The Eights

Hemera

General:
Eight is two times four and a very stable number. It is about safety, firm anchoring and control and regulation. After turbulent times the stability of eight is very welcome and needed but stagnation is the other side of the coin.
If there is movement in the eight it tends to be below the surface.
I find it very interesting that in an octave the eighth and the last note is also the first note of the next octave (in the same key). So there is an element of rounding off and making a fresh start.
(source: K.Hamaker-Zondag:Tarot as a Way of Life)


Sweet Twilight eights:
The key words in the 8 of Chalices and the 8 of Swords seems to be stagnation, being stuck. Movement is restricted also in the 8 of Wands but the tree girl looks dreamy and maybe content. The 8 of Pentacles is more about just taking a pause and maybe starting in the next octave after a deserved rest. The ape doesn´t look too happy,though:)

I took a look at the Majors eight,too, and that is our Lady Justice. There is music (-going from one octave to the next!-) and there are certainly many of the more positive qualities of the eights: safety, control, regulation, order.
 

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Aerin

great start

I will go and take a look at the 8 of pents when I can find my deck (has temporarily done a runner after being put Somewhere Safe).
 

Aerin

I finally dug my deck out at the right time to post :D

I grabbed XV11 17 as the digits in 17 add up to 8 as well. Interestingly the Star is rooted in the ground like the 8 of Wands is. She is sprinkling stars around instead of orchestrating butterflies but the two cards have echoes of each other for me.

The 8 of Swords, the 8 of Chalices and Justice all have a sense of suspension about them - 8 of chalices hair is attached to a tree, justice has attached to the scales and the 8 of swords is chained from above. So, rooted-ness of Star and 8 Wands compares with suspension.

The 8 of Pents isn't quite so tied into her environment as the other cards, but if I had to I'd put her with the Star and the 8 of Wands because all three are grounded rather than hung/ attached from above. Monkeys usually swing from trees but in this case not a tree to hang from in sight.