Eight of Swords

Upright Meaning

A blindfolded, bound figure stands surrounded by eight swords planted in the ground, water pooling at their feet. A castle looms on a distant cliff. But look carefully: the bindings are loose. The swords form a fence, not a cage — there are gaps. The ground is wet but navigable. The Eight of Swords is the card of self-imposed imprisonment. The restrictions feel absolute, but they are largely mental. You are more trapped by your beliefs about your situation than by the situation itself.

Reversed Meaning

Reversed, the Eight of Swords indicates liberation — the blindfold coming off, the realization that the prison had an open door all along. This is the breakthrough moment when self-limiting beliefs lose their power. The freedom may be disorienting at first — you've been blindfolded for a while — but the relief is profound.

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