Two cards

The Two Of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The Two of Swords is a card that affects most people now and again in their lives and when the time comes it is never a comfortable position to be in.

Nevertheless, sometimes the cycles of stasis inevitably become the reasons that we push ourselves so hard to progress. In this, though the season you are in is difficult, there is an added perspective of necessity in it as well. The Two of Swords is the card of being stuck in the middle and being afraid to move.

There are in fact so many options at your disposal at this moment that you fear making a move in case it is the wrong move, therefore, your hands are tied and you are stuck. Understandably this is not a position in which you would prefer to stay, so you desire with great strength to push out of it, but you don’t know where to start. You desire to have a new approach to life, but your emotions play a large role in your current circumstances and that is making it difficult for you to decide what you should do. You want to be the peacemaker, but you tend to do so at the expense of your own voice or opinions, thereby devaluing yourself. Your need for stability is now in conflict with your need to create change, thus creating the stalemate in that you find yourself in.

The image on the card in the Rider Waite Deck depicts a woman who is balancing two swords on her shoulders, representing the sharp edges she has placed herself against due to indecision. She is blindfolded representing the overall blindness to her life, and the situations that she has gotten herself into. Behind her are rocks in the sea, representing the ease of trapping those who are not allowed room for flexibility in their lives. The New Moon also shines down upon her which shows the tension in relationships, both friendship and other. She has a well-developed sense of balance, but her particular rhythm and ability to hone in on that have been compromised.

At this point in time, the Two of Swords is telling you that there is no confusion present, none that you are not already aware of. You are currently choosing to keep your eyes closed to possibilities so that you do not have to make a difficult choice. Sometimes these choices can come in the form of having to choose between friends, or getting involved in overly dramatic situations. Sometimes you are being asked a direct question and for the purpose of not hurting the person that you are involved with you are just choosing to refrain from a response, which is putting you AND your loved one in a frustrating position. In the attempts that you have made to save yourself from having to be hurt as a result of making a choice you have begun to close off your heart and this is producing deep levels of unhappiness.All of your actions at this time are being influenced not by your meditative and calm self, but by erratic and conflicted emotions, which is never a good position to be in for any long period of time.

Now is the time for you to consider a solution, there is an action that must be taken. You must give in and have faith in your intuition and in a connection with a higher source of energy to get you through this time. When you do this, you are allowing for your inner peace to be restored which will breathe life back into your veins. Consider the fact that you are unable to see your options, so your personal perspective may be skewed. Therefore in addition to focusing on communicating with your higher self, you must also seek help from others who are capable of assisting you objectively. If you do not know someone like this in your personal life, then a professional influence would be equally, if not more so, beneficial. The key is to gather information from varying perspectives so that you can weigh out the pros and the cons of your decision pragmatically. By listening to your emotions, you will know when the time has come to act. In so doing, you will find recognition in your path as well as the success of getting out of the pit of non-movement. While you process this card, consider what it is that you are avoiding, who are you having a hard time reconciling with and what decisions would you prefer to not know about or make?

The Two of Swords in Love

When the Two of Swords presents itself in your reading regarding love and relationships then you will need to make a decision. Right now you have put yourself in the position of consistent indecision which is tampering with your perspective. If you are single then in love this means that you are either avoiding pursuing something for fear of being shot down, or you are pursuing more than one person at a time and you are not appropriately giving your full attention to any one person. You need to choose. You cannot keep going this way. If you are in a relationship that is having problems, then the Two of Swords is showing you that now is the time for you to call those problems out and find actual solutions. The lack of momentum being built between you and your partner is harmful. Seek counseling if you cannot decide what to do on your own.

The Two of Swords in Health

The Two of Swords in Health represents a level of being split in half on how to appropriately care for yourself and others. There is a division in attention span; you are sacrificing too much to give to others who are ill, thereby creating the possibility of making yourself ill. You must find the balance between the two, and even if it is painful sometimes, you need to create time for yourself to process everything that has gone on. You do not want to create a level of sickness for yourself just so that you can get a break. That is not healthy.

The Two of Swords in Work and Wealth

The Two of Swords in Work and Wealth exemplifies the concept of being torn in two directions. What a situation the lady in the picture has found herself in! This is not a great place for anyone to be, especially in a work situation. It is as if she is defending herself, feeling isolated and blinded to the truth. I do like to think that the blindfold is more about meditating of the next move. If her arms move even for a moment she might fall over into the sea behind her. The problem with this card in a career context is that sudden moves may indicate that a person is trying to protect themselves. Either you or someone you work with is “between a rock and a hard place” there is not answer, but this person has two choices to make. In both choices, quiet contemplation is required and a difficult decision is required to move on. As her arms are crossed over the heart chakra it can symbolize a decision with the head rather than the heart. Currently, there is a possibility for you to work in two entirely different venues. You see for yourself a desire to move onto something that is more creatively stimulating, where you might be able to potentially help more people, but you are afraid of making the leap. Consider your options at this time. If making the leap is not safe, financially, then begin taking the steps toward making yourself financially ready for such an experience and that will get the ball rolling for you.

