Some Positive Meanings For the 8 of Swords

[Guest Night Shade]

Hello everyone

 

I just thought I'd share some insights I had about the 8 of Swords.  I was doing a reading for myself, using my Dealing With Difficult Relatives at Thanksgiving spread.  For the last position, "a way to decompress and de-stress when it's all over", I got the 8 of Swords.  That card didn't make a whole lot of sense in a position about de-stressing, so I had to really think about it a bit.

 

To get some kind of positive answer from this card, I had to look at its imagery (I was using the Hanson-Roberts deck, which is fairly similar to the RWS).  I thought about the woman being blindfolded, and how that could possibly be a good thing.  I realized that blindfolded, she was oblivious to all of the distractions around her.  With her outer vision obstructed, she could more easily focus on her inner vision.  I think the message is I'll need to take a break from everything that's been going on around me - all the chaos and drama- and focus on regaining my inner calm and balance.

 

Next, I considered how the woman was bound, her movement restricted.  I think the card is telling me to just be still.  After all the stress of making nice with my once-a-year relatives,  I shouldn't lash out and replay everything in my head again and again, like I usually do.  I should bind up all those negative thoughts, and calm my mind.

 

So those are the positive messages I found in the 8 of Swords.  I guess you really can find something good in every card, if you look hard enough.

 

 

[Raggydoll]

I have heard it mentioned from several different tarot writers that the depiction of this card is very reminiscent of an initiation ritual that is utilized by the Freemasons (Waite, who designed the deck was a Freemason initiate himself). There are some quotes from Masonic scripts that does indeed play with the imagination a bit, but wether the connection is truly there or not is up for debate. No matter, I think that this way of viewing the 8 of swords can add a new dimension in this case. What if you are merely being tried and that all of this can (and will) amount to spiritual gains and secret wisdom once you figure out the right way of dealing with it? The ‘initiation’ in this case would be that you discover and connect with your own authentic self, so that you have access to your unlimited power and potential. I will leave you with some quotes so you can make up your own mind about how real this connection feels to you  :)

 

“The candidate has not eyes to see in the light of the secret knowledge. He is hoodwinked without because he is blind within.”

 

“..And the candidate shall be hoodwinked, bound with a tie wrapped three and a half times ‘round the body. Therein the seven Officers of the Lodge shall surround the bound one..”

 

(admittedly there are 8 swords and not seven, but I still get where they see the likeness)

[Guest]

I get the 8 all the time as a message to 'free my mind'. When I get it, I look at my situation, squint, and turn out all of the false perceptions I have, replacing them with the truth. If I got this card in this position, I'd look for the spiritual truth in all the harmful things my relatives said or did during the holidays, and my understanding would bring me peace and free me from what I perceived to be restrictions.

[Saskia]

8 Swords is very much a "you're seeing what you're imagining" card to me. In a situation with relatives, a way to decompress is to remember that:

- everyone has a different perspective but it doesn't mean they're wrong or you're wrong, everyone's just seeing things from their own angle (and bias).

- there's no need to stress, worry or panic over someone else's viewpoint (including opinions and criticism), they're seeing what they believe is there regardless of what's the reality.

- there's no reason to keep banging your head on the wall; sometimes directions are locked for a reason and if you can't get anywhere with particular relatives (say, you have strongly opposing opinions), stop trying.

 

This card may be a reminder that you may not be able to see eye to eye: accept that you're at odds and move on (agree to disagree) or limit contact; nobody is forced to spend time with people you just don't resonate well with. This card also reminds you that what you think may be way worse than what's really happening. For example, you may feel others are criticising you when they  thought they were just making conversation or observations.

 

Other potential meanings are "wrong direction" and "blocked way" in general. For example, as a way to de-stress, don't pursue the usual road. Like you said, you tend to ruminate all the negatives. That doesn't change the outcome, what's said is already said anyway, it will just make you live the negative events again and again and that's completely counter-productive.

