We suppress some part of our personality. Often it is our inner barriers or restrictions, but we prefer to find their cause in the environment. The only obstacle to get things we want is just our own but. Constraints and prohibitions, which we perceive as an obstacle, do not belong to an external world and reflect only our fears and barriers. Eight of Swords warns that we suppress something in ourselves. Sometimes it could be just temporary or voluntary restrictions that are based on utterly reliable information.

• “Lord of Limited Powers”
• Interventions, Barriers, Anxiety
• The first decade of Gemini — 21 to 31 May.
• Astrological equivalents: Jupiter in Gemini, Pluto, Proserpine,
• Virgo, Scorpio;  House VI and VIII.
• Saturn in IV house as a symbol of internal barriers,
• Unfavorable aspects of Saturn and Moon

Personal Condition

Restraint and suppressed a person can be “Be Own enemy.” The condition of impotence and indecision, lack of freedom and fear, “a psychological stupor.” Personality does not develop because a person is afraid of mistakes and consequences of his or her activity. Doubt and fear of making the wrong choice “blinded.” A person avoids any decision-making process in hopes that someone else will decide everything for him or her.

Eight of Swords is like an obsession which excludes all the alternatives. To act in such a state is virtually impossible.

Eight of Swords always tells us that we need to work on ourselves – and we need to look – what is behind the fear to declare openly about our desires and why we voluntary self-restraint ourselves.

Banzhaf emphasizes on person’s anxiety, apprehension, exaggeration of a sign of problems and inner turmoil. Blocks of thinking are expressed in its randomness and the dogmatic. Shyness, timidity, fear of being in a spotlight.

Sometimes the Eight of Swords describes a slandered, disgraced man, abiding in humiliated position. Sometimes on the foreground comes a sense of abandonment and vulnerability, complete of loneliness in the face of cruel fate. Sometimes a person under pressure applies self-destructive behavior. In any case, we should not underestimate suffering and feelings of powerlessness associated with the Eight of Swords.

By Eight of Swords, we sacrifice ourselves in one way or another; we act against our natural will, endure and humble ourselves; we undergo some kind of execution. The value of this card, which often manifests itself – a price paid for the error is a sort of ritual “spanking the guilty.”

Too much patience brings suppression, then comes negativity and inability to act.

Our Consciousness

The Eight of Swords can mean an icy tyranny of a reason that suppresses our most essential impulses or restrained feelings. We believing believe we need to control” our desires and dreams. Another meaning could be we awaken our awareness of this tyranny, and we made the first step toward liberation.

On A Deeper Level

Eight of Swords depicts a person in distress, waiting for a savior, and not ready to save himself or herself. Maybe a person does not have any resources at this time. Eight stuck swords symbolize bounding constraints and impending thoughts that act as borders that can not break.

Water on the Eights of Swords shows that there is a way out of problems and this way is to be realized by intuition.

The state of “having a desire that cannot be realized” A person “pulled out of the wheel,” alienated and severely limited in his capabilities, and pays for his mistakes. The Eight of Swords is karmic retribution. As in a dream, a person structures his consciousness to awaken karmic memory.

One of the esoteric correspondences of the Eight of Swords is a sacrifice.

Eight of Swords and follow the Seven of Swords, which meaning is secretive actions and some deception. So the Eight of Swords says that a person was tempted by specific opportunities, misunderstood some life situations and directed his activity to wrong causes. To get out of there, a person needs to understand a karmic law of action sequences. As soon as a person attains true inner freedom, he or she will be released.

Personal Relationship

We hide some aspects of our personality because we are afraid to show who we are to a partner. The Eight of Swords can describe a union in which a person does not receive something – again because he or she is afraid of disapproval or a negative reaction from a partner. The recommendation is to change this situation as soon as possible because suppression of some part of our “I” will sooner or later inevitably lead to a complication within a union.

The Eight of Swords can describe an unwillingness to open up to another person.

Crowley’s interpretation is a complication in a relationship due to a third-party (and he calls Eight of Swords “Intervention”).
Sometimes Eight of Swords describes an “unequal” relationship in which one person is, in fact, a hostage in the hands of another.
Eight of Swords can depict a state of isolation and loneliness living a”life behind the glass.”

A person does not take any active steps to change anything. “Sleeping Beauty”, waiting for initiatives from the other side. Apart from timidity and insecurity, a person lacks interest in other people (as in full compliance with a principle of projection, a person is inclined to believe that nobody is interested in him or her). Complexes, negativity, inner fears and taboos, stiffness by illusions, unconscious willingness to become a victim, and a feeling of abandonment are also associated with the Eight of Swords.

Career Situation

The eight of Swords warns that a person has to go through thorny path facing many obstacles when executing professional tasks. This may be personal fear or lack of competence, but it could be something institutional – unclear responsibilities, or a system where without the authorization of a boss nothing happens; or activities governed by so many rules and amendments where the devil would break a leg. With a poor organization of work, a lot of time is wasted.

It could be colleagues confrontation or another conflict at work, but latent, not manifested externally. A person is “clamped” at work, not be capable of demonstrating one’s abilities. The other meaning of Eight of Swords could be that a person is aware of his gaps in education and a lack of competence and he is unable to grow or change anything.

Eight of Swords depicts a waste of energy, futile efforts; a person is being left behind a closed-door.

Reversed Eight of Swords – ” A Ray of Light in the Darkness”

A person removes the blindfold overcoming fears is finally able to open eyes. A person sees the light and can move forward revealing a faith within. This is the first step toward a new beginning.

A person sees some light in the midst of trouble.

A person can act freely because he or she sees that fears were groundless. There is still a period of limitations, but it is near to an end. Fate is not so relentless as it seems to be.

Reversed Eight of Swords may indicate that some betrayal that took place in the past that lead to depression and anxiety. Or it shows extreme difficulties, hard work, accidents, unforeseen negative situations, or sudden opposition that took place in the past and a person is finally recovering. You need to see neighborhood cards in a spread.

Eight of Swords with Other Cards

With Magician – negative influence is weakened. Here it comes – a sense of strength and understanding of what is happening. Fear Dissolves.

With hierophant – softens negative influence of Eight of Swords

With Chariot – the negative impact is weakened. Chariot symbolizes dynamics, control and greater self-confidence.

With Hermit – enhances the negative influence of Eight of Swords

With Wheel of Fortune – no trouble or anything unpleasant.

With Devil – bad combination, ultimately enhancing the confusion and limitations.

With Tower – enhances the negative influence of the Eight of Swords.

With Moon – complete confusion, lack of clarity.

With Two of Wands – Indecision and fear replaced by confidence and strength.

With Ten of Swords – “defective mentality” (by Guggenheim), a philosophy of impotence.

With Three of pentacles – competence, planning, the negative influence of Eight of Swords weakened.

With Nine of pentacles – professional inadequacy (by Guggenheim).

With King of Cups – weakens the negative influence of the Eight of Swords. A “prince” or help will come to rescue a person from the negative mindset.