Eight of Swords Tarot Meaning: Upright and Reversed

What does the Eight of Swords mean upright and reversed? We explore its symbolism, interpretation in love and career, and what it reveals about feelings, advice, and yes/no answers. 

Eight of Swords Keywords Upright and Reversed 

• Upright: Loneliness, stoicism, confinement, and isolation 
• Reversed: Epiphanies, new perspectives, release, and refresh 

Eight of Swords Description and Symbolism 

The image on the Eight of Swords tarot card is of a woman who is blindfolded, tied up, and surrounded by swords which create a prison-like structure. One gets the impression that there is no escape. What’s more, the woman is alone and isolated in the midst of a desolate landscape, far from a town, which is depicted in the distance. The grey clouds and dreary backdrop indicate despair and hopelessness. The woman’s feet are not touching the water, indicating a feeling of being restricted. This card is all about rational, logical imprisonment. The assessment of being stuck is in one’s mind, but not necessarily in one’s heart. Within, there is a feeling of hope despite the prevailing circumstances and facts, but the blindfold means that the person is not able to see her way out. 

Upright Eight of Swords Meaning 

The expression which most depicts the upright Eight of Swords is “learned helplessness”. Sometimes in life, we feel there are no options and no way out of a situation. This may be because we have been in that situation for so long that we are no longer able to see our way out. It could also be because we lack confidence, support, or relevant information, but ultimately, our perception of being stuck is a learned, conditioned response that doesn’t reflect reality. What we have to do is understand that it’s part of our own mentality keeping us in the situation, but it doesn’t have to be this way. 

The presence of the blindfold represents a restriction, something in our life which, if removed, would allow us to see the situation more clearly, and we would indeed realize we have options. It’s up to you to understand the nature of the blindfolds which are stopping you from seeing the way out, as the card suggests that there is a way through this difficult situation. If you can combine your intellectual and rational mind along with intuitive understanding and emotional intelligence, you can find a way through. There is often a victim mentality that plays into keeping you stuck, or there can be a degree of Stockholm syndrome.

Love Meaning for Upright Eight of Swords 

This tarot card means that you are failing to find the right person because you have too many tick boxes, which are excluding a wide range of people. Perhaps you’re looking for a guy in a certain career, within a certain demographic, or a certain postcode, when you should just be letting your heart guide you rather than eliminating men ad hoc. It also says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” in love. 

This card also reminds you not to judge people based on previous experiences. Treat each romance as a brand-new experience rather than eliminating people from your life just because you think they might be like someone you’ve previously encountered. 

If you are in a relationship, this relationship may be putting you in a difficult position. You may feel both frustrated and totally exhausted. It may feel to you that leaving the situation would cause enormous distress and upheaval. You could even be with a narcissistic partner who has made you doubt your own mind. This is a sign that a controlling partner may be gaslighting you and making you feel more responsible than you should be for a situation. Sometimes you need to take off the blindfold and see through their manipulation, control, and lies in order to understand that you don’t have to stay where you are if you’re deeply unhappy. 

So what this tarot card means in love is: understand the true realities of the situation, write a journal, keep track of facts, don’t let other people tell you what to think or believe, and therefore keep you trapped in this situation. This card warns of some sort of domestic abuse situation. You may feel that if you leave the relationship, you’ll have no money, no choice, no future etc, but that could be totally wrong. It could be the best thing you ever did. Get more information, get advice, get outside help, and don’t isolate yourself. Abusers always isolate you. 

Career Meaning for Upright Eight of Swords 

This tarot card reveals that you are looking too narrowly at your career options. It may be advisable to get career guidance, or if you are just leaving school or have completed a period studying, some vocational guidance. Perhaps you have simply followed your parents into their career or always done what you felt was the right thing, but was this the right thing for you? You may be in the middle of your life and are understanding that perhaps you’ve always hated your career, but you’ve never had the courage to pursue what you really wanted because you didn’t feel you had any options. Now is the time to think about what would make you a lot happier and make the nine-to-five grind worthwhile. 

This card also indicates that you may be working in a situation where you are being taken advantage of by an employer. You may be working long hours for not much pay or you may be stuck on the same salary and not getting a promotion. There’s often a great desire to break the deadlock and pursue something else, but you’re scared to, perhaps because money is tight and you’re worried about being unemployed. The message here is that you have more power than you think and you desperately need to get into a situation where you are treated with more respect, where your conditions are better, and where you can truly fulfill yourself, rather than staying where you are in a position of fear and exploitation. 

Health Meaning Upright Eight of Swords 

This tarot card is a cue to understand the link between negative thought patterns, bad habits, and physical health. Right now, you cannot detach your mental anxiety, worry, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies from health. Deal with health in a holistic way. 

Spiritual Meaning of the Eight of Swords 

This card suggests you should be cognizant of persistent thoughts. Are these your own thoughts or were you raised with dogmatic beliefs? It may be necessary to start thinking about your own individual form of spirituality, something that matters and resonates with you. This is a time when you may want to reject the kind of beliefs, religious systems, or dogmas that you were brought up with because they have actually led you into a dead end and are not helping you to grow, but rather keeping you trapped. It’s time to develop your own beliefs based on your experience and what feels right to you. 

