Two cards

The Eight of Swords is commonly known as the card of victimization.

This means that you are currently going through a phase where you are completely bound by your circumstances. You feel as though you are not capable of getting yourself out of the destructive phase that you are in and that in fact if you were to try, devastating repercussions would follow. You fear pain and restriction, yet that which you fear is exactly what is blocking you the most. You are going through a season where you do not trust anyone and you worse you are constantly doubting your own abilities. You are perpetuating this cycle by trying to battle more than one issue at a time and that is part of what is causing you debilitating indecision.

You need to stop thinking that your emotions make up who you are entirely. Drowning in your emotions, which are as fluid as the tides, is not an appropriate way to work on your goals. The 8 of Swords can at points be harsh to take in because there is a level of personal responsibility that you must recognize on the role that you play in your own life’s miseries. The maiden that is depicted in the card is blindfolded as well as tied up. She is surrounded by swords and for all intents and purposes is indeed stuck. However on closer inspection you can see that her binds are only loosely wrapped around her, and there is a clearing in the swords behind her which would make escape possible if only she allowed herself to try. The key to this card is the lack of the desire to try, exemplifying where you are right now. You have complete control over your circumstances at this moment but you have allowed yourself to get addicted to the way things are even though the way things are causes you to be a complete stress case.

You are absolutely consumed by a victim mentality. And up until this point it was working for you. Now you are seeing the issues that can arise from this lack of decision making and a belief in your own ineptitude. It may be a way to survive, but it is most certainly not a way to live. The only opposition that is holding you back is your mental training, the habit from the practice of victimization and a certain level of blind acceptance or even ignorance to this very fact. Perhaps this was how you were raised, or you developed a habit due to a series of negative experiences, however now the 8 of Swords is giving you a warning, letting you know that it is time to improve your circumstances, and if you choose to ignore this warning, life will get worse for you.

The way out of this cycle is to balance your mind and your spirit. Recognize that you are actually an extremely creative individual who is absolutely capable of handling their life and can have anything that they want. The mind is going to open for you to include the extensions of your personal self with a partner and children as well as the necessity to widen your circle of close friends. You must stretch passed your comfort levels. The first response that you have to new situations is to close your eyes and hide because there is so much to do. But you must meet these challenges head on should you hope to escape death by swords.

The Eight of Swords in Love

When the Eight of Swords has appeared in a reading regarding love and relationships, you will find that you feel as though you are completely stuck in your situation. This card often comes up regarding the potential end of a marriage. Usually there is a deep level of unhappiness that has been going on for a long time, but the lack of deciding to leave the marriage is what creates a situation that is not easy to simply resolve. Many in love are afraid to change their circumstances because they have grown so comfortable with the unhappiness and worse, are afraid to be alone. Question yourself at this time; are you perpetuating something that makes you unhappy so that you do not have to be alone? How are you keeping yourself in chains? How are you behaving as if you are a victim? How could you better strengthen yourself and take control of your life?

The Eight of Swords in Health

The Eight of Swords in a reading about health is referencing a hypochondriac nature. That of a person who is constantly saying they are sick enough that they actually become sick. These are the people who are overindulging in medication that is prescribed by a doctor and who have a million ailments. In essence these issues that they have are self-created and self-perpetuated, and if you find yourself stuck in this kind of situation then you are going to need to learn how to live without believing that you are just a sick person.

Consider learning how to break the habit of indulging in these medicines so that you can perpetuate your own health. Some medications are important to survival, this is true, but some take medication just to dull out life. If this is you, seek substance abuse health. The Eight of Swords makes this recommendation so that you can gain control over your life before matters get worse.

The Eight of Swords in Work and Wealth

When the Eight of Swords shows up in a work and wealth reading, there is a feeling of being victimized by coworkers or supervisors. You feel as though you are entitled to have more than what you have received thus far. Sometimes you are being overlooked for promotions because there is nowhere to go in your position or money issues with the company. Other times you are being looked over because you are not working hard enough. When the Eight of Swords is influencing a work reading, the latter is more probable. If you are struggling in your work environment, consider how much time you actually spend working and see if there is a gap or you are taking too many breaks and the like. See how you can become a better employee.

The Eight of Swords in Outcome / Future Position

The eight of swords in an outcome/future position is connected to our own limitations in life. In a positive spread, the outcome can indicate that their have been emotional upheaval and that you will not give up and that you need to face the truth of the matter. There is also a focus on over-analyzing elements and this becomes a cycle of problems. In the future, it is likely that you still will not see things that you don’t wish to see. If she actually could see what has happened in the past there is no reason for her to continue. In terms of an analogy, it is telling you to open your eyes in the future to all the things that tried to hold you back.

Reversed Eight of Swords in a reading

The 8 of Swords reversed is blessing you with the energy of freedom. You have done the work to improve your circumstances and you are now able to take off the blindfold of victimization and you can see clearly what is going on around you. Now you can truly use all of the creative energy that you have inside of you, freely. You are able to focus on wonderful ideas that set you apart from everyone else. You are no longer backed in a corner, so make sure not to fall back in old habits. You also might be so excited by your new found freedom that you may preach too strongly this message to others and this could prove to alienate yourself. Expressing gratitude and thankfulness for your healing is one thing, trying to recruit others against their will is something else. Keep this in mind. 

