Card 57 • swords

Eight of Swords

Brief Description

The Eight of Swords represents a state of self-imposed limitation and perceived helplessness. Though the woman in the card appears bound and trapped, her feet remain free, symbolizing that escape is possible if she chooses to act. The card warns against accepting defeat too readily and highlights how our beliefs about our own powerlessness can become self-fulfilling prophecies. It calls for recognizing that many of our limitations are mental constructs rather than actual physical barriers.

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The Bound Lady

A lady has been forcibly removed from the castle and bound as punishment for some transgression. Perhaps this is justified, or maybe it stems from jealousy or resentment toward her. Whatever the reason, it appears she has resigned herself to her fate—her feet are not shackled, and she could easily lead the convoy away from the loose bonds that constrain her.

Self-Imposed Limitations

Something holds her there, something that makes her believe in her own helplessness. Those who believe they deserve shame will always manage to achieve it.

Keywords

submission, depression, lack of self-preservation instinct, belief that things are worse than they actually are.

Visual Description

A blindfolded woman stands with her wrists loosely bound by a blue-green cloth, wrapped around her body like a sash. Eight swords are planted upright in the ground around her, forming an enclosing ring while one sword sits slightly apart. She wears a pale, patterned gown and stands barefoot on a sandy, wet surface with shallow water underfoot. In the distance on a hilltop a crenellated tower or castle rises against a muted sky where small birds fly.

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Mucha tarot

✍️ Deck author(s): Giulia F. Massaglia, Barbara Nosenzo (based on Alphonse Mucha)

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