The Eight of Pentacles Meaning: Upright and Reversed - Tarot Technique (2024)

The Eight of Pentacles is telling you it’s time to get moving. You’ve worked hard to plant seeds for the future, and now it’s time to harvest. This is a card of work and action, whether it’s upright or reversed.

Upright and Reversed Eight of Pentacles Keywords

Keywords for the Eight of Pentacles Upright:

• Hard work
• Harvest
• Ambition
• Momentum forward
• Planning for future
• Success
• Commitment
• Skillful
• High standards

Keywords for the Eight of Pentacles Reversed:

• Rushed work
• Lazy
• Low standards
• Unambitious
• Lack of forethought
• Lack of commitment
• No skill
• Cutting corners

The Suit of Pentacles

Pentacles are also known as Discs or Coins depending on the deck you’re working with. Pentacles, Coins, or Discs — they are all the same.

The suit of Pentacles is an earth sign, aligning it with the element of earth and all the earth signs of the zodiac. That ties them to the astrological signs of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. If you pull this card in any reading, take a moment to consider if any of these signs are involved in your question or answer. Take an extra moment to consider any Virgos you know, as they are most closely related to this card.

Being attached to the earth element, Pentacles have to do with earthly items and monetary gains. If you pull a Pentacle, this is about a tangible thing. It could be work-related and could be a promotion with a raise. It could be buying a house or finally being able to afford that fancy new purse you’ve been saving for. It could even mean a large inheritance. Whatever it is, a Pentacle is something physical you can gain or lose.

Continue reading our full guide into tarot meanings.

The Number Eight

The number eight in the Tarot can be generally described as a call to action card but also a card of balance and strength, as the Major Arcana that is an eight is Strength itself.

On its side, an eight is the infinity symbol, which, like all things in the Tarot, is meaningful. This shows us a balance and a never-ending cycle. If you pull an eight, ask yourself if you feel trapped in a cycle or feel like you’re thriving in a cycle.

Symbolism and Imagery of the Eight of Pentacles

A man sits on his workbench, diligently crafting his pentacles. He is harvesting from the tree in front of him, which he grew. This is the same man in the Seven of Pentacles, who planted the seed of this tree, pruned it, watered it, and watched it grow. Now, the waiting of the Seven of Pentacles has ended. It’s time to act, it’s time to harvest, it’s time to work.

Behind the man, the sky is still grey as it was in the Seven of Pentacles. This symbolizes a pending storm. The difference here is that in the distance, we now see a town with a large building. This shows the closeness of this man to culture and success. Whereas in the card before the Eight of Pentacles he is alone, now there is a connection to people in the future.

The man no longer wears orange, the color of challenges. The challenge is over now. Now he wears mostly blue, the color of water and the subconscious. He also wears red, the color of fiery ambition and action, and black, the color of the night sky. Black connects this man to the cosmos.

The man himself is older now, wiser. He is ready to take his investment and run with it. He is ready to work as he has planned for the future and now will take the next step towards achieving those goals.

Upright Eight of Pentacles Meaning

It’s time to be like the man on this card; get your workbench and start working! You’ve made a plan, and you have all the pieces of your project; now it’s just time to sit down and get the work done. It doesn’t mean it will be easy, but it means things are lining up well for a promising outcome.

Remember that eights are connected to balance too. The work you’re doing will also be tied to achieving a more healthy balance in your life and current situation. I warn you to not get lost in the work and disregard important relationships.

This card may also be indicating that you will be getting a new investor or a loan to help you with a project. Great news, but spend it responsibly. Every penny counts when you’re working on a passion project or professional project. In this case, because we are dealing with Pentacles, the outcome of this project could be great financial gain. That large house in the distance of this card could be yours someday if you play your cards right. (Pun most definitely intended.)

I advise you to maintain your long-term focus and vision. Continue to prioritize and be frugal. Your journey is not over.

If you pull this card upright, it’s positive but not necessarily easy. It’s a hopeful push into the future and the next step for you. I say ‘hopeful’ because the future is uncertain, but the pieces of success have been put in place for you – by you – to succeed down the line. Don’t stop now; your future is bright!

Reversed Eight of Pentacles Meaning

If you pull the Eight of Pentacles reversed, it means you’re slacking. You might be feeling lazy right now; you might even think you’re getting away with it. I’ve got news for you: you’re not. You may feel like being lazy at work only hurts the employer and not you, but by not working towards your full potential, you’re hurting yourself as well as the employer.

It might be time to switch jobs and find something more interesting and challenging for you. It might be time to cut back on your full-time job and focus on your side hustle. Does that inspire you? Should you be devoting more time to it? I think so!

This could also indicate that your job as a whole is a dead-end job. You may be a manager, but you’ll never be more. You also may never even have the opportunity to be a manager. Does that sit well with you? If you aspire to more, it’s time to leave and work towards those goals. The work the cards are asking you to put in may not be about the job, it may be about looking for a new job.

The Eight of Pentacles in a Love Reading

If you pull the Eight of Pentacles, it is a good sign in a love reading. This means that you’re putting in the work, and yes – relationships are work – for a successful relationship.

If you have been making extra time, putting in extra effort, making sure you can do anything you can to show your partner that you appreciate them: it’s working! Good for you; things are on a great track!

Not in a relationship? Let’s, take a look at the cards around the Eight of Pentacles. It could be that work you’re doing towards finding a relationship is bound to pay off soon. Have you been chatting with people on apps? Do your friends have a blind date they’re setting you upon? Or have you been working on letting go of baggage from past relationships for a while now? Whatever it is you’re doing, it’s going to pay off for you. You’ve been putting in work in a good way!

