The 8 of Pentacles A tradesman sits on his work bench, clad in red and blue with a black apron. He is hard at work with hammer and chisel engraving golden disks. Six are hung carefully on the wall next to him, he works on the 7th, and one lies on the ground, as though overlooked, or discarded. The sky is cloudless, of indeterminate hue, and we see a city in the distance.
The 8 of Pentacles

Overview and Common Meanings of the 8 of Pentacles

8 of Pentacles symbolizes diligent effort and skillful work.  It depicts a person meticulously crafting pentacles, indicating a focus on honing one’s abilities and striving for mastery.  This card signifies dedication, growth through practice, and a commitment to refining one’s talents.  It suggests a period of focused learning, craftsmanship, and incremental progress toward long-term goals. Some alternate meanings in varying decks are The Apprentice, Dedication, Progress, Inner Order.

Everything we do is practice for something greater than where we currently are. Practice only makes for improvement.

Les Brown

Common Meanings

The 8 of Pentacles can indicate that money is on the way to you, earned through your own diligent and unwavering efforts. 

In finance or career related reading, the 8 of Pentacles assures you that you are conscientious and apply yourself diligently to make sure that a job is done right.  It may be indicative of a course of study may take some time to bring to completion; remember slow and steady wins the race in this instance.  In finance, it can indicate that you must settle for an entry level wage for the time being, but encourages you to stay the course, find satisfaction in a job well done, and trust that the rewards will follow. 

In a relationship or love reading, the 8 of Pentacles highlights determination to stay the course and invest in the commitment to the success of the relationship.  If you are seeking a relationship, 8 of Pentacles can indicate determination to be prepared and find the right partnership that will last. 

The Many Faces of the 8 of Pentacles

The shadow side – or reversal – of the 8 of Pentacles can be a sign of stagnation, and feeling like you are beating your head against a wall and not seeing results (well, other than a headache).  It may be a call to take a step back and assess whether this is a temporary blockage or whether there is a need to be flexible and move on. 

8 of Pentacles can also be indicative of being so focused on one detail that you miss the bigger picture, so it may be a good time to take a step back and try to see the whole forest, rather than just the tree in front of you.  Finally, it can also indicate that you are working away at yourself and focused on becoming the best version of yourself that you can be. 

Description

A tradesman sits on his work bench, clad in red and blue with a black apron.  He is hard at work with hammer and chisel engraving golden disks.  Six are hung carefully on the wall next to him, he works on the 7th, and one lies on the ground, as though overlooked, or discarded.  The sky is cloudless, of indeterminate hue, and we see a city in the distance. 

Themes of The 8 of Pentacles

  • Accomplishment
  • Apprenticeship
  • Attention to detail.  
  • Diligent efforts
  • Education
  • Financial gains
  • Focused learning
  • Mastery

The Number 8

Stability and renewal, inner strength and wisdom and healthy balanced ego.  Fulfillment, the combination of two fours which represent stability.  When combined with Pentacles, the key is hard work and steady focus with controlled forward momentum. 

Elements of the Card and Associated Symbolism

  • Black apron- symbol of trade, practical protection, and color black symbolic protection.
  • Coin on the ground – perhaps discarded – pride in work, can sometimes be to a fault in over-perfectionism.
  • Hammer and chisel – tools of the trade needed to eventually gain mastery
  • Red and Blue clothing – drive and truth of purpose

Herbs for The 8 of Pentacles

  • Gotu Kola – memory, alertness, and mood; may enhance strength and physical functioning.
  • Licorice root – supports adrenals, which helps manage stress.
  • Lions Mane – improve cognitive performance and reduce brain fog.
  • Peppermint – helps memory, energy and focus
  • Rhodiola – memory, concentration, endurance, burnout

Questions that the 8 of Pentacles asks us

  • What skill do I need to learn in order to gain the Mastery I am seeking?
  • Have I lost sight of the real goal in being bogged down with day-to-day minutiae?

That is the 8 of Pentacles:  dedication, focus and hard work leading to mastery.  Wishing you a week in which you keep your eye on the prize!  Thank you for reading, and, as always, please reach out with comments, questions, or to schedule a reading (I can do discord!)  Please join me next week for the 9 of Pentacles!