The Two Of Swords in Yes Or No Readings

It feels great to shift your gear away from reality when you draw the two of swords in a yes or no reading. It's telling you that it is a matter of personal preference whether to use two swords. A single sword is sufficient for some people, but others prefer the flexibility and versatility of two swords. Individual comfort level, experience, and skill are all important factors. Before deciding which way to go, it's important to practice both styles and determine which style suits your needs better. In the end, only you can decide whether two swords are right for you. In Yes Or No readings the card tells you the answer is “yes.”
 
The swords you use should be of good quality and well-maintained, no matter what route you choose. When blades are poorly made or poorly maintained, they will not perform or perform as well as those that are correctly made and properly maintained. For the best experience, make sure you understand how to use two swords simultaneously.
 
The decision to use two swords ultimately rests with you. The use of two swords for self-defense and target practice can be excellent with proper practice and maintenance. Practice with different styles and consider your individual needs before deciding.

Two of swords in the advice position of a spread

Two of swords in an advisory position suggests that you need to review a situation in it’s full. The blindfold that is worn on the picture of this card suggests that things are hidden. Things are hidden from your view and the advice is that you need to look past everything. In the advice position, the two of swords can also suggest that you are not letting anyone understand you right now. As the two swords are both heavy and the women holds these swords across her body it represents the “control” of emotions. The two of swords also represents being “closed off” in life and the choppy water behind her is a representation of the emotions that you feel.

This card often appears when one feels they are “walking on eggshells” this maybe a situation or a relationship that you are not sure will yield many problems. The advice here is to try to understand others better. The key phase in this tarot card is seeking your own inner direction and guidance in life. Try to remove your blindfold through meditation. Can you see all your options? For an advice position the two of swords can also suggest that one wants to see what is in front of them but they are blinded. You can only sit in a position for a limited amount of time (before the swords become too heavy) and you need to keep protecting what you have achieved. You need balance and insight to truly understand a problem in life.

Reversed Meaning - Two Of Swords

When the Two of Swords appears in your reading in the reversed position this is symbolic of a season of perpetual motion. You are making positive choices for yourself, you are not afraid to make a wrong decision because you have learned, ‘What does not kill you makes you stronger.’If you are still feeling stuck, just remember that the Two of Swords reversed is assisting you with the backing that you need to pursue bigger and better things. You do not have to stay stuck. Allow yourself the time that you need to relax, your affairs might be moving too quickly for you but do not let that get you down. Make sure that you do not make rash commitments to others before you have thought them through, primarily because your main focus needs to be on handling yourself and your affairs. The blindfold has been removed and you can see things clearly. Take actions that bring you positivity.

Upright Two of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Blind to the truth
• Unable to see forward
• Emotional detachment
• Denying your emotions
• Suppressed anger
• Fear of rejection
• Self-defense

Reversed Two of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Chilling in comfort zone
• Simple happiness
• Ordinary life
• Acceptance
• Feeling numb
• Unwilling
• Not focused on dreams

The Eight of Swords is commonly known as the card of victimization.

This means that you are currently going through a phase where you are completely bound by your circumstances. You feel as though you are not capable of getting yourself out of the destructive phase that you are in and that in fact if you were to try, devastating repercussions would follow. You fear pain and restriction, yet that which you fear is exactly what is blocking you the most. You are going through a season where you do not trust anyone and you worse you are constantly doubting your own abilities. You are perpetuating this cycle by trying to battle more than one issue at a time and that is part of what is causing you debilitating indecision.

You need to stop thinking that your emotions make up who you are entirely. Drowning in your emotions, which are as fluid as the tides, is not an appropriate way to work on your goals. The 8 of Swords can at points be harsh to take in because there is a level of personal responsibility that you must recognize on the role that you play in your own life’s miseries. The maiden that is depicted in the card is blindfolded as well as tied up. She is surrounded by swords and for all intents and purposes is indeed stuck. However on closer inspection you can see that her binds are only loosely wrapped around her, and there is a clearing in the swords behind her which would make escape possible if only she allowed herself to try. The key to this card is the lack of the desire to try, exemplifying where you are right now. You have complete control over your circumstances at this moment but you have allowed yourself to get addicted to the way things are even though the way things are causes you to be a complete stress case.