 

Water in the duck's feathers, don't get sucked into anyone's drama or false assumptions.

 

Best of luck with the relatives!

[Guest Night Shade]

These are all great ideas, and they gave me a lot to think about. Thank you, everyone!

[Guest Night Shade]

What if you are merely being tried and that all of this can (and will) amount to spiritual gains and secret wisdom once you figure out the right way of dealing with it? The ‘initiation’ in this case would be that you discover and connect with your own authentic self, so that you have access to your unlimited power and potential.

 

I love this idea, Raggydoll[/member] .  It really resonates with what I believe, that there's something to be gained in all of your trials and dark times.  Of course, I'm overreacting to this whole thing a bit  - Thanksgiving dinner isn't exactly my dark night of the soul!  ;D

[Guest Night Shade]

I get the 8 all the time as a message to 'free my mind'. When I get it, I look at my situation, squint, and turn out all of the false perceptions I have, replacing them with the truth. If I got this card in this position, I'd look for the spiritual truth in all the harmful things my relatives said or did during the holidays, and my understanding would bring me peace and free me from what I perceived to be restrictions.

 

This is good advice, emi[/member] .  I tend to just react to what people say, rather than listen to what they're actually trying to tell me.

[Guest Night Shade]

This card also reminds you that what you think may be way worse than what's really happening. For example, you may feel others are criticising you when they  thought they were just making conversation or observations.

 

This is so true of me, Saskia[/member]  - I always think the worst of people or situations.  I'm trying to work on that, but it's really hard!

[Cookie]

Hello everyone

 

I just thought I'd share some insights I had about the 8 of Swords.  I was doing a reading for myself, using my Dealing With Difficult Relatives at Thanksgiving spread.  For the last position, "a way to decompress and de-stress when it's all over", I got the 8 of Swords.  That card didn't make a whole lot of sense in a position about de-stressing, so I had to really think about it a bit.

 

To get some kind of positive answer from this card, I had to look at its imagery (I was using the Hanson-Roberts deck, which is fairly similar to the RWS).  I thought about the woman being blindfolded, and how that could possibly be a good thing.  I realized that blindfolded, she was oblivious to all of the distractions around her.  With her outer vision obstructed, she could more easily focus on her inner vision.  I think the message is I'll need to take a break from everything that's been going on around me - all the chaos and drama- and focus on regaining my inner calm and balance.

 

Next, I considered how the woman was bound, her movement restricted.  I think the card is telling me to just be still.  After all the stress of making nice with my once-a-year relatives,  I shouldn't lash out and replay everything in my head again and again, like I usually do.  I should bind up all those negative thoughts, and calm my mind.

 

So those are the positive messages I found in the 8 of Swords.  I guess you really can find something good in every card, if you look hard enough.

 

Yes, Night Shade[/member] I'd say that is a very good usage of the card's meaning. 

 

And also Raggydoll[/member] and the Freemason's initiation ceremony is very interesting, yes.  In all initiation ceremony's of secret societies from the Freemasons to The Mafia to Thelema to the dark & light Arts to the traditional ridiculous university societies there is a threat within the rites, taking away a person's free-will which symbolizes that the institution is greater than the man, and there will be danger for the initiate if you cross the society and divulge the secrets. 

 

I find that 8 of swords is often not being true to oneself, going against the strain of one's own moral compass or what one thinks for reasons of popularity, money etc etc or for a general weakness which we all suffer from time-to-time; or perhaps it's the "oath" of friendship or partnership or blood where we follow blindly our kin however immoral or wrong they are.  And this would be the same "rules" as in a society like the Mason's....Speak or forever hold though peace.       

