If The Fool were a symbol for absolute freedom and unbounded possibility, then the 8 of Swords must be its energetic antagonist. All you would need to do is observe the body language, posture and predicament to realize these two figures were occupying opposite ends of their particular polarity - liberation vs. confinement.

When I pull the 8 of Swords in a reading, yes it’s annoying, but it’s rarely a surprise. Usually, I'm able to identify right away that's how I've been feeling - frustrated, unsure, bound. I could equate it to a really bad case of writers block (though not limited to the act of writing). It’s actually one of the cards in the deck, in my opinion, that does a really good job of visually depicting the feeling it represents.

There are a million different ways to slice and dice a tarot card. You can observe the direction the figures face, the clothes they are wearing, the landscape, the weather, the numerological meaning, or the astrological association. Many of these facets we know are intended in the design of the card and some, we can’t be so sure, but for whatever sticks out to the reader in the moment of reading - surely there is significance, whether originally intended or not.