Element: Water
Suit of Cups
Eight of Cups Meaning
A cloaked figure walks away from eight neatly arranged cups in the foreground, ascending into dark rocky mountains beneath a moon-and-sun sky. Something is being left behind, deliberately. The Eight of Cups speaks of walking away, of choosing depth over surface, of abandoning what no longer feeds the soul in search of something truer.
↑ Upright
↓ Reversed
Quick Meaning
What does Eight of Cups mean?
Eight of Cups represents a cloaked figure walks away from eight neatly arranged cups in the foreground, ascending into dark rocky mountains beneath a moon-and-sun sky. Something is being left behind, deliberately. The Eight of Cups speaks of walking away, of choosing depth over surface, of abandoning what no longer feeds the soul in search of something truer.
Upright meaning
Abandonment, Abandoning plans, Walking away, Letting go
Reversed meaning
Fear of moving on, Stagnation, Monotony, Accepting your lot
Love
The Eight of Cups is not a great omen in a love or relationship Tarot spread.
Career and money
In a career context, the Eight of Cups can indicate that you may walk away from a job that you no longer find fulfilling.
Spiritual lesson
In a spiritual context, the Eight of Cups indicates that you may be taking a voyage of self-discovery.
Eight of Cups as Advice, Feelings, and a Yes or No
Yes or No
In a yes or no tarot reading, Eight of Cups is best read through its condition. Upright, it points toward Abandonment, Abandoning plans, Walking away, Letting go. Reversed, it suggests Fear of moving on, Stagnation, Monotony, Accepting your lot. The answer depends on whether the situation is moving with the upright lesson or stuck in the reversed pattern.
As Advice
As advice, Eight of Cups asks you to work with the card's main lesson rather than react from fear. Start with the upright meaning: In a general context, the Eight of Cups represents abandonment.
As Feelings
As feelings, Eight of Cups can describe someone experiencing the card's emotional tone. In love readings, its upright energy is: The Eight of Cups is not a great omen in a love or relationship Tarot spread.
Reversed Advice
Reversed, Eight of Cups points to what may be blocked, avoided, or expressed in a harder way. Use the reversed meaning as a prompt to slow down and address Fear of moving on, Stagnation, Monotony, Accepting your lot.
Upright Eight of Cups Meaning
In a general context, the Eight of Cups represents abandonment. It can signify walking away from people or situations in your life or abandoning your plans. It can indicate disappointment, escapism and turning your back on or leaving bad situation. The Eight of Cups can also represent the exhaustion or weariness that can prompt such a decision. Strength and courage are necessary to walk away from what you know into an unknown future and these qualities are also represented in the Eight of Cups. It is a Minor Arcana card representing travel so you could find yourself embarking on an adventure when this card appears in your Tarot reading. The Eight of Cups can signify loneliness, introspection, self-analysis and looking for the truth.
Love & Relationships
Upright
The Eight of Cups is not a great omen in a love or relationship Tarot spread. It represents abandonment or abandonment issues. If you are in a relationship, it can signify either you or your partner walking away from the relationship. It can represent leaving a bad relationship. You may be so weary from the relationship that you feel you have no other option but to let it go. This Tarot card can also be an indication that abandonment issues may cause arguments in your relationship. If you are single, the Eight of Cups can indicate loneliness or being weary of getting into a new relationship. It can also be a sign that abandonment issues, perhaps due to a bad past relationship or abandonment by a parent, are preventing you from believing in love or trusting people you are in relationships with, look to supporting cards to confirm this.
Money & Career
Upright
In a career context, the Eight of Cups can indicate that you may walk away from a job that you no longer find fulfilling. You may be feeling like you are not on the correct career path and may be considering a complete career change. If you are in business, you may find yourself walking away from a business that is no longer viable or searching for new innovations or ideas to make your business competitive. The Eight of Cups can also simply indicate travelling in relation to work. In a financial context, the Eight of Cups warns to make prudent financial plans and to be smart with your money. Be sure you are aware of what’s going on with your money and if you are not happy with your financial advisers don’t be afraid to let them go and hire someone you trust. In some cases the Eight of Cups can indicate a financial loss, look to supporting cards for confirmation.
Health
Upright
In a health context, the Eight of Cups indicates that you may be spending too much time dwelling on the negative things in your life which could be having a negative impact on your health. Try to shift your focus as a positive outlook may help your health improve. A holiday might do you the world of good and give you a much needed boost.
Spirituality
Upright
In a spiritual context, the Eight of Cups indicates that you may be taking a voyage of self-discovery. You could find yourself doing a lot of soul-searching and introspection when this Minor Arcana card appears in your Tarot spread. You could find yourself abandoning old spiritual beliefs in your search for your own spiritual path.
Reversed Eight of Cups Meaning
In a general context, the Eight of Cups reversed can indicate stagnation. When it appears you may be accepting your lot in life or staying in bad situation that makes you terribly unhappy because you are afraid of moving on or worried about what the future might hold if you leave. You may appear happy to those around you but underneath it all you know you need to get let go of certain people or situations in your life in order to move forward. You are resisting this change because you are paralysed by fear. It can also be a sign of running away from situations, not because they are bad but because you are afraid to take a chance and be vulnerable. This Minor Arcana card in a reversed position can show a lack of emotional maturity and can also be an indicator of low self-esteem or low self-worth. It can also represent returning home after a long period of travelling or living abroad.
