Eight of Cups Tarot Meaning: Upright and Reversed

What does the Eight of Cups mean upright and reversed? We explore its symbolism, interpretation in love and career, and what it reveals about feelings, faith, and yes/no answers. 

Eight of Cups Tarot Card Keywords Upright and Reverse

• Upright: Escapism, withdrawal, abandonment, contemplation, breaking point.
• Reversed: Aimlessness, detachment, walking away, sense of despair, lack of hope. 

Eight of Cups Description and Symbolism 

This tarot card represents a transitionary period and often occurs when one is experiencing change, but with this change there is a sense of sadness in letting go and saying goodbye, and often one feels alone and unsupported. The picture on this tarot card is of a young man who has turned his back on eight cups, which represent everything that he has accumulated or achieved thus far. He is disappearing into a barren and difficult terrain at night, with only a cloak and a staff in hand. 

The eight cups that he leaves behind represent the joys and sorrows in his past, but he is undertaking a new journey now because of unhappiness, restlessness, or because he feels his job is done and it is time to move on. This card often appears where one is leaving something that is familiar, perhaps a place, a workplace, a relationship, or moving home, in order to start a brand new phase of your life or pursue goals that are slightly more expansive. There is a sense of needing to leave things behind to grow, but there is also some sadness as you embark on this journey. 

Upright Eight of Cups Meaning. 

This represents a period of adjustment where you come to terms with the fact that the things you have in life no longer fulfil and satisfy you. It often signifies that you have grown as a person and it is time to leave behind the things that you are now familiar with in order that you can grow spiritually or even experience career growth. 

No matter what you have achieved and how happy you have been, your circumstances are now holding you back and you need to let them go so that you can find a deeper meaning to life or even get closer to your personal truth. 

In some cases, you might want to escape the rat race and find yourself, or perhaps you want to avoid situations that have become suffocating and no longer support you.

Love Meaning Upright Eight of Cups 

This tarot card depicts a period when you would rather be alone than begin a new relationship. You often want to prioritise your personal goals, growth, or even a healing process. Perhaps you have recently left a relationship and understand that you do not want to get into a new relationship until you have properly grieved from and recovered from the past relationship. 

If you are in a relationship, you may have found that things have become heavy, that you are emotionally exhausted, and that you need time to escape from all the issues surrounding the relationship. This can also mean that you are turning your back on someone in order to start a new life because you understand deep down that the relationship has run its course and can either never be repaired or can no longer fulfill you. 

This card can be a powerful wake-up call that your relationship has become a one-way street and it is time to pull back and walk away. It may be the case that your partner no longer puts in effort, that you carry all the burden emotionally, financially, and with the children, and it is no longer really a partnership; it is simply you accepting all the responsibility. 

Career Meaning Upright Eight of Cups 

This often indicates burnout and frustration. The career or line of work that you are in may have become insufferable. Perhaps you have been waiting a long time for a promotion and you can see now that there are no more opportunities left to exploit where you are, or perhaps you are self-employed and feel you need to start a different venture and leave behind some of the problematic clients, suppliers, or issues that you were dealing with. 

It is very likely that your job is not fulfilling right now. Perhaps you do not like your employer or the work environment and have realised that change is impossible; you simply have to walk away and find something brand new. However, it does not mean everything about the job is bad. There may be some aspects of it that you will miss, but on balance you would be better off walking away. 

In finances, sometimes it is good to cut your losses and sell underperforming assets. 

Health Meaning Upright Eight of Cups 

Once again, this card points to burnout. You need to be aware of situations of work-life balance and stress that have become out of control. You may be emotionally exhausted from dealing with tight deadlines, occupational stress, or even colleagues who constantly burden you with their issues or do not pull their weight.

This may be a cue that it is time to branch out, go into business for yourself, or become self-employed, because being your own boss could ultimately serve your interests better. Overall, rest and escape from the rat race are very important for health. 

Spiritual Meaning Upright Eight of Cups 

This is actually a pertinent card for spiritual matters because it frequently means leaving a job or ceasing to prioritize financial and material goals in order to find yourself, find your purpose, or perhaps to begin a period of study where you will become more enlightened. 

This card encourages you to understand what really makes you tick and to get in touch with your core purpose. It also wants you to acknowledge the negative attachments you have. We all find comfort when we are in a routine, but sometimes the routines that make us comfortable are very destructive. Often we need to acknowledge that while we may feel secure, we are stagnating, and that the very things that make us secure are holding us back, suffocating us, and it is time to have the courage to say enough is enough and walk away. 

This is a card of seeking spiritual enlightenment, discovering the courage to walk away, and learning to get by with less material things so you can experience greater spiritual abundance. 

Feelings or Actions Related to the Upright Eight of Cups 

They say that you do feel your chains until you move. This is a time to start moving, start pushing boundaries, and finding out where those chains are. What chains you to the past? Why do you not pursue the things that would make you truly happy? What in your life has become unbearable? This is a time of saying, “I have had enough.” As the Craig David song goes, “I’m walking away from the troubles in my life.” This card signals a time when you need to cut your losses, understand that you should no longer be flogging a dead horse, and walk away from situations that are no longer conducive to your health, have served their purpose, and need to be let go. 

Reversed Eight of Cups Meaning 

The reversed tarot card means you feel torn. A part of you desperately wants things to change, but another part of you is scared of change. So there is often confusion in the short run about what the best options are. However, it is still important to start exploring new horizons.

