Eight of Cups: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
Eight of Cups: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
‘Eight of Cups’, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
Upright Eight of Cups
Keywords
Walking Away, Abandonment, Disappointment, Moving On, Seeking More, Journey
Generally
The Eight of Cups signifies a time of consciously walking away from a situation that, while perhaps stable on the surface, is emotionally or spiritually unfulfilling. It represents a journey undertaken out of a sense of deep disappointment and a search for a more meaningful purpose. This is not a flighty decision, but a sober and often sad departure. It can manifest as leaving a party that you are no longer enjoying, moving to a new city in search of something more, abandoning a project that has lost its heart, or a period of soul-searching that requires you to leave the familiar behind.
In a Love Context
In matters of love, this card often points to the difficult but necessary decision to leave a relationship that is no longer emotionally satisfying. It can represent walking away from a partnership that has become stagnant or emotionally barren, even if it is stable in other ways. This is the energy of a mutual and sad breakup, or the profound realisation that you need to be alone to figure out what you truly want from a connection. It is the act of abandoning a situation which you know in your heart is not right for you, despite appearances.
In a Money/Career Context
This card can represent leaving a secure but unfulfilling job to pursue a path with more meaning and purpose. It might be quitting a well-paid corporate role to start a non-profit, abandoning a successful but soulless project, or a period of deep dissatisfaction with your career that prompts a major change. The card suggests that emotional and spiritual fulfilment have become a higher priority than mere financial security or worldly success.
In a Spiritual Context
This can signify a profound spiritual journey that requires you to abandon your old way of life. It may represent leaving a spiritual group or a set of beliefs that no longer resonates with your soul. It is the energy of a pilgrimage, undertaken in search of a deeper truth, or the conscious act of letting go of worldly attachments to pursue a more meaningful spiritual existence. It is the path of the seeker who must walk away from the known to find the unknown.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
It is time to walk away. Seek a deeper meaning. Let go of what is no longer fulfilling.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A necessary departure. A journey of self-discovery. Abandoning an unfulfilling situation.
As Obstacles
A fear of the unknown is preventing you from leaving. A sense of obligation is keeping you stuck.
As Hidden Energy
An unacknowledged desire to leave. A secret dissatisfaction with the current situation.
As Resources/Alliances
The courage to walk away. The wisdom to know when something is over.
The Eight of Cups Reversed
Keywords
Sticking With It, Fear of Change, Stagnation, Returning, Indecision
Generally
Reversed, the Eight of Cups can point to a fear of change that keeps you stuck in an unfulfilling situation. It signifies a state of indecision and stagnation, where you know you should leave but are afraid to do so. This can manifest as staying at a party you hate out of a sense of obligation, a refusal to move on from a dead-end situation, or a general feeling of being trapped. In some contexts, it can also mean returning to a situation you previously and correctly abandoned.
In a Love Context
This card often signifies staying in a loveless or unfulfilling relationship out of a deep-seated fear of being alone. It can represent a refusal to accept that a partnership is over, a couple that is stuck in a stagnant and unhappy routine, or the act of going back to an ex-partner even when you know it is a bad idea. It is the energy of choosing a familiar misery over an unknown future.
In a Money/Career Context
This can mean being trapped in a job you despise because you are afraid of the financial insecurity of leaving. It might represent a project that you know is a failure but are unable to abandon due to the sunk costs. This card can also signify a fear of changing careers, or a general feeling of being stuck and uninspired in your professional life, drifting without purpose.
In a Spiritual Context
This can mean staying with a spiritual group or a set of beliefs that no longer serves you, purely out of a fear of the unknown. It may represent a spiritual practice that has become a stagnant and empty ritual, a refusal to question your beliefs even when they no longer feel true, or a deep fear of embarking on a more challenging spiritual journey.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Re-evaluate your reasons for staying. Are you acting from fear or from courage? Consider if the situation is truly salvageable.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A period of stagnation. A refusal to move on. A return to a bad situation. Indecision.
As Obstacles
A crippling fear of change. A false hope that things will get better on their own. A sense of obligation.
As Hidden Energy
A secret fear of the unknown is driving your decisions. An unacknowledged feeling of being trapped.
As Resources/Alliances
Help comes from the decision to try and fix a situation rather than abandon it. A renewed sense of commitment.
Additional Notes on The RWS ‘Eight of Cups’
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings of The Eight of Cups
"The card speaks for itself on the surface, but other readings are entirely antithetical--giving joy, mildness, timidity, honour, modesty. Reversed: Great joy, happiness, feasting." (The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911)
RWS Eight of Cups Symbolism
A.E. Waite’s Eight of Cups depicts a figure in a red cloak turning their back and walking away from eight cups, which are neatly arranged in the foreground. The cups represent emotional fulfilment and past achievements, but the gap in the arrangement signifies that something is missing. The figure is journeying into a barren, mountainous landscape under the light of a moon, representing a difficult journey into the unknown in search of a deeper, more spiritual truth. The red cloak signifies their courage in undertaking this difficult path.
Meditations On The Eight of Cups
What in my life is no longer emotionally fulfilling, even if it looks good on the surface?
Am I staying in a situation out of fear, or out of a genuine desire to make it work?
What deeper meaning or purpose am I currently seeking?
