impotent. Loss of self-control is imminent and there is a risk of not being able to concentrate again. You have to control yourself. It is necessary to remove the blinders from your eyes, see the real situation you are in, analyze the available options and work to change your destiny. You are solely responsible for yourself.
Visual description and symbology Eight of Swords
The eight of Swords card brings the image of a blindfolded and bound woman. Around her, eight swords are strategically placed with the intention of keeping her trapped in that place, a representation of the limitations of beliefs and thoughts. The blindfold over her eyes prevents her from being able to see her limitations, imposed by herself, and free herself to move forward, making her get trapped in her own trap.
- The rope that binds the woman represents the mess her mind is in. A lack of action on your part ends up leaving you stuck at square one, preventing you from progressing.
- The blindfold over your eyes represents the lack of initiative to see the problems and their solutions.
- The eight swords pointing downwards represent the fears that inhabit the woman’s heart and that prevent her from acting on her own behalf. The swords on your left represent the fear of defeat and the swords on the right, the fear of hurting your heart.
Keywords Eight of Swords
Until we go further with the meanings of the Eight of Swords tarot card in love, money and health let’s examine the key words of this card.
Keywords: impotence, prison, scolding, victimisation, negative thoughts.
Reversed keywords: surrender, submission, freedom, survivor, facing fears, self-control, limited beliefs, criticism, different perspectives.
Now that the visuals and keywords have been introduced, let’s dive deep into the Eight of Swords’ interpretations of love, relationships, career, money, health and spirituality. And let’s understand how the meanings of this card can be interpreted for the consultant in each type of reading.
Eight of Swords meaning
The eight of Swords card appears to show how confined the person feels within their own limitations. Fear, anxiety and paranoia surround you so intensely that it ends up preventing you from progressing in all areas of your life. Feeling helpless at this moment is natural, because you have planted in your mind the certainty that you do not have the capacity to solve the problems that accumulate around you. Care must be taken so that these impotence thoughts do not bring with them the chances of making a wrong choice. Wanting others to solve your problems, not wanting to take responsibility for your actions, can end up making the whole situation worse.
The card comes to show that you are able to remove the blindfold that covers your eyes and move on whenever you want. You are prepared, but you must trust your instincts. If your intuition asks you to wait and reflect more before making any decisions, then do so. You are the person prepared to know what is best for you. You don’t need to be in a hurry for anything, everything has its time to happen. Don’t let the confusion that invades your thoughts hurt you.
More practically, the eight of Swords points to judgement, punishment, and imprisonment for some past act.
Love and Relationship
If you are in a relationship, the eight of Swords represents the feeling of imprisonment that you are carrying within. This feeling is suffocating you, but you can’t seem to see a way out to change the situation. This is largely due to the fact that you think there are no ways to escape what is repressing you, but the truth is that if you make an effort, you will be able to find the best way out. If you are feeling that the relationship is entering a complicated phase and you feel that you need to reconnect, know that it does not depend only on your partner for this reconstruction to happen, you need to work to recover the happy moments together.
This card also represents an abusive relationship, where the abuser uses all the tricks to arrest his victim and manage to convince him that everything he does is for love and that violence only exists because the victim chose it that way. If you are trapped in this type of relationship, know that this violence is not your fault, you are the victim and you do not deserve to go through this type of aggression, whether physical or emotional. Seek help from those you trust, family members, friends and competent bodies. You have every chance to be a survivor and manage to escape the clutches of your attacker.
If you are single, this card indicates that you are not taking action to change your own prospects for a future relationship. Assuming a passive position, waiting for the new partner to make the relationship work, may not have positive effects. A relationship should always be built together.
Money and Career
The eight of Swords alerts you to the negative feelings that accumulate within you over the years. You feel suffocated within the work environment and much of it is due to the lack of progress or future prospects for new activities. The routine makes you feel trapped in an eternal loop and the unhappiness with your work is generating stress and being reflected in other areas of your life. Maybe it’s time to rethink your career. Changing activities, finding new projects and even changing jobs may be the best solution for you right now. If you can’t change environments for the time being, look for alternatives to ease the pressure until you manage to organize yourself financially to move towards your professional fulfilment. Put anxiety aside and truly donate to change what makes you suffer.
In the financial area, the card appears to show that you are stuck in a certain situation that prevents you from progressing, but this has more to do with nervousness about the current situation than about the situation itself. It is necessary to use creativity to find alternatives and increase your income, if this is your intention.
Health and Spirituality
The eight of Swords card brings with it a not very positive prediction for the health area, especially what involves mental health. The stress and anxiety you are currently experiencing may be causing disorders that should be closely monitored by a professional. Depression, Panic Disorder, OCD, Anxiety Disorders, are some illnesses that can flourish and intensify during this period. Pay attention to your own senses, you will notice when things are not right. Seek help.
