Introduction: When the 8 of Swords appears, you may be holding yourself back because you fear moving into the future, or because you are wary of getting hurt by a new situation, or maybe for no reason at all. Think through what it is that you’re afraid of. The truth of the situations are probably much less frightening than your mind is making it out to be.
General: In general, the 8 tells us that we must be open to defeat in order to ever possibly win. Do not fear the unknown; many blessings reside for you there. Examine your thoughts, speech, and behavior for negativity and know that what you say and do and the choices that you make affect the outcomes in your life. If you need help managing and dealing with your fears, ask for it.
Work: If you hate your work, believe that you hold the power to change your situation because you do. There may not be a whole lot that you can do to change your specific work environment, but that should not keep you from looking for a different, better situation if that is what your heart and spirit is crying out for. You cannot have it both ways; either you want out of your current situation or you are prepared to put up with the way things are. Which one is it?
Love: In the context of love, the 8 of Swords points to a need to seriously re-evaluate a relationship. You may be sticking with someone that is actually bad for you, since you figure it’s “better than nothing.” If that’s the case, rethink. Being in an unhealthy relationship is much worse than being alone. If you are looking for love, first look at how well you love yourself. Someone else cannot come along and fix you. Start where you are.
Finances: The 8 tells you that you need to beware the self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe your bad financial luck will never change, that may be the reality that you create in your life. Think through what your skill set and options are or might be. Explore new income streams. Expect the best, even as you are preparing for the worst.
Health: More than anything else, in the context of health, this card points to the mind/body connection and the urgency with which we all need to look at our thoughts and expectations and behaviors when we are dealing with troublesome symptoms or health conditions. We do not create every symptom or illness (genetics and environment certainly can play a role), but health is almost always made worse when our thinking is mainly negative or filled with anxiety. Such things can be buried very deep. Find help if you need to in order to unearth these damaging negative patterns.
Spirituality: Know that you have the answers that you need inside already. Time spent in quiet and in meditation will be helpful. If you still need direction, ask spirit and the universe for signs and signals. These can be as subtle as repeatedly seeing a phrase or hearing a song. You are not kept down unless you allow yourself to be kept down.