Upright Eight of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Limited by obstacles
• Mental barriers
• Feeling trapped
• Wrongly accused
• Seeking for freedom
• Confusion and anger
• Feeling lost

Reversed Eight of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Inner strength
• Awaiting salvation
• Escaping problems
• Being the victim
• Feeling comfortable
• Carelessness
• Avoiding issues

The Four of Pentacles Tarot Card Meaning

When faced with the Four of Pentacles in a reading it can indicate a great success in your life but also calls for balance.

Like the man on the card, there is wealth around you and it can be a time to protect your ideas, money, or other material aspects. It is a positive card though as well. Having this card in your reading shows that you actually have items or ideas of in your life value that are worth protecting. Now is a time that you want to focus on bringing together the aspects of your life in which you feel wealth or success and build upon them. The Four of Pentacles is a grounding card and you may want to take stock in the things that you do have in your life, rather than what you do not have.

The Pentacles as a suit tend to have dual meanings to the cards, more so than any other suit. This is because there is difficulty in sorting out the energy at hand. It is very easy to give into the temptations of stability, wealth, or monetary items. More than any other suit, the call of the energy is easy to give into and there is usually not an instant consequence for doing too much when concerning the pentacles. Unlike fire where if you give in, you see passion or anger right away, the pentacles can cause stubbornness or sluggishness in your life before you even realize it.

The Four of Pentacles warns against guarding too much. While you have excess in some areas of your life, it is a call to share your joys rather than hording them to yourself. Consider ways in which you are not giving like you should or where you are being selfish in ways that are not to your benefit.

The Four of Pentacles in Love

In love, especially in a relationship, the Four of Pentacles indicates that you are likely guarding your relationship too close or holding on to someone too tight. It could also be that you are experiencing this from a partner. Either way you are dealing with almost a suffocating aspect in a relationship where there is not room enough to breathe. You need to focus on ways to make your relationship more open and free in order for the relationship to thrive.

When looking for love the Four of Pentacles indicates unrequited love. The energy of the card is intense and often too much for a budding relationship. Be sure that the affections that you are putting out at this time are ones that are working for you. Watch how others around you are receiving your attentions and be mindful of their wiliness to reciprocate. Avoid wasting your own time on avenues that are not going to develop and focus on ways in which you can show your affections without coming on too strong.

The Four of Pentacles in Health

With the Four of Pentacles energy around your health it can give a mixed signal. On one hand there are definitely things to be celebrated in health but then you have to also focus on specific health issues. Rather than having a focus on health and wellness right now, pay close attention to what your body is telling you. It is likely that issues revolving your health are forming due to either high stress or increased worry. You may find that issues related to laziness are also exacerbated at this time.

The Four of Pentacles in Work and Wealth

Like the man on the card, right now is likely a time to be holding on to your wealth and keeping your monies close to you. It is certainly not a time to put yourself out there or to take a risk. Focus on areas of wealth that you can build on in the future and make sure that you sort out any budgeting or planning. In the work arena you want to be exceptionally careful about who is sniffing around your work right now. Either due to keeping a project secret or wanting to make sure that others are not taking your ideas and using them as their own. Not to say to be paranoid, but you really want to cover your behind in the work area to make sure that you are getting the credit where you deserve.

As always you want to be wary of being paranoid or sketchy. The card doesn’t tell you to share at all. In fact, it can be a good idea to give SOME information out to coworkers, especially if you are required to work as a team. It’s just a card to tell you to take extra caution at this time… more than you normally would.

Reversed Four of Pentacles in a reading

The Four of Pentacles in the reversed position is a much more laid back card then when viewed upright. The reversed position says that you need to take time to allow yourself to experience generosity and freedom. Rather than instructing you to old on tightly to things or ideas and to seek balance while keeping these aspects to yourself, the reversed position allows for the sharing of excess. There is still a call to seek out balance but it is more of a suggestion than a demand that is placed upon you. When in the reversed position it can be a great time to plan for the future and start a new project. You have the ability and the time to dally along your path right now and you don’t have to make any hard or fast decisions. It’s a good time to consider the next step in a relationship or be open to casual relationships that have a strong potential to grow into more.

The one big caution found with the reversed Four of Pentacles is that it can represent an abuse of power around you. It is usually less of an indicator that you are the abuser and more of an issue of someone around causing problems because they are abusing their status. Typically this will be seen in the work place as a person who is not a boss or management, but a person who is acting more important than they are.

Upright Four Of Pentacles Meanings in Keywords

• Possessiveness
• Saving Money
• Protecting your assets
• Wealth
• The builder and Worker
• Hard Work
• Miser

Reversed Four of Pentacles Meanings in Keywords

• Greed
• Spending Too Much
• Protecting Assets
• Penny Pinching