You are absolutely consumed by a victim mentality. And up until this point it was working for you. Now you are seeing the issues that can arise from this lack of decision making and a belief in your own ineptitude. It may be a way to survive, but it is most certainly not a way to live. The only opposition that is holding you back is your mental training, the habit from the practice of victimization and a certain level of blind acceptance or even ignorance to this very fact. Perhaps this was how you were raised, or you developed a habit due to a series of negative experiences, however now the 8 of Swords is giving you a warning, letting you know that it is time to improve your circumstances, and if you choose to ignore this warning, life will get worse for you.

The way out of this cycle is to balance your mind and your spirit. Recognize that you are actually an extremely creative individual who is absolutely capable of handling their life and can have anything that they want. The mind is going to open for you to include the extensions of your personal self with a partner and children as well as the necessity to widen your circle of close friends. You must stretch passed your comfort levels. The first response that you have to new situations is to close your eyes and hide because there is so much to do. But you must meet these challenges head on should you hope to escape death by swords.

The Eight of Swords in Love

When the Eight of Swords has appeared in a reading regarding love and relationships, you will find that you feel as though you are completely stuck in your situation. This card often comes up regarding the potential end of a marriage. Usually there is a deep level of unhappiness that has been going on for a long time, but the lack of deciding to leave the marriage is what creates a situation that is not easy to simply resolve. Many in love are afraid to change their circumstances because they have grown so comfortable with the unhappiness and worse, are afraid to be alone. Question yourself at this time; are you perpetuating something that makes you unhappy so that you do not have to be alone? How are you keeping yourself in chains? How are you behaving as if you are a victim? How could you better strengthen yourself and take control of your life?

The Eight of Swords in Health

The Eight of Swords in a reading about health is referencing a hypochondriac nature. That of a person who is constantly saying they are sick enough that they actually become sick. These are the people who are overindulging in medication that is prescribed by a doctor and who have a million ailments. In essence these issues that they have are self-created and self-perpetuated, and if you find yourself stuck in this kind of situation then you are going to need to learn how to live without believing that you are just a sick person.

Consider learning how to break the habit of indulging in these medicines so that you can perpetuate your own health. Some medications are important to survival, this is true, but some take medication just to dull out life. If this is you, seek substance abuse health. The Eight of Swords makes this recommendation so that you can gain control over your life before matters get worse.

The Eight of Swords in Work and Wealth

When the Eight of Swords shows up in a work and wealth reading, there is a feeling of being victimized by coworkers or supervisors. You feel as though you are entitled to have more than what you have received thus far. Sometimes you are being overlooked for promotions because there is nowhere to go in your position or money issues with the company. Other times you are being looked over because you are not working hard enough. When the Eight of Swords is influencing a work reading, the latter is more probable. If you are struggling in your work environment, consider how much time you actually spend working and see if there is a gap or you are taking too many breaks and the like. See how you can become a better employee.

The Eight of Swords in Outcome / Future Position

The eight of swords in an outcome/future position is connected to our own limitations in life. In a positive spread, the outcome can indicate that their have been emotional upheaval and that you will not give up and that you need to face the truth of the matter. There is also a focus on over-analyzing elements and this becomes a cycle of problems. In the future, it is likely that you still will not see things that you don’t wish to see. If she actually could see what has happened in the past there is no reason for her to continue. In terms of an analogy, it is telling you to open your eyes in the future to all the things that tried to hold you back.

Reversed Eight of Swords in a reading

The 8 of Swords reversed is blessing you with the energy of freedom. You have done the work to improve your circumstances and you are now able to take off the blindfold of victimization and you can see clearly what is going on around you. Now you can truly use all of the creative energy that you have inside of you, freely. You are able to focus on wonderful ideas that set you apart from everyone else. You are no longer backed in a corner, so make sure not to fall back in old habits. You also might be so excited by your new found freedom that you may preach too strongly this message to others and this could prove to alienate yourself. Expressing gratitude and thankfulness for your healing is one thing, trying to recruit others against their will is something else. Keep this in mind. 

Upright Eight of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Limited by obstacles
• Mental barriers
• Feeling trapped
• Wrongly accused
• Seeking for freedom
• Confusion and anger
• Feeling lost

Reversed Eight of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Inner strength
• Awaiting salvation
• Escaping problems
• Being the victim
• Feeling comfortable
• Carelessness
• Avoiding issues