The Eight of Swords as Intentions: To Stay Put, Because They Believe They Must

Written by Chaya the Medium.

The Eight of Swords as intentions is a plan that cannot move, held by ropes that are not tied. Here is what I would read in it, upright and reversed.

If you want the short answer, I would read the Eight of Swords as intentions that are trapped. In an intentions position the card suggests the person wants to act toward you and believes they cannot: held by fear, by a situation, by a story they tell themselves about what is allowed. The intention exists. The person has not tested the ropes, and the card is honest that the ropes are loose.

This is the bound and blindfolded figure among the swords. They intend to move. They are certain they cannot, and the gap in the swords is behind them.

The Eight of Swords upright as intentions

Tina Gong's the Eight of Swords guide at Labyrinthos associates the upright card with restriction, feeling trapped, self-imposed limits and victim thinking. When the card lands in a position that asks what someone intends toward you, I read those meanings as the shape of their plan rather than as a promise about what they will do. Feelings and intentions are different questions; the Eight of Swords as feelings covers the first, and this page covers the second. The general card meanings at Biddy Tarot are a useful second reference.

Upright, I read the Eight of Swords as a person whose intention toward you is real and paralysed: they would reach, they would speak, they would leave or stay, and something in them says it is impossible. The feeling is in the picture. So is the way out, and they are not looking at it.

What I would not read into it is rejection. Someone who did not intend anything would not be bound; they would walk off. The binding is the intention, turned into fear.

What the card does not tell you

The card does not confirm the person will find the gap, that the circumstance holding them is imaginary rather than real, or that you can free them, which you mostly cannot. No card lets a reader see another person's plans. What a card can do is describe the kind of intention that fits the person's behaviour, and give you something to check against what they actually do.

The Eight of Swords reversed as intentions

Reversed, the Eight of Swords as intentions describes release or resignation: a person who has started to see they could act toward you and intends to test the ropes, or one who has decided the trap is permanent and intends nothing. The first is a small brave step. The second is a settled stillness.

In your own question, ask whether the person has recently done one small thing toward you that seemed to frighten them, or whether they have gone still in a way that suggests they have given up on the idea. A reversed card as intentions is a prompt to compare what is said with what is done, not a diagnosis of bad faith.

The Eight of Swords as an ex's intentions

Asked about an ex, the Eight of Swords as intentions can suggest they intend something toward you and believe they cannot act on it, because of pride, a new situation, or fear of repeating the past. You cannot cut the ropes for them. You can decide how long to stand outside the swords. My guide to asking a psychic whether an ex will come back explains what a reading can and cannot say about that question.

The Eight of Swords as a new person's intentions

For someone new, this card describes interest held back by fear: they intend to approach and something in them says it is not possible. Being safe, patient and clear sometimes helps them find the gap. Pulling at the ropes makes them tighter.

What their intentions look like in action

Look for approach and retreat: coming close then seeming frightened, excuses that sound like walls, apologies for things you did not mind. An Eight of Swords intention looks like wanting with the handbrake on.

What to record before drawing again

Keep three short notes: the question you asked, what the person seems to believe is holding them, and whether that thing is a sword or a rope. The third note is for you to understand, not to fix.

For comparison, the Two of Swords as intentions and the Nine of Swords as intentions describe different intentions. The the Eight of Swords card meaning page covers the card in full, and the Eight of Swords as timing and the Eight of Swords as a yes or no cover the other questions people most often ask of it. For a personal interpretation, my guide to a love psychic reading online explains how I work, and the three-card tarot listing and customer reviews are worth reading before deciding whether to order.