restriction, fear, self-imposed limits
Eight of Swords Tarot Card Meaning
What Eight of Swords means upright and reversed, with readings for love, money and career.
The picture and its symbols
Eight of Swords shows a bound and blindfolded woman standing among eight swords. It belongs to the suit of Swords, the element of air (thought, judgment and conflict), and its rank carries the theme of movement and mastery (Eight). The swords surround her without blocking the way, and the bindings are loose. It describes believing you are trapped more than being trapped.
Upright meaning
restriction, fear, self-imposed limits. You feel trapped, but there is in fact a way out.
- Love
- Fear keeps you from moving in the relationship.
- Money
- You feel hemmed in by constraints, but there is a way.
- Career
- You feel shut into a stifling environment. Start by changing something small.
- Yes or no
- No
- Advice
- Check the facts and set a clear standard before you decide.
Reversed meaning
release, realization, a new view. You begin to break out of the limits you set yourself.
- Love
- You put down your fear and become honest.
- Money
- The constraints loosen and your options grow.
- Career
- You discover a new path.
- Yes or no
- Yes
- Advice
- Ask whether worry has grown larger than the facts, and whether sharp words are tangling the situation.
Timing
Because this is a Swords card, change is likely to show within days, sooner than you expect.
The question this card asks
Is there really no way, or do you only believe there is none?
Draw the cards yourself
For entertainment and self-reflection only. Do not use a reading to make health, legal or financial decisions.