[DanielJUK]

I've noticed quite a few Swords suit cards are about the mindset and dealing inwards rather than outwards, the 2 of Swords also has her blindfolded. She is trapped with her own thoughts and doesn't really know what is going on out there. But 8's in numerology are powerful, it's about power ultimately and strength (maybe a numerological argument why Strength should be at 8 but that is another discussion). This is ultimately about who is in power because this card is often known as the Damsel in Distress , she is waiting for her Knight in Shining Armour to come along and save her but he hasn't arrived, he's late or let her down  ::) So she really needs to work out a mental strategy to deal with the panic of the situation, to keep very calm and work out her own way of getting out of this situation. This card is about reclaiming your personal power, she has swords around her, she can cut the binds and remove the blindfold and leave the situation. This is about taking matters into your own hands and not waiting for a saviour, that is the positive, using your own power, you have options!

 

So to take it in your reading Night Shade, this is about keeping your personal power in the situation! We cannot control how people behave or act or what they say but we can control our actions and how we react to it! A lot of the other comments here are about mindset and mentally dealing with it but I think it's bigger than that and about you have options about how you react! You can either trap yourself or free yourself! The freedom of this card is that you have the power to change your thoughts and mindset and you have options to how you react! Just keep being you and living by your values, don't let them change how you normally are! Just be confident in your own self and deal with them by always remembering your personal power and strength!  <3

[Raggydoll]

Hello everyone

 

I just thought I'd share some insights I had about the 8 of Swords.  I was doing a reading for myself, using my Dealing With Difficult Relatives at Thanksgiving spread.  For the last position, "a way to decompress and de-stress when it's all over", I got the 8 of Swords.  That card didn't make a whole lot of sense in a position about de-stressing, so I had to really think about it a bit.

 

To get some kind of positive answer from this card, I had to look at its imagery (I was using the Hanson-Roberts deck, which is fairly similar to the RWS).  I thought about the woman being blindfolded, and how that could possibly be a good thing.  I realized that blindfolded, she was oblivious to all of the distractions around her.  With her outer vision obstructed, she could more easily focus on her inner vision.  I think the message is I'll need to take a break from everything that's been going on around me - all the chaos and drama- and focus on regaining my inner calm and balance.

 

Next, I considered how the woman was bound, her movement restricted.  I think the card is telling me to just be still.  After all the stress of making nice with my once-a-year relatives,  I shouldn't lash out and replay everything in my head again and again, like I usually do.  I should bind up all those negative thoughts, and calm my mind.

 

So those are the positive messages I found in the 8 of Swords.  I guess you really can find something good in every card, if you look hard enough.

 

Yes, Night Shade[/member] I'd say that is a very good usage of the card's meaning. 

 

And also Raggydoll[/member] and the Freemason's initiation ceremony is very interesting, yes.  In all initiation ceremony's of secret societies from the Freemasons to The Mafia to Thelema to the dark & light Arts to the traditional ridiculous university societies there is a threat within the rites, taking away a person's free-will which symbolizes that the institution is greater than the man, and there will be danger for the initiate if you cross the society and divulge the secrets. 

 

I find that 8 of swords is often not being true to oneself, going against the strain of one's own moral compass or what one thinks for reasons of popularity, money etc etc or for a general weakness which we all suffer from time-to-time; or perhaps it's the "oath" of friendship or partnership or blood where we follow blindly our kin however immoral or wrong they are.  And this would be the same "rules" as in a society like the Mason's....Speak or forever hold though peace.     

 

Thanks for adding your thoughts on both initiation rites and this card in general. I found it really interesting. As you know, I quite like it when we get to shake things up and look at cards from many new and different angles. It usually turns out that the further we stray from the classical interpretations we soon find ourselves almost back to square one (full circle) - and we find that we are in reality yet again describing the card in classical terms but with lots of new layers and nuances. It's fascinating  ^-^

[Guest Night Shade]

I find that 8 of swords is often not being true to oneself, going against the strain of one's own moral compass or what one thinks for reasons of popularity, money etc etc or for a general weakness which we all suffer from time-to-time; or perhaps it's the "oath" of friendship or partnership or blood where we follow blindly our kin however immoral or wrong they are.  And this would be the same "rules" as in a society like the Mason's....Speak or forever hold though peace.     