The letter also alerts for vision and weight care. If you are trying to lose weight, this is the time to invest efforts to reach your goal.
In the spiritual realm, the eight of swords shows that you are probably feeling trapped in a chosen doctrine or spiritual path. If you feel that you are not happy or that faith seems to slip through your fingers, choose another path. There are so many roads to walk that it’s up to you to choose the one that best embraces you, regardless of how many roads you need to go down to find the one that will make you complete.
Eight of Swords Reversed
When the eight of Swords appears reversed in the game, it demonstrates that the time to enjoy your freedom has finally arrived. You find yourself in balance again, after a long journey of afflictions and insecurity. You have reached a maturity that allows you to acquire new knowledge and responsibilities, where all your actions have a well-defined purpose and doubt and fear no longer prevail over your decisions. This allows you to be more free and little by little you can see that the pressure of past moments begins to ease on your shoulders, impelling you to move forward. Hope becomes part of your life again and it strengthens you, leaving you ready to face the challenges that are yet to come. Freeing yourself from the past and all hurts and anxieties is what facilitates the healing of wounds that are still open. Remain self-reliant and ask for help when you feel it is necessary. Humility in recognizing that sometimes we need people by our side to overcome obstacles that we cannot face alone is very important for our learning and self-knowledge.
Love and Relationship
If you are in a relationship, the reversed eight of swords denotes a greater understanding of everything that involves this relationship. Obstacles were overcome and conflicts became less recurrent, which relieved the pressure and brought a feeling of greater freedom to be able to be yourself without fear. This change is largely due to the fact that you stopped to reflect on the situation you were facing, analysing all sides before making any radical decision and waiting for the right moment to act.
If you are in an abusive relationship, it is time to break free completely, and you have all the help you need to overcome this relationship and survive fear and violence. You just need to remove the blindfold and ask for help. The people around you are ready to reach out to you and lift you up, guiding you to a happy and full future, hold your hands and be happy.
If you are single, you feel that you have more freedom to decide about your love life and new partners. You recognize that you are no longer tied to pleasing others and you begin to realize that you also like and deserve to be pleased. This attitude makes self-confidence guide you to healthy and pleasurable relationships.
Money and Career
In the inverted position, this card shows a lighter work environment with less pressure and conflicts. You may have conquered peace in the professional area by changing jobs or starting new projects, whatever the reason, it is clear that the turbulent moment you went through has dissipated almost completely. Some remnants can still be felt, but they are not strong enough to shake its structures. You are lighter and this helps you to understand which battles are worth fighting within the work environment.
On the other hand, this card in an inverted position may be intensifying the symbology of the eight of Swords in its upright position. You may have completely lost hope and work stress is at worrying levels. You are boiling, about to explode, and when this happens it will harm you, not only in your work, but in all areas of your life, especially your health. Maybe it’s time to rethink continuing this work. Unhappiness and mental and physical fatigue should not exist in a healthy work environment, so review if it’s not time to look for another job. You can’t sit around waiting to have a mental breakdown, something needs to be done, and it needs to be done now.
In the financial area, the card points to improvements in your finances. Payment of debts, discharge of bills and mortgages in arrears, everything is heading towards a much needed respite. In case there is any money left at the end of the month, this card asks that a savings be made to save a little thinking about future situations. Heavy clouds can arrive at any time and it’s good to be prepared so you don’t end up getting lost like before.
Health and Spirituality
The eight of swords in an inverted position demonstrates recovery for those suffering from a mental disorder, such as depression, Panic Disorder and Anxiety Disorders. Mental health is moving towards a more peaceful moment and this will be reflected in all areas of your life.
On the other hand, as this card has the power to intensify the symbolism of the eight of Swords in the upright position, it may be warning of the dangers of not seeking help to treat the mind. Believing that only the physical body needs our attention is a mistake, and you are making too much of it. Take care of your mental health before it ends up collapsing.
This card also shows internal strengthening and domination over one’s own feelings. Faith resurfaces and brings with it the will to overcome obstacles and continue the path with wisdom and freedom. Reconnect with your spirit guides, they have a lot to teach you.
Eight of Swords Yes and No
The eight of Swords is a card that symbolizes the frustrations, fears and anxiety that inhabit the soul when obstacles arise along the way. The fear of failure brings so much negativity to the person that no ends up becoming the answer to any question brought by the consultant.
Eight of Swords Combinations
Eight of Swords is a card that carries strong harmful symbolism. Fears and anxieties, disappointments and disorders cause combinations of this card to end up generating mostly negative readings.
