The 8 of Wands is a bit like the gas pedal in the Tarot deck. Sometimes it is a signal of a need to stay focused and speed up. At other times, it indicates a need to ease off and slow down. Before we dive deep into the energy of this card, let’s take a look at some of the common card meanings.
Positive Tarot Card Meanings for the 8 of Wands
- Swift movement: The 8 of Wands represents fast-paced progress and swift movement towards your goals. It signifies quick action and the ability to make things happen efficiently.
- Communication: This card indicates clear and effective communication. It encourages you to express your thoughts and ideas openly, as they can lead to positive outcomes and new opportunities.
- Expansion and growth: The 8 of Wands signifies expansion in various areas of your life. It suggests that you are entering a period of growth, where new experiences, knowledge, and possibilities unfold before you.
Negative Tarot Card Meanings for the 8 of Wands
- Overwhelm: The fast-paced energy of the 8 of Wands can sometimes lead to overwhelm or a feeling of being scattered. It may be a sign that you need to slow down to avoid becoming overwhelmed by too many responsibilities or commitments.
- Hasty decisions: This card warns against making impulsive decisions without considering the consequences fully. It reminds you to be mindful of your actions and think through your choices before taking decisive action.
- Miscommunication: While the 8 of Wands emphasises the importance of communication, it also reminds you to be cautious of miscommunication. Rapid exchanges can lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations, so it’s vital to express yourself clearly and listen attentively to others.
Remember, the interpretation of tarot cards can vary depending on the context of the reading and the surrounding cards. Trust your intuition and consider the overall context to gain deeper insights into the specific meanings of the 8 of Wands.
Feeling into the Energy of the 8 of Wands
The 8 of Wands (Mercury in Sagittarius) is one of the cards that depend very much on surrounding cards for meaningful context. However, as your card of the day, it usually asks you to focus and pay attention to your speed limit.
Those speed limits could be internal and dependent on your current energy reserve or they could be external and arrive in the form of communication that you must act on quickly. This card also asks you to pay attention to how your speed affects those around you.
The 8 of Wands reminds us that great speed with a lack of forethought and preparation often ends in disaster. Only once we are able to focus and have a precise aim are we to act swiftly.
While the 7 of Wands encourages us to stand up for what we believe in, the 8 of Wands urges us to speak, write or sing our truth. But it also encourages us to really think before we communicate. It reminds us that a runaway word can be a spark that sets a field on fire. And that’s all well and good if that is what you intended.
“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.”
― Lewis Carroll
The Astrology of the 8 of Wands
Mercury, the fastest-moving Planet after the Moon (technically not a planet but counted as such for occult purposes), is here in the fastest-moving Zodiac sign, Sagittarius (Mutable Fire). Mercury rules the mind and Sagittarius is a sign of mind expansion, optimism, higher learning, philosophy, teaching and distant travel.
The energy of Mercury in Sagittarius brings wonderful opportunities for expansion in all areas of our lives if we are willing to act and communicate our intentions.
“People forget how fast you did a job – but they remember how well you did it”
― Howard Newton
Affirmation: “I am focused and prepared to leap at the opportunities that will speed me along the path of manifesting my dreams.”
8 of Wands Prayer
Dear Mother-Father God, help me be clear about my priorities, focused and prepared for swift action. Amen and so it is!
Correspondences for the 8 of Wands
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Archangel: Michael
Gemstone: Fluorite, Lapis lazuli, Blue apatite
Scent: Peppermint, lemon, rosemary
The 8 of Wands in Love and Relationship Readings
This is the swiftest moving energy out of all the 8s and perhaps the fastest card in the entire deck. Not only does it move swiftly but with great power.
Things are about to change even though you may not be aware of how quite yet. Many opportunities lie before you and you could have a choice of partners. There is an urgent need to communicate your wants and needs to take the relationship in the desired direction.
Usually, there is great optimism associated with this card. However, if ill-dignified or reversed it may mean misunderstanding and/or ill will or jealousy coming your way. Stagnant relationship energy could be killing your creativity.
To a single person, depending on surrounding cards in the reading, this could very well mean that they will soon have a passionate encounter or that there will be some unexpected developments around someone they have just met. A proposal they can’t resist might come their way. The key is to act quickly or the opportunity might be missed.
In an existing relationship, there are often passionate emotions flying about – sometimes accompanied by an inability to express them in a constructive manner. If this card is the main card in a relationship reading, it could mean that the sexual chemistry is sizzling and/or that things are progressing at breakneck speed. There may be a need to slow down and communicate properly to ensure that you are aiming in the same direction.
Take me to the Angelic Tarot Card Meanings Index