 

Thank you for this, Cookie[/member].  I often find myself agreeing with people's opinions, even when I really don't, just to keep the peace, and I hide who I really am and what I believe in just so people won't judge me.  I'm so afraid of people thinking poorly of me that I often just become a shadow of myself to avoid confrontation.  I want to break free of this, but it's very, very hard.

[Guest Night Shade]

I've noticed quite a few Swords suit cards are about the mindset and dealing inwards rather than outwards, the 2 of Swords also has her blindfolded. She is trapped with her own thoughts and doesn't really know what is going on out there. But 8's in numerology are powerful, it's about power ultimately and strength (maybe a numerological argument why Strength should be at 8 but that is another discussion). This is ultimately about who is in power because this card is often known as the Damsel in Distress , she is waiting for her Knight in Shining Armour to come along and save her but he hasn't arrived, he's late or let her down  ::) So she really needs to work out a mental strategy to deal with the panic of the situation, to keep very calm and work out her own way of getting out of this situation. This card is about reclaiming your personal power, she has swords around her, she can cut the binds and remove the blindfold and leave the situation. This is about taking matters into your own hands and not waiting for a saviour, that is the positive, using your own power, you have options!

 

So to take it in your reading Night Shade, this is about keeping your personal power in the situation! We cannot control how people behave or act or what they say but we can control our actions and how we react to it! A lot of the other comments here are about mindset and mentally dealing with it but I think it's bigger than that and about you have options about how you react! You can either trap yourself or free yourself! The freedom of this card is that you have the power to change your thoughts and mindset and you have options to how you react! Just keep being you and living by your values, don't let them change how you normally are! Just be confident in your own self and deal with them by always remembering your personal power and strength!  <3

 

Thank you for this terrific advice, DanielJUK[/member] .  My main problem is self-confidence; I basically have none.  Like you said, I need to remember that I actually do have personal power, and control over my thoughts and actions.  Now, I just need to put this into practice - that's the scary part!

[Cookie]

I find that 8 of swords is often not being true to oneself, going against the strain of one's own moral compass or what one thinks for reasons of popularity, money etc etc or for a general weakness which we all suffer from time-to-time; or perhaps it's the "oath" of friendship or partnership or blood where we follow blindly our kin however immoral or wrong they are.  And this would be the same "rules" as in a society like the Mason's....Speak or forever hold though peace.     

 

Thank you for this, Cookie[/member].  I often find myself agreeing with people's opinions, even when I really don't, just to keep the peace, and I hide who I really am and what I believe in just so people won't judge me.  I'm so afraid of people thinking poorly of me that I often just become a shadow of myself to avoid confrontation.  I want to break free of this, but it's very, very hard.

 

Yes, breaking free from these ingrained traits are very hard.  I have a manipulative side to me, which i picked up in childhood and i hate...it's a horrible weakness, and I see it as the 8 of swords.  Coming back again, round and round (the 8 ) and every time I play it, it feels like i cut myself on the swords as we hurt no one but ourselves with these mutilating traits. 

 

We can but reprimand and negotiate with ourselves and try again to be the best we can. 

[Guest Night Shade]

Yes, breaking free from these ingrained traits are very hard.  I have a manipulative side to me, which i picked up in childhood and i hate...it's a horrible weakness, and I see it as the 8 of swords.  Coming back again, round and round (the 8 ) and every time I play it, it feels like i cut myself on the swords as we hurt no one but ourselves with these mutilating traits. 

 

We can but reprimand and negotiate with ourselves and try again to be the best we can.

 

This is a powerful metaphor, Cookie[/member] .  We cut ourselves and hurt ourselves, then self-pity comes into play, and we start torturing ourselves all over again.  It's like a never-ending cycle - which the 8/infinity symbol perfectly represents.  Like you said, all we can do is try to be better.