The Eight of Pentacles represents productivity, practice, diligence, skill, enjoyable work, keeping busy, fixing or repairing and improvement. You may be involved in training or education of some kind in order to acquire skill sets that will help your work, or you may be overwhelmed with jobs and projects that stimulate, nourish and interest you. Here we see some one who is working for the sake of the work, not for the sake of his paycheck. Quality work cannot be made by some one who is not personally invested in it. You cannot create something worthwhile in a field or job that you despise. This card is an image of the “flow” state which many artists attest to, when everything seems to fall into place as though guided by a higher force, and we are capable of getting an enormous amount done without feeling like we are working hard at all. Everything is in alignment, and one is able to channel the full force of his focus and concentration into the completion of the task at hand. This card may be advising a hint of perfectionism— make sure to review each facet of your work in turn, and do not stop refining until it is exactly as you want it to be. You have tremendous power available to you to create what you want to see, especially when what you are creating is personally meaningful to you.

The card may indicate self-improvement, if not literal external work. The man is seen refining, correcting, practicing and reflecting upon the Pentacles, in exactly the same way that we must refine, correct and reflect upon ourselves, and practice new behaviors and patterns of thinking. The laborer on the Eight of Pentacles takes his time with each in turn, just as one must observe his own needs, habits and activities, taking stock of how much they are helping or harming him in his creative, spiritual or emotional development, and then make the necessary adjustments.

In whatever realm of life this card may pertain to for you personally, the answer is clear: put your nose to the grindstone, accept no imperfection and enjoy the sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from giving anything your 100%.

Astrological Association:

The Eight of Pentacles is connected to Mercury in the third house, as a symbol of diligence.

Card meanings upright:

The Eight of Pentacles card represents craftsmanship in your work life. You may be an apprentice or working on learning a new skill or trade that you care deeply about. You likely get absorbed in your work, and produce high quality results with minimal supervision.

Card meanings reversed:

When the Eight of Pentacles card is reversed, it may represent a lack of people skills, self-obsession, or arguments that occur for the sake of arguing in your life. You may have issues with resentment or struggle with a fear of failure. You may desire to learn something new, but fear change or believe you are too old or ignorant to pursue learning new things.

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Work

The Eight of Pentacles card may indicate that you will soon be hired for a demanding job that tests your skills. You are capable of meeting these demands if you have faith in yourself. If you are already employed, you may receive new tasks or responsibilities that you can accomplish successfully, even if they challenge you. Do not be afraid to ask for help prioritizing during this time.

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Love

The Eight of Pentacles card can indicate that workloads may begin to interfere with your romantic relationships. If you are committed, you may need to focus on making your relationship a priority to keep it alive. If you are looking for love, you may be too focused on money or your career to make enough space in your life for love. You may need to reconsider your priorities, and change your focus a bit if you want love to fit into your life.

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Finances

The Eight of Pentacles card may represent the arrival of financial assistance you’ve been waiting or hoping for in your life. You will likely need to think long-term and be cautious in how you spend so your money is not squandered. Now is not a good time for gambling, as your finances are more likely to improve through hard work rather than luck.

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Spirituality

The Eight of Pentacles card represents a need for balancing your spiritual and work lives by focusing on growth and happiness. You may benefit from reading about spiritual beliefs and talking openly with others who have belief systems that differ from your own.

The Gilded Tarot Deck by Ciro Marchetti © 2004 Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125.  All rights reserved, used by permission.