Another eight card today! Eights in Tarot usually have both a spiritual and material aspect to them - similar to the top and bottom of the actual 8 (as above, so below). It is representative of infinite cycles of energy, it, itself, is a lemniscate (that's the infinity symbol). I think that is obvious in yesterday's card (VIII of Pentacles) as well as today's card: the VIII Of Cups.
Traditionally, the VIII of Cups seems like it's kind of a downer card. I was looking through so many different representations of this card and SO many of them had tears... and I just couldn't; today is not a tear day. Plus, honestly - after yesterday's card of mastery, I almost feel like today's card is building on that momentum, suggesting, perhaps, that we need to complete our collection and find that missing cup. Maybe this is a Pokémon card - gotta catch 'em all!
Looking at the card, we do see a figure in pursuit of something "more." A lot of the figures in the different decks I saw were naked, which speaks to the spiritual side of this, and the shedding of our materialistic nature. Thinking back to Biblical teachings, we also see enlightenment associated with sacrifice via fasting, putting aside childish things, giving to the poor, or, you know, sacrificing your only son (only to be told "haha, just kidding"). That's also pretty much the premise of Lent. So maybe the VIII of Cups is the Lent card. (Maybe it's Thursday night in this card, and the figure is on his way to see his dear friend, the Page of Cups, so they can dine on that lovely fish in his cup.)
The VIII of Cups playlist is available on Spotify.
Message of the Day: Sacrifice sucks. Willingly going without isn't fun - ever. As a kid, going to (Mormon) church, every first Sunday of the month was called "Fast Sunday," and church members traditionally fasted for two consecutive meals and then donated the "cost" of those meals to the church via "fast offerings." The premise is based on self-discipline and is viewed as a time to get closer to God through prayer and focused study, as well as helping the plight of the poor. Very noble, indeed.
Two meals? Easy peasy. As an 8-year-old, however - it was the end of the fucking world. I was trying to sneak candy or mints ALL the damn time because I was a hungry bitch! I wasn't praying and getting closer to God; I was fucking 8!
Perhaps if it was approached differently by ye olde parents, it would have hit differently. But all it did was make me hangry, and I missed the point completely.
Now, as an adult, we look at sacrifice differently. Intermittent fasting is a common form of diet for a lot of people - and the sacrifice, while not really spiritual in nature, is intended to gain something else: improved health.
The key part of sacrifice is purpose. Sacrificing for the sake is sacrificing is pretty superficial (or maybe masochistic). Sacrificing for the observation of and positive judgement by others (visibly donating to charity, for example) is a perversion of the purpose of sacrifice. Our purpose may be self-serving (personal enlightenment, for example), but may also serve others (feeding or clothing those without).
Sacrifice does not always come with immediate or tangible benefits. It involves giving up something of personal value for the sake of a greater purpose. While sacrifices can lead to positive outcomes in the long run or contribute to personal growth and development, the benefits are not always immediately felt or even proportional to the sacrifice made. I suppose there is no real way to measure the return on investment there.
I know I always turn to parenting in my examples because, hullo, it's a daily struggle and fuck my life. So much of what we do as parents is sacrifice. We sacrifice our time, energy, money, and general life force to raise a child who will, hopefully, be a decent, moral, honest person who makes smart choices and can think for himself. I think that's all we really want in the end. The reward there is not immediate, nor is it guaranteed. And YESSSS, it sucks on so many levels. But when the wins become apparent and our sacrifice visibly pays off, it's like, "HOLY SHIT! Look at what we did!"
But usually, it's more like laying prostrate on the ground, whipping myself repeatedly in hopes that my physical pain will manifest into something gloriously magnificent, which realizes into a spilled cup of chocolate milk on the counter with breakfast and an "oh shit" look from the kid. YES! Parenting!
The VIII of Cups is standing behind you, taunting you to sacrifice, beckoning to fill its empty cups. What is it asking you? The VIII of Cups wants to know:
- What do you actively sacrifice in your life in hopes of growth and improvement? Has it worked out in your favor?
- What are some examples of when the gains from sacrificing far outweighed the effort? And when they failed to materialize?
- How can you teach the importance of self-discipline to those around you and encourage and support each other so you can grow together?
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