Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Leeza Robertson, author of Tarot Court Cards for Beginners and the new Tarot Reversals for Beginners.
The wind blew her hair like a directionless sail. Rain pelted down, cold and unforgiving on her thinly-clad body as she began to create a muddy bog beneath her bare feet. Forced to rely on her other senses, thanks to the blindfold, she becomes increasingly aware of the scents and smells the storm is creating around her. She knows that somewhere close by there are obstacles in her way, yet she senses that if she is careful, she could avoid them, maybe. She exhales one more time, allowing herself to take in all that is on offer to her before you she finally flips and jumps into the air. Hanging upside down just for a second or two, she suddenly realizes she has landed back in the exact same spot.
Such is the world of the Eight of Swords reversed. Just because you managed to claim some air time and momentarily stand on your head, doesn’t mean you have figured out why you are bound and rooted to the spot in the first place. There is a jolly good reason your old, go-to tricks are not working here and the longer you resist the more this situation will persist. Let’s go backwards for a moment and think about what came before this card. What did you reclaim or take in the Seven of Swords and how has it turned your world upside down here in the Eight of Swords? There are some unforeseen consequences playing out in this card and it might behoove you to stop, surrender, and take stock of what they are and what they mean.
In my new book Tarot Reversals for Beginners, I include five ways to read and interpret reversed (or upside down) cards. One of those ways is to think of your reversed card as if it is a mirror, where the image is a reflection, similar but not quite the same. Mirror aspects give us a chance to look at our current situation, problem or challenge in a different way. They allow us a chance to review all the information before us and find new ways of interpreting the data. So what is the data? What is being offered up for your review and reflection? Working intentionally with the Eight of Swords in reverse can benefit more than you know. Use the following spread to see what the Eight of Swords in reverse is reflecting back into your life at the moment and use the other cards in this spread as you data collectors.
This is a five-card spread where you will use the Eight of Swords reversed as your signifier. The four cards around it will show you all you need to know to use this topsy-turvy card to your advantage.
Card 1: Eight of Swords Rx
Card 2: Blessings. This card lets you know what blessings this reversed card brings to your current situation or problem. Take a moment to see what the world around you looks like; there will be a blessing for you to cling to like a life preserver. This is that card. Spend time with it and count how many times it shows up in your daily experience.
Card 3: Challenges. Remember when I told you that you might have brought some unexpected consequences with you from the Seven of Swords? Well, guess what? Here they are. Even a so-called “positive” card in this position is an unwanted complication to your current experience. Either deal with it or STOP giving it the attention it doesn’t deserve.
Card 4: Focus. This card shows you where your focus needs to be. This is where your head needs to show up and get in the game. Make sure your thoughts, spoken words and inner dialogue are in alignment with this card.
Card 5: Support. The universe never allows us to deal with anything by ourselves. Whether we know it or not we always have support, be it physical or vibrational, this card shows you exactly where your support currently is. It may not be what you want, but it is what you need in order to resolve or breakthrough this current situation or problem.
Our thanks to Leeza for her guest post! For more from Leeza Robertson, read her article, “Using Reversed Tarot Cards for Ritual and Spell Work.”
