The Eight of Pentacles
Symbolism
Here is a simple image of a labourer sitting on a bench, carefully crafting eight pentacles by hand. This is a physical work, but one where he feels dedicated and enthusiastic.
He has six Pentacles on display, one on the floor and one he is working on. His work represents us doing what we are good at and what we feel passionate about. He represents the part of us that feels the worth of achieving something of material value.
There is a town in the background, but his focus is completely on his task. His work is the most important thing.
Keywords
Upright: Hard work, perseverance, action, dedication, efficiency, mastery, perfectionism, ambition, focus, self-confidence, skilful.
Reversed: Overworked, uninspired, burned-out, procrastination, boredom, failure, dull, under-achiever, poor work, over-meticulous.
Upright meaning
This card comes around to bring our attention to what we feel is our life work. Our life work doesn’t feel like work, and we would choose to do it whether we were paid or not. The wealth received here is more than a material one, but also a deep-seated satisfaction, as we hone our skills and share our craft.
There is a message of efficiency in this card. It comes from the alignment of heart mind and body. There is no doubt about the work, or our capabilities, and our minds are on board with what we are doing. There is a passion and a flow in his work which comes from the positive vibrations he feels towards this work. When we chose a work aligned with heart and stay focussed and dedicated to it, thriving becomes the result.
The dedication to our work comes with finding purpose and acting on it. This means we will be called to learn our craft and become more adept with time. Finding mentors is part of this process, because we are in for the long haul. Our success will mirror our dedication, and mastering our work will bring rewards on many levels.
Reversed meaning
There are different ways this shadow eight can be seen. One way is where we have lost the passion for our work. What once fulfilled us no longer does, and we experience boredom, monotony, and maybe stagnancy. What tickles us in life is going to be an evolving self-expression, and constant inner checking-in is necessary to stay attuned to our hearts.
If we are afraid of changing our work, and we deny our need to shift, there will be an inner conflict. Our bodies may even be shouting at us for changes that our mind does not want to embrace. This conflict can be seen mirrored in work relationships, in our efficiency, and professionalism. Self-awareness and assessment are key practices to rekindle our passion.
Overstressing in our work environment is another theme related to this reversal. When our identity is so based around our work, and when we don’t have great work boundaries, we may be consumed by our job and lose touch with our bodies. This will result in work obsession, and our self-worth being limited to one occupation to the point of feeling fear of change. Here, we have forgotten the joy our work used to bring us.
Watch also for the ego becoming too superior with work successes. When we unconsciously use our material skills to feel more important and better than others, our pride will often lead to a fall. And be sure that any outer physical work that we do doesn’t negate time for our inner work of personal growth. We can find time for both.