Love & Relationships
Reversed
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship, the Eight of Cups reversed can indicate that you may be unhappy in your relationship but unwilling to let it go for fear of being alone. You may be doing a great job of appearing to the outside world to be happy in your relationship while on the inside things have become monotonous and stagnant. It can also indicate fear of commitment or lack of emotional maturity causing problems in a relationship. If appearing in relation to a divorce or separation, the Eight of Cups reversed shows things being handled badly for example: a father or a mother abandoning the family or a divorce turning nasty. If you are single, the Eight of Cups Tarot card in a reversed position can indicate that may be putting off potential partners by being too clingy. It can also indicate that you accept bad treatment from partners due to low self-esteem or self-worth. Alternately, you may be running from relationships as soon as they get serious as you fear commitment. Whatever the issues are, you will need to work on them in order to have a healthy relationship in the future. Once you resolve your own issues with relationships and raise your self-worth you will attract the right partner to you.
Money & Career
Reversed
In a career context, the Eight of Cups reversed indicates that your career may have become stagnant and unfulfilling to you but you are sticking with it because you are afraid to change. You may have not explored all the options available to you, instead choosing to accept your lot in life. When this card appears you need to be embrace change. If your career is unfulfilling to you, the only person who can change that is you, even if that means making a total change in career path. Be brave and go for what you want. Even if you don’t get everything you want, you will at the very least know that you tried. If you are self-employed, the Eight of Cups reversed can indicate that you may be holding onto a business that is no longer profitable for fear of letting it go. Similarly, in a financial context, it can signify clinging to a job or business that you should be walking away from because you are afraid losing the financial security it gives you.
Health
Reversed
In a health context, the Eight of Cups reversed can be an indicator that you are keeping yourself in a situation that is having a negative impact on your health. You need to evaluate what is impacting your health and what you can do to improve things. You have the power to improve your health, whether that means changing your diet, taking up exercise or letting go of the things in your life that are causing you undue stress.
Spirituality
Reversed
In a spiritual context, when the Eight of Cups reversed appears in a Tarot reading, it indicates that you may be lacking in self-awareness or your spiritual growth may be stunted at the moment. You may need to do some soul-searching to connect with your spiritual self and discover your true life path. If you find yourself drifting through life without any direction, a connection to spirit might help you see your path more clearly and give you the strength and courage to leave behind that which no longer serves you. Don’t be afraid! Spirit is always there lovingly guiding us to fulfil our destinies, all we have to do is listen.
Eight of Cups Tarot Card Combinations
Eight of Cups and Ace of Cups
Together, Eight of Cups and Ace of Cups blend the lesson of eight of cups with the energy of ace of cups. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and a divine hand extends from a cloud offering a golden chalice overflowing with five streams of water.
Eight of Cups and Two of Cups
Together, Eight of Cups and Two of Cups blend the lesson of eight of cups with the energy of two of cups. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and a man and woman face each other, each holding a cup, while the caduceus of hermes and a winged lion head float above them — symbols of healing and...
Eight of Cups and Three of Cups
Together, Eight of Cups and Three of Cups blend the lesson of eight of cups with the energy of three of cups. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and three women dance and celebrate in a garden, raising their cups in joy and friendship.
Common Questions
What does the Eight of Cups tarot card mean?
In a general context, the Eight of Cups represents abandonment. It can signify walking away from people or situations in your life or abandoning your plans. It can indicate disappointment, escapism and turning your back on or leaving bad situation. The Eight of Cups can also represent the exhaustion or weariness that can prompt such a decision. Strength and courage are necessary to walk away from what you know into an unknown future and these qualities are also represented in the Eight of Cups. It is a Minor Arcana card representing travel so you could find yourself embarking on an adventure when this card appears in your Tarot reading. The Eight of Cups can signify loneliness, introspection, self-analysis and looking for the truth.
What does the Eight of Cups reversed mean?
In a general context, the Eight of Cups reversed can indicate stagnation. When it appears you may be accepting your lot in life or staying in bad situation that makes you terribly unhappy because you are afraid of moving on or worried about what the future might hold if you leave. You may appear happy to those around you but underneath it all you know you need to get let go of certain people or situations in your life in order to move forward. You are resisting this change because you are paralysed by fear. It can also be a sign of running away from situations, not because they are bad but because you are afraid to take a chance and be vulnerable. This Minor Arcana card in a reversed position can show a lack of emotional maturity and can also be an indicator of low self-esteem or low self-worth. It can also represent returning home after a long period of travelling or living abroad.
What does the Eight of Cups mean in love?
The Eight of Cups is not a great omen in a love or relationship Tarot spread. It represents abandonment or abandonment issues. If you are in a relationship, it can signify either you or your partner walking away from the relationship. It can represent leaving a bad relationship. You may be so weary from the relationship that you feel you have no other option but to let it go. This Tarot card can also be an indication that abandonment issues may cause arguments in your relationship. If you are single, the Eight of Cups can indicate loneliness or being weary of getting into a new relationship. It can also be a sign that abandonment issues, perhaps due to a bad past relationship or abandonment by a parent, are preventing you from believing in love or trusting people you are in relationships with, look to supporting cards to confirm this.
What does the Eight of Cups mean for career and money?
In a career context, the Eight of Cups can indicate that you may walk away from a job that you no longer find fulfilling. You may be feeling like you are not on the correct career path and may be considering a complete career change. If you are in business, you may find yourself walking away from a business that is no longer viable or searching for new innovations or ideas to make your business competitive. The Eight of Cups can also simply indicate travelling in relation to work. In a financial context, the Eight of Cups warns to make prudent financial plans and to be smart with your money. Be sure you are aware of what’s going on with your money and if you are not happy with your financial advisers don’t be afraid to let them go and hire someone you trust. In some cases the Eight of Cups can indicate a financial loss, look to supporting cards for confirmation.
Is the Eight of Cups a yes or no card?
The Eight of Cups is best read by context in yes or no questions. Upright, it points toward Abandonment, Abandoning plans, Walking away, Letting go. Reversed, it suggests Fear of moving on, Stagnation, Monotony, Accepting your lot.
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