Traditionally, the Eight of Cups tarot card shows a man walking into the mountains underneath a moonlit sky. He’s walking away from the eight cups stacked behind him, leaving everything behind without a second glance.
This feels like a sad and melancholy card, but it’s actually quite positive. The Eight of Cups is about successfully moving on from the past. You haven’t learned all of the lessons you need to learn, but you are ready to let go of what isn’t working and search for the answers.
You’ve realized it’s time to abandon what is no longer working for you and you are willing to look for a new way of doing things. You don’t see the full path in front of you, but the moon (which represents your intuition and inner wisdom) is guiding you toward where you need to go.
The message of this card is, “It’s time to let go of what isn’t working and follow your intuition to find what will.”
While this card is usually about a spiritual or creative quest, it’s also a positive card for travel in a literal sense.
Keywords for the Eight of Cups Tarot Card
- Voluntary abandonment or withdrawal
- A loss of interest
- Moving on and seeking something better
- Travel
Keywords for the Eight of Cups Reversed
- Aimless drifting
- Come down to earth
- Travel problems
Patterns and Correspondences of the Eight of Cups Card
- The Cups suit = rules the emotions
- Suit of cards = hearts
- Timeline = weeks to months
- Number 8 = mastery and prosperity
- Zodiac sign = Pisces
- Element = Water
Keep reading for sample tarot readings using The Eight of Cups card, but first…
Want more tarot videos like this one? Click here.
Need more help remembering the tarot card meanings?
Get a free, printable PDF Tarot Cheat Sheet to help you remember the meaning of The Eight of Cups card. Just enter your email and you’ll immediately receive the cheat sheet, along with regular tarot tips, resources, and other printable goodies.
Eight of Cups Tarot Card Meanings for Love
It’s time to follow your true heart. You know whether or not it is time to move on, find someone new, or deepen your existing relationship.
If it is time to move on, you are leaving to open the door for something better. And if you decide to stay, you are leaving behind the old rules and building something stronger.
If you are looking for new love, abandon your usual methods and ideals. What worked for you in the past won’t work for you this time. You’re a different person and you are looking for a different type of partner.
You have a choice to make. You can stay stuck in the past where you are comfortable and miserable, or you can courageously venture into the unknown future. Happiness isn’t guaranteed, but you will only find it when you start looking for it.
Eight of Cups Tarot Card Meanings for Work
The Eight of Cups indicates you are on journey to something bigger. This isn’t about your job, career, or current projects at work. There is something deeper, more like a calling. You are ready to pursue it.
It’s time to follow your heart and desires. Let go of the dreams you thought would be fulfilling but have let you down. Leave behind what you “should” do and eliminate the activities or projects you don’t enjoy.
When you get rid of everything that isn’t right, you’ll create the space to see (and create) what you truly desire in your life. As painful as it is, you must walk away from the good to get to the great.
Eight of Cups Tarot Card Meanings for Health
Your way isn’t working and you know it.
Our bodies change as we age and what worked in the past won’t work forever. Change your routines and habits if you want to stay healthy and see results.
This requires a shift in your thinking. Your mindset must change before your actions will. You must eliminate the excuses and “reasons” you have for not eating well, exercising, or treating your body with respect. You are ready to leave your excuses and bad habits behind.
Eight of Cups Tarot Card Meanings for Money and Finances
Financially, what has worked in the past will not work any longer. It’s time to abandon your habitual patterns and search for new ways of doing things.
Whether you want to earn more, spend less, or see a greater return on your investments, start by letting go of your limiting beliefs and expectations. Study what has worked for other people and learn from their successes and mistakes. Then walk your own path and experiment to find out what works for you.
Minimize your possessions, complications, and commitments. Let go of what you thought you wanted so you can create a life you love.
This card also indicates travel, so an epic vacation or adventure may be in your future.
Eight of Cups Tarot Card Meanings for Spiritual Guidance
The Eight of Cups is a spiritual card. The moon indicates a choice must be made using your intuition.
Up until this point, you have been living your life for other people, following the expected social norms of your culture and situation. Some of these norms suit you, but many of them don’t.
You are ready to shrug off the expectations of others (and of your past self) to find out who you are today. Your true self will become clear to you when you are no longer burdened by the expectations, labels, and beliefs that don’t fit.
Once you have eliminated what doesn’t work, you will create a vacuum to draw in what does. This vacuum of time and space will allow you to fill your life with purpose, meaning, and service in a way that feels right to you.
