Tarot Arcana Eight of Cups: Inner Change

Description: A man walks away from the eight cups into the mountains, crossing a river. He has a «staff» in his hand. It is night. The moon is in an unknown phase in the sky.

The main meanings of the card in the upright position:

• search for good, given that all the benefits are already there;
• disappointment;
• transitional period;
• search for the spiritual, rejection of worldly goods;
• you should open yourself up to new opportunities;
• advises to leave the people and things you are used to and go in search of the unknown;
• uncertainty about the future;
• realization that the partner is not ideal;
• trouble will go away in one lunar month;
• travel, change of residence;
• material goods and family no longer bring peace;
• help from a blonde;
• modesty, honesty;
• loss;

The main meanings of the card in the inverted position:

• the person has already given up on the benefits in search of what he lacks (has already made a mistake);
• worldly life, a period of refusal to search for the spiritual;
• foreshadows the appearance of a lover;
• satisfaction from a completed task;
• communication, relationships, flirting;
• difficult times are coming to an end;
• refusal to move on;
• clinging to the past;
• refusal of personal growth;
• mediocrity;
• evil «blonde»;
• satisfaction, celebration;
• apology, correction;

Night, moon; a tired man, leaning on a stick, goes into the mountains. In the foreground are eight cups. However, they are arranged in such a way that it seems as if one is missing.

In the Aquarius Tarot, it is a girl standing on the river bank, with eight cups circling around her, as if in a dream. Both he and she feel as if they are missing something, as if somewhere far away — or perhaps very close — there is another, most important cup, which is exactly what is missing to achieve complete happiness.

In fact, this is an illusion. They have everything they need to feel happy. You don’t look for good from good, this card says; you just need to learn to notice this good, without looking for anything extra. Yes, the person himself guesses this, but some force, an internal excitement does not give him peace.

Reversed means that such a mistake has already been made, and perhaps more than once, so it is worth thinking about how to change your attitude to life in general, learning to appreciate what you have.

(E. Kolesov «Azbuka Tarot»)

DESCRIPTION: In the foreground, eight cups stand out in a row. A man is walking away from them, turning his back on what they represent and heading towards the deserted mountains in the distance. He is a lonely wanderer, carrying nothing but a staff. The Moon is visible in the sky above him, shown both full and waning. Element: Water.

EXPLANATION: You are about to give up everything that was once dear to you. Perhaps you have been disappointed by friends and lovers — now may be the time to move on from destructive relationships. This card is very much a card of transition. It represents your search for what is missing in your life. You are probably searching for sources of deeper, more inspiring meaning and embarking on a solitary journey to spiritual fulfillment.

REVERSED MEANING: You want to live a worldly life and have momentarily turned your back on spiritual matters. You are more interested in personal success, good food, and pleasant company. A new lover is about to enter your life.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LESSON: Open yourself to new possibilities. Trust in the guidance of a higher spiritual source.

(N. Drewry «Tarot. Step-by-step guide to studying»)

The Eight of Cups is one of the three «breakthrough» cards, denoting a sad farewell (along with the Chariot, denoting a joyful «hero's entry» onto the battlefield, and the Six of Swords, symbolizing a journey into the unknown, to new shores). It shows that we must leave our familiar surroundings, part with people or things that we have become “attached to” with our hearts, and set off on a long journey into an unknown future.

Eight of Cups Upright

Keywords and phrases:Leaving. Removal. Breaking up. Journey into the unknown. «Arrivederci». Turning point. Distancing. Separation. The past makes you feel deprived. Disappointment. Farewell to the past. Breaking an emotional bond. Turning your back on a difficult situation. Looking inward. Searching for meaning. Relinquishing an outdated way of life. Channeling energy into new interests. Relinquishing old concepts. Leaving home. Throwing away «mother's skirt». Leaving a difficult family situation. Finding a new relationship. Finding spiritual fulfillment. Leaving emotions behind. Changing jobs. Moving. Sayonara. In search of the Holy Grail. Within a month.

Situation and advice: You are leaving something that no longer suits you and heading towards something new. For some time, you have felt dissatisfaction and disappointment in past relationships or circumstances. You gradually realized this and sought internal changes. Now you want to break free from the old and experience something different. Perhaps you are eager to fill the void in your life. Now is the time to break free from emotional ties and become independent. Very often, the Eight of Cups says that just one lunar month will pass — and everything will change. Travel and a change of residence are possible. But the main concern of the Eight of Cups character is family and material problems. Money, family and well-being no longer bring him satisfaction; he seeks depth and content. Emotional experiences and family affairs are rejected; love and other connections weaken and fade. The questioner makes a choice in favor of spiritual development.

Now is a good time to get rid of the old and unnecessary, that which has already outlived its usefulness. Think about what you have learned; You are now emotionally mature and able to choose a more worthy goal. You are looking for more meaning in your life. You are moving away from the past and a new relationship is ahead. Old books say that the Eight of Cups predicts help from a blonde or marriage to a blonde.

