The 8 of Wands is, in almost every deck, a very simple image and a fairly clear message: events have been set in motion and will resolve speedily. While I can spin this to create a more mystical or more “important” meaning, in truth, when it shows up in a reading, I read it simply as events in motion moving toward their logical conclusion. No surprises…and not much time to change the outcome. Although, when things are moving that fast, it wouldn’t take much. The results, if you do try to upset the forward progress, are likely to be quite messy.

The 8 of Swords is one that I’ve seen spun optimistically a lot. And I am really an optimist. However, to say “she may be bound, blindfolded, and surrounded by swords, she can still escape if she tried” annoys me and diminishes the experience of the querent. This is one reason I love this particular image. The drama and tension of her dangerous situation is undeniable. This card, like the 8 of Wands, to me simply describes a situation rather than prescribes a course of action.

This 8 of Cups is really intriguing. Traditionally a card of leaving a perfectly fine and ultimately not right situation, the journey in this card has a twist. The figure is not leaving a stable home, but is rising from the ocean, rising from his subconscious. He is taking his human (or conscious) form and yet, he still worships the moon, the goddess of the depths of the ocean from whence he came. Very circular and yet very evolutionary. Complex and intriguing.

The 8 of Pentacles is the search for perfection, a journey of getting it just right. Just as the events in the Wands is nearly resolved, the danger in the Swords is nearly upon her, and the evolution of the Cups nearly complete, so it this artisan’s quest nearly realized. I bet the very next one he makes is absolutely perfect.

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Written by Barbara Moore
The tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over a decade. In college, the tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, and history. Later, she served as the tarot specialist for Llewellyn Publications. Over the years, she has ...