Feelings or Actions Related to the Upright Eight of Swords 

This represents that an important decision is imminent. You have reached a crossroads; you can no longer survive in the prison you have built for yourself. Often we are either too compromising, or we fail to recognize abusive situations to the point where they seem inescapable. In many ways, we make a prison for ourselves by not having good boundaries and learning the word “no.” After a while, these patterns become so habitual that we don’t even realize how much control we have lost over our life. This card says there are far more options available than you ever thought. Stop believing that your situation is escapable, as with a little bit of fact-finding, mental effort, and courage, you can conquer the deadlock and find a better future. 

Reversed Eight of Swords Meaning 

This is a positive and inspiring call to action. It means that you have made vital decisions and come to a brand-new way of understanding your life, your options, and you are ready to move forward. This indicates that you have experienced an enormous amount of personal growth that has allowed you to reject a situation that was abusive and are now able to fully explore new ways of living your life.

Love Meaning Reversed Eight of Swords 

This reversed position indicates an opportunity to reflect on relationships, past and present. It’s also a time to prepare yourself for better relationships in the future by understanding the things you did that led your relationships to become controlling and basically unsuccessful or unfulfilling. It’s so important that you take full responsibility for the outcome of your relationships. This doesn’t mean you should accept blame, but you should perhaps understand how passive behavior, being too people-pleasing, or not setting strong boundaries led you into a trap where a partner was able to exploit you or take you for granted. Remember that you still need to restore self-love to find that perfect relationship, although you are already on a much better track. 

Career Meaning Reversed Eight of Swords 

The message here is that the sky should be the limit, but in the past, perhaps through being too modest, too timid, or not confident enough, you have not fulfilled yourself in your career as much as you should have. This is a cue that you are now ready for that new job, promotion, or maybe even starting your own business. It’s time to make your mark on the world and to get what you deserve. No longer be content to stand in anyone else’s shadow; it’s time for you to shine. 

Health Meaning Reversed Eight of Swords 

In health, it is vital to learn to say NO and to prioritize yourself. You can’t please all the people all the time. What’s most important for your health is looking after number one, getting enough rest, relaxation, and doing things that are fulfilling to you and give you immediate satisfaction. Good health is about better mental health, and sometimes better mental health is about drawing boundaries. 

Spiritual Meaning Reversed Eight of Swords 

Remove yourself from circumstances that limit you. Reject belief systems that make you feel guilty, inadequate, or even isolated. Embrace philosophies that empower you. Be grateful for what you have and expect more. Reject anyone who “puts you in the corner”, as they said in “Dirty Dancing”. 

Feelings or Actions Related to Reversed Eight of Swords

Let go of old patterns of behavior and mindsets. Make sure that you decide how you feel about yourself. Don’t let anyone else define you or tell you what you can or can’t do. It’s vital that you make a positive step forward right now. Make sure you fully understand your options and explore them. Reject advice from people who want to hold you back or trap you. Understand situations where you are being abused, exploited, or even taken for granted and distance yourself from them. 

Past, Present and Future Positions for Eight of Swords 

Past

This card often points to learned helplessness in the past and situations where you stayed because you didn’t believe you could leave. The lessons from this phase are now part of your wisdom, even if the emotional imprint still lingers. 

Present

You may feel boxed in by circumstances, responsibilities, or self-doubt. This card highlights perception rather than reality, the situation feels inescapable, but it isn’t. The card asks you to understand that the greatest obstacle is fear, not fact. 

Future

The future isn’t fixed, this card encourages proactive thinking, boundary-setting, and courage. If you act consciously, you can prevent feeling trapped and instead use foresight to reclaim your power before restriction takes hold. 

Eight of Swords — YES or NO Answer 

The Eight of Swords often points to NO, or at least “not right now.” 

Upright – This is a conditional NO, not a permanent one. The situation is not as hopeless as it feels, but action, ability to change and awareness are required before moving forward. 

Reversed – This leans toward YES, or “yes, if you take control.” In this position, it suggests that you are ready to remove the blindfold, see the truth, and move forward with confidence. 

Advice and Message of the Eight of Swords 

The advice of this tarot card is to realize that you are not powerless. Even if you feel isolated, lonely, depleted, or like your options are few, this is simply a by-product of a negative situation that you are in. Perhaps your past has been one of compromise or of being prepared to play second fiddle. You may even have forgotten what it’s like to be competitive, to taste victory, and to be loved, but stop believing you are unlucky. No longer believe that you can’t have the world of your dreams. These beliefs are limiting you.

Reject notions that you are to blame, that you are always going to be responsible for other people’s problems, and that the buck stops with you. Allow other people in your life to take responsibility for themselves, and then you need to step up to the plate and regain the initiative in your life. 

Your future matters. Your dreams matter. Stop putting things off and create a new value and belief system that will foster your success and forward momentum. 

Summary 

This card is powerful and optimistic. It says to you that no matter how trapped, despondent, or even pessimistic you feel about your current situation, there is within your heart a dream, a hope that is still alive. This card encourages you to let go of any belief or conditioning that tells you that you have to stay stuck or be content with where you are. 

It’s okay to want more. It’s empowering to seek new experiences, better relationships, and there’s no reason why you should stay in a situation where you are not in control or constantly feeling undermined. 

This card tells you there are indeed options, but you just aren’t looking in the right place yet, or you need to open your mind and take that first step, because a great future awaits when you do.