The Eight of Swords – Why do you fear escaping your bonds? Take the first step to freedom now …

eight of swords tarot meaning

The Eight of Swords
The Lord of Interference

The Eight of Swords Tarot Card – Meaning in a Tarot reading :

Fear
Imprisonment
Paranoia
Indecisiveness
Unhappiness
Inhibition
Stress

The Eight of Swords – Appearance

On my Eight of Swords card a blindfold is suspended above the eight glinting swords that appear to form a ‘cage’. To add to the feeling of claustrophobia a pair of hands are tied & bound in the foreground. A sinister though enticing castle is seen across still, cold looking water,representing fear of authority. The foreground is uninviting marshland, likely to make progress difficult.

The Eight of Swords Tarot Card – Interpretation

When the Eight appears the questioner is certainly restrained, though usually, in fact, by their own indecision. The bounds are easily broken & the cage of Swords is only held together by the fear of the seeker. Though the legs are not visible the seeker is free to walk away from whatever it is that they imagine has imprisoned them. And though the first few steps will be difficult, indicated by the marshland, each stride forward will free them further. This card is often related to stress, sometimes the questioner has become so stressed that they have built the cage of swords for themselves. It is the job of this card to tell them that they are free to move on, once they accept the circumstance that has led them to feel this way. If this is a recurring problem in the life of the questioner then they should seek help or advice from someone objective, away from their circle. Only an outsider can sometimes easily recognise self limiting or repetitive damaging patterns of behaviour. This card is claustrophobic & always indicates that contrary to their outward appearance, the questioner is feeling like they are a prisoner of circumstance. If this card appears in a reading, the seeker is to be encouraged to realise that they can break free from the cage of the Eight of Swords by accepting that they have been looking at life from the wrong perspective, shatter the cage of swords & escape the restrictions of self induced mental imprisonment..

Alchemical Elements : Air

The Eight of Swords Tarot Card – Correspondences
The inertia of Saturn negates the fluidity of Pisces.

My Relationship with The Eight of Swords

Whenever the Eight of Swords appears in my personal spread I know that outside help is necessary. In order to escape the bonds of this card I must seek advice from a trusted advisor. I am extremely lucky in that I respond incredibly well to Hypnosis. I can seek a trusted qualified hypnotherapist, relate my problems, & usually within 1 session the relevant area of my subconscious has been reprogrammed. I can look at my problems ( usually stress related ) and plan a different strategy to resolve the complications long term. Sometimes there is a reluctance to face problems around this card as it is obvious from the symbolism that the task will not be easy. This type of indecision is what gives the Eight of Swords it’s power, we must accept our circumstances, and indeed our part in creating them. Once I have accepted that I am at least partly to blame for my present circumstance, I can take steps to break down the limiting beliefs, lose my inhibitions & strive forward with a sense of achievement. One disclaimer, I have found should this card appear with the Devil in close proximity, the problems of the seeker may be out of their control, they may be under the control of another, in a dysfunctional relationship or have substance issues that need to be professionally resolved before progress can be made.

The Eight of Swords – Why do you fear escaping your bonds ? Take the first step to freedom now …

The suit of Swords,



I am an authority on Tarot, having travelled the Tarot Landscape for over 25 years. My website www.paulomara.com offers various readings through Tarot and Psychic Reading, both paid & free. To go directly to the readings please click here Tarot Readings. Also available free Numerology , ESP testing . Want them back in your life ? Try The Lovers Tarot Reading . Need more answers ? Consult a top experienced Psychic Reader . Would you like to start a Tarot conversation, something on your mind ? Visit the Tarot Forum . The mist clears, Will your answer appear in The Crystal Ball ? . My personal Tarot deck is available from my Online Psychic Shop ?.

Paul O’Mara

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