A woman in a red gown with her arms heavily bound and a blindfold over her eyes is surrounded by eight swords planted firmly in the ground. A castle rises behind her and oily water lies at her feet.
Obviously, this is a nasty assed card and you shouldn’t expect any positive meanings for it. The subject is completely immobile and helpless, bound in place by the powers that surround her and blind to what has caused her dilemma. There is really nothing she can do to help herself because she doesn’t even understand how this happened to her or why. This isn’t just about being a victim; there’s also a lot of denial and refusal to face reality.
Reversed: The forces that restrict her will gradually loosen their grips, but there are still hard times ahead.
EXAMPLES: The alcoholic who just got busted for his fourth DUI but refuses to get into recovery.
The abused wife who insists that her abuser, “really loves her,” and is going to change.
Just the Tarot 