Eight of Cups
Eight of Cups
The Eight of Cups is another card of change and transition. The card evokes an immediate reaction of sadness and a sense of solitude. The young man in this card has turned his back on all he has accumulated or accomplished before. He is disappearing by night into a barren and difficult terrain with only a cloak on his back and a staff in hand.There is a general sense of dissatisfaction arising from a realization that the things we have fought and struggled to attain may not be as satisfying as we had hoped they would be. This card resembles the card of the Fool in that the main character is embarking on a journey, yet there are significant differences in the attitude and feeling behind these two cards. The Fool is already at the top of the mountain and is carelessly stepping off the edge. He is naive and inexperienced and begins his journey as an adventure.
The character in the Eight of Cups, on the other hand, has lived and experienced life's joys and sorrows. His journey is undertaken because of a sense of restlessness and unhappiness experienced as the result of achieving all he has desired, yet finding those things to be less fulfilling than expected. This individual has chosen to forsake the familiar and the comfortable in the pursuit of higher goals. He is embarking upon the spiritual journey because he has not found deep satisfaction in the things of the world, the things with which he is familiar.
On the eight of Cups, we see a man leaving on a journey. He has turned away from his old feelings (cups/river) to strike out on a new path.
In the eight of cups, we see a person walking away from a stack of cups. It obviously took some effort to build up those cups, and stack them so neatly. Why has this person turned their back on them? There is nothing for him in the direction he is walking. All we see is barrenness. Everything he has worked for is behind him.
If you encounter this card, it is time to ask yourself what you can do to bring a deeper satisfaction and joy to your life beyond the obvious pursuit of material satisfactions and/or physical enjoyments.Nothing is permanent in life. Sooner or later, everything slips away...or we slip away from it. The eight of Cups stands for those moments when we realize, once and for all, that the past is gone. What was true is no longer true. It is indeed time to move on. Moving on can mean a physical change such as leaving a job, location or relationship. It can also mean an inner change - releasing old patterns, especially those that have dominated our thoughts and emotions.
Sometimes moving on can mean searching for a deeper truth or reality. One day we wake up and realize that we have been asleep in our own lives - living a dream that no longer satisfies. Some changes can be wearying. Endings are not always easy. One of the signs of a readiness to leave is lack of energy. When you feel tired and dispirited, you know that something is wrong, and it's time for a new direction. Reexamine your life and your priorities. You will find where in your life you need to move on.
Retreat, withdrawal, self-pity, over-giving, over-extending. Honor your limits. Too much caution, not enough faith, doubts about success. Hesitations think more positively. Fed-up. Unjustified dissatisfaction. New path in life. seeking. Don't be afraid to leave the past behind. There's plenty more in the world to see. Don't be disillusioned, the future promises to be brighter. Follow your heart, do what you desire. Disappointed with accomplishments, dissatisfied. Take a break and make a change. Weariness. The fluidity of water, i.e. the self, knows when, despite a situation being good, it is time to leave, especially to move in a direction which is more "air-like", more in touch with reality, i.e. away from emotions.
Sacrifice. You need to be more aware of the physical, mental or emotional sacrifices that are or will become involved in the present situation. You may need to seek a cause more worthy of your efforts and sacrifice. You need to heal.
The eight of cups is the decline of efforts made toward the attainment of something desired due to disappointment in the results received thus far. The card also denotes shyness or modesty. Your business will expand or your skills will be sought after or in demand, but there will also be a personal loss. You will do a favor for a friend or relative who is planning to travel, or you will make tentative plans to get together.
When this card shows up, it indicates a person disappointed enough to walk away from everything he has built up. It could indicate a disappointment in love, or a dissatisfaction with material success. It could also indicate that the person has overextended himself to the point of exhaustion. I would caution the person to slow down and take it slower before he gets totally burnt-out.
The astrological correspondence for this card is Saturn in Pisces. Saturn is the planet of discipline. Pisces is the sign of the fish-- water; emotions. This is saying to slow down and set some limits on the emotions to avoid overextending yourself to the point of exhaustion.
Rejection of material life. Disappointment in love. Desire to leave material success for something higher. Wish is fulfilled but not to the degree you want it to. Seize the day to gain honor.
Don't understand the situation you're in or why things are the way they are, and want to know if there's anyone ''up there'' who's listening or cares. Whether you see it or not, you're being given the opportunity to rise above your habitual or instinctive response patterns and if you make a conscious attempt to do so, they will lose their grip on you.
Search for pleasure. Interest in success, joy, feasting. A new love interest appears on the horizon. Spiritual abandoned for the material.
Burn some sage. Hold a white feather in the smoke and sweep it up and down to cleanse your aura. Change the usual position of your rings or jewelry by wearing them on the opposite side of your body. Remember that your left side draws in energy and your right side release it. This enchantment will begin a process of renewal.