About a picture 8 of Swords

Michellehihi

I have never encountered a jar like that before, and lids here are often colored and detachable. But if that jar is anything like this:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...KusINAZyNBG-J0euykb_P_e7yVLd9H_YNy8_BPxZBRsDd

Studying its mechanism vis-a-vis the original image, perhaps Michellehihi is right and the jar is sealed tight. Uh oh, things are getting more and more dire for our heroine. Maybe only a deus ex machina can save her now. I hope the lid has air holes or something.

Of course I am right! We have those jars everywhere here in stores. I make my jams and canned spaghetti sauce in them. Let me tell you, when it is close, it is close tight! There's no way this girl will be able to open from the inside.
 

ana luisa

Oh, my ! What great insights, thank you !! I personally saw this picture as all of her making. She "feels" trapped. She almost feels doomed as a cartoon strip character I can't remember the name of, the one who walked with a dark cloud above his head. But yes, if the container stood for something REAL, a true obstacle, then she would be gone. Not only for the water that's building up inside but she would choke on her own CO2. She is killing herself, in a way. Sorry, I didn't want to sound macabre but that's what stood out for me more in this picture. A lighter life situation would be these ones, perhaps more suitable to the idea that she has a way to escape. She could literally "break out".
 

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EmpyreanKnight


This image reminds me of the book "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath. In it, the protagonist felt so oppressed by her increasingly dire depression that she felt as if she was trapped in a bell jar, struggling hard to breathe. It is her mental state that plunged her in this prison, but psychological pathologies like these are not easy to treat by oneself and they usually require competent medical help. This is rather unlike the girl in the pic who can escape the jar by her lonesome if she puts her mind to it.

By the way, The Bell Jar somewhat paralleled the author's battles with depression. It's unfortunate that it's the book's heroine who got the good ending though. A month after its initial publication, Plath commited suicide by sticking her head in an oven and gassing herself.
 

SunChariot

Oh, my ! What great insights, thank you !! I personally saw this picture as all of her making. She "feels" trapped. She almost feels doomed as a cartoon strip character I can't remember the name of, the one who walked with a dark cloud above his head. But yes, if the container stood for something REAL, a true obstacle, then she would be gone. Not only for the water that's building up inside but she would choke on her own CO2. She is killing herself, in a way. Sorry, I didn't want to sound macabre but that's what stood out for me more in this picture. A lighter life situation would be these ones, perhaps more suitable to the idea that she has a way to escape. She could literally "break out".

For me, I am not still getting the idea that she could just get out if she wanted to in the first image (the bell jar). How would she get out? There are no handles, no way to pull it up easily. I still like the Mason jar idea with the lid open. To me it shows that she is always free to walk away at any time, without doing anything more than changing her thoughts. I think for it to work for me, there would have to be a visible opening. Not completely enclosed. Seeming so from her perspective, but from ours we could see the opening.

The snow globe is not giving me the idea of being trapped at all. It just looks like she is in her own world. But it's a beautiful world. Maybe looking back at some beautiful warm loving memories and reliving them.

Although the images are truly beautiful. If it was you who drew them, wow you are an amazing artist!

Babs
 

EmpyreanKnight

For me, I am not still getting the idea that she could just get out if she wanted to in the first image (the bell jar). How would she get out? There are no handles, no way to pull it up easily. I still like the Mason jar idea with the lid open. To me it shows that she is always free to walk away at any time, without doing anything more than changing her thoughts. I think for it to work for me, there would have to be a visible opening. Not completely enclosed. Seeming so from her perspective, but from ours we could see the opening.

The snow globe is not giving me the idea of being trapped at all. It just looks like she is in her own world. But it's a beautiful world. Maybe looking back at some beautiful warm loving memories and reliving them.

Although the images are truly beautiful. If it was you who drew them, wow you are an amazing artist!

Babs

I think escape from the bell jar is actually quite doable. Notice the height of the girl relative to the jar. If she stands up, she would definitely be taller than the jar. The glass itself does not look especially thick. With some maneuvering she can definitely get out. Done the wrong way though, the glass might break and cut her.
 

Barleywine

I agree that this is only partially successful as an expression of the 8 of Swords, which for me is a card of "veiled hope:" there is an exit, but she has to feel it intuitively rather than grasping it mentally. I tell querents it means - at least in the RWS version - "Follow your heart, not your head" (mainly because her feet are unbound and there is water leading off the lower right corner of the scene). I don't see any hope of escape from the sealed jar.
 

SunChariot

I think escape from the bell jar is actually quite doable. Notice the height of the girl relative to the jar. If she stands up, she would definitely be taller than the jar. The glass itself does not look especially thick. With some maneuvering she can definitely get out. Done the wrong way though, the glass might break and cut her.

That's true and makes perfect sense. Didn't see it on my own, but now I see it clearly and would whenever I see the image.:grin:

Babs
 

Flames

For me, I am not still getting the idea that she could just get out if she wanted to in the first image (the bell jar). How would she get out? There are no handles, no way to pull it up easily. I still like the Mason jar idea with the lid open. To me it shows that she is always free to walk away at any time, without doing anything more than changing her thoughts. I think for it to work for me, there would have to be a visible opening. Not completely enclosed. Seeming so from her perspective, but from ours we could see the opening.

Thanks for the compliment, Babs, on my other post! :)

I've been thinking about this card since yesterday. Another thought that came to mind and which could be an aspect of the 8 of Swords is her wanting to be rescued...but that's not what I really wanted to get at now.

