Eight of Pentacles

General

The Eight of Pentacles is a card about hard work and dedication to one’s craft. This is sometimes also a card about mastery, but, to me, this is about apprenticeship before one masters their craft. This card is often about having patience and not settling for less. In traditional tarot, the Eight of Pentacles depicts a man working on his pentacle. This image shows dedication to completing the task at hand and being immersed in one’s work.

Upright

In the upright position, this is a card about hard work and putting in a lot of effort and energy into one’s work. This is usually a neutral card, and can be seen as favourable for any career or financial inquiries. That being said, in love, this card may indicate that both parties are working towards certain relationship goals. It could be that both parties are assessing whether this relationship is the right one for them, and whether it would be worth the effort. In career and finances, this card talks about promotions after a period of dedicated time and effort into one’s job. This is also about developing necessary skills in order to achieve work goals. This card also talks about being financially independent and gaining rewards (i.e. monetary or material rewards).

Reversed

In the reversed position, this can talk about demanding tasks that require even more time and energy. Perhaps the task is more demanding that the querent can handle and this is something that they may not be prepared for. But it could also mean that the querent could be a little rigid, preferring to stick to their way of doing things instead of listening to opinions and insights from others. In love, this could mean that one or both parties are not putting in the effort into love. This could mean that one or both parties are neglecting the relationship, perhaps preferring to invest their time and energy into other responsibilities and commitments. In career and finances, this could talk about having little motivation to get the job done or perhaps not being able to produce good work. This card can also mean that one is overspending and is careless about their finances.