Eight of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

This Tarot card symbolizes limitations and restrictions. It depicts a woman with bound hands and a blindfold, preventing her from seeing. Everything about the card suggests an unfortunate victim—swords form a barricade around her, hindering her movement, the path is blurred by water, and her long dress tangles around her feet.

In the background of the Eight of Swords card, a castle is shown—this is likely the woman's past, from which she is fleeing. Yet, the woman's sense of doom and fear is not insurmountable—her hands are tied rather loosely, and with just one move, she can shake off her restraints.

The Eight of Swords Tarot card can signify illness, job loss, imprisonment, or plans falling apart—in essence, any situation where you feel trapped and unable to do what you desire. However, this card not only points to external obstacles but also highlights internal issues and complexes that hold you back from realizing your talents and potential.

When you see the Eight of Swords in a spread, try to approach the circumstances that make you feel like a victim with less drama and more patience. Could your problems be imagined or exaggerated? Perhaps you're overlooking an obvious solution or exit. Maybe it's not yet time for action—you might need to heal, gather strength, or rethink your plans.

In any case, the Eight of Swords promises that this unfavorable period of feeling trapped will be brief. Look forward to positive changes and be ready to act!

Key Meanings of the Upright Eight of Swords

• Obstacles, hindrances, a thorny path to goals, a waiting period.
• Powerlessness, doubts, helplessness, fear, loss of freedom.
• Influence, pressure, confrontation, criticism, depression.
• The collapse of plans or illusions.
• Serious illness, adverse circumstances, entrapment, a trap.

The Reversed Eight of Swords card is a direct call to action! The path is clear, plans are ready to be set in motion, yet you might find yourself hesitating, looking for complications, obstacles, and reasons not to move forward.

If this tarot arcana appears reversed, it could indicate that you are too caught up in listening to others' advice or that you're hesitant to make a life-changing decision due to doubts about your own abilities. The dead-end situation is an illusion, either self-imposed or influenced by others.

The Reversed Eight of Swords promises that with the right mindset, a positive outlook on reality, enthusiasm, and willpower, you can break free from the shackles of your misconceptions. Don't panic; do what needs to be done, believe in yourself and your success!

The Reversed Eight of Swords may also suggest that you fear stepping outside the accepted norms and patterns, sticking to old ways and denying yourself and your endeavors the chance to grow and evolve with the times. Try to calm your fears and take a step forward—the Reversed Eight of Swords assures you that you will definitely succeed!

Key Meanings of the Reversed Eight of Swords Card

• Delay, slow progress, oppression, uncertainty, fears, anxiety, weakness, routine.
• The end of a period of helplessness, relief, renewal.
• Encouragement to take action, breaking free from a deadlock situation, liberation from illusions.

In love readings, the upright Eight of Swords card signifies disharmonious relationships and loneliness stemming from internal insecurities, shyness, and the fear of taking initiative.

You might find yourself trapped by your own worldview or by someone who turns you into a victim of their ambitions and desires. This results in stress and depression, with a feeling that nothing can change. The Eight of Swords encourages you to break free from psychological paralysis and not to rely on others to solve your problems. You have the power to overcome your inertia and improve your personal life!

When reversed, the card's meaning shifts to indicate a warming in relationships and initial steps towards reconciliation.

When Reading About a Suitor or Loved One

In readings about a suitor or partner, the upright card suggests that in love, your chosen one creates many barriers for themselves. Conventions, fears, illusions, and complexes make them feel tied down.

The reversed card indicates that

For your loved one, there are numerous conditions and obstacles in love—both real and imagined. Because of this, they cannot act as freely as they would ideally like to.

In business readings, the Eight of Swords card symbolizes a challenging journey to success, where you might encounter obstacles such as incompetence—either your own or others'—ambiguous instructions from leadership, or, conversely, excessive micromanagement of every step in completing professional tasks.

You may feel trapped and restricted by demands and circumstances, leaving you unable to showcase your talents or achieve your true goals. The Eight of Swords can also predict wasted energy and time on endeavors that seem destined to fail. The outlook appears bleak—it's time to change direction.

In a reversed position, the card's meaning flips to indicate that the difficulties are not as severe as they seem and that there is an opportunity to overcome challenges successfully.

When this card appears upright in a reading, it often represents someone feeling trapped by internal or external limitations, expectations, or circumstances. At this moment, they may lack confidence and feel unable to do what is necessary.