She's not really trapped in a jar, though, for the way I would read this image. It's a metaphor. I mean, the jar is a symbol which represents her state of mind. I equate a sealed jar with a closed mind. She's trapped in her own mind.

Even if the lid was open (a sign of hope), she wouldn't be able to *see* it because she's already under the illusion there's no way out. She doesn't feel she has any power. She is a slave to these thoughts and these thoughts have become her prison/jar.

A sealed jar is a symbol of her sense of hopelessness. And since it's associated with the number 8, which relates back to Strength (I got into the habit of relating the pip cards to their Majors, btw, because of you, and it's helped with my readings, immensely...Thank you!), then these thoughts have a very strong hold over her. It's not that she *can't* escape. It's that she *believes* she can't. And, this becomes her reality.

Just some more thoughts. :)
 

SunChariot

Thanks for the compliment, Babs, on my other post! :)

I've been thinking about this card since yesterday. Another thought that came to mind and which could be an aspect of the 8 of Swords is her wanting to be rescued...but that's not what I really wanted to get at now.

She's not really trapped in a jar, though, for the way I would read this image. It's a metaphor. I mean, the jar is a symbol which represents her state of mind. I equate a sealed jar with a closed mind. She's trapped in her own mind.

Even if the lid was open (a sign of hope), she wouldn't be able to *see* it because she's already under the illusion there's no way out. She doesn't feel she has any power. She is a slave to these thoughts and these thoughts have become her prison/jar.

A sealed jar is a symbol of her sense of hopelessness. And since it's associated with the number 8, which relates back to Strength (I got into the habit of relating the pip cards to their Majors, btw, because of you, and it's helped with my readings, immensely...Thank you!), then these thoughts have a very strong hold over her. It's not that she *can't* escape. It's that she *believes* she can't. And, this becomes her reality.

Just some more thoughts. :)

Wanting to be rescued does not fit in with my meaning for the 8 of Swords. Which is of course about our thoughts. For me anyway, I don't tend to sit around hoping someone will rescue me from my thoughts. :grin:

And you're welcome. And it is some beautifully done artwork. :heart:

Agreed, what we see in a card image is metaphorical. :grin: I like something I heard early on, that Tarot is like visual poetry. That is my belief as well, it's all symbolism.

I agree it's about her mind and thoughts (Swords) and I CAN see that actually, how a sealed jar could represent a closed mind. When your mind is closed, nothing else can get in so the same thoughts keep recirculating. No fresh air gets in = no fresh thoughts get in (Air = Swords).

Glad if I was able to help with your readings in any way, associating the pips that way was just my lazy way to learn Tarot :grin:. After learning the 22 Majors, it felt daunting to have to learn 56 more meanings. I was never good at memorization, so I just said NO WAY and invented my own method. LOL But it really came together for me when I added in my reversals method.

That is my take on the card meaning too. She CAN escape and any time, just that she does not know or realize it. But as EmpyreanKnight said, she could just stand up at any time and step out of it. Maybe to stand up tall and take pride in herself. Could be those thoughts are related to her self-esteem?

Babs
 

Flames

Wanting to be rescued does not fit in with my meaning for the 8 of Swords. Which is of course about our thoughts. For me anyway, I don't tend to sit around hoping someone will rescue me from my thoughts. :grin:

And you're welcome. And it is some beautifully done artwork. :heart:

Agreed, what we see in a card image is metaphorical. :grin: I like something I heard early on, that Tarot is like visual poetry. That is my belief as well, it's all symbolism.

I agree it's about her mind and thoughts (Swords) and I CAN see that actually, how a sealed jar could represent a closed mind. When your mind is closed, nothing else can get in so the same thoughts keep recirculating. No fresh air gets in = no fresh thoughts get in (Air = Swords).

Glad if I was able to help with your readings in any way, associating the pips that way was just my lazy way to learn Tarot :grin:. After learning the 22 Majors, it felt daunting to have to learn 56 more meanings. I was never good at memorization, so I just said NO WAY and invented my own method. LOL But it really came together for me when I added in my reversals method.

That is my take on the card meaning too. She CAN escape and any time, just that she does not know or realize it. But as EmpyreanKnight said, she could just stand up at any time and step out of it. Maybe to stand up tall and take pride in herself. Could be those thoughts are related to her self-esteem?

Babs

Speaking from my own personal experience, whenever I've drawn the 8 of Swords, I could easily tap into my sense of helplessness and hopelessness in my own life. When I was in that state of mind, I felt trapped or as though I couldn't breathe. There was no 'opening' even if there was one. I wasn't in any position to see there was a way forward or a better way. I also thought that what I was experiencing would never end (8), that it would go on and on and on. Tarot helps me see my tendencies and patterns. If I had drawn this particular image for myself, my first thought would be - Okay, I'm in that space again. This is what it is. It feels horrible and I wish it would end (and that someone could help me with this) and I need to make an effort to participate in my own healing and recognize the ways I sabotage myself. Otherwise, I'm headed towards the 9 and then I've completely lost all control.

I'd make it a point to work with my thoughts which is akin to wiggling oneself around in that jar. I really believe there is always hope, even with the lid shut tight. If you don't believe you have hope, you've got nothing. I don't know how this hope will look like or how it will manifest but it's always there. It was only ever my mind that prevented me from seeing it and my lack of confidence (or self-esteem, as you say) that I could affect real change in my life.

Thanks for listening. I really am enjoying this thread!!