8 of pentacles reversed - health

Hi,

This card recently came up in my reading and I couldn't place it. Just a few days later a friend of mine told me she was diagnosed with cancer. So I feel this card was related to that. I'm not sure how though. The pentacles are the body, with the 8 a lot of work has been put into it and to maintain it. It relates to Strength which to me is also a health card. Here perhaps it says that it's out of her hands. Her body can't work for her currently.

How do you read the eight of pentacles reversed in health matters?

Well, if it came up in a reading you did for yourself, then it was meant for you. I see it as meaning you haven't been doing a very good job of keeping your health at its optimum. No pain, no gain, you know? Having good health isn't something we can take for granted so even before I read what you wrote, this is what came to my mind.

I'm very sorry about your friend. I hope she'll be a survivor.

Thanks Grizabella.

I have to disagree with you here. I like to read different layers in my reading, which means it doesnt all relate to me, but also to the people and circumstances around me. Same as the day cards don't always relate to the self. I didn't ask about health, it was a general reading.

For me personally it related to quitting a certain (work) activity.

I would see it as whoever is relating to, not doing the work that is required to obtain the result. Alas, if we were to think about your friend, resistance to tackle the journey of recovery. It is an incredibly tough one, that's for sure, so she may feel like 'giving up'

And I hope is only temporary.

I also hope this helps you in any way, lovely.

Much love sent your way and your friend's. This sort of peril is certainly no easy feat!

Alicia

Sandalwood said:

For me personally it related to quitting a certain (work) activity.

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Interesting. Or perhaps, subsumed by ill-health, continuing on a work-based course will become difficult, if you were reading for her. If you were reading for yourself, it may indicate that you "drop everything" to be with her and supportive of her.

I am recovering from ill health / mental health bad times and this card shows up for me in my own readings when I need to have a little message from the universe to just do things! I can be such a perfectionist at times and the reverse of the 8 of Pentacles person who is doing their skill or work, can be that it has to be perfect. In my message it's saying to just do things when they seem so scary but it doesn't matter, it's the actual trying or attempting. If I wanted everything to go so perfectly, I would honestly never leave the house lol! so that is how it manifests for me and took me a while to work it out.

I like your take on it Sandalwood about health. This reading depends on the question and who it was for. if you see it as for her health, then agree with you, she needs to have strength and put a lot of work into her treatment and recovery or like Nis suggested about giving up work for a while. There is also a theme with the reversed card at the bigger picture, look past what is happening just now. If you see this card as for you, it could be saying to help your friend with strength but with this card as well, you don't have to be perfect and plan the right things to say! just be there for them, no pressure!

all the best to your friend

I'd suggest doing a health spread that I normally use called the mind/body/spirit/emotions spread where you place the cards in a quadrant and pull a card for each section.

8 right away makes me think of the 8 major chakras in the system, and reversals to me means a lack of something so I wonder if the cancer is caused by her chakras being closed for too long and thus manifesting in her body as a cancer illness. Since some people associate open chakras with a healthy body and full of energy. I wonder if this cancer is associated with the metabolism system or something. 8 of pents is a man working diligently on the pentacles with a woman sitting at the base of the ladder (deck: medieval scapini). Reversed, means that something is simply not working at all and is failing to function.

Just some thoughts.

Hi Sandalwood,
Strength in a reading for me has often meant good, robust health or rapid recovery from ill health. We have an 8 that's reversed, which is a pentacle, related to the body, and to me...the pentacles, here, look like cancer cells. It shows a decline in health or an increase in dis-ease. The organ or body part associated with Strength is the heart. Emotionally, one might feel that they don't have the "heart" or courage to push through. It would be a blow to one's confidence or a blow to one's inner resolve or spirit. Upright, we are focused, diligent and committed. Reversed, we lose our bearings or our sense of "inner" control. The 8 of Pentacles reversed might also suggest, in a person's mind, that to turn things around or "upright", would seem like an impossible feat or require "too much work" and "effort." What others have said about being supportive of your friend, if the card was pulled for yourself, seems very fitting. Even though the 8 was reversed...it's still an 8...and so, the potential for recovery exists. There is always hope.
All the best to you and your friend.

Thanks everyone for all your insightful replies!

aliceinwonderland said:

I would see it as whoever is relating to, not doing the work that is required to obtain the result. Alas, if we were to think about your friend, resistance to tackle the journey of recovery. It is an incredibly tough one, that's for sure, so she may feel like 'giving up'

And I hope is only temporary.

I also hope this helps you in any way, lovely.

Much love sent your way and your friend's. This sort of peril is certainly no easy feat!

