The Wild Unknown Tarot - VIII Cups

Kgirl

I love this card. But, as I've just discovered on reading this thread, I completely misunderstood it! It gave me such an unexpected, deep memory from very early childhood that I responded emotionally and didn't even see the RWS mountains! Nor even the 8 broken glasses!!

I saw towering pine trees ... a deep, dark forest in the twilight (as I saw from the child seat on the back of my late Dad's bike, as he pushed me slowly up a hill homewards after a country cycle ride & picnic. The gathering darkness was very atmospheric & potentially scary, yet my Dad made everything seem safe & comforting ... hence my feeling of comfort on seeing this image.)
The broken tops of the glasses, to me at first, looked as if they were intact and merely partly-hidden by hanging branches ... see what I mean? A couple of them were broken, but the sense of having to scale a hill amid gathering gloom still gives me a frisson of otherworldly excitement ... like many scenes in Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit.

Adventure beckons - to venture further, deeper, steeper, and face challenges as they occur. Rather like Life's journey. And even though I now see the jagged mountains and broken glasses as you do, that feeling remains with me in this card. I see the 8s as relating to Strength, which would also fit in.

It's interesting how people feel very moved by this image, even if for very different reasons!

I love all of this starshower. Adventure does indeed beckon in this card. I also love your take on the glasses

Such an effective and powerful card :)
 

Sulis

Revisiting this card

This card came up in a reading I did the other day and on looking at the image the first thing I focused on was the broken glasses and that made me think - don't put any more emotion into this situation or that I shouldn't invest any more emotions in the situation I was reading about.. This fitted so well and I was struck by the fact that there is no man walking away and that fitted too; there was no question of me walking away, turning my back on something but I needed to stop being so emotionally invested or involved in what I was reading about...

The glasses are broken so they really will not hold any more feelings.. It's as if enough emotions and feelings have been poured into them, so much if fact that the glasses have broken..
 

Pixna

This card came up in a reading I did for myself today, and I found its honesty bold and refreshing. I appreciate knowing that the situation isn't salvageable, and I welcomed the direct way the card communicated that to me. It doesn't mince words (or symbols). I don't want to add hope to this card -- I want it to speak without sugarcoating anything, and it does.

Climbing over the mountain through the dark forest is one way to escape the situation. But what isn't clearly shown is another way -- just turn around and walk in the opposite direction, away from the mountains (and the broken cups) on the flat land. We can take the hard way out (the mountains) and suffer in the process, or we can accept the situation, turn our back on it, and move on, away from challenge and struggle. The light that glows behind the mountains also glows in the same sky in the other direction, if we just turn around to see it.
 

danieljuk

there is some lyrics of the Annie Lennox song "Walking on Broken Glass" this card reminds me of....

"I don't care for sugar honey if I can't have you
Since you've abandoned me
My whole life has crashed
Won't you pick the pieces up
'cause it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass"

This whole card reminds me of that song and at the bottom of this card are our hopes and dreams smashed to pieces. It's a card that makes me want to cry because it's such a depressing take on the 8 of Cups.

In Kim's writings about this card, on the app and in the book, she talks about focusing your eyes on the horizon at the top of those mountains (the only place without darkness) and get going! There is nothing left here for you anymore. It's not going to be easy, there is a mountain in the way but it's better to move on or at least attempt to move away from the broken glass. I do see a link between the Mountain and the Lenormand card the Mountain and it's a blockage but just let your feet lead your forwards (it says that in the text for the card). It's important with this card to avoid stagnation!
 

Pixna

Wonderful interpretation, Danieljuk! Your observations have helped me see more deeply into this card and better understand the images it contains. Thank you!
 

Felicity Greenway

This card came up today in my daily draw. I see the eight broken cups as to do with feelings, emotions or relationships that are broken and shattered.

The mountain in the background represents to me that you're hitting a dead end. If you would remain in this situation, you would be bumping your head against the wall over and over again.

The number 8 symbolizes to me (the ending of) a cycle, a pattern. I also connect it to the Strenght card in the Major Arcana. Thus, finding the strenght within yourself to accept the ending of this cycle and bravely taking a new direction / a new approach.
 

Kalisti

there is some lyrics of the Annie Lennox song "Walking on Broken Glass" this card reminds me of....

"I don't care for sugar honey if I can't have you
Since you've abandoned me
My whole life has crashed
Won't you pick the pieces up
'cause it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass"

I drew this card tonight in a spread and I immediately thought of some lyrics from a song, too! I thought of the refrain of Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac: "Did she make you cry / Make you break down / Shatter your illusions of love / Well is it over now / Do you know how / To pick up the pieces and go home."

I have only yesterday received this deck and rather than going through the cards individually, I sat down and did some spreads. This was the card that packed the greatest punch, to me. I interpret this card slightly differently in my other decks, but the meaning it hit me with was powerful and very intuitive here.
 

Sulis

I drew this card tonight in a spread and I immediately thought of some lyrics from a song, too! I thought of the refrain of Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac: "Did she make you cry / Make you break down / Shatter your illusions of love / Well is it over now / Do you know how / To pick up the pieces and go home."

I have only yesterday received this deck and rather than going through the cards individually, I sat down and did some spreads. This was the card that packed the greatest punch, to me. I interpret this card slightly differently in my other decks, but the meaning it hit me with was powerful and very intuitive here.

I love this..