Eight of Swords
Swords
How This Card Is Derived
Papus gives no separate description of this card. It is derived from his system: Swords is Vau (ו), the equilibrating principle, the link between the two, acting in Yetzirah, the formative world; the number 8 is He of the third series, the passive answer to that realization. The meaning below is that combination read out — the equilibrating principle, the link between the two taken at its 8th term — not a quotation from him.
Upright
The passive answer to seven's manoeuvring: restriction, and the conflict has come inside. Bound, blindfolded, swords planted around rather than through — Papus's eighth term never initiates, and the whole force of the card is that the constraint is real and is not what is holding the figure. Restriction the situation created and the querent is now maintaining, without being able to tell which is which.
Reversed
The bindings tested — reversed usually means one of them turns out to be loose. Or the restriction fully internalised, so that the swords could be removed with no change whatever in behaviour.
Correspondences
- Suit
- Swords — Vau (ו), Yetzirah, the formative world
- Suit principle
- the equilibrating principle, the link between the two
- Number
- 8 — He of the third series
- Numeric role
- the passive answer to that realization
In a Spread
At the commencement, the matter begins already constrained. In opposition, a limit the querent believes in more than it deserves. At equilibrium the situation is stable and the stability is the cage. As the result: restriction — and Papus's system says look back to seven for how it was built.