Twinn Swan

The Eight of Cups usually, but not always, represents renunciation, and in more severe cases, complete abandonment. In the rare cases where it does not foretell abandonment, it represents that one may later be forced to return to someone or someplace they once chose to abandon.

Complete abandonment is not a course of action that is recommended when the 8 of Cups appears. Rather, the advise is to step back or go away for a while and return in the future once conditions improve. This time away is not only necessary, it is required. Sometimes, all we need is a little time away.

Regardless of the specific scenario you’re referring to, the keywords associated with the 8 of Cups include: escapism, sabbatical, travel and even immigration. We are going somewhere with the hopes that we might one day return to where we started yet again. The 8 of Cups represents a point of departure with a possibility of return.

WALKING AWAY

Most people underestimate how much courage it actually takes to walk away. It is not easy to leave all that you know behind with the hope that life will be better elsewhere. The 8 of Cups is a strong indicator that one has already experienced disappointment or things not working out. Due to this, they decided to completely walk away in order to leave a bad situation behind.

The consequence of the decision to leave will, most likely, result in a period of loneliness. This isolation will be self-imposed–and if it goes on for longer than it should–it will be later become extremely difficult to stop being a loner. If you have found yourself isolated from your friends and family, try to reconnect with them even if it is only on a superficial level.

Do not, under any circumstances, jump ship completely. If you decide to move away from home, you should still call every week. If you choose to move to another country, you should still make the effort to visit now and then. The overall idea is that we need some distance.

Whenever I see the 8 of Cups card, the advise is to leave. Not leaving your current circumstances or not taking the small steps to leave will lead to severe stagnation (see 4 of Cups). When the 8 of Cups appears, be mindful not to simply accept your lot in life. Do not stay in a situation where you are unhappy either because of the status quo or because you are afraid to move on. You are only resisting change because of your conditioning or due to social pressure.

If, on the other hand, you have a track record of running away from situations or abandoning others, the 8 of Cups is an indicator that one will be forced to return after a long hiatus. When you return, you may choose to leave yet again for what led you to leave the first time around will still lead you to leave the second time around. When you return, you will fully realise why you left the first time around. Arrivals and departures are two strong themes that come up when the 8 of Cups shows up. The best way to balance this energy is to keep in touch even when one is gone.

Since the 8 of Cups is a Minor Arcana card, the decision you make to leave will most likely be a reversible one. If you decide to come back, the door will still be open. This is not a final departure. If you’ve decided to leave something or even someone behind–especially if you had a good and valid reason to do so–do it in such a way that you will be able to revisit in the future. At the same time, do not allow yourself to be guilted into falling back into old patterns and outdated status quos.

Sometimes, we do decide to permanently walk away because the situation was seriously toxic. However, do remember that people and places can, indeed, change. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. In situations where people have, indeed, changed for the better, you may want to forgive, bury the hatchet and even reconcile. In the event that things have taken a turn for the worse, know that you will still have to come back and visit, no matter how terrible it all makes you feel.

When the 8 of Cups appears, it is a reminder that it is better to honour the past than attempt to erase it.

STAYING PUT

When the Eight of Cups appears, it can indicate that someone you met while they were travelling or working overseas has decided to return home. This will sadden you, of course, but understand that their time had come. Sometimes a departure is also an arrival. You never know who will come to fill the shoes of someone who has departed from your life.

A lot of tarot readers have drawn parallels between The Hermit and the 8 of Cups, but I feel that this is too much of a stretch. While renunciation is a theme that comes up with both cards, the 8 of Cups represents that we will, given time, be able to make a comeback. It is a not a definitive and irreversible departure, but rather, a temporary or even a circumstantial one. It is not ‘The End’, but rather a, ‘To be Continued…”

Sometimes, we have no choice but to leave a situation because something had become too hard for us to handle. If you are feeling the need to move away from a situation altogether–be it a job, a relationship, a friendship, a community etc–it is most likely that what was once a source of joy for you has now morphed into something that is either extremely stagnant or is inspiring excruciating bitterness within you. It is better to walk away than to hang on. Things may not improve.

The 8 of Cups can also indicate the presence of someone who refuses to leave. I have known a lot of people who will not leave a toxic situation, even when a perfectly viable opportunity presents itself. They are waiting for the perfect opportunity and will find fault with every offering they are given. Their worldview has become extremely pessimistic and it is unlikely that they will ever choose to leave for they have accepted things as they are. They have no intention of leaving, let alone coming up with an exit strategy. If this sounds like you or someone that you know, choosing to leave that person permanently may well be the only option for you. Like I mentioned earlier, complete abandonment is necessary, especially in certain rare cases.

FINANCES

When it comes to money, the 8 of Cups comes to remind us that money isn’t everything and sometimes we need to do something where the financial rewards are not there so that we can grow mentally and emotionally. This could mean temporarily returning to school or taking time out for your studies.

This may be scary, especially for older, experienced and more mature learners. However, this is exactly ‘the renunciation’ that is required at the time. You will find that you perhaps will finally be given the opportunity to study something that you truly wanted and for some reason had to give up midway. The 8 of Cups can appear to encourage the querent to pursue something that they once gave up on.

One major reason why many people refuse to leave is due to the financial security their current situation offers. If you harbour insecurity or fears of not finding something or someone better after you leave, these fears may well turn out to be completely unfounded.

Perhaps for a period you may not be able to live as luxuriously as you once did, but minimalism has its own gifts to offer you. You may even finally realise that a luxurious lifestyle is a hedonistic one. Once you have adjusted to minimalism, luxurious living may no longer appeal to your temperament and sensibilities. Sometimes less is, indeed, more. How much does one person need, anyway?

It’s perfectly valid to be scared of the unknown. At the same time, however, it is also true that many situations require us to be bold and take risks. This is, in many situations, the only way to grow. If you have been in a financial place where it seems as if whatever you are earning or have earned is not equivalent to the amount of effort you have been putting in, perhaps it is time to take a long hard look at your expenses instead of your income. The best option may well be to let go of certain expenditures.

I’ve noticed that the 8 of Cups can show up when someone has a bad habit or a vice that is excruciatingly expensive. Do you smoke, drink or gamble? How much money of yours has gone down the drain due to these sorts of expenses? When the 8 of Cups appears, the financial advise is to reduce your expenses as much as you can even before trying to increase your income. Once you realise that you don’t need as much money as you thought you did, you will naturally begin to feel more secure about yourself and your circumstances.

When the 8 of Cups appears, it reminds you that whatever you left behind will most likely still be there when you get back. It is the card of a departure with the likelihood of a big comeback.