In its reversed position, the card signifies a person who is afraid (or unwilling) to take an important step. They know that action is needed but currently choose to remain inactive and wait for the right moment.

In its upright position, the Eight of Swords advises you to accept the situation and wait it out; for now, changing it is beyond your control.

When the card appears reversed in a spread, it encourages you to gather your courage and take action. The only thing holding you back is a lack of belief in yourself.

If the card appears upright, it suggests that the outcome for your situation is uncertain. You might find yourself hindered by self-doubt, constrained by internal or external limitations, and circumstances.

In the reversed position, the prediction for your situation remains unclear. A lack of determination and self-belief could stand in your way. It's time to stop doubting your abilities and take action!

With the 0 card Fool – Finding oneself in a dilemma, wrong path chosen, complete uncertainty.

With the 1 card Magician — Limited opportunities, lack of resources or information, bureaucracy, interference of power structures.

With the 2 card High Priestess — Inaction, fear, inability to move forward.

In combination with the 3 card Empress — Dangerous game, a streak of bad luck, escalating problems.

With the 4 card Emperor — Lack of clarity, testing new systems, developing an interesting product.

With the 5 card Hierophant — Ignorance, danger of losing authority, shaky position.

With the 6 card Lovers — Yielding positions, renouncing the struggle, danger of losing everything.

With the 7 card Chariot — Seeking a way out, the emergence of courage, attempt to pay off debts or a loan.

With the 8 card Strength — Being put in frames, restriction of powers or influence, claims from spouse.

With the 9 card Hermit — Midlife crisis, difficult circumstances, fall behind the times or suffer from ignorance.

With the 10 card Wheel of Fortune — Getting out of difficulties, figuring out life's path, minor accident.

With the 11 card Justice — Dangerous situation, flirting with power structures, trying to get off scot-free.

With the 12 card Hanged Man — Denying oneself everything, lack of resources or knowledge, hitting rock bottom.

With the 13 card Death — Waiting for instructions, incapacity, crisis of beliefs.

With the 14 card Temperance — Keep cool, complicated situation, stay calm.

With the 15 card Devil — Being led, trust the wrong person, end up in a dead end.

With the 16 card Tower — Danger of falling, carelessness leads to trouble, failed attempt to break away from vice.

With the 17 card Star — Many obstacles, poor analytics, storm of minor problems.

With the 18 card Moon — Get into a dead end, need a fresh look or help from outside, prostration.

With the 19 card Sun — Misinterpret the situation, help from outside, unexpected luck in important business.

With the 20 card Judgement — Bad attention from the authorities, working in unclear conditions of change, shaky business.

With the 21 card World — Temporarily step away from affairs, emergence of serious obstacles, not noticing betrayal.

The Ace of Wands — Unfavorable circumstances, the system cannot be outplayed, assertiveness won't help here.

The Two of Wands — An overwhelming endeavor, narrow-minded thinking, confusing rules.

The Three of Wands — Getting entangled in information, acting haphazardly or relying on luck, a dangerous situation.

The Four of Wands — Lack of communication or problem-solving skills, an unsettled home life, leaving home.

The Five of Wands — Falling victim to deception, having insecurities, being overly dependent on others' opinions.

The Six of Wands — Getting into a trap, being uninformed, usual methods not working.

The Seven of Wands — Being made a scapegoat, slander, or false accusations, a bad turn of events.

The Eight of Wands — A lonely path, a difficult situation, lack of support or skeptical attitude from loved ones.

The Nine of Wands — Keeping silent about difficulties, fabricated reasons, getting stuck in solitude.

The Ten of Wands — Fear of responsibility, inaction in a critical situation, nothing to be proud of, or making a mistake.

The Page of Wands — Prejudice, reprimands, or public criticism, being at a dead-end.

The Knight of Wands — Caution, being careful in affairs, danger of failure, going in the wrong direction.

The Queen of Wands — Fear of the unknown, not showing concern, usual behavior pattern not working.

The King of Wands — Limited possibilities, miscalculations in affairs, an unpleasant and confusing situation.

The Ace of Swords — Getting caught in someone's trap, the need for decisive action in a difficult situation, lack of knowledge.

The Two of Swords — Argumentative nature, being in the captivity of contradictions, not knowing where to find the truth, lack of one's own opinion.

The Three of Swords — Being left out, an unfamiliar state and reevaluation of what has happened, a depressive state.

