Eight of Cups

The Eight of Cups has come up in two readings I've done over the last week.  A good friend of mine also mentioned to me, just a couple of days ago, that an image of the card made an appearance in her head as she was meditating.  As with all Tarot cards, this one deals with a universal theme—in this case, it’s abandonment, and it's certainly worth talking about!

Now, abandonment isn’t intrinsically a bad thing.  In fact, it’s generally a good idea to consider cutting ties with a project/person/organization/etc. if you have a sinking feeling or strong sense of disappointment about it, even if you’re pretty far along in the game.  This is the “cut your losses” message in the card.  As you can see in the image above, the cups are in perfectly fine condition, but the figure in the image knows that it’s time to move on…and that’s it’s in his best interest.

This card is a good example of the importance of card positioning in a spread.  If this falls in the “Distant Past” category, for example, the abandonment has come and gone, but an aspect of it is still impacting your current feelings and/or behavior (for example, you can't get over an ex, or you regret quitting your job).  If it falls in the “Possible Outcome” position, you may well have to consider leaving something (often something that seems—SEEMS—valuable) behind for the sake of your health or your sanity.  It takes a little finesse sometimes to figure out exactly who is abandoning what: are you leaving, or being left? Are you ignoring an important or potentially helpful aspect of what you’re leaving behind? Where are you going from here?

If this card ever comes up for you, consider it a message to prioritize.  Separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were, and move on to a better opportunity.  Change your perspective.  Consider what you can do to gain deeper satisfaction from life beyond the material.  Loss can sting, sure, and sometimes it comes with that price tag of grief, but the Eight of Cups implies that the trade off often makes for greater stability and happiness in the long term.