People: Those who are searching. Those who have gone through a breakup. People who have left an unsatisfactory situation in the past. «Blondes» who are ready to help.

Eight of Cups Reversed

Keywords and Phrases: (Positive Meanings) A sense of satisfaction from a task accomplished. A good situation. Communication. A strong relationship. Tough times are coming to an end. Pleasure. Finding happiness. Going to a party. A new romance. Flirting. Friendship. A holiday. Renewing an old relationship within a month.

(Negative Meanings) Refusal to move on. Clinging to the past. Fear of the unknown. Making the wrong decision. Refusing to grow as a person. Problems that stem from limitations. Inability to outgrow outdated relationships and hobbies. Mediocrity. Following false ideals. Refusing to engage in valuable relationships. Fear of intimacy. Turning your back on emotionally valuable allies. Changing something you might regret later. The grass is greener on the other side. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Situation and Advice: Reversed, the Eight of Cups advises you to move on from an unsatisfactory emotional situation and seek out something that will give your life meaning. Perhaps the Eight of Cups reversed suggests that your current relationship is not what you think it is, or that you are refusing to accept the advice of this card in its correct position. You should appreciate what you have now, and not discard it as unnecessary.

You may find it difficult to decide to end a problematic relationship. Maybe you have chosen a mediocre way of behaving for yourself? On the other hand, you may find that you are ending an ideal relationship for reasons that you have made up. Perhaps you are not taking any steps to improve the situation. It may happen that the change you are planning to make is the most inappropriate at the moment. After some time, you may regret that you got carried away and ruined the situation or ended some relationship.

Positive meaning of the Eight of Cups in the inverted position: you have successfully gotten out of a difficult situation and are ready to celebrate the beginning of the next stage of your life. Sometimes the inverted Eight of Cups indicates the beginning of a new romance or a change of residence. It can also mean such a specific action as attending a party or an invitation to a social event. Family, friends, new love, socializing and parties... A new love affair may arise in the questioner's hectic life.

People:Those who «throw the baby out with the bathwater.» Evil «blondes.»

The meaning and inner meaning of the Eight of Cups Arcana

The meaning of the eight of cups in the upright position:

• A girl with light brown hair or a blonde, An honest girl, A practical girl, Honor, Shyness, Modesty, Restraint, Shyness, Fear, Apprehension, Meekness, Pleasantness.

Other meanings of the eight of cups tarot in the upright position:

• life's shortcomings, loss, change of power
• failure, disappointment in love
• lifestyle change, personality development

Means gentleness, timidity, modesty. The normally oriented Eight of Cups Tarot suggests that the Client is experiencing a feeling of dissatisfaction. The reason for this is the desire for recognition of his personality. The Questioner is advised to earn honor, to seize the opportunity, and not to hide from it. The matter that seems to the Questioner a huge problem turns out, for better or worse, not to be as difficult as it was once taken on. Disappointment if the Questioner does nothing about it.

Reversed Interpretation:

• Satisfaction, Happiness, Contentment, Cheerfulness, Joy, Admiration, Delight, Entertainment, Celebration.
• Apology, Correction, Justification, Public Joy, Performance, Apparatus, Preparations, Preparation, Distribution.

Other meanings of the reversed eight of cups tarot:

• pleasure, meeting with friends, great joy, celebration
• new love affair

The reversed eight of cups tarot card means great happiness and joy. Celebration, pleasure. Most often refers to an event that the Questioner knew about and either expected or planned. The surrounding cards will reveal whether this event will be so pleasant or will turn away from itself.

Inner Meaning

The meaning of the Eight of Cups tarot card is contradictory. The Eight of Cups tells you about a situation, event, or undertaking that you are involved in or planning. It tells you that everything will turn out well; in essence, it tells you that you will get what you hoped for.

But this card also indicates that you are being too cautious and will end up losing what you hoped for. In this case, it is not because you do not see the good, but because you are too hesitant, too unsure of yourself or your own worth, or too shy to take the first step. But if you do not take that step, you risk losing everything you have worked for and hoped for.

There is also a practical interpretation of the Tarot card Eight of Cups, which adds that the issue under discussion, good or bad, is not as important as it seems, and that the actions taken will reveal its true value, reduce its importance, after which you can switch to something else. Take the first step, and you will see that the situation is not as daunting as it seemed from a distance. In any case, success is ahead; whether you achieve it or not depends on you.

Sources:

1. N. Drewry «Tarot. Step-by-step guide to study»
2. E. Kolesov “The ABC of Tarot”
3. Unknown author“Initial information for reading tarot cards”
4. H.Banzhaf «Tarot Self-Teacher»
5. Anthony Lewis“Tarot made simple and clear”

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