The Eight of Wands comes after the choices and changes of the seven in the suit of Wands. All of the eights in the Minor Arcana foretell of having one’s dedication and capacity for impartial judgement examined. There is pride for one’s accomplishments as is shown by the eight wands soaring through the sky. This is merely a message that there is a need for harmony among the members of a team and the collective of people who are working to make something successful. The eights show making up for uncertainty and bad or right choices from the preceding situation with the sevens. The Eight of Wands will then show the querent working to communicate and interact with business and creative contacts in a positive and effective way. There is also a call to come to terms with one’s mortality and find the divine again for themselves, so there is an addition of divine inspiration that will help to keep creative and career prospects bright and promising.
When more than one eight appears in a tarot spread, there is extra information available to the querent. Pairs of eights show that timing is everything and that it is important to focus on details in business communications while three of them imply IQ testing or, in this circumstance, licensing exams and certifications. Having four eights in a spread indicates taking a very serious look at the road the querent has travelled and what one has done well and what one has failed at so far. The Eight of Wands may show that the querent is undergoing a period of self-evaluation and playing with the dynamics of his work relationships in order to make them stronger.
The Eight of Wands in an Upright Position
The Eight of Wands represents achieving balance in business and social dealings when it is found in its upright position. The querent may find himself engaging in a lot of communication with business contacts, friends, co-workers, and others who will be able to help propel one’s business toward the next level. There may be small business trips to conferences, workshops, and other places where networking is prominent or it could mean balancing work life with family life. There is a huge indication that life is getting busier and there are many different types of commitments occupying the querent’s time. Many unexpected events are occurring, and this is an excellent time for the querent t experiment, become more adventurous, or attempt new approaches to business that pull in a bigger and wider range of audience. There is also a feeling of the business being back at a position where it is thriving with the Eight of Wands.
The meaning of all Minor Arcana cards can be modified by the cards that surround it. Court cards from the Minor Arcana (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings) all represent people. They have corresponding physical characteristics as well as their own astrological correspondences. The Eight of Wands augurs a time of harmony and proper professional communications that help boost your business and its clout in the real world. The court cards shown around the Eight of Wands will reveal people who the querent should avoid as well as those who will be excellent people to network with. The Major Arcana cards found here will also help to clarify the interpretation. Near the Tower will show the querent having his words work against him, and the Moon card cautions that there is secretive gossip and behind-the-back talk happening around the querent or about him.
The Eight of Wands in a Reversed Position
The reversed position of each card of the Minor Arcana is really as it states: an inversion of the card’s meaning. A reversal of the Eight of Wands heralds a point in time where the querent has become lazy and prefers to stay at home instead of out acquiring new business contacts or putting the company name out there. The querent may have a poor work ethic right now and needs to snap out of it if they want to take advantage of their business’ current success. The querent may be unmotivated for some reason or bored in their position. They may want a raise or a promotion although they haven’t contributed much of anything to the place. The querent will be experiencing a huge lack of energy and can’t will themselves to be productive no matter how many commitments they may have or how many projects are on the go. This can also show that the querent is overburdened and too busy to take proper care of himself. One should rest and recuperate so that they can be more productive in the future, which will, no doubt, be just as busy if not busier than at the time of the reading.
The querent is being called to action in the upright Eight of Wands, but the reversal shows where the querent needs to rest and take a break from the day-in-day-out. Otherwise, there could be a nervous breakdown in his midst. The querent should still return his phone calls and take care to be considerate of others’ time, but he should, at the very least, take a little bit of time out of his schedule for himself, his family, and his friends. If he does, the querent will find he is better able to communicate with people at work and has the energy to take on all of the errands and business commitments that are imperative to the business growing into the global enterprise it deserves to be. Use this reversal to your advantage, and get some rest before it really gets busy, and there is nothing left to give of one’s time and energy.
Key Terms
- Meeting new business contacts
- Networking
- High energy
- Full schedule
- Laziness
- Apathy
- The need for rest
- Adventurous spirit