Deep Dive into the 8 of Swords in Tarot- 6/26/22

Like many of you, the decision from the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade threw me into a tailspin and I’m still not sure I’m over the outrage and disgust of it all. It’s seems impossible to understand it and put it into a more digestible outlook. It’s a punch in the gut figuratively ( and I’ve received a lot of them in my lifetime ) for women and their right to reproductive health and choice.

So, I do what I do when triggered and go into meditation . Then, I get my tarot cards out to see if I can find any sense of things. I actually did two reads using different decks. One of the reads had a lot of feminine energy in it- The Empress, Queen of Swords, Queen of Wands, 3 of Cups and Lady Justice herself. And, yes, the 8 of Swords was in this read as well. This was also the card I kept on seeing in my mind and in my meditation as well.

Here’s my personal interpretation of this card: Self-imposed restrictions. This image that I inserted in this post is a great representation of that. First, let me say this. In most images of the 8 of swords, a woman is bound, blindfolded and surrounded by swords. She has submitted to a restrictive stance. It reminds me of the old saying ( which I hate) ” Keep women barefoot and pregnant.” Not a great stance for womenkind is that.

Yet, there’s still hope in this card. In the image, there are birds holding the restraints which this women is held bound. Birds symbolize freedom and they are releasing her. Her one hand is free to use and take the blindfold off . She will also be able to see her way out of the swords that are encircling her.

Women are a powerful force to handle. We have tasted a freedom to use our body as we see fit and the choice of healthcare to treat it. Our Body, Our Choice. Now, the Supreme Court wants to take it away? Oh , no. We will not abide. We will fight for our rights. We will not go backwards. We will free ourselves from our restrictions just like this woman will in the card. We will not be held bound. This is the ultimate message that I have received and I wanted to share it with you today.

{I thought that I’d include in this the general overall interpretation of the 8 of Swords as well: Mental and emotional abuse, Anxiety, psychological issues, trapped and imprisoned, self-sabotage, negative thought patterns, restriction. }