Eight of Pentacles

A craftsman sits at a bench, hammering a pentacle onto a growing row of finished ones, outside a town. It is a card of apprenticeship and careful, repeated work.

Upright

• craft
• diligence
• skill building
• dedication

A craftsman sits at a bench, hammering a pentacle onto a growing row of finished ones, outside a town. It is a card of apprenticeship and careful, repeated work.

Reversed

• perfectionism
• lack of focus
• uninspired work
• cutting corners

Boredom, or perfectionism that stops anything being finished. Reversed, the card warns of sloppy work.

Not every reader uses reversals. Many treat a reversed card as the same theme, blocked, delayed or turned inward.

Astrology and numerology

In the Golden Dawn scheme that most modern decks follow, each numbered minor card from two to ten is given a planet in a sign. For Eight of Pentacles it is Sun in Virgo. The suit's element, earth, comes from Pentacles.

Its number reduces to 8, which numerology associates with power, authority, material success. See every card that reduces to 8.

Yes or no

In yes or no tarot, Eight of Pentacles counts as a yes when upright, and as a no when reversed. This follows a common convention and not a rule from the deck's makers.

Tarot is a tradition of symbolism. This page says what readers traditionally associate with the card. It does not predict anything and it is not advice.