VIII – Eight of Swords♠

Eight of Swords represents feeling trapped, restricted, or powerless. Attributed to Jupiter in Gemini, this card carries the title Interference—the mental paralysis that comes from overthinking, the self-imposed prison of fear and doubt that binds more tightly than any external constraint.

The Eight of Swords is the prison of the mind, the limitations that must be overcome. A bound and blindfolded figure stands surrounded by eight swords, yet her bonds are loose and the swords form no complete barrier—the cage exists primarily in perception. Water pools at her feet, symbolizing the emotions that have overwhelmed clear thinking and created this sense of helplessness.

In Qabbalistic terms, this card corresponds to Hod, Splendor, in Yetzirah—the mercurial aspect of mind that, when unbalanced, creates anxiety through excessive analysis and catastrophic thinking. The Eight of Swords teaches that freedom is always possible—if you change your perspective and believe in your power to act. The first step to liberation is recognizing that the prison is largely of your own making, and that the same mind that created it can dismantle it.