If you pull this card in a love reading, but it’s reversed, it’s not the end of the world, but it indicates that you’re not doing things right. As I said earlier in this section, relationships work. If you pull the Eight of Pentacles reversed in a love reading, you’re not doing the right work or you’re not doing the work right.

If you’re cutting corners in your relationship or your relationship search, it shows. If you’re in a relationship and you pull this card reversed, your relationship is suffering, so you need to snap out of it before you lose your partner.

If you’re single and you pull this card reversed, you may tell your friends and family that you’re putting yourself out there, but you aren’t. That’s fine if it’s not what you want, but if you want a relationship but aren’t out there searching for one and making yourself vulnerable, nothing lasting is going to stick. What are you so afraid of?

Eight of Pentacles in a Career and Money Reading

Pulling the Eight of Pentacles upright in a career and money reading is a good thing! It means that the work you’re putting in right now is going to pay off if you keep at it. This does not mean it’s going to be easy! But it means you’re on the right track.

If you’re in school and you’ve been grinding, it’s the same message. Keep at it, it will pay off. It’s not quite time to relax yet, but soon!

Remember that Pentacles are monetary, tangible things. Your rewards will be finances or gifts, a raise perhaps. Maybe someone will buy you a fancy necklace for getting good grades this semester!

In short: pulling this card upright here is telling me that your hard work is about to be paid off financially.

If you pull the Eight of Pentacles reversed in a career and money reading, the cards are calling you out. You’ve been lazy, you’ve been unambitious, or you’ve ended up in a dead-end job. Whatever the situation is, there’s no moving forward because you aren’t putting in the work.

There won’t be any payoff because the work hasn’t been done yet. You probably feel stuck, very stagnant. You earned this; now get yourself out of it. You’ve been cutting corners, phoning it in, not planning for the future. If you want to get the financial rewards, you have to put in the work.

The Eight of Pentacles in a Home and Family Reading

The Eight of Pentacles upright in a home and family reading is positive, as it has been throughout this article. You may have been recently building something like a home or putting money aside to purchase a house or apartment. You’re not quite there, but you can see the end goal shortly. It’s there; keep at it!

If the Eight of Pentacles is reversed in a home and family reading, things aren’t coming together for you. This is because you haven’t put in the work. Yes, I’m going to repeat myself: you need to put in the work to see positive results. Nothing happens magically in this world.

The Eight of Pentacles reversed is a wake-up call to get up and get going. That financial stability, the comfort of home, and your own for you and your family won’t be tangible until you do.

The Eight of Pentacles in a Health Reading

Pulling the Eight of Pentacles upright in a health reading is the equivalent of the cards saying, have you been working out? It shows! Have you changed your diet, eating more vegetables, fewer potato chips? It shows!

If you’ve been making healthy changes, you’re seeing the results right now. You’re not quite at your goal, but you’re getting there. Good for you; change is hard, especially when it comes to being better at yourself!

This could also have to do with your mental health. Have you started seeing a therapist? Are you working through a past trauma? It’s been hard, and it will still be hard, but you’re getting closer to feeling better. Keep at it, you’ve already put in a lot of sincere work, and that’s not a small feat.

Whatever your health project is: you’re starting to see the results. You’re not quite there yet, but you will get there, and it’s going to pay off tangibly. This could mean you will lose that last couple of pounds. It could mean that because you feel better mentally, you’re able to get a better job and get a raise. Pay attention to new opportunities coming your way; you earned it!

Unfortunately, if this card is reversed in a health reading, things aren’t paying off. But they’re not paying off because the work you’ve put in isn’t genuine. The cards are calling you out. Stop cutting corners, stop thinking that things will work out without any work.

If you’ve been in therapy and don’t understand why you don’t see progress, ask yourself if you’ve been genuine to yourself and your therapist. If you’ve been dieting but aren’t seeing progress, ask yourself if you’ve been as active as you could be. Do not simply bang your head against a wall expecting a new result. Take a step back and find a new approach.

Most importantly, when you draw the Eight of Pentacles reversed in a health reading is the call to self-examine why you aren’t moving forward. Some of us consciously cut corners, some of us unconsciously cut corners. It’s time to be true to yourself, to be vulnerable, and to get going.

FAQs

Question: I pulled the Eight of Cups upright in a career and money reading, but I feel like it’s the opposite of how I feel at work right now. What does that mean?

Answer: You can take this to mean it’s time to move on and refocus yourself professionally. If you’re feeling unappreciated, why stay? Start putting in the work to find a better job with a company that deserves you, or take this moment to start your own business if you’ve always wanted to; the time is right for you!

Question: I pulled this card upright, but I don’t have any large projects or goals in mind. What does that mean for me?

Answer: Just because you don’t have anything specific in mind doesn’t mean that someone near you isn’t noticing the good work you do. You probably have put your head down and gotten your work done well and thoroughly consistently and may be surprised by a raise or promotion. Whatever comes, you earned it. The Eight of Pentacles isn’t a gift; it’s a well-earned reward.

Question: I pulled this card reversed in a love reading, but I’m single and not trying to date. Can you explain this to me?

Answer: If you chose a love reading, then love is on your mind. If it’s reversed, it’s calling you out. You want something you aren’t even admitting you want. If it’s upright, someone has noticed you for who you are when you aren’t trying to impress anyone romantically. Lift your head from your workbench; who’s watching?

Final Thoughts

More than anything, whether it’s upright or reversed, the Eight of Pentacles is a call to action! It’s time to stay focused or get focused and achieve your goals!

You’re nearly there, good for you!

Check out related tarot meanings from the suit of pentacles:

• Ace of Pentacles Meaning
• Two of Pentacles Meaning
• Five of Pentacles Meaning
• Knight of Pentacles Meaning
• King of Pentacles Meaning