Okay, so I’ve been diving deep into Tarot lately, and today I decided to really focus on the 8 of Swords. I’ve always found this card a bit… intimidating, to be honest. All those swords, the blindfold, the feeling of being trapped – it’s a lot!
So, I started by just sitting with the card. I mean, really sitting with it. I laid it out on my desk, lit a candle (because, atmosphere!), and just looked at it. I noticed the details I usually gloss over: the grey sky, the water in the background, the way the woman’s hands are bound.
My Process
- First, I just observed. No judgment, no trying to figure it out, just pure observation.
- Then, I grabbed my journal and started freewriting. Everything that came to mind when I looked at the card, I wrote it down. Stuff like “feeling stuck,” “blind to solutions,” “self-imposed limitations” – all that good stuff.
- I did some free association. I let my mind wonder.
- After that, I pulled out my trusty Tarot books. I wanted to see what the “official” interpretations were, but I tried not to let them influence my own feelings too much.
- Finally, I tried to relate the card to my own life. Where am I feeling stuck right now? What am I not seeing? It was… enlightening, to say the least.
The biggest thing I realized is that the 8 of Swords is often more about perceived limitations than actual ones. The woman in the card could probably free herself if she really tried. The swords aren’t actually stopping her, they’re just surrounding her. It’s the blindfold, the fear, the feeling of being trapped that’s holding her back.
It was a pretty intense journaling session, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of the 8 of Swords now. It’s still not my favorite card, but I don’t see it as quite so scary anymore. It’s more like a reminder to check in with myself and see where I might be holding myself back with my own thoughts and fears.
