THE EIGHT OF SWORDS
“The Lord of Bondage”
Jupiter in Gemini
DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM
A bound and blindfolded woman with her hands tied behind her stands alone on a desolate beach where she is partially imprisoned by a barrier of eight swords. She appears isolated and alone and stands in a marshy area far from the castle in the distance which is her home and from which she is in temporary exile. The sky is a foreboding cloudless grey and she stands with one foot in the water and the other on a small patch of yellow sand.
ASTROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
The expansive fiery spiritual light of Jupiter illuminates the metal energies of Gemini and elevates the individual mind to the level needed to attain the insight necessary to perceive a way of escape from bondage. It reveals that no situation is hopeless and whether our bondage was created by our own thoughts or by circumstances in which we find ourselves and a way to regain our freedom can be found if we can raise ourselves up to a higher level of consciousness where we will discover the mental energy to regenerate and free ourselves from restriction.
ORACLES
When Appearing Upright in a Reading
You are living in a state of self-imposed bondage. Restrictive circumstances may also be contributing to your distress. Your mental energies have been weakened by fear or a sense of hopelessness. This is not a time for weakness or fear. You must summon the inner insight necessary to find a way to escape your bonds and reclaim your freedom.
When Appearing Reversed in a Reading
You will find new freedom. Your problems will dissolve and a new beginning will be possible. You must recognize that the real source of your mental entrapment may be rooted in your own inner fears and self-imposed limitations and can not necessarily be blamed on outer circumstances.
THE TREE OF LIFE
“The Sphere of Splendor”
One of the greatest truths we must learn is that without darkness there can be no light. Bondage and despair may seem to reign but through a relationship with the Inner Light spiritual regeneration and escape from mental or emotional bondage is possible. When the Inner Light shines upon our dark mental landscapes, spiritual balance is restored. The splendor of this cleansing light regenerates, transforms and liberates the self from bondage.