Alicia

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Thank you. Yes, agree, not doing the work can be a meaning. Altough I personally would like to see a reversed another card supporting that.
I just wondered if it related to "cells" and when reversed they aren't working = could relate to cancer cells. This would be a new meaning to me though.

She was finding it very tough I did put follow-up cards and they looked promising health wise.

nisaba said:

Interesting. Or perhaps, subsumed by ill-health, continuing on a work-based course will become difficult, if you were reading for her. If you were reading for yourself, it may indicate that you "drop everything" to be with her and supportive of her.

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Very interesting take: dropping everything. I could see that meaning. I'm in no position to do that though. It felt like her telling me (and going into chemo) was a 'side-line' in my own cards. One combo was 8 pent RX with The Fool, so dropping an activity & start afresh. Or so I read it at first.

danieljuk said:

I am recovering from ill health / mental health bad times and this card shows up for me in my own readings when I need to have a little message from the universe to just do things! I can be such a perfectionist at times and the reverse of the 8 of Pentacles person who is doing their skill or work, can be that it has to be perfect. In my message it's saying to just do things when they seem so scary but it doesn't matter, it's the actual trying or attempting. If I wanted everything to go so perfectly, I would honestly never leave the house lol! so that is how it manifests for me and took me a while to work it out.

I like your take on it Sandalwood about health. This reading depends on the question and who it was for. if you see it as for her health, then agree with you, she needs to have strength and put a lot of work into her treatment and recovery or like Nis suggested about giving up work for a while. There is also a theme with the reversed card at the bigger picture, look past what is happening just now. If you see this card as for you, it could be saying to help your friend with strength but with this card as well, you don't have to be perfect and plan the right things to say! just be there for them, no pressure!

all the best to your friend

Click to expand...

Hi Daniel!

Always find your takes so very insightful I hope you may recover from your health issues soon I do have chronic health issues myself, but these are not the cards that show up for those.
I agree with the perfectionist take! That could be very fitting. Getting stuck in details. Doesn't this card also relate to the star sign Virgo? If so, getting lost in details is very Virgo-behaviour.
The card has now been haunting me. It's 8 pents RX everywhere! So I think I have to get to the bottom of the meaning I really like how you read it as just go for it. It would fit with the Fool that was also present in my cards.

I thought (as written above) the cards showed me the actual conversation with her about this. (Queen pents, crossed by 3 swords, judgement & 8 pents RX).
Thanks for you take

gypsyflower said:

I'd suggest doing a health spread that I normally use called the mind/body/spirit/emotions spread where you place the cards in a quadrant and pull a card for each section.

8 right away makes me think of the 8 major chakras in the system, and reversals to me means a lack of something so I wonder if the cancer is caused by her chakras being closed for too long and thus manifesting in her body as a cancer illness. Since some people associate open chakras with a healthy body and full of energy. I wonder if this cancer is associated with the metabolism system or something. 8 of pents is a man working diligently on the pentacles with a woman sitting at the base of the ladder (deck: medieval scapini). Reversed, means that something is simply not working at all and is failing to function.

Just some thoughts.

Click to expand...

I like how you see these as the 8 chakra's. Altough I thought commonly there were uses 7?
I'm not sure if it has to do with metabolism :-? It's breast cancer. And she was always full of energy.
I can see the 'something simply isn't functioning'.
Might very well be related to chakra's, but to me it's also just the body, not just the energy.

Flames said:

Hi Sandalwood,
Strength in a reading for me has often meant good, robust health or rapid recovery from ill health. We have an 8 that's reversed, which is a pentacle, related to the body, and to me...the pentacles, here, look like cancer cells. It shows a decline in health or an increase in dis-ease. The organ or body part associated with Strength is the heart. Emotionally, one might feel that they don't have the "heart" or courage to push through. It would be a blow to one's confidence or a blow to one's inner resolve or spirit. Upright, we are focused, diligent and committed. Reversed, we lose our bearings or our sense of "inner" control. The 8 of Pentacles reversed might also suggest, in a person's mind, that to turn things around or "upright", would seem like an impossible feat or require "too much work" and "effort." What others have said about being supportive of your friend, if the card was pulled for yourself, seems very fitting. Even though the 8 was reversed...it's still an 8...and so, the potential for recovery exists. There is always hope.
All the best to you and your friend.

Click to expand...

Flames

That's such a good take! The pentacles being cancer cells. I think I may have already owned up to that interp unconciously (see second reply). Decline in health, yes. I see that. Also with the Strength then showing up reversed, it would give them the ability to 'run free' (and spread).
The cards I pulled for her recovery were promising, except one card which I read as the removing of the breasts (king swords reversed - using his sword to cut).
Something being 'too much work', I could also see. A 'giving up'/'can't be done'-feel to it.
I would be supportive, yes.

Thank you!