Eight of Swords definitions
The Eight of Swords shows continued thinking and analysis to the detriment of your emotional and physical needs results in 'analysis paralysis'. Thoughts and ideas in the head stay as thoughts and ideas. Thinking is dissociated from the rest of you, so that there is no way of connecting to outer experience.
Rider-Waite: Eight of Swords
A woman, bound and hoodwinked, with the swords of the card about her. Yet it is rather a card of temporary durance than of irretrievable bondage.
Bad news, violent chagrin, crisis, censure, power in trammels, conflict, calumny, also sickness.
Additional Meanings: For a woman, scandal spread in her respect.
Reversed Eight of Swords
Disquiet, difficulty, opposition, accident, treachery; what is unforeseen; fatality.
Additional Meanings: Departure of a relative.
Book of Thoth - Interference - Eight of Swords
The Eight of Swords is called Interference. At first sight, it would seem easy to confuse it with the Eight of Cups; but the idea is, in reality, quite different. The card is attributed to Jupiter and Gemini; accordingly, there is no weighing down of the will by internal or external stress. It is simply the error of being good-natured when good-nature is disastrous. Gemini is an airy sign, an intellectual sign; Jupiter is geniality and optimism. This will not do in the world of Swords; if one must hit at all, a knock-out blow is best. But there is another element in this card; that of unexpected (the Eights, being at heart Mercurial, are always that) interference, sheer unforeseen bad luck. Trivial incidents have often altered the destiny of empires, brought to naught "the best4aid plans of mice and men".
Golden Dawn - Eight of Swords
Lord of Shortened Force
Magick used. Possible overapplication of force for, in contrast, a petty end. Complex means used when more simple would suffice. Unstable result (effects gained through magick tend to lack temporal persistence).
Mathers: Eight of Swords
Sickness, Calumny, Criticism, Blame.
Reversed Eight of Swords
Treachery in the Past, Event, Accident, Remarkable Incident.
Etteilla: Eight of Swords
Criticism, Regrettable Situation, Critical Moment, Critical Time, Decisive Moment, Unfortunate Situation, Delicate Circumstance, Crisis. Examination, Discussion, Investigations, Blame, Censure, Commentary, Conclusion, Monitoring, Disapproval, Condemnation, Abrogation, Judgment, Contempt.
Reversed Eight of Swords
Incident, Difficulty, Exceptional Situation, Conjunction, Event, Accessory, Unconscious, Obstacle, Delay, Waiting. Abjection. Dispute, Contradiction, Opposition, Resistance, Squabble. Unexpected, Unforeseen, Fortunate Occurrence, Destiny, Fate, Accidents, Misfortunes, Disgrace, Unfortunate, Symptom.
Thierens: Eight of Swords
- TRADITION
- Critical position, censure, crisis, chagrin, examination, research, control, condemnation, judgment, sickness, calumny. Reversed: Difficulty, obstacle, accident, treachery, fatality, adventure, etc.
- THEORY
- The element of Earth on the Eighth house, the house of death and of the greatest difficulties of life, the inner problems and sex. The image drawn on this card may well indicate the blindness of man amidst the dangers of this world and of his own desire-nature. It must indicate physical sex-nature above all. Further, we shall find everything relating to the revenge of matter upon spirit, the latter being bound and blinded by the former, consequently everything in the nature of obstacles and hindrances, pain and affliction. The house of 'avenging justice' may well cause a condemnation, or a sickness which is the result of sinning against nature's laws; patience is required where this card rules and endurance will save the position. In its most general sense it means the binding by the laws of matter, suffering from the lack of money, impotence by debt or material want, poverty. It may be a great strain on the feelings. As the eight of each suit is accepted as indicating some feminine influence to which we are ready to subscribe, there will be danger from an acquisitive girl or uncouth female here, or even sickness through same. As far as material laws are compelling in this world, there must of course be 'fatality' in this card, or at least something from which there will be no physical escape.
- CONCLUSION
- Obstacles, conflict, danger, hampering, affliction, criticism, sex-problems of a threatening nature, danger of death sometimes, fatality; revenge, debt, poverty, condemnation, sickness. Patience and endurance will be necessary or helpful. Uncouth female. Incident or accident.