The Four of Swords — Restrictive circumstances, resigning to fate and going with the flow, waiting for an inevitable resolution, a bleak outlook.

The Five of Swords — Being held hostage by public opinion, surrendering under the burden of past failures, lack of belief in one's abilities.

The Six of Swords — An imposed decision, leaving to escape hopelessness when pressed from all sides.

The Seven of Swords — Self-assurance, seeking justifications, self-delusion, trapping oneself, annoyance.

The Nine of Swords — A dangerous situation, confusion of the mind, feelings of guilt and heaviness.

The Ten of Swords — When one's hands drop, powerlessness, reaching the limit, clouded consciousness.

The Page of Swords — Chaotic actions, lack of a clear plan, acting haphazardly or constantly changing sides, gossipmonger.

The Knight of Swords — Competing within clear rules, a situation where it's easy to make a mistake and go in the wrong direction, hasty conclusions.

The Queen of Swords — Independence, a double-edged sword, distrust and aloofness, a lady with a sharp mind.

The King of Swords — Uncertainty in affairs, unclear threat or consequences, chaotic process, carelessness, and negligence.

The Ace of Cups — Yielding to an unworthy impulse, condemnation for a corrupt connection, being a slave to one's own emotions.

The Two of Cups — An uncomfortable agreement, being bound by one's word, overcoming oneself for someone else.

The Three of Cups — Not knowing whom to trust, too many different opinions and advice, being stuck due to a lack of understanding of what is happening.

The Four of Cups — Suffering for an idea, being cornered, a hopeless situation and a forced compromise.

The Five of Cups — Temporarily falling out of life, a difficult situation, losing moral guidance.

The Six of Cups — The firstborn, a young mother or parents, trying to do everything right, getting tangled up in methodologies.

The Seven of Cups — Getting entangled in dreams, negative dependence, finding oneself in unfamiliar conditions or circumstances.

The Eight of Cups — Getting tangled up in unfamiliar circumstances, suffering due to isolation, lack of support.

The Nine of Cups — Uncomfortable questions, the risk of losing reputation, keeping cool in a dangerous situation.

The Ten of Cups — Tangled family relationships, feeling like an outsider in a group or among family members, falling into the trap of illusions.

The Page of Cups — Agreement under pressure or due to circumstances, making concessions, giving up progressive ideology.

The Knight of Cups — Making a deal with one's conscience, making a decision under pressure, a hopeless situation.

The Queen of Cups — Cornering someone or throwing them off balance, being a prisoner of one's own emotions.

The King of Cups — Quieting one's conscience with excuses, attempting to avoid punishment or loss of authority, turning a blind eye to others.

The Ace of Pentacles — Depending on someone financially, lack of independence, hiding behind a more influential companion, shifting responsibility for misdeeds.

The Two of Pentacles — Loss of flexibility and compromise, unjustified expenses, spending someone else's money, getting caught in a trap.

The Three of Pentacles — Narrow-mindedness, inability to see the situation from another perspective, the usual course of action does not work, suffering from inattention.

The Four of Pentacles — Rigid thinking, outdated beliefs, excessive dependence on public opinion.

The Five of Pentacles — Losing property due to debt, legalized fraud, fear of being financially unstable in important matters.

The Six of Pentacles — Higher interest rates on loans, difficulties with mortgages, receiving help from parents or government subsidies in a challenging financial situation.

The Seven of Pentacles — Last savings, waiting for the result of a deal, hopes for a successful marriage or assistance from relatives.

The Eight of Pentacles — Uninteresting job, punitive sanctions, routine and decline in energy, forced labor.

The Nine of Pentacles — Risk of losing reputation or a familiar way of life, uncertainty about the future, fear of losing a lucrative position.

The Ten of Pentacles — Depending on a family decision or assistance, being in a subordinate position, adhering to unnecessary traditions.

The Page of Pentacles — Gaps in knowledge or education, an unfamiliar situation, the need for additional classes or practice, finding a tutor or consultant.

The Knight of Pentacles — Stagnation and stagnancy, unskilled help or advice, reaching one's limits.

The Queen of Pentacles — Acting in an unusual way, missing out on benefits, lack of practicality and common sense, being afraid of consequences.

The King of Pentacles — Dependence on the wealth and honor of others, trying to elevate one's own status, giving unsound advice, becoming impractical.