Eight of Cups

Element: Water

Imagery: A cloaked figure walks away from stacked cups beneath a moon.

General Themes: Emotional departure, seeking deeper fulfillment, release.

Eight of Cups Upright

This is a heavier card because it demands a time of introspection. Where the Seven of Cups was about cutting through illusions in the outer world, especially in terms of the seemingly limitless options for your path, the Eight of Cups is about acknowledging what’s missing in your life.

In this card, a figure walks away from eight stacked cups. The second row of the cups shows a blank space. Clearly, something is missing. Here, it’s okay to mourn what you don’t have. The ache is a necessary part of growth. If you suppress it, you only feel the longing more deeply.

So it’s time to do a little soul-searching. This isn’t a card of dissatisfaction, like the Four of Cups. Rather, it’s about appreciating what you have, even as you long for more. You can feel whole where you are and still want that next part of your life to blossom. But you have to feel the longing deeply in order for that energy to move.

Explore new horizons, either literally in the life you create or metaphorically by sitting with the emotions you haven’t always let yourself feel. What do they tell you about your capacity for experiencing a full and vital life? Even these hard emotions are proof of our profound capacity for connection and expansiveness. The figure here moves on from the cups before him in search of what he’s missing. You should too.

Eight of Cups Reversed

This reversal hits hard. It’s time to give up lost causes and empty nourishment. Things that may have once nourished you no longer do, and that’s okay—to everything there is a season and all that. This card can also appear when you’ve been giving a lot of time and energy to a person or situation, only to realize that it will never be what you want it to be. The only solution is to stop giving it energy and see where the road takes you next.

This is an important time to explore what fulfillment means to you. It can mean various things to us at different times in our lives. We tend to fixate on external markers of fulfillment, like a job promotion or a new house, but internal ones are just as important. Think of waking up ready to greet the day or feeling connected to yourself and others throughout the day. Those are types of fulfillment too.

This isn’t a time for lots of social activity. Answers can be found in solitude, when you let yourself feel the hard stuff and then find a way forward. Remember, feelings are gifts: they tell us when we’re moving in the right direction and when we need to make adjustments to realign with a more vital path.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

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Eight of Wands

Element: Fire

Imagery: Eight wands fly swiftly through open sky.

General Themes: Rapid movement, communication, momentum.

Eight of Wands Upright

Wow! This card has a lot of juice to it. As the only card in the tarot without a human figure or part of a human figure, the Eight of Wands is pure energy. There’s no mistaking its meaning when it appears: seize the day!

Enjoy this influx of energy and don’t be afraid to make things happen. The universe is on your side right now. Don’t hold back and don’t be shy. Just go for it and trust that the momentum of these fiery wands will take you where you need to go.

Seriously, just get moving! The rest will follow.

Eight of Wands Reversed

Reversed, the message of this card is equally clear: slow down! You’re moving too fast. It’s important to get grounded before moving forward. In fact, rooting yourself in the present moment is the best way to move forward.

Like many of the Pentacles cards, the Eight of Wands reversed advises you to work steadily toward your goals. A strong foundation will lead to lasting results. There is still quite a bit of fire energy in this reversal. Only here, think of it as a hearth you tend rather than the wild energy of its upright form. Don’t burn too hot, or your energy will fade. Don’t burn too cold, or you’ll never achieve your goals. Just tend your proverbial hearth daily and appreciate how a steady presence can transform a situation.

This one reads great — energetic but grounded. The hearth metaphor is especially strong and ties nicely into your elemental framing. If you’d like, we can now polish Eight of Cups to complete the set.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

Eight of Swords

Eight of Swords

Element: Air

Imagery: A blindfolded figure bound and surrounded by swords.

General Themes: Mental restriction, limiting beliefs, self-imposed barriers.

Eight of Swords Upright

This card reminds me of a saying a psychologist friend once told me when it comes to dealing with certain things: the good news is that it’s all in your head. The bad news is that it’s all in your head. The figure in the card is surrounded by swords…and yet she can easily escape her prison if she just takes off the blindfold and sees the opening before her and a sanctuary in the distance. The Eight of Swords begs you not to let fear trap you.

You have more agency than you think. Take a breath and locate the origin of your fear. You might be feeling trapped in your head or cycling through old trauma loops. Figure out what triggered the sensation and then proceed from there. Once you know what is causing the panic, it’s easier to map a way forward.

Don’t let what’s going on in your head keep you trapped in negative cycles. Give yourself permission to let go of old scripts and move past the mental block you’ve created. As with many cards in the tarot, this one reminds you that a fresh perspective is key to moving forward.

Eight of Swords Reversed

This reversal echoes the Seven of Swords reversed, in that you want to look for unexpected solutions to your problems. You’re feeling trapped, which is why your vision feels narrow and your options limited.

Part of the problem when this card appears is that your inner critic is louder than the expansive, playful voice that can get you out of this mess. Get out of your head—and your own way! Remember that the critic only appears when self-doubt flares up, and it only strengthens when you feed that voice. So turn your gaze toward a meaningful solution, even something as simple as allowing yourself to move out of the ring of swords.

We can hold on to outmoded beliefs because they are familiar and feel safe. Dare to liberate yourself through a change in perspective.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

Eight of Pentacles

Eight of Pentacles

Element: Earth

Imagery: A craftsperson diligently works on carving pentacles.

General Themes: Skill-building, dedication, apprenticeship, focus.

Eight of Pentacles Upright

This is one of those cards that reminds us that our daily work is sacred. The magic is in the repetition of our skills. So often we want loud, splashy, and big. But much goodness is conjured when we show up every day to do what we need to do. It’s not glamorous or flashy, but it makes for the longest-lasting change.

Appreciate all you’ve mastered and don’t take your experience and wisdom for granted. Remember when you wished to be in this place? You’ve come a long way. But there is always more to learn. Isn’t that wonderful?

This card is an invitation to keep learning, keep growing, keep refining your craft. Then enjoy the magic you make from your devotion.

Eight of Pentacles Reversed

Like the Four of Swords (both upright and reversed), this reversal gives you permission to rest. In fact, rest is the most productive thing you can do right now. We need to appreciate our fallow periods just as much as our high-producing ones. I think of this in terms of my garden: sure, I love the growing season and enjoying all the fruits of my labors. But that abundance can only come after a season of rest. The soil needs to rebuild itself, and seeds need stratification. Even in spring, we seldom see all the growth that goes into new life until those seeds break the surface. So rest. It’s an integral part of growth and development.

When you are ready for more extroverted productivity, work smarter, not harder. Think about the big picture and where you can best apply your energy to produce results. Sometimes this card appears when we’re getting down on ourselves. Either impostor syndrome flares up or we’re dissatisfied with how something turned out. Just take a step back to get some perspective and remember, perfection is overrated.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

The Eights

The Eights ushers in a time of contemplation. These cards often depict a more mature figure who has to let things go or see their situation differently to move forward. These cards ask you to face some hard realities without utilizing the craftiness of the Sevens. 

Interestingly, the Eights also feature the only card in the tarot deck that does not include a human figure or a part of a human figure. The Eight of Wands is about pure energy and movement, as depicted by the eight wands flying through the air. 

As such, the Eights are about action but with more gravitas than the energy of the Aces. They invite the reader to consider how their mindset and habits shape their reality. You will enjoy abundant good energy if you can release your self-limiting beliefs. It’s up to you to decide where you want to focus your time and attention.  

Eight of Pentacles

Eight of Swords

Eight of Wands

Eight of Cups

Image Description: Starry background with the words, “The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot: The Eights: Contemplation, Maturation, Change in Perspective.”

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!