TAROTEight of Wands
Upright
Passion and the will suddenly manifesting to produce rapid change.
The burst of energy that produces a fast and positive change, ending, or solution.
Travel and moving forward in life.
Intuition
The Image shows a Coronis, which literally means ‘head with hair’ and refers to what we now call a comet.
A comet is of course one of the fastest moving bodies in the sky and completely synonymous with the motion suggested in this card, as well as being an ancient messenger of rapid change.
Reversed
Lack of progress through external obstacles, resisting changes, or moving forward at speed in the wrong direction.
Being prevented from moving forward.
Moving forward rapidly without proper planning or thought.
Being locked in a situation with no room for movement.
Astrologia
An open mind that sees the bigger picture, often inspirational. Fits in well with many social groups through a natural curiosity and ability to learn. Can miss the fine details through impatience.
Eight of Wands
After the more assertive signs of Aries and Leo, we move to the Eight of Wands with the softer and more playful placement of Mercury in Sagittarius. This denotes travel and the mind: specifically exploring, learning, and thinking.
Rather than Fire as will and emotion, the Fire now represents passion that drives ideas, inspiration, and thoughts into a state where they can change the physical world. Such a transformation always leads to the fastest progress and the most rapid change.
This card predicts rapid advancement and decision-making. Anything in progress or left hanging will reach resolution quickly, making this a good card in career and relationships.
Ideas and thoughts require a fertile mind and environment, with the world full of color and in bloom. In previous cards, we saw the occasional staff or spear with a touch of green, but here, they are literally bursting with life.
The fastest phenomena the ancients observed were the stellar objects in the sky, and one of the swiftest was the comet.
The Coronides
The Coronides were two nymph sisters (Menippê and Metioche) who were transformed into comets by the gods. The sisters willingly sacrificed themselves to save their lands from a plague. The gods, specifically Persephone and Hades, took pity on them and transformed them into comets.
In antiquity, comets represented a sudden and worrying change in the normal order of the sky, viewed as bad omens and bringers of calamity. In more recent eras, astrology and many occult teachings see comets as amoral messengers of the gods and heralds of powerful new energy, bringing new beginnings or significant change. This shift can be either good or bad, but it will always be rapid.
Description and Symbology
Wands are associated with the element of Fire, and in this case, specifically thoughts and ideas held passionately. Thus, the fire sits on water, signifying the will and assertiveness of fire mixing with the water of emotion. This force manifests as living spears that fly upward into the sky, traveling almost without limit.
From the same fire, we see one of the Coronis sisters rising up as a comet, bringing with her the message of rapid change caused by the fire.
The fire
The fire represents ideas and thoughts held passionately. These have been the source of many of the powerful forces of rapid change throughout history.
The spears
The spears represent the physical manifestation of world-changing concepts and passions. They are laden with life and growth because that is what they create!
The comet (coronis)
The comet is a messenger, signifying upcoming rapid changes in your life, and the coronis nymph is the mythic personification of it.
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
There will be rapid communication or decisions made that change the relationship for the better.
This may be the closing of old issues or moving forward into a new way of life caused by other parts of your life (such as career). As this card often signifies travel, it may mean a permanent move.
Delays or blocks in progress caused by a lack of communication or a failure to agree.
This will lead to a break or souring of the relationship unless it is handled well.
The card is a very positive sign for career matters.
There will be career advancement or completion of tasks and projects.
There may also be a move to new fields via a change of job or location.
All this will be on the back of work you have set up in the past; your previous work set up the launch-pad, but now you are in the rocket!
Delayed projects, failure to meet targets and missed opportunities, or projects that were started without clear planning and moved quickly… in the wrong direction.
These will almost certainly be caused by poor communication or a failure of anyone to be passionate enough to take the reins proactively.
There is a worry that this will adversely affect career prospects or a break-up of your team.
A time of rapid growth in what you are passionate in, and if it is health then expect good results. This may also point to a fast recovery.
A feeling of constraint or failure may affect your confidence or self-worth.
If you are feeling stuck at work or part of a losing team, consider carefully which direction will prevent this in the future.
You will see or experience surges of wisdom or new ideas, and these will come from exploring places you have not considered before. This may be via travel or simply picking up a book you wouldn’t normally.
The road less travelled is the one you will get the most of at the moment, so long as you do it with passion.
A feeling of being stuck or forcing yourself to accept the orthodox means you are in a position that promotes safety over personal growth.
Consider carefully if this is what you really want and what you need to do to unblock your path.
This card suggests quick gains in investment or start-up ideas.
Although the progress will be rapid, the actual work to set this up will most likely things you have done with passion and hard work in the past.
There is a sense of slow progress and growth in your finances, or investing into get-rich schemes with little planning or off the back of someone else’s passion.
Yes, through rapid progress in anything you decide.
Indeterminate because although you may meet your goals, progress will be slow and may be seen as failure or only partial success.
Reading the Card
The Upright Card
The Upright Eight of Wands suggests you are taking control of your destiny and making rapid progress in your chosen direction. Past actions have set you up for this. Although there were a few bumps along the way, you are now literally flying ahead.
Your goals are within reach, and you are carried toward success by your own momentum and enthusiasm.
Not everything will be completely positive, as reaching a goal can also mean 'completion and closure'. Some goals are positive overall but difficult in the short term: a failing relationship that must finally end, or a career move that forces you to leave close friends behind. Notwithstanding this, the current progress will be an overwhelmingly positive period in your life.
The Reversal
The Reversed Eight of Wands describes the same trajectory as the Upright card, but the path is now full of inertia. This stagnation stems from a lack of conviction, dwindling enthusiasm, or being blocked by external events and opinions.
You may be trying to move forward using the enthusiasm of someone else. Second-hand enthusiasm will never serve as rocket fuel for your own journey.
Card Design Process
The card follows the rule that all cards must have a character on it that represents a strong archetype, in this case the personification of the comet and a precursor to rapid change.
This makes it significantly different from traditional decks, but entirely consistent with the vision of Torch-Tarot.
Final Words
The Eight of Wands moves past previous difficulties, finally revealing a straight path to the ultimate goal.
Momentum builds when the initial work is done, potential obstacles are cleared, and a direct line of sight to the finish line is firmly established.
