About the Card
English Name(s)
The Eight of Swords
Correspondences
- Grand Etteilla: Card Number 56
- Petit Etteilla: Eight of Spades
Image Description
Eight curved swords form an almond shape, with four on each side. The swords have black blades with red tips, and a middle section decorated in gold with blue or green. Pink ribbons are woven through the swords at the top and the bottom. A gold plate covers each of the places where the swords cross, at the top and the bottom. The upper plate has a picture of a Harlequin in a bicorne hat. The lower plate has a picture of a Harlequin in a conical hat, waving his hands and sticking out his tongue.
Meanings
Upright
Critical, critical moment, decisive instant, difficult position, delicate circumstance, crisis, examination, discussion, research, inspection, criticism, blame, censure, disapproval, condemnation, contempt, commentary, annotation, epilogue, analysis.
Reversed
Incident, difficulty, complication, objection, contestation, unforeseen, unexpected, accident, fortuitous event, adventure, occurrence, destiny, fatality, bad luck, symptom, sign.