Eight of Swords and The Emperor
Unpredictability. Business is getting unfinished and people around you are negatively influencing you.
Eight of Swords and The Hanged Man
The fear of upsetting other people ends up making you limit yourself and hide your true feelings for yourself.
Eight of Swords and The Moon
You are deviating from your path for other reasons.
Eight of Swords – Elements, Astrology and other associations
Here are the associations with the Eight of Swords tarot card
- Element: Air
- Planet: Jupiter
- Astrological signs: Gemini
- Main dates: 21st to 31st of May
- Kabbalah: Hod – Splendor
- Yes / No: No
Eight of Swords as Personality Types
When in the upright position, it indicates a person who focuses a lot on appearance and leaves aside the essence of other people. For them what matters is what they bring on the outside and never the inside. They are people who victimize themselves and always think they are being misunderstood by others, often acting as if the entire universe was against them. Stubborn, they defend their point of view, even when it is wrong, and do not accept being contradicted. These are people who fixate on unimportant details and magnify issues that shouldn’t have been raised.
When in the inverted position, it indicates a person who spends his life trying to redeem himself for anything, sometimes they don’t even have mistakes to be judged, but need this judgment from others to feel part of a society. They are people prone to self-sabotage and have very low self-esteem, which makes them constantly hurt themselves for not being able to please everyone. Usually, they choose the easy way out so as not to run a great risk of getting lost or injured.
Eight of Swords as Feelings
Confusion, fear, insecurity and apprehension are the feelings that permeate the eight of Swords. Feeling constantly stuck and disoriented along your path seems to be more common than it really should be. These feelings end up leaving the person vulnerable to manipulation by third parties, who take advantage of their fragility to get what they want from them.
General questions about the Eight of Swords tarot card
Finally, let’s summarize some general issues that are related to the Eight of Swords tarot card.
What does the Eight of Swords tarot card mean?
The eight of swords appears to show that it is time to remove the blindfold that covers your eyes. The fear, anxiety and paranoia of always feeling incapable of taking charge of your own life could be seriously hampering your progress. Don’t let the feeling of helplessness dominate you and make you choose wrong paths just by listening to other people’s advice and not wanting to take responsibility for your own actions. Believe that you are capable of knowing what is best for you. If you feel very unsure and confused about a specific issue, stop and reflect on the issue as a whole. You don’t have to make any rash decisions just to prove you’re capable. Take as much time as you feel necessary. Haste can be your biggest enemy right now.
More practically, the eight of Swords points to judgement, punishment, and imprisonment for some past act.
What does the reversed Eight of Swords tarot card mean?
The eight of swords in the inverted position appears to show that the maturing of the mind makes it possible to free oneself from irrational fears and anxieties that were present in your life. Balance and hope return, strengthening you and guiding you in decision making. You find yourself more rational and self-confident and this helps you to escape future regrets that could arise if you remain trapped in blind despair. Leaving the past behind was the first step taken, but you shouldn’t forget about it, because it’s through the pain you once felt that you learn not to make the same mistakes. If before you didn’t feel safe to accept help from people around you, today you should accept it when you think it’s necessary, because you’re mature enough to discern good advice from boring advice.
What does the Eight of Swords tarot card mean in a love reading?
The eight of swords shows a relationship where the feeling of imprisonment ends up suffocating and generating conflicts that could be avoided. It is necessary to realize that the way out of this situation lies before everyone involved, but it is necessary to remove the blindfold that covers the eyes in order to be able to see and start to act. The effort to free yourself from all the bad feelings that inhabit your mind and heart must also come from you and not just believe that the partner is to blame for the relationship being the way it is, just to abstain from your share of blame . It’s up to you to get your relationship back on track and move forward.
This card also warns of an abusive relationship. If you’re stuck in this type of relationship, seek help from people you trust to break free. The support of family, friends and competent bodies is very important to overcome this relationship and move forward.
If you are single, you may be acting very passively in your new relationships. Expecting the partner to be responsible for the relationship to work out may not have positive effects. A relationship should always be built together.
When in the inverted position, this card shows that the moments of anguish and fear have passed. Difficulties and conflicts gradually gave way to honest and peaceful conversations. This is due to the fact that you have managed to get rid of the shackles of the past and have matured to the point of making decisions rationally. If you are in an abusive relationship, know that this is the time to get away from it, break free and move on. The people around you are ready to help you overcome this relationship. Now is the time to walk the path towards your happiness.
Eight of Swords and a Yes or No tarot card?
No.
Happy reading and see you in the next card, Nine of Swords tarot card meaning – Love, Money, Health and more