Suit: Suit of Wands
Card Type: Minor Arcana
Tarot Element: Fire
Star Sign: Sagittarius
Planet: Mercury
Angel: Archangel Raphael
Key Meaning: Rapid Progress
The Eight of Wands means that life speeds up and progress is rapid. There are no serious obstacles in your way.
Number Eight Meaning In Tarot
All eights, including the Eight of Cups, Eight of Pentacles and Eight of Swords represent a time of change and opportunity. As Wands represent action, it means that events which occur now will push you forward in the parts of your life where progress is overdue.
A to Z: List of Tarot Cards
8 of Wands Keywords
🥰 Upright: Dreams take off, speed, results, purpose
😒 Reversed: Delays, scattered focus, too quick
Eight of Wands Description
This description is based on the Rider Waite Tarot Deck. Eight wands fly through a clear blue sky. This is one of the few tarot cards in the deck which does not have humans in the picture. Yet, as all the wands are flying in the same direction, we know that someone launched them, there is method, purpose or design behind it. When this card appears, it means that choices you have made in the recent past are now coming home to roost. We see progress and results.
In the previous card, the Seven of Wands we learned some things about who we are and what we are capable of. With the Eight, we can now apply that knowledge to improving our lot in life. We are looking ahead and trying to solve our problems in advance.
LOVE: What does The Eight of Wands Mean when You Ask About Relationships?
When the 8 of Wands turns up in a love reading, the meaning will depend on whether or not you are in a relationship.
💖 If you asked will I find love? – then yes, you will find love very soon. The wands in this card are cupid’s love arrows. This person may come from overseas or work in the airline industry, as the 8 of Wands also represents air travel.
💖 If you have just met someone, it means the relationship becomes passionate very quickly. You spend lots of time together and make joint plans faster than ‘normal’.
💖 In a relationship this card can mean the removal of blocks which have put pressure on your relationship. Whatever those blocks are, will be very personal to you. It could be health, fertility, money, housing or interference from other people. Anything!
💖 If you are wondering how does someone feel about you, and you receive this card – it means that they see you as carefree. Depending on their needs and wants, this may or may not be attractive. For example, someone who is more serious about life, may want a more focused partner. However, someone who is laid back, will find this quality very attractive (but they could be too laid back to make the first move!)
💖 You take a trip by plane with your loved one(s), and it goes well.
CAREER: What does This Card Signify When You Ask About Work?
If your question relates to work, business, career or study and you receive the 8 of Wands, then the guidance is:
⭕ If career, business or a life purpose pursuit is a priority, then you can expect rapid advancement at this time. This card is associated with the arrival of good news.
⭕ Now is the time for you to get moving with that study or journey for which you have waited so long. Motion is the keyword of this particular influence. But if you sit back and do nothing, the resulting benefit of this positive time period will almost certainly be zero.
⭕ You may be required to travel more for work, or take an overseas trip.
⭕ Jobs associated with the Eight of Wands include: anything in the airline industry, yoga teacher or counsellor.
MONEY: What is the Meaning of The Eight of Wands in a Money Reading?
💲 If you asked the Tarot about money and finances, and you receive the 8 of Wands, it means your finances are about to ‘take off’. This could be because your business does well, or you receive a promotion or salary raise in your job. Investments and pensions may also see an increase as the markets ‘take off’.
💲 If you asked about a significant purchase, like a house – this card can signify buying a home somewhere far away from where you are now. You may need to take a flight to get there. This can signify a second home, or a relocation.
Tarot Card Combination Meanings
“Eight of Wands combined with The World” – Perfect time for a new adventure.
“Eight of Wands combined with Judgement” – Seeing more clearly and now you can progress.
“Eight of Wands combined with The Wheel of Fortune” – A period of good luck has been triggered.
HEALTH: What does The Eight of Wands Mean When You Ask About Health?
If you are worried about your health and the 8 of Wands turns up – it can signify rapid advancement. This means that a health condition improves quickly, perhaps due to treatment or natural body defences. Some books say that the 8 of Wands means a medical emergency, but I don’t agree with this interpretation. I would expect to see a major destiny card, like the Death or Tower card if there was an urgent health issue.
Health conditions associated with this card include: Airborne allergies (dust mites, pollen), vertigo, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood clots.
YES/NO: Does The Eight of Wands Mean Yes or No in a Reading?
❓ When you ask a Yes or No question and the 8 of Wands turns up, then the answer is YES.
TIMING: Does The 8 of Wands Predict any Particular Timeframe?
🕔 The Eight of Wands is only a timing indication when you specifically asked a timeframe question. For example, if you want to know if something will happen, and when, then you need to draw two separate cards. These are in fact, two separate questions. This is a fundamental principle to understand if you want an accurate tarot reading – and it is core to my teaching in my book Tarot in 5 Minutes.
🕔 Using my timing method, the 8 of Wands is about 8 weeks. If the card is reversed, timing will be slightly longer – so up to 12 weeks.
Karina’s Timing Method:
Swords are days. Wands are weeks. Cups are months and Pentacles are years. Please note this is my personal timing method. Feel free to adopt it (or not).
What is the Meaning of The 8 of Wands Reversed?
When the Eight of Wands is reversed then the wands are heading upwards, instead of downwards. This means news or progress takes longer to ‘land’.
✔️Travel plans are delayed or disrupted.
✔️It takes longer than you planned to see the results of your efforts.
✔️ Occasionally it means progress is too quick! Perhaps a relationship is moving too fast. Or it could simply be that you are making too many changes all at once, and you need to slow down slightly. In finances, it could be that you are over-extending your borrowings.
✔️Other keywords associated a reversal include: loss of control, failure to allow for problems, over-extending yourself.
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Eight of Wands Symbolism
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Previous Card: Seven of Wands | Next Tarot Card: Nine of Wands
Complete List: Tarot Card Meanings
Karina, author of Tarot in 5 Minutes.
