The Eight of Blades, as it turns out, is yet another card that Stephanie and I interpret just a little bit differently. Who knew?

Eight of Blades 1.2

The traditional image of the Rider-Waite deck is of a woman in white, bound and blindfolded, surrounded by swords, and standing on what is either the top of a hill or the edge of a cliff. Cheery, no?

Eight of Blades 2.2

To me, this can be interpreted either as somewhat metaphorical (you have been tied up and abandoned, one hopes not literally), or somewhat more metaphorical (you are bound around with cords of your own making, and are blind to the world around you). To Stephanie, apparently, this can be a card of initiation, which… while I can’t say that I don’t understand where one can get that interpretation, I will say it is not one that would spring to my mind.

Eight of Blades 3.2

In looking for a likely spot to bind, blindfold, and surround Stephanie with blades, we came upon the website for the Sibley Volcanic Preserve in Oakland. This was a site I’d been wanting to visit for quite some time, as I have a thing for volcanoes, and have never lived anywhere that there were any, dead or otherwise.

Eight of Blades 4.3

Conveniently, Sibley Volcanic Preserve also has several labyrinths (of which I am also fond) which seemed to us to tie in nicely to the theme of initiation.

Eight of Blades 5.1

All in all, I was quite pleased with how this shoot went, and how the pictures turned out. Also thanks to my husband for helping to blade-wrangle every time we changed position.

Eight of Blades 6.3

Full set of photos can be seen here.

Eight of Blades 7.2