As a reminder, the suit of swords is driven by masculine energy and channels the power of the intellect and mind, including all the concepts, knowledge, and beliefs that it holds. Scholars and academics have connected the suit of swords to the classical element of air, and most of the cards from that suit embody the symbolic attributes of this element, one way or another.
The Eight of Swords Tarot Card Keywords
Upright: helplessness, trapped environment, complex problems, and limited options
Reversed: self-depreciation, giving up, inventing imaginary complications, and holding them to be true
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Modern Representations
A difficult card overall, when the Eight of Swords appears in a reading it usually points to a particularly bad or perilous situation, that will only further how dangerous it is by convincing anyone falling into that situation that they will not possibly be able to find a way out. The best way to ensure that someone will never succeed in a specific endeavor is to convince them that it is so helpless that it is not even worth it to simply give it a try, thus fulfilling their own prophecy since the only way a problem can be genuinely impossible is when you do not even try to solve it.
The Mythic Tarot (1986/2008)
The Haindl Tarot (1990)
Osho Zen Tarot (1995)
Law of Attraction Tarot (2011)
Spellcaster Tarot (2016)
Ostara Tarot (2017)
Upright Eight of Swords Meaning
The main character that can be seen in the Eight of Swords (in the RWS tarot deck) is a woman wearing a long flowing dress, but tightly bound and blindfolded like a soldier on the receiving end of a firing squad. There are eight swords planted on the ground around.
The woman’s legs and feet do not seem bound in any way, and yet she does not seem to be moving or making any attempt to escape her current predicament. We can guess that she knows about the presence of the large, sharp, planted swords all around her, and thus knows she risks getting seriously hurt if she tries to escape and cuts herself deep on one of these blades.
Again, there are not many positive things to be found in the Eight of Swords, which is kind of a recurring theme in the numbered cards from the suit of Swords. Here, the core meaning of the card is the feeling of helplessness that can paralyze you when you receive a series of bad news or are thrown right in the middle of a crisis with limited options.
The Eight of Swords of the minor arcana highlights the presence of serious and complex problems, and like the woman surrounded by swords in the picture, the subject of the Eight of Swords in a reading can feel trapped in his or her current situation.
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In a Question about Love and Relationship
In a tarot spread about love, drawing the Eight of Swords is usually difficult to process for the subject.
A reversed Eight of Swords is even worse. It reflects the common belief of having no chance with the person of interest. You get into negative thoughts and become the architect of your own failures.
Negative thoughts begin to cycle, like the circle of swords, creating a limitation. This prevents you from going outside the swords and keeps others from approaching you.
Career encompasses school and education, necessary work that is not a career path, and your actual career path. Regardless of your current stage, the Eight of Swords represents anxiety, worry, and limiting thinking.
As a student, drawing this card indicates anxiety or worry, possibly over a test or grade. Your limiting thinking likely causes the problem you are anxious about. If you are worried, check in with your instructor and get feedback about your performance. Consider using a tutor if you cannot learn adequately on your own.
If you are doing necessary work but not a career, you may feel “trapped in a dead-end job.” Changing jobs might be the only way to break your anxiety. If that is not possible, find a way to change your mental state. This may involve counseling or changes in other areas of your life.
If you are in your career, the Eight of Swords indicates limiting thinking that prevents you from advancing or growing in your field. Identify the root cause. Is it an external situation like a market downturn, or something internal like guilt regarding your success? Address your worries before they cause permanent setbacks or problems.
The reversed Eight of Swords in a reading further develops the negative feelings and situations described above. It creates even more problems or perceptions of problems. The subject imagines themselves surrounded by “swords” they cannot see. They restrict their own actions and possibilities due to these perceived and invisible threats.
In a Question about Love and Relationship
Reversed, this card indicates that you feel trapped and need to desperately change your situation. Like other reversed sword cards, you need to face an irredeemable circumstance in a relationship or something irredeemable about the relationship. Your mental state may be especially fragile and you would do well to seek trustworthy support outside your partnership.
In a Question about Career and Work
When this card appears reversed in a question about school, work, or career, you may need to lose your investment in time, effort, and savings to escape and save your mind. You may have been trying to “muscle through” and persevere, but the mental anguish has reached a breaking point. True escape is your best option.
