The Eight of Pentacles card is about becoming a master of your craft. When you find the right path that uses your natural gifts, sometimes work feels like play, and you can get lost for hours in your passion.
This card is about becoming a master of your trade, and suggests that you’re working diligently to make that happen. Through your perseverance and determination, you can achieve success.
You might need to seek further training or education to hone your skills, but upright the Eight of Pentacles says don’t give up on your passion because your goals are within your reach.
When you see the Eight of Pentacles reversed, it can mean you’re focusing on your personal development and looking to improve inwardly instead of outwardly in your career, or that you’re working hard to understand yourself and are disciplined in your quest.
You might have sacred rituals that help guide you or personal mantras. Whatever the case, you’re staying strong and you’re determined to become the best version of yourself.
Alternatively, the reversed Eight of Pentacles could be showing you that you’re focusing so much on perfection and on the future that it’s becoming overwhelming. Remember to ask for help when you need it and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Patience will be necessary along this road.
The reversed Eight of Pentacles can also mean you’re working hard on the task at hand, but you’re not seeing the results you want. Maybe you’re not taking advantage of your natural gifts and are trying to force something that doesn’t suit you. It’s also possible that your tasks are highly demanding, and you may need to seek outside help to get them done.
Take a step back to determine if you’re on the right path. You may need to shift your focus to something that comes more naturally, or readjust your timeline, or even bring on additional help.
Reading this reversed card using the “blocked/restricted” meaning
Alright, let’s jump into how to read your reversed Eight of Pentacles card. First, you can use the “blocked/restricted” card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you look for an obstacle standing in front of the card’s upright meaning.
So for the Eight of Pentacles, this means something is blocking your skill and talent. For instance, you might be afraid to develop your gifts or show them to the world.
For example, say you pull the reversed Eight of Pentacles thinking about your passion for music. You play guitar, and you’re naturally gifted.
You’ve been playing all your life and never needed to take lessons or study theory to develop a lot of skill. Even though you often play for friends and family, you rarely perform in public, and you don’t release any of your recordings online.
You’ve been thinking about going back to school, but again, you’re holding back. The problem is that you’re very self-critical, and you’re afraid to put yourself out there or study music more deeply because you might fail.
Here, the reversed Eight of Pentacles tells you that you’ll never become a true master of your craft if you don’t take some risks. Going back to school can elevate you to a whole new level, and playing in public can open a lot of doors.
This card tells you that you’re your own worst critic and that’s the only thing holding you back. Trying new things can be scary, but you can start by taking just one class to get your feet wet.
You might find some friends along the way who can help encourage you to stay the course. When you’re ready, try booking a small gig with mostly friends in the audience. This can help you adjust to playing in public at your own pace and will further sharpen your skills.
Reading this reversed card using the “opposite” meaning
Another way to read your reversed Eight of Pentacles card is using the “opposite” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards this way, you look for the opposite of the card’s upright meaning.
For the Eight of Pentacles, instead of mastery and expertise, you have failure and a lack of ability. You’re not making use of your natural skills, and it’s causing you to struggle.
Say you pull the reversed Eight of Pentacles thinking about your exercise routine. Your sister is an avid runner, so you’ve taken up jogging along with her.
But after two months of daily runs, you’re still struggling daily, and you’re not enjoying yourself. You’ve been feeling very down because you don’t understand what’s wrong. Running comes so naturally to your sister, so why isn’t it working for you?
Here, the reversed Eight of Pentacles tells you that this might not be the best fit. Just because certain routines work for one person doesn’t mean they work for everyone.
There are plenty of other fun and creative ways to get in your cardio that don’t involve running. You can take up hula hooping or try a spin class. It’s very possible that running just doesn’t work for you, and you’ll see better results and have more fun doing something else.
Talk to your sister about how you’re feeling. She’ll probably want to join you in any activity you choose. Getting fit and healthy should be fun, so don’t punish yourself if something doesn’t work out. There are always many options for reaching any goal.
Reading this reversed card using the “worse” meaning
You can also read your reversed Eight of Pentacles card using the “worse” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you take the card’s upright meaning and put it in a negative light.
So for the Eight of Pentacles, this means you have skill and talent, but maybe it’s going to your head or causing you to neglect other things.
For example, say you pull the reversed Eight of Pentacles while thinking about your career. You’re a talented attorney, and a couple of years ago, you opened your own personal injury firm.
You’ve always been passionate about helping others, so this line of work appeals to you. But you live in a big city, and there’s a lot of competition. To keep up with your rivals, you’ve been taking more and more cases, and settling for the first offers that are made instead of fighting for more.
As a result, you’ve been spending less time with the clients themselves, and have started to see them as case numbers rather than people. You’ve even stopped taking your client’s calls directly, so your practice has lost that “personal” touch.
Lately, you’ve been thinking back to how you started and feeling sad that you lost the passion and compassion you once had in your work. Here, the reversed Eight of Pentacles tells you it’s never too late to make a change.
You’re the head of your firm, so you call the shots. If things don’t feel right, you can always shift the company back in line with your values. In your next case, don’t immediately look to settle for the easiest result. Really get to know your clients, and do the work to see if you can get more for your clients if you push harder or go to trial.
You may have fewer “wins” overall, but the ones you get will be bigger and your clients will feel more supported. Don’t give up on your values by focusing only on the bottom line. You’ll regret not sticking to your guns when you look back on your life down the road.
Reading this reversed card using the “no/not” meaning
Finally, you can use the “no/not” card meaning to read your reversed Eight of Pentacles card. When you read your cards this way, you put a “no” or a “not” in front of the card’s upright meaning.
For the Eight of Pentacles, this can mean “no effort” or “not enough practice”. You’re not putting in the work necessary to see progress, or you’re neglecting something important.
Say you pull the reversed Eight of Pentacles while thinking about your marriage. You’ve been married for ten years, and it feels like the spark is gone. At this point, the two of you are more like coworkers and roommates than intimate companions, just running the household and raising the kids together.
As a result, your relationship is suffering, and there’s no passion left in or out of the bedroom. You don’t talk about your dreams or work to understand each other’s feelings anymore. In fact, you haven’t even been out on a date in over a year.
Here, the reversed Eight of Pentacles tells you that you can’t expect your relationship to flourish if you’re not putting in the effort. Take some time to get to know each other again, starting with getting out of the house. Book a reservation at a nice restaurant or set up a romantic picnic, followed by a luxurious hotel.
Don’t forget to get an overnight sitter for the kids because this outing is all about you two. While you’re there, try acting like you did when you were dating. Ask each other about your days and pick each other’s brains about fun and interesting topics.
This will take time, and you might even need counseling to work through it, but it’s definitely worth it. Get ready to feel that spark all over again!