Eight of Swords

From the Minor Arcana

Swords are one of the Four Suits

 The Eight of Swords portrays a young woman, bound and blindfolded and is surrounded by the swords of her suit: Crisis, Calamity, Conflict, Domination, Imprisonment, Turmoil, Bad News, Criticism

The eight of swords is a very ominous looking card.  It signifies a set of circumstances we all find ourselves in from time to time.

These circumstances may have been brought about by decisions we made with the best of intentions or in some cases made for us! Whichever the happiness we thought was ours, and often one that we may only have experienced for a short time, has now soured leaving a feeling of being trapped and with no way back or out.

It is certain that panicking will not help – only patient effort will help and finally resolve this matter.

The card can also imply that our feelings of restraint and unhappiness could be connected to having not dealt with things correctly at the time they occurred and therefore allowed things pile up.

All is not doom and gloom though, as the card may suggest.  Quite the reverse in fact.  When this card is drawn, we are challenged to find our happiness and bring about positive changes for our future, and more often than not, these positive changes can be lying beneath the surface.  These will be brought into being by the wheel turning, bringing an end to a negative cycle, thus bringing with it a chance to escape.

There is also an indication that out of emotional difficulties and loss comes the strength to face the world anew.

What this card shows us is no matter how bad a situation may appear and how trapped we may feel there is always a way out – an escape route.  There is always an answer and always a way,  a key to unlock and bring about the future that you would like; you just need to find it…

Once this is found we are able to move forward with confidence, to reap the rewards of a brighter, happier, fulfilling and peaceful future, having found our courage and strength in finally bringing a bad situation to an end.

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Page of Pentacles

Forms one of the Court Cards

Pentacles are one of the Four Suits

The card of the Page of Pentacles portrays a boy of around twelve years of age, with dark brown hair and an olive complexion, dressed in a pale leaf-green tunic.  He stands in a field where the new green growth of different varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs are just showing above the ploughed furrows of rich dark soil.  He holds a golden pentacle gently in both hands.  Above him, the sky is a pale, delicate blue

The Page of Pentacles symbolises the early beginnings of something new; often something that needs to be cared for, developed slowly and gently nurtured if it is to mature and fulfil its ultimate goal, dream or potential.  Time and patience, together with enthusiasm for the initial idea are important, as is belief and understanding so as not to undervalue or neglect any part of the process

The potential for reward and fulfilment with this card, both materially and emotionally are extensive if the processes as described above are carefully followed over a period of time.  For example, the initial thought of a new idea, might with time become a hobby, that ultimately evolves into a full blown vocation which yields all of the rewards

We have all experienced the start of these little enthusiasms at one time or another – but how many of us and how often do we really follow them up, and try the necessary first small steps which might lead to something so much greater?

Of course this card can mean so much more than just this particular element that I wanted to share with you today – perhaps when it appears again as our Card of the Day I can give you a different perspective  ~  Cherida

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