8 of Arrows

 Arrows are the Air suit, the element of mind and its difficulties. Although the picture shows an actual attack—eastern blue jays diving and pecking at a predator, a red-tailed hawk—the Oppression of the title is primarily mental, specially criticism from others that in time leaves someone feeling hopeless or trapped, when in fact she or he has options and strength. Where does such Oppression come from? Other cards in the reading may point to the source, but we know that families or social structures often cause a person to feel helpless or of no value.

The image on the card depicts a form of behavior from blue jays known as “mobbing.” While blue jays are a cultural symbol of happiness in many countries, mobbing shows a darker, aggressive side.

Bands of jays will attack a larger bird, often a predator. The red-tailed hawk in the picture might go after a single jay, but when they come as a group the hawk sits helplessly—or rather, it believes itself helpless. The Cherokee Arrows stuck more or less randomly in the branch symbolize the internal passivity and inability to act. Some may see this card as victims ganging together to fight back against an attacker. Others may see the opposite, an isolated figure bullied by a group of tormentors. 

Emi describes this card as coming from her “personal mythology.” In her twenties she had recurring dreams where she encountered a figure she called her “internal critic.” This figure, associated somehow with eastern blue jays, would scream at her, physically attack her. No one else could see or hear this tormentor. Emi writes that she has since done work to quiet that terrible voice, but it “paralyzed” her for years.

Oppression shows an inner belief in your own helplessness. The first step to freedom is to recognize the weakness does not correspond to reality.

-Rachel Pollack, from The Brady Tarot