EIGHT OF SWORDS

• RESTRICTION
• CONFUSION
• POWERLESSNESS

ACTIONS

feeling restricted

being fenced in by obstacles
staying in a limited situation
feeling trapped by circumstances
experiencing few options
being blind to freedom
feeling persecuted

feeling confused

being unsure which way to turn
feeling at a loss
lacking direction
feeling overwhelmed
floundering around
needing guidance and clarity
not understanding what is happening

feeling powerless

waiting for outside rescue
doubting anything you do will help
avoiding responsibility
looking for a white knight
feeling victimized
accepting inaction

OPPOSING CARDS: Some Possibilities

• Magician - feeling powerful, knowing what's going on
• Chariot - self-confidence, focus
• Two of Wands - power, boldness
• Four of Wands - freedom, lack of restriction
• Three of Pentacles - competence, know-how, planning

REINFORCING CARDS: Some Possibilities

• Devil - confusion, restriction
• Moon - confusion, lack of clarity
• Ten of Swords - victim mentality, powerlessness

DESCRIPTION

The woman on the Eight of Swords is lost and alone. She can't see because she is blindfolded. She can't reach out because she is bound. She can't move freely because she is caught in a prison of swords. It seems she has wandered far from home - her place of security far away on the hill. How can she get back? She doesn't even know which way to go. The Eight of Swords stands for those times when we feel lost, confused and powerless. Help and relief seems very far away.

Sometimes we feel restricted by circumstances. We wake up one day in an impossible situation. A dead end job. A troubled relationship. Mountains of debt. How did this happen? We have no idea. Even little problems can make us feel trapped. There just doesn't seem to be a way out. Sometimes life seems fine - on the surface. "I have everything I want. I should be happy, so what's the problem?" We just don't know. We're confused and unsure.

In readings, the Eight of Swords is often a sign that you are heading toward (or already in) a situation in which you will feel a lack of freedom and choice. Such situations are tricky because the more you get into them, the more restricted you feel. At each step, your options seem to narrow until you feel completely stuck.

When you see this card, remember that you do have choices, and you do have power. No matter how trapped you feel, you can find a way out if you believe it is possible. The young girl in the picture could free herself. She could wriggle free, tear off the blindfold, and kick down those swords. Solutions are not always easy, but they exist. Find your clarity of thought and purpose (the Swords ideal) and use them to take that first step toward home.

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