Eight of Swords Tarot: Love, Health, Money & More

The Eight of Swords represents feeling stuck in a rut or repeating a cycle. The obstacles ahead of you may seem insurmountable, but there is always a way out. The Eight of Swords tells us that this exit path may not be easy, but it is still available.

Are you feeling stagnant in any area of your life? The cards tell us that you will find a way to move forward and on from this–but you are the only one who can rescue from this situation.

Eight of Swords Key Words

Before diving deeper into the upright- and reversed Eight of Swords card meaning, and its connection to love, career, and life, below is a quick overview of the most important words connected to this Minor Arcana card.

Upright: feeling stuck, unproductive, feeling trapped, hopeless, helpless
Reversed: being productive, finding a way out, taking control, a light at the end of the tunnel, freedom

Eight of Swords Card Description

The Eight of Swords illustrates a blindfolded woman surrounded by eight swords. Her arms are tied behind her and bound to her body with the same bandage she is blinded with.

The swords around her seem to serve as a prison, but there is enough space in front of her to escape. It seems as if she is too focused on the painful past that is behind her, leaving her unable to see that there is a way out.

In the same way, if you hope to move past your trials, you must look forward. You might get a few bumps and bruises along the way, but the end result will be worth it. Refusing to take a step forward will only lead to more of what you are already facing.

Eight of Swords Meaning

The Eight of Swords in the upright position stands for feeling stuck in a repeated cycle or feeling bound by outside forces. You might feel surrounded by danger and this could make you hesitant to make a move. A lot of times when we feel ‘trapped’ in a situation, the emotion we are actually experiencing is fear. What is it that you are afraid of? Could it be a fear of lack, failure, being alone, or being abandoned?

It is important to remember that there is always a way to overcome what binds you. Whether this is relationship problems, financial issues, or health declining, you can turn things around. However, you can only fix what you acknowledge.

Money and Career Meaning

In a career reading, the Eight of Swords might show that you are feeling stuck at the job you are in. Perhaps the current position you hold doesn’t offer much room for advancement or doesn’t offer enough pay. The Eight of Swords is here to tell you that it is time to move on from this. The financial shock that you get from quitting or switching jobs may be difficult, but it will be short-lived. In the long term, you will be much better off if you walk away now.

If you see the Eight of Swords in a financial reading denotes that you are feeling trapped by current debt or lack of resources. You may need to change your spending habits or stop taking on debt. Are there ways you can be more frugal? What are you currently paying for that you could do without?

If lack of money is causing you problems, get creative! There are many ways such as babysitting, tutoring, or lawn care that you can do to make some extra cash. It may take a bit of an emotional toll on you at first to be doing so much to make money, but you will adjust and be better of because of it.

Love and Relationships Meaning

If the Eight of Swords appears in a love reading, it could mean that someone is feeling stuck in the relationship. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to break up, though.

The stagnation felt in the relationship could be in a variety of areas, such as communication or intimacy. It may be difficult for you and your partner to decipher what the root cause of the issue is, and there could be a fair amount of arguing involved in resolving what ails you, but the end result will be positive. You might consider talking to a therapist or mentor.

If you are single, the Eight of Swords might represent the fact that you are waiting for a partner to come along and take all your hurt away. You must remember that true happiness and self-love comes from within.

There is no one else that can fulfill you if you don’t realize that you have the power to do so yourself. No knight in shining armor is coming to rescue you. Put yourself first, and you will attract the person who is is your equal.

Health and Spirituality Meaning

In a health reading, the Eight of Swords points to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. In a more literal sense, it is an indicator of blindness or otherwise having trouble seeing because of migraines or blinding headaches. Many times our health issues are caused by emotions or at least, affected by them. It is important to ‘take our blinders off’ and find ways to destress so that we are better able to deal with any problems that come our way.

Eight of Swords reversed

Like the Nine and Ten of Swords, the Eight of Swords reversed has more positive implications than upright. It stands for overcoming obstacles, letting go of negativity and moving forward.

You have come face-to-face with your demons and you have fought them well. The struggle is over – now is the time to enjoy what you have built! Take an inventory of your life and acknowledge anything that is keeping you tied to your past. What will it take to unbind yourself?

In a love context, the Eight of Swords reversed can also indicate releasing your fears or anxiety about your relationship and overcoming obstacles. Are you in an unhappy or abusive relationship? If so, this card tells you that you will escape from this relationship and that the struggle soon will be over.

Are you single? In that case, the Eight of Swords reversed advises you to let go of any anxiety or fear. This is holding you back from finding love! Instead, try to show some self-love and feel empowered. This will definitely help you find the one!

Eight of Swords: Yes or No 

The Eight of Swords in a yes or no reading symbolizes being restricted, powerless and unheard. It is also a warning of bad fortune and serious obstacles. For all these reasons, the answer to your question is no (unless it has appeared in the reverse position.) If it does appear upside down, draw another card for confirmation.

Important Card Combinations

The Eight of Swords is the card of feeling stuck, being unproductive, and feeling trapped. In combination with other cards, the meaning of the Eight of Swords can slightly change. Here you can find the most common Eight of Swords card combinations.

The Eight of Swords and The Magician

The Eight of Swords and the Magician in a spread together means you are receiving mixed messages. Are you interested in starting a new romance with someone, but aren’t sure if they feel the same way? Is there a friend or coworker who is confusing you?

Perhaps this person is warm and inviting one minute and cold the next. Don’t let your someone else’s issue keep you wrapped up in negative emotions. Express how you feel to this person and see if they reciprocate the same!

The Eight of Swords and The Hanged Man

If this duo appears in a reading, it tells a story of feeling afraid of upsetting others. Are you in a situation where the best thing for you will upset or anger another person? Remind yourself that your first priority should always be yourself.

At the end of the day, the only person who you can always count on to put you first is you. Anyone that is hurt or offended by your decisions will recover from the emotions they feel. Avoid putting your life on hold for the sake of others.

The Eight of Swords and Four of Wands

The Eight of Swords and Four of Wands combination reminds you to try not to care so much what other people think. In a world where social media has prevailed, the comments of others are more out in the open than ever before.

It isn’t always the easiest task to live your life regardless of the opinion of others, but it is necessary. Avoid the tendency to seek validation. Otherwise, your happiness will always be in the hands of others.

The Eight of Swords and Two of Cups

If your reading contains the Eight of Swords and the Two of Cups, it warns of miscommunication in your relationship. Perhaps you have been struggling to see eye to eye with your spouse or significant other.

This card combination tells you that the problem comes down to a lack of effective communication. Take the time to sit down and discuss the problems you are experiencing in your partnership. If you do, your happy ending is sure to be on the horizon!

Eight of Swords Cards

Although I write all the descriptions based on the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, it doesn’t mean that I use other decks too. And there are so many beautiful decks out there! I can lose myself browsing and searching the web for beautiful tarot cards. Below you can find a small selection of beautiful Eight of Swords tarot cards. If you drew Swords or other cards yourself and want to share this, I would love to hear from you!

Card Questions Answered

The response and questions I received from my readers (you!) are overwhelming. I am extremely grateful to have this interaction and while I try to respond to every message I get, I’ll also answer the most frequently asked tarot questions about the Eight of Swords card meanings and general tarot card questions here.

The Eight of Swords card: some final words

That’s all for the Eight of Swords Tarot card meaning! If you have pulled this tarot card in your spread, did the meaning make sense to your situation in life?