Cosmic Tarot - Eight of Swords

tink27

http://www.angelpaths.com/decks/cosmic/swords/eightofswords.html

Such a intersting card!!

The Eight of Swords in the Cosmic deck shows a man and woman with their backs to each other, standing in a pool of emotions that is surrounded by 8 swords. A dark sky and wall are a powerful presence here.

The first thought I had of this card was being surrounded by clutter, did something just blow up between these two and pieces of it encircle them. Whatever their grievances, it seems to have been dormant for quite sometime. Are they so adamant against each other’s thoughts and philosophies that they have nothing more to say to each other. Has one possibly made demands on the other….placed conditions on the relationship instead of just loving one another? Are their points of view so different, that although they live together they exist in two different worlds. So sure of their beliefs, they’ve each become inflexible and stubborn…nobody can tell you anything. They’ve reached an impasse, a dead end…there is no more intimacy in their lives. Feeling cornered, feeling controlled.

A very uncomfortable subject….infringing upon sacred ground?…..are there certain things no one is to know…a deep dark secret. Walking on thin ice….feeling emotions we don’t want the other to see.

Once you’ve made up your mind, do you stick to it, through thick and thin?

Hmm still thinking.....other thoughts???

tink :love:
 

paradoxx

where as the waite standard shows a single woman bound and blindfolded surrounded by swords, this version of the 8 swords shows two people bound to eachothers drama while still surrouned by a perimeter of swords. The shape of the perimeter is also interesting as the man is facing a single swrod in the background, while the woman is facing three swords where the ground has taken a "star" shape. they must remove their own blockages and problems behind them so that they don't get stuck in the mud that they have created for themselves.
 

Myrrha

The man and woman look like they have been circling around for some time. No matter which way they turn there is some problem, mishap or interference (represented by the swords) so they are not able to move forward. Perhaps they put the swords in each others way. The swords cast shadows on the water making a jagged line that illustrates how frustrating it can be when there are constant inconveniences and obstacles.

The title of the card is Interference. The astrological attribution is Jupiter in Gemini. Jupiter was considered a beneficent planet, hot (energetic) but in a helpful way not in the destructive way Mars is hot. In traditional astrology it was considered to be "the greater Fortune, author of Temperance, Modesty, Sobriety, Justice" -- W. Lilly) In contemporary astrology Jupiter is associated with luck and fortune as well as wisdom. Gemini is an air sign and has to do with the intellect. This seems like another card that would have been more positive if it weren't for the influence of Kabbalah.

The card takes place in Hod, the sphere associated with intellect and with Mercury. It is an unbalanced sphere, being on one of the outer pillars of the tree rather than in the middle. It is also very far down -- almost all the way to Ten, which is manifestation in physical reality -- so there isn't enough of the original impulse left to fight the unbalanced influence.

So instead of the large-minded wisdom, luck, and justice of Jupiter we have pettiness, people trying to interfere with others out of spite, narrow mindedness, accidents, unwise decisions (perhaps caused by over-intellectualising, all those swords in the water), obstacles, interference.

It adds up to a kind of prison. If the people in the card could cut each other some slack and stop putting swords in each others way they could work together on a way to get over the wall and to a better place.

EDIT: Thinking about it again, maybe it isn't just the influence of Kabbalah that prevents this card from being more positive. Jupiter is philosophical and positive but he might not manifest his best qualities in Gemini. The influence of Gemini could lead to overthinking and considering every little thing. Some of those obstacles could be made to seem bigger than they are.