Eight of Cups Tarot Card
Eight of Cups Meaning
An extremely sensitive position in any tarot reading is set in the Eight of Cups. It is a card of deep emotional bruises and wounds, trust put in the wrong hands and betrayal that has repeated itself over and over again. Its effects go deep, and remind us of Mars found in the sign of Cancer, where all rational moves and activities get distracted by emotion that needs to be set free. This points to our frailty and the need of special care and caution to stay safe from influences of the outer world. It is a signal we are being naïve or childish, or too hasty to see our true emotional capacities and the level of empathy that ties us down instead of setting us free. It will come to our reading at a time when a step back is needed, some contemplation, rest and an approach with enough spiritual and energetic support, so we don’t rush into anything that our heart isn’t yet ready for. In its extremes, it shows us being dishonest to be liked by others, bruising ourselves along the way just to feel approved of and valued.
Love
When the Eight of Cups is found in our world of romance and intimate relationships, it tells us that we aren’t yet ready to engage in full contact with another person. We might lack patience to give our heart and mind time to get synchronized and support us along the way. The partner might be aggressive in different ways with this card opened, even when passive and seemingly uninvolved. There is a lot of roughness to anticipate with this setting, and the card reminds us to keep our distance and stay protected every step of the way, until we truly feel ready to lower our shields, grown and responsible for our own hearts.
Career
With the Eight of Cups in a career reading, one cannot know who to trust and sensitive information could be at stake. This is a signal we should close our doors and speak as little as possible about our plans or the way we got things done. Trust will eventually be rewarded, but the first point of trust should be found in our hunch and the full understanding of our inner sensations. With lack of fulfillment and joyful approach, no project will bring satisfaction even if we end it within a deadline and get well-paid.
Health
Eight of Cups will show up in a health reading when we have dangerously approached some of our physical limitations and it is becoming our imperative to get some rest and some distance from stressful situations. It points to our vulnerable sides, our ego battles, and matters where we chose to follow the collective flow instead of following the inner one, out of need to belong to a system. Priorities need some questioning and thought, so we can find the point of balance between our social needs and the tendency to belong. Its troubles come as a consequence of quenching the need to protect our core and raise our authentic personality to shine no matter the cost and the structure we tried to fit into. Stress could damage one's nervous system if the center of stability and balance isn’t found.
Eight of Cups Reversed
The Eight of Cups will be reversed when we are about to put our head through a wall and we need to hit the brakes immediately. In such a setting, it is not only a reminder of our vulnerability, but also our inability to see how fragile those we love might be. It tells us not to do things to anyone that we wouldn’t want to feel on our own skin, and shows us the path we need to chase within so we don’t get clingy or too attached to those who aren’t as stable as they seem. Relying on other people is probably not such a good idea at the moment.
Eight of Cups Time Line
Past - The Eight of Cups will be set in our past as a reminder of broken trust and wounds that never got to heal. It is a hasty action that left its consequences and we are to face them today through tenderness and forgiveness so we can open our heart once again. Fear that once stood as the root to our system of value is now the foundation for things that don’t exactly make us satisfied, and we are to see what can be done to bring change into our system now that we are stronger and more evolved than before.
Present - With this card in the present, a step back is advised before any other interpretations. Something is too fast or too pushy for the tender personality carried within, and we might try to go against our own better judgment just to be fit for our distorted image of the outer world. Time to regenerate and breathe is necessary, as well as enough solitude to separate all the right priorities and see where a person is headed right now and why.
Future - When the Eight of Cups is set in our future, it tells us not to take any grand risks or jump into conflicts we don’t see the purpose to. It is possible that we are evoking too many things that will be hard to reconcile and come to terms with as time goes by. Move step by step, fully present in this moment in time, and follow the emotional pull and the sense of satisfaction rather than pushing over your heart to reach goals that could fail to make you happy.
