Death, Eight of Swords, and the reversed Eight of Pentacles

TLDR: Death (Modern Witch Tarot, Lisa Sterle) tells you that change is a-comin’. While the Eight of Swords (Pride Tarot, Liz Huston) shows that you are unable to respond to that change because your own thoughts trap you. The reversed Eight of Pentacles (Pride Tarot, Rayne Klar) notes the consequences. You are unable to work on your practice—your current process has become stale. You might consider this a “bad” reading. Something to consider: Is a “bad” reading actually bad if it helps? Certainly, this reading points to energies that need to be sorted out. You can’t work through the change at the moment because you are trapped.

Or are you? There are little nuggets in the art that tell you all may not be lost, and dealing with whatever this is will be easier than it first appears. Let’s start with Death. This card mirrors the RWS version, so we know a lot about the symbology. The King is dead, showing that all the material and political power in the world can’t stop change, while the older person in front of Death can withstand the change, through their own experience and/or religious training. The child can withstand change because they don’t yet know its consequences , while the middle-aged person looks away, unable to deal with the approaching change.

Moving on to the Eight of Swords, the central character can easily escape the loosely tied ropes. With free hands, they can remove the blindfold and easily step outside the ring of swords. The torment the character receives is (from a certain point of view) self-imposed. You’ll also note that a hand rests on the character’s shoulder, symbolizing that help is available. The Eight of Swords is that task that, once built up in your mind, seems impossible, but in reality could be solved quickly, once you start.

The only way to begin is by beginning.

This is one of those moments to reflect on whether you are purposely blind to the change in your life, and why? Do you have specific hang-ups that have emerged recently? Any new negative thought patterns or habits that have started to take up oxygen in your life? This is the time to root out and examine these issues and see the associated consequences. How are you (not) adapting to this change, and what can you do to start sorting it all out? Not facing this change will eventually outstrip your ability to manage it.

Good luck.