The Eight of Pentacles Tarot Card’s True Meaning: Love, Health and Money

The Eight of Pentacles represents the focus and devotion required when mastering a new talent or skill. This card is a great sign if you’re just setting out in a new career.

In the reversed position, it can be a call to readjust your priorities, especially as they relate to your professional life.

• Element: Earth
• Planet: Mercury
• Astrological signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
• Key dates: August 23 to September 1

Visual Elements and Symbolism

In the Rider-Waite deck, the Eight of Pentacles depicts a young man in a black apron, engraving a pentacle shape into a golden coin with a hammer and chisel. He is completely absorbed in his work, and seems to be quite skillful at it.

The young man — who could be an apprentice or novice artisan — personifies the dedication and attention to detail that are required to become an expert in any field.

This is a great card to find in a spread if you’re a student, as it means you will soon be putting all of the theory you have been learning into practice. There are rewards in store for all of your hard labor.

The town in the background symbolizes the isolation that is sometimes required in order to fully focus on mastering a skill or trade.

The Eight of Pentacles Card as a Person

The Eight of Pentacles is dedicated, devoted, and overly hard working. He is often in a junior position or new to an organization. This person may be a student or learner of some type, and often falls in love with the exhilarating initial stages of a project when there is a lot of researching and learning to be done.

This kind of person can lose sight of the forest for the trees, and may become fixed on things that don’t seem important to others around them. It takes a long time to build a relationship or even earn trust from an Eight of Pentacles.

upright

The Eight of Pentacles Upright: Positive Meanings

When upright, the Eight of Pentacles points to a time when you will really need to concentrate your efforts in order to succeed. It can also represent a period of apprenticeship. As such, it’s an especially relevant sign for someone who is at the beginning of their career.

Love and Relationships

If you’re single, pay attention for a potential romantic partner while learning a new skill or taking part in a workshop.

If you are in a relationship, your obsession with your career and money may be hurting your union and driving you apart. No matter how important you may think your sacrifices are, you need to make time for the most important people around you. Reignite the fire by looking for a common creative passion.

Career

This card indicates that you are currently discovering your talents or redefining yourself. Be confident and picture yourself at the height of your accomplishment, appreciating your future success as part of a journey which includes the humbling path of learning.

Watch for opportunities to take on responsibilities that are outside of your scope, and don’t be too proud to ask for help when you need it.

Money

You need to do some long-term planning. Although the Eight of Pentacles is a good sign for your finances, don’t expect a windfall of any sorts — you still have to earn your money.

The most important part of any financial plan is your budget. Don’t give in to the temptation of spending on impulse buys. Instead, set goals and reward yourself for staying on track.

Health

If you haven’t been following your doctor’s orders or haven’t been paying enough attention to your health, the Eight of Pentacles is calling for you to take action.

Go back to your original plan, whether that means better nutrition or a more rigid exercise schedule.

reversed

The Eight of Pentacles Reversed: Negative Meanings

The Eight of Pentacles reversed often symbolizes a period of frustration and disappointment. Your attention to detail may actually be holding you back from achieving what you want.

Let go of your expectations and perfectionism and accept yourself and others for who they are. Are you focusing on the right things? Keep perspective on the big picture in life.

Love and Relationships

If you’re in a relationship, drawing the reversed Eight of Pentacles indicates that you’ve given up on the small but important things that keep a relationship strong. You may have grown bored with your partner, or just failed to keep them prioritized in comparison to all the attention you pay to your career.

If you’re single, you may not be making enough of an effort to meet a new partner. Too much emphasis on your work may become an issue, especially if it’s used as an outlet when other parts of life become difficult.

Career

With respect to your career, the Reversed Eight of Pentacles indicates that you are dissatisfied with your current professional situation. You’ve perhaps mastered your position too quickly and are now bored or unfocused. You may also become fixed on minor details as a result of not being challenged enough, which can pose problems with coworkers.

Don’t be content to stay where you are. Look for something new that is ideally creative and possibly independent. Remember to connect your short-term goals with a long-term plan instead of remaining stagnant.

Money

When it comes to finances, the Eight of Pentacles in the reversed position symbolizes overspending, debt, and financial vulnerability.

You may not be taking your financial situation seriously enough — remember to be patient and that your current situation will greatly improve through constant, consistent hard work. Stop waiting for luck to save you.

Health

For health, the reversed Eight of Pentacles can represent one of two extremes. On the one hand, you may be putting your body under unnecessary stress by making it comply with harsh diets or an overambitious exercise regimen, while on the other, you may not be paying enough attention to your health, or abusing alcohol or drugs in order to cope with emotional or physical pain.

Either way, your current lifestyle regmien is detrimental to your overall well-being. If you’ve been putting off treatment because it’s too much work or haven’t followed up on a health concern for one reason or another, now is the time to get help.

spreads

Your Past, Present, and Future

In the past position, the Eight of Pentacles speaks to the long history of hard work that got you to where you are today. You know what sacrifice is. You can be proud of what you’ve accomplished — don’t sell yourself short.

In the present, the Eight of Pentacles suggests that your current endeavors will lead you to something more important, and that investing now will pay great dividends later on. You are currently developing some of your many talents. You will become very successful if you can identify which of these are the most profitable and focus on them specifically. However, there is still much work to be done.

In the future position, the Eight of Pentacles indicates that an important learning experience is in store for you, whether it be in the form of a practical skill, technical training, or something of a more intuitive, personal nature. A spiritual awakening may be forthcoming. If you are about to start a new project, make sure to be realistic about your objectives. You’ll be able to do it, but only if you’re willing to put in the work.

Important Card Combinations

The Eight of Pentacles is rooted in the symbol of its suit, the pentacle, which represents material posessions, career choices, or the acquisition of property. Here are a few important pairings to look out for.

Eight of Pentacles, Sun and Strength

When combined with the Sun, the Eight of Pentacles indicates that your goal is worthwhile and your hard work will make all of your dreams come true. The Eight of Pentacles has a similar effect when combined with the Strength card. The Strength card is #8, while the Sun is card number 18. When all three of these cards are present their meaning is even stronger.

Eight of Pentacles and Lovers

The Eight of Pentacles and Lovers card make an excellent match. If you are going through a rough patch, this is a sign to push through and use it as a learning experience. If you can make it through this, you can make it through anything.

This combination also suggests that you’re able to persevere and mend relationships when difficulties arise. Some of your most important progress will come while you are resolving conflicts. Sometimes it’s worth giving people a second chance.

Eight of Pentacles and Hermit

When the Eight of Pentacles is combined with the Hermit card there are both positive and negative aspects to take into account.

The isolation that comes with devoting yourself to a task or skill will take you to a whole new level in terms of your career and life goals. However, this new success can come at the cost of other areas of your life. Be careful not to lose sight of your priorities or your could end up alone.

Eight of Pentacles: Yes or No Questions

The Eight of Pentacles signifies acquiring new knowledge and skills and attaining a certain level of status. For questions related to business and career, the answer is definitely yes. For other questions, the answer is no.