Employment, entrapment, movement, and abandonment—all of these comprise the world of the eight’s.  Within these cards decisions must be made, ambition and potential defined.  The speed of events may be revealed, and you will find yourself at the threshold of new experiences, learning from the past and looking forward to the future.

Eight of Pentacles

This card traditionally deals with work, employment, and apprenticeship.  The eight of pentacles has on occasion predicted further schooling, or an acquiring of knowledge in a more unconventional manner that pertains to the workplace and advancement.  This card has also spoken of work ethics—ambition or lack thereof, a weaving of potential for future benefits, patience, concentration, and sometimes endurance.

In readings dealing with questions of employment, watch carefully the cards surrounding the eight of pentacles.  They may indicate a fair or unfair employer, hidden issues—both positive as well as negative, and even unexpected benefits.

This card has often opened the door and answered the eternal question:

“What do you want to do with your life?”

Eight of Swords

The image on this card, in most decks, is somewhat disturbing:  a figure, usually a woman, blindfolded and bound, surrounded by a ring of eight standing swords.

The issue is entrapment, feeling trapped, or imprisonment.  The situation depicted by the eight of swords can stem from outside influences, or even from the client’s own actions or mental processes.  More often than not, this card indicates that someone has created their own personal prison by their actions, decisions, attitudes, or beliefs.  The odd thing about this predicament is that the one who is trapped is most often the one with the power to free himself.  The figure on the card has but to reach up and remove the blindfold, and in so doing a clear vision will be theirs.

This card often tells me when a client doesn’t have all the facts needed to make a wise decision.  It sometimes tells me that someone may be ‘pulling the wool’ over your eyes and not revealing all the pertinent information needed to formulate a solution.  Be sure to watch the surrounding cards carefully, particularly when reading for a woman; because once in a while, this card will reveal domestic or sexual abuse.

Eight of Wands

This card deals with movement and the speed with which events will unfold.  When upright, hang onto your hat, surrounding events are going to unfold and rattle your world with amazing swiftness.  However, when reversed, time will seem to come to a standstill.  You may feel as though you’re caught in limbo.  Patience will be needed in big long draughts.

Once in a while, the eight of wands has told me when something is moving closer, and when something is retreating, moving away.

Eight of Cups

This card tells me when someone is walking away from a situation.  It has revealed divorce, abandonment, and the end of employment.  It has spoken of someone giving up, not finishing what they’ve started.

Watch the surrounding cards carefully, as there are certain situations, you will find, where it is best for the client to leave. These situations can include abusive marriages or relationships, employment with grievous or harmful undertones from the employer or co-workers, etc.  This card is not always as dire and sad as you would think.  Often, we must leave one situation/phase of life/partner/employment to begin something new.

Our lives are not stagnant but in a continual pattern of growth and expansion.  Throughout a normal life span we will encounter many endings in order to discover promising beginnings.

The figure on this card has to reach the summit of the mountain before him, only then will he gain a clear view.