8 of Disks

When an 8 shows up in a reading, it suggests a plethora of possibilities.  The 8 of Swords and 8 of Cups can signify intellectual and emotional confusion, respectively: the querent feels flush with "maybes" but at a loss for certainty. The 8 of Wands can ignite a veritable Zerg swarm of opportunities and challenges as it heats up the situation like gasoline thrown on a fire.  The 8 of Disks likewise points to excess and bloat. But unlike its brethren, it not only illustrates the issue but also offers ways to deal with it. 

While Crowley called the 8 of Disks "Prudence," he compared it not to caution and modesty -- neither noteworthy strengths for the Great Beast -- but to pruning a plant.  Gardeners trim dead limbs so healthy young ones can grow: they shape an ungainly mass into an eye-pleasing form.  The 8 of Disks appears in overgrown areas of the querent's life.  These are places where a clean-up has been too long put off and the offset maintenance is starting to show. The 8 of Disks is the card which helps you tidy up the place.  And more often than not a quick sprucing-up is all it takes: unless other cards show otherwise, the 8 of Disks points to benign neglect more often than irreparable rot.

Like the other 8s, the 8 of Disks is unassuming:  unlike them it points to a situation where the querent has already begun responding to the issue.  And when it starts moving it can be ruthless in finding a resolution.  8 is connected to Mercury, a planet of cold reason: Mr. Spock and Sherlock Holmes are commonly cited as Mercurial personalities.  This card asks what advances your goals, who is worthy of your love and respect, where should you stay and when should you leave.  That it finds worthy it cherishes and nurtures: all else it casts aside.  It will not be deterred by your lassitude nor will it be swayed by bad emoting.  

This process can be painful. People who have been taking advantage of your good nature will not be happy when you start asserting yourself.  Break-ups hurt even if that relationship was going nowhere: a dead-end job is still a regular paycheck.  The 8 of Disks calls us outside our comfort zones -- and that is, well, uncomfortable.  But it's not generally a harbinger of upheaval or anguish. The changes it calls for are most often relatively minor: the things it casts aside are excess baggage and typically the querent will be most surprised by how little they are missed once gone. Rather than the Tower's cleansing by fire, this is the gentle process of maturation and putting aside childish toys.

Pamela Coleman's illustration for Waite's 8 of Pentacles features "An artist in stone at his work, which he exhibits in the form of trophies."  This card can signify an apprenticeship or internship:  in connection with a query about employment matters it can manifest as a career-changing opportunity wherein the querent will be called to use prior training to the fullest while mastering new skills.  Look to the surrounding cards to find out where and how this will manifest.  Pentacles often involve financial or business matters: they always involve matters of some substance and permanence. This is a quiet card whose impact is soft but enduring.  Played wisely it can bring a lifetime of benefits.