The 8 of Swords: There is a Way...

The 8 of Swords from the Shadowscapes Tarot; Artwork by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

The 8 of Swords says the situation is not hopeless.  There is light.  There is a way out of the seemingly endless entanglement; there is a way to freedom.  But you must stop thrashing.  Like an animal panicking caught in barbed wire, you must stop thrashing in order to free yourself.  Like a swimmer caught in a tide, you must stop struggling against it and float, conserving your energy so that you can maneuver.  Force, power, strength and ego will not save you.  The hummingbird, the quiet voice of your higher self knows the way.  Listen for it.  Trust it.

"....This swan is not the first to have fallen victim to the lures of the brambles crone.  The old one has a collection of the skulls of those others who have thought that might and arrogant strength could overcome everything. Like the tangled enchanted briar forest that surrounded Sleeping Beauty and tempted hundreds of brave knights to die within the thorny embrace, pure might and abusive power will not always cut the path to victory.

The hummingbird flits close.  'Calm', she urges, and as the swan ceases to flail, the thorns cease to cut, and the little hummingbird gently pushes one branch aside at a time, and the swan sees the light of freedom shining through from above, distant but attainable.

The Eight of Swords is a reminder not to waste energy on the trivial.  It is easy to freeze up in a crisis - to feel restricted, confused, powerless, and trapped by circumstances - but there is always a way out if you take a moment to breathe and reassess." ~Barbara Moore, Shadowscapes Companion