What does the Eight of Pentacles card mean in Tarot?

Eight of Pentacles, Minor Arcana, Pentacles VIII

The Eight of Pentacles shows a young man hammering away at a coin (pentacle). He has finished six of them and has just one more pentacle to go. His clothing suggests this is his work – he isn’t a king or a knight exploring a hobby. Yet he is relatively well-dressed, suggesting that he is paid fairly for the work he does.

We see a city in the background, meaning this young man is a contributing member of society. Even though he is working on his own, alone, he is part of a greater whole.

The extra calm, grayish off-white sky suggests the young man is neither excited nor ego-centric about his work. He has a tranquil, peaceful relationship with it. He feels good about what he does, believes in its meaning, yet he is not the show-off type.

Pentacles in general are associated with the earth element, our first chakra, representing our most basic needs: food, shelter, basic safety, all of which come to us when we have a stable job, like that of the young man in the card.

Some readers interpret this card to mean “apprenticeship,” i.e. that the man pictured is learning to shape pentacles, while other readers view it as a symbol of long, hard, meaningful work that could get tedious at times, just like any type of work does. Either way, the card is about someone who is industrious and detail-oriented, and someone for whom his work is important.

If your reading is about your career and finances, the Eight of Pentacles suggests you are about to find meaning in the work you already do, or that you’ll switch jobs or careers and achieve meaning like that. You’ll see the intrinsic value in the work, even if it’s not a famed job, or one that gets the recognition it deserves from others. You’ll feel very good about how you spend your days, finally having found fulfillment through work. It’s like you’d do what you do even if it didn’t pay – that’s how much you’ll love it! And on top of that, you will be well compensated.

If your reading is specifically about your finances and monetary future, the Eight of Pentacles suggests subscribing to a routine savings program where every month you put a small amount of money into a savings or a retirement account, and watch it grow over the years. It also suggests you might achieve big savings by making small changes, such as taking the metro instead of a taxi, turning off the lights when you exit a room etc.

If your reading is about your social life, the Eight of Pentacles symbolizes a peaceful routine – same friends, same places, maybe even the same conversations! A lot of familiarity and a strong sense of belonging. Like being one of the six friends at the famous sitcom Friends. Enjoy the protection and support such a close-knit group of friends and family can give you. It’s a blessing.

What does the Eight of Pentacles Tarot card mean for love?

For singles, having the Eight of Pentacles in your reading might mean you now have the ability to build your next relationship slowly and surely. You have come to a place where you really know what you’re doing. You believe you are lovable, worthy, and deserving of respect, and you have no qualms about making sure you’ll get all this the next time you date someone. You seek depth and meaning, and rest assured it’s coming, albeit slowly – as it takes time to develop a strong heart-connection.

For couples, the Eight of Pentacles might mean you’ve both fallen into a lovely routine – one that nourishes you and makes your relationship shine. The frequency with which you call each other, how often you see each other, the types of activities you do and the times you do those activities etc. have all fallen into place in your schedule. Nothing is up in the air anymore. The dust settled and it settled well. It must feel really good to have such stability in your love life!

If this doesn’t sound like you or your relationship, then take the messages above as a cheat-sheet: they are what you need to implement in your love life as soon as possible, to be able to achieve the results you seek.

What does Eight of Pentacles reversed in Tarot mean?

Eight of Pentacles reversed shows lack of discipline, willingness, and desire. If your reading is about your career, this card in reversed position could mean lack of work ethic. You or people at your workplace might be doing tasks superficially, just to get them done but without caring or making sure the details are taken care of. People might be gossiping behind closed doors, lying to one another when face-to-face, or backstabbing their coworkers. What you need to ask yourself is, why do you keep yourself in this environment?

If your reading is about love and you have the Eight of Pentacles reversed, you might want to cultivate stability in your love life. Ups and downs and fleeting excitements can only be good for a short time, after which you need to find someone in whose embrace you feel safe, loved, and cared for. There is nothing wrong with having fun, but it seems like your soul wants something deeper. Talk to friends or to an advisor to make sure you’ll handle your love life with calm, grounded energy.

Astrological association

Pentacle cards – all 14 of them – in Tarot’s Minor Arcana are associated with the earth element, which is associated with the astrological signs of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Eight of Pentacles is associated mostly with the constellation of Taurus, as Taurus is a fixed earth sign and the imagery in the card symbolizes earthly security and stability more than anything else.

The Eight of Pentacles could symbolize a Taurus in your life, but more likely, it symbolizes the state of mind you’re in. It could also symbolize an environment as well, such as your place of work. Your psychic Tarot reader can tell you which is which, based on the other cards in the spread and their intuitive skills.