CONFUSION
POWERLESSNESS
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 seem 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.
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
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
Some possibilities
- Devil – confusion, restriction
- Moon – confusion, lack of clarity
- Ten of Swords – victim mentality, powerlessness
There are no separate explanations for reversed cards. The meaning of a reversed card depends on what the card would mean if upright. A reversed card shows that a card’s energy is present but at a lower level. For some reason, the energy cannot be expressed freely, normally, or completely. It may be:
- still in its early stages
- losing force and power
- blocked or restricted
- incomplete
- inappropriate
- being denied
- only present in appearance
See Lesson 17 for more information on reversed cards.