A woman is bound and blind folded while eight swords surround her from every angle, and from a first glance it would seem that there is no way out of this current predicament.
However, if you look closely at the binding you’ll see they are rather flimsily wrapped and that they could easily fall away if the woman seized hold of one of the swords surrounding her and cut herself loose.
All that to say the woman is staying within these confines of her own personal will. The water which is practically pooling at her feet suggests the flow of intuition being stifled—cut off by someone who does not wish to listen to their own inner guidance.
Even if such guidance had the power to free her of her bonds.
This is the 8 of Swords our pull for the week who’s here to help guide you through your next seven days so that you can finally liberate yourself from your own trappings.
Let’s get into it.
Keywords for the Eight of Swords
☽ Escaping Restrictions
☽ Liberating Oneself
☽ Breaking Free from Limitation
Advice from the Eight of Swords
Don’t you love it when the cards don’t mince words?
When they tell you exactly what you don’t want to hear and that you’re actually a part of the problem?
Because the Eight of Swords often shows up as the rude awakening that it’s not outside forces holding you back from your goals, dreams, and aspirations, but you, acting on accord of your own inner-saboteur.
Unfortunately, in a situation like this we can’t monkey see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil our way out of this one. We can’t continue to ignore the problem, turning a blind eye to the unhealthy mindset we’ve cooked up as a false means of self-protection.
Just like the woman in the card you too have the ability to free yourself of your trappings and take back control, but it requires a drastic overhaul and reclamation of your power and agency, which begins in the mind.
It may be helpful during these next seven days to pay extra attention to the dialogue going on within your head, noticing any limiting beliefs, doubts, fears, or worries simmering beneath the surface trying to keep you safe and small by dismaying you from making the changes you need to make.
The Eight of Swords really wants you to practice looking out for and identifying those sneaky places where are you unconciously telling yourself “oh I can’t do that because of x,y, or z.” or “I’m not creative, or likable, or smart enough to go after [blank] so why even try?
This week the Eight of Swords is encouraging you to remove the blindfold in order to see with a clear perspective and to remember all the changes you need to make out in the world starts from within.
It’s ultimately up to you whether you choose to break free of your own self-imposed limitations or continue down a safer but albeit more unfulfilling path. Because what you want often comes out on the other side of choosing to break free of the Eight of Sword’s “stuck” type of energy.
This card, even in it’s brutal honesty is a potent reminder that the choice is always yours and that can be both liberating and terrifying.
But I think it’s ultimately liberating because choice gives way to freedom, and we have to genuinely want that change, which perhaps requires seeing ourselves as someone worthy of having a choice in the first place.
Reflection Prompt for the Eight of Swords
Feel free to revisit this prompt throughout the week or towards the end as you reflect on how the Eight of Swords energy has guided, manifested, and inspired you.
☽ How can you challenge the self-limiting beliefs you placed upon yourself this week? How can you free yourself of the false trappings you’ve placed upon yourself? Where does your power, creativity, and grit lie? How can you remind yourself of your own capabilities and gifts?
Also before we part let me know how this message resonated or manifests for you in the upcoming week! I love hearing folk’s unique insights!
With that said I hope you have a wonderfully enchanted and smooth-flowing week and I’ll see you in our next reading!
Till Next Time, Mythical One,
Ayame (あやめ)
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