Overall, you have to acknowledge that you are ready for change, and it is just a case of building up the courage and finding how to address your need for change in a way that can minimise disruption. This is a time of acknowledging where your life just is not working. It is important to see relationships in perspective, as well as your career, and to start thinking about how you can live a life that is more rewarding and where your efforts are better for your own development.

Reversed Eight of Cups Love Meaning 

This suggests that either a new or current relationship is simply not working, and you either need to walk away permanently or have a trial separation so that you can reboot. This card warns against doubling down. You cannot really make things better right now by putting in more effort; no matter how hard you try, you cannot move the dial. Ultimately, the only thing you can do is get away from the situation, recharge emotionally, and perhaps over a period of time you will be able to return to it with a fresh set of eyes. 

If you are in the dating game and not meeting someone suitable, this is definitely a time to give dating a break. This card represents working on yourself and becoming more happy with you, and doing things that truly fulfil you, rather than trying to be fulfilled as a couple. 

Career Meaning Reversed Eight of Cups 

This reversed card indicates that you should be in a state of readiness. Do not wait until the crisis hits. You are starting to see the writing on the wall and it is likely that you are seeing indications that things are not working, either with your current career strategy, your business plan, or the employment you are in. So rather than waiting for things to reach crisis point, start mitigating now. This also says, do not flog a dead horse, if a project shows no signs of improvement, cut it out. 

Health Meaning Reversed Eight of Cups 

Eight of Cups reversed can indicate social anxiety. You may feel on the edges: perhaps you are not fitting in, or you cannot seem to make friends in your current workplace or town. This suggests that you should be content in your own company and you should not compromise yourself just to fit in with others. Sometimes the most influential people are the ones who are not afraid of being different and who are the first to leave and walk away rather than succumbing to peer pressure. That is the lesson right now. Do not be scared to be an individual, it is better for you, better for your health, and better for your mental health than worrying constantly about fitting in. 

Spiritual Meaning Reversed Eight of Cups 

Spiritually, it may be beneficial for you to drift between different options. It is vital not to tie yourself down to any specific arrangements. Do not make a commitment. Do not sign up for a new job. It is quite okay for you to encounter a period of limbo. In fact, what is best for you spiritually right now is to sit on the fence, remain undecided, simply enjoy the feeling of having space to explore and drift, waiting for a direction to be revealed. 

Feelings or Actions Related to the Reversed Eight of Cups 

This position encourages you to acknowledge where you feel stuck and unfulfilled, or where a situation has gotten away from you. It may be the case that you and a partner have drifted so far apart that it is impossible to reconcile a relationship. It may be that a job is just untenable. However, this card encourages you to take your time over the next phase. You should not jump from the frying pan into the fire. You should rather experience a time-out where you can simply relax, assess, and understand the problems that you need to get away from, and where in fact you would be happier emotionally, physically, or spiritually. 

Past, Present and Future Positions for Eight of Cups

Past

This suggests a recent experience when you made a difficult but necessary decision to walk away. Although the situation may not have been a complete failure, you sensed that it no longer fulfilled you on a deeper level. There was likely sadness, uncertainty, or loneliness attached to this choice, yet it marked an important stage of emotional maturity. 

Present

You may currently feel emotionally drained, restless, or unfulfilled, sensing that something in your life has reached its limit. There is a strong awareness that remaining where you are would mean stagnation. Even if you have not physically walked away yet, emotionally you are already detaching. 

Future

You will soon find yourself at a crossroads and even if it requires temporary solitude or uncertainty, this card promises that walking away will not be in vain; it clears the path for deeper fulfilment and a life that aligns more closely with your emotional and spiritual needs. 

Eight of Cups — YES or NO Answers 

Upright: NO 

This card signals withdrawal, emotional detachment, and the need to walk away rather than continue investing energy. It suggests that the situation no longer aligns with your emotional or spiritual needs, even if it once did. A “yes” at this point would likely lead to dissatisfaction or emotional exhaustion. 

Reversed: MAYBE / TILTING to YES 

This position indicates hesitation, emotional confusion, or fear of change. You may be tempted to stay because of familiarity, attachment, or unfinished emotional business. A yes is possible only if deeper issues are addressed and avoidance patterns are broken.

Advice and Message of the Eight of Cups 

The bottom line with this tarot card is that you need change, and you will now be walking away from things that were familiar. It does not necessarily mean that you are walking away from something that is a complete failure or a disaster. In many cases, what you are walking away from was once great and brought you happiness, or perhaps was very successful, but that is no longer the case. 

The message with this card is to quit while you are on top. Know that everything in life has a time and a place. Things run their course, and it is very important not to cling on. Know when you need fresh pastures and fresh growth. You may need to walk away from a job, a relationship, or a geographical location, but it really is time to start a fresh phase in your life. 

Summary 

The Eight of Cups is a powerful card with a positive message, and that is that there comes a time when we all need change and to start afresh, and this can be very exciting. This card, however, indicates a period where you simply drift, contemplate, and have a period of loneliness while you decide the next course of action. 

It is not a particularly decisive or energetic card. It is more a card of calm acceptance of where you need to go. There should be gratitude for the lessons learned on your previous path, but there should not be a reluctance to make change. There should be acceptance of the need to change. 

As the saying goes, the one constant in life is change, and that is the message of this card. It is time to move on, onwards, and upwards.