I have just been thinking and it would seem that there are two different types of darkness in these cards (FYI I am referring to the Universal-Waite). There is darkness which is present in the cards themselves (eg. The Tower), and there is darkness which is implied by the use of blindfolds and closed eyelids, (eg. Eight of Swords). Sometimes there is the presence of both external and implied darkness (2 of Swords).
I am thinking what if anything this distinction might bring to our understanding of the cards.
For instance, in the Eight of Swords, the woman wears a blindfold, and the card is relatively bright in colour. It is not an external darkness as in the presence of darkness in the card itself, but rather a self-imposed, internal, and reflective darkness hinted at by the use of a blindfold. If she where to remove the blindfold then she would be able to move out of her rather tricky situation. I suppose then that in some of these cards the use of blindfolds and closed eyelids could refer to an inward focus rather than an external focus. For instance, in the case of the Eight of Swords the woman could be perceived to be trapped by her own anxieties and insecurities.
In the case of the Two of Swords, the darkness seems to be both apparent in the colour of the cards, and implied in the fact that the person is wearing a blindfold. This might then suggest a combination of both external and internal misery.
I suppose we could go through each card and say something along these lines, but then that would take forever.
Rusty, I never knew that about the 5 of Pentacles. I must have skimmed over that part when I read the Pictorial Key To Tarot. Hehe.
C