Eight of Swords – Love and Relationship Outcome
The Eight of Swords in a Tarot reading indicates a relationship of a mainly physical sexual nature and issues of debt and worry which put a strain on any emotional feelings with issues of revenge and scandal concerning the female.
Reversed
In the reversed position it indicates treachery, malice and gossip.
Eight of Swords – As a Person, Outcome and Feelings
Obstacles, conflict, danger, hampering, affliction, criticism, sex-problems of a threatening nature, danger of death sometimes, fatality; revenge, debt, poverty, condemnation, sickness. Patience and endurance will be necessary or helpful. Uncouth female. Incident or accident. A. E. Thierens, [1930]
Eight of Swords
Pictorial Key to the Tarot – Rider-Waite-Smith
By A.E. Waite (1911), tarot card illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith (1911)
Description
A woman, bound and hoodwinked, with the swords of the card about her. Yet it is rather a card of temporary durance than of irretrievable bondage.
Meanings Eight of Swords in a Reading
Bad news, violent chagrin, crisis, censure, power in trammels, conflict, calumny; also sickness.
Eight of Swords – Reversed
Disquiet, difficulty, opposition, accident, treachery; what is unforeseen; fatality.
Additional Divinatory Meanings
For a woman, scandal spread in her respect.
Additional Meanings – Reversed
Departure of a relative.
The Tarot
By S. L. MacGregor Mathers, c 1888
Eight of Swords
Divinatory Meanings
Eight of Swords – Sickness, Calumny, Criticism, Blame.
Divinatory Meanings – Reversed
Treachery in the Past, Event, Accident, Remarkable Incident.
General Book of the Tarot
By A. E. Thierens, [1930]
Eight of Swords
Tradition
Critical position, censure, crisis, chagrin, examination, research, control, condemnation, judgment, sickness, calumny. Reversed: Difficulty, obstacle, accident, treachery, fatality, adventure, etc.
Theory
The element of Earth on the Eighth house, the house of death and of the greatest difficulties of life, the inner problems and sex. The image drawn on this card may well indicate the blindness of man amidst the dangers of this world and of his own desire-nature. It must indicate physical sex-nature above all. Further, we shall find everything relating to the revenge of matter upon spirit, the latter being bound and blinded by the former, consequently everything in the nature of obstacles and hindrances, pain and affliction. The house of ‘avenging justice’ may well cause a condemnation, or a sickness which is the result of sinning against nature’s laws; patience is required where this card rules and endurance will save the position. In its most general sense it means the binding by the laws of matter, suffering from the lack of money, impotence by debt or material want, poverty. It may be a great strain on the feelings. As the eight of each suit is accepted as indicating some feminine influence to which we are ready to subscribe, there will be danger from an acquisitive girl or uncouth female here, or even sickness through same. As far as material laws are compelling in this world, there must of course be ‘fatality’ in this card, or at least something from which there will be no physical escape.
The Oracle of the Tarot – Exoteric Tarot
By Paul Foster Case (1933)
Eight of Swords
The twined serpents around the vertical line of the ankh refer to the attribution of the Sphere of Mercury to the number 8, for they make a caduceus, or wand of Mercury, out of the ankh.
Time period
First decanate of Gemini, from May 21st to May 30th, under the rulership of Mercury.
Meanings
Force wasted in petty affairs; too much talk; too much ill-directed action; the state of being terribly busy without accomplishing much; over-careful about details. This card is also to be regarded as portending a crisis in affairs, and probably much talk, correspondence, and moving about.
Ill-dignified
Signifies ill-natured gossip, malice and pettiness. Too much concern with personalities, and disagreements with brothers and sisters.
Keyword
Mediocrity.
Further reading
More information on the Eight of Swords Tarot card.
