Keywords
- Being Trapped
- Mental Anguish
- Loss of Perspective
- Anxiety
- Self-created limitation
- Victimized
Meaning of the Eight of Swords in a Reading
This card, along with the Nine and Ten of Swords in the Tarot Cards, is often one of the most difficult to overcome. Because the Suit of Swords is the Element of Air, and hence mental in nature, this card pertains to extreme mental difficulties which are usually self-created.
Getting the Eight of Swords in any reading, from the Celtic Cross Spread to the Yes/No reading, can be tough to negotiate. The challenge is to work with your Guides and Angels to free yourself of mental pain and anguish. There is a way out, but you may feel victimized by your own mind so need to shift perspective.
The anxiety can be around anything, from a love relationship to a career matter, financial problem or self-doubt. There is a sense of being bound by your thoughts and needing to do intensive work to free yourself.
Symbolism of the Eight of Swords
The symbolism in this card is amongst some of the most difficult when it comes to tarot readings. In this card, we can see a woman bound by white linen, with huge swords surrounding her back. She is blindfolded and stands in a pool of blood.
These swords are her thoughts, as this suit in the tarot is all about the mind. The size of the swords portrays the seriousness of her perspective and how huge an obstacle her thoughts are, surrounding and trapping her. The pool of blood shows the pain she is in.
It is important to see that there is a path ahead of her. It is very subtle but there once she learns to take off her blindfold and shift her mindset.
Eight of Swords in the Past
It can be a great relief to have this card in the past position of a 3 card tarot spread. We have recently been very stuck in our minds; extremely anxious and in a victimized state. We did, however, learn to free ourselves and have now shifted our perspective into empowerment.
Eight of Swords in the Present
This is a difficult card to get in the present position of tarot reading. We are currently feeling extremely hemmed in by our thoughts and might be immensely anxious and trapped. We are limiting ourselves by the way we are thinking and desperately need to shift our perspective to begin feeling less suffocated. It is up to us to do some intense mental work and move away from our perceived problems.
Eight of Swords in the Future
This card in the future position warns us of problems to come, particularly in the mental realm. We may see things as much bigger problems than they really are. We will need to very seriously shift our minds if we are to overcome the anxiety ahead of us, whether it’s related to our relationships or any other important area of life.
Reversed Eight of Swords
This card reversed can indicate that we may struggle to do the work necessary to move out of our mental anguish. We can choose to stay in this victim mentality rather than making the superhuman effort to shift away from negative thinking. This, however, can then result in greater external problems. Only if we work hard to release this negativity, will we begin to feel freer.
Eight of Swords Tarot One Card Meaning
When we get the Eight of Swords in a One Card Tarot Reading, this is a difficult mental time. Although there is a path that lies ahead of you, you might be struggling to see it. Even if you think you are trapped and powerless, you are not. This isolation and pain might be self-inflicted, so change your thoughts and perspectives in order to free yourself.
Eight of Swords Yes/No Meaning
The Yes or No Reading can be very helpful when we feel trapped in our own self-destructive thinking. Getting the Eight of Swords facing up indicates that our answer is “yes”. You are facing or will be facing a difficult mental situation, in which you are or will be feeling trapped by yours or someone else’s perceptions. You may be overthinking things so now is the time to change your perspective so you can move forward with this decision. This decision may cause some mental anguish for you, but if you try and see the positives, then things will likely work out.
As painful as the situation has been, the chances are that this decision will not cause you too much mental anguish, and you should be able to see the path you must take quite clearly. You may have just experienced a tough period, and now you are no longer the victim.
Summary of the Eight of Swords
This is a hard card to get in any tarot reading. It can apply to our relationships, family, career, finances or any other area. We are feeling mentally victimized by our own negative thoughts and need to do intensive work to try and free ourselves. This could be meditation or perhaps therapy. We will need to take off our own sense of limitation and see the path forward in order to move on.
Affirmations for the Eight of Swords
“I will not be a victim of my thoughts”
“I will work hard to change my perspective”
“There is a path forward if I just shift my thinking”
“I can free myself from my mental pain when I think of the positive more than the negative”
More about the Eight of Swords
When we need to talk to someone about the difficult mental time we are experiencing, someone who may help us to transform the negative into the positive, then a Psychic Advisor at Kasamba or Psychic Source can be wonderful support!
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