Harmonious Eights

madhavendra

So now we are starting with eights. Thanks Grip for inspiration, without you joining in I wouldn’t manage to collect my energy for this, specially that English is not my first language and to write in it requires from me lots of concentration. Eights were quite smooth and easy for me, they talk to me nicely. Generally I love this deck, but I cannot forgive its author The Chariot. For me this card is completely missing the point . Any way, we will get there (hopefully :) ). So here we go:

Eights- cards signifying movement, transformation, change, starting something new, ending something old.

Eight of Wands= movement doubled; when the energy of number 8 combines with Wands (fire) energy. In HT we see 8 wands flying trough the sky in one direction.
Under them we see couple hidden in some thorny bush. The girl is one of the flower beauties we see trough all HT, boy is winged angel (or rather mythological Amor, god of love). The girl is dressed in reddish gown, and a huge flower serves her as a hat. She looks shy and on the first look she seems to reject boy’s advances, but looking more closely and seeing boy’s determination and enthusiasm probably he will get what he wants ;) .Actually he is the spirit of this card- full of enthusiasm, uncontrolled passion, movement, expansion. He is dressed in white, and only red elements are his shoes, hat and huge heart painted on his chest. He is so impatient that he is lifting up his right leg, not being able to control his passions. This is very erotic card ;) , and it gets to the point- 8 of Wands means movement and expansion, and what’s very important it is directed movement. The Wands are going to fall in one point. As a fire energy Wands tend to go all over the place and in this way their potential can be wasted, not fully utilized. However in 8 they know where they will fall- the boy knows what he wants and he has enough energy to get it. The girl (with her passive water energy) doesn’t stand a chance :) .

Eight of Chalices- transformation and change, most probably on emotional level. We are watching the “good bye” scene; man leaves a women and he is heading towards the mountains. On the first plan we see a women. She looks sad and surprised. She is dressed in beautiful whitish-pinkish gown with flowers on it. She still holds a bouquet she got from man who slowly is disappearing from her view. It is not even real bouquet; there are not flowers in it, and it is made of the same plant that grows at her feet and probably all over that stony and not very fertile land.( The guy could do better ;) ) The man is already far away so we don’t see much of him. He is carrying a wand that helps him to walk: the wand symbolise action, but this is Chalices card- chalices are a water energy, that often signify passivity(what we can see clearly in other Chalices like for example 4, 7 or 6). So this can mean escaping from stagnation and apathy into some action, project, breaking free from situation that doesnt bring anything new into his life. The man is leaving obviously a very beautiful women. There is nothing wrong with her and all Chalices are standing straight (not like in 5). Why the man is leaving? He needs action, movement, he has to break free from passivity and stagnation. Maybe his emotional situation is stable but not giving him fulfilment or challenge he needs. This is card of transformation so the man decides to go into unknown; he is little bit like a Fool (the stick) and Hermit blended together (again stick). Hermit was shown in the mountains (in HT in mountain cave) and the man goes into mountains. Before he will start to act and move, he has to spend some time with himself, ‘couse there is no real action without real knowing your own self .
What about the girl? Well she is pretty- she will definitely find someone else, who suits her better ;) (I am not a sexist- I swear:) )

Eight of Swords- I would call this card “sword of Damocles card” and I think it really nicely transports the widely spread meaning of 9 of Swords- being afraid to move, feeling trapped, and unable to make decision, because whatever decision you make, it will hurt you in some way- still you’ve got to do something, you cannot stay in this situation- 9 is a card of change not the card of stability.
We see two young man after some kind of battle or duel. One of them seems hurt, and he lays on the ground, with broken flowers and sticks scattered all around him. Other man gives him a hand, being obviously worried about the poor fellow. He wants to help him to stand up. 8 swords are above them pointing at the man laying down. (Sword of Damocles). Is he going to accept help and move from dangerous place, or being afraid to change and experience more pain he will stay in this seemingly stable situation? Better for him if he moves and go to some save place where he will be able to recuperate and stand on his own feet. This is card of transformation- he got himself into it (are these guys not the same opponents from the 7 of Wands?), somehow it wasn’t a good decision and now he has to get out and start from beginning.

Eight of Pentacles- starting from beginning again. Though this is “advanced” Pentacles we don’t see here rich Scottish businessman from 4, or aristocratic ladies from 6. This is the card of new beginning with all disadvantages of new start- learning, committing mistakes, being forced to be humble again (someone who started new career, new job in his thirties knows what I am talking about ;) ).
We see young, humble girl who is presenting to someone her work of art. In 3 of pentacles we saw two young man, full of ideas and power, who are confident in their abilities and recognition for their work comes almost automatically. Here we have a girl who has talent; her sculpture is beautiful and attractive, but she is in humble position. She is bending her head low, looking at her sculpture, trying to attract someone’s attention to it. The flowers on her dress are the same as the flowers growing around her, but with slide difference; the flowers on her dress are fully developed, while the flowers around her are still just budding; their real glory is still hidden. I would say she has talent and power to become master in the field she has chosen, but she has to prove it to the world, before she will get any recognition and attention from environment. This is the earthly suit- so though her situation is difficult she looks peaceful and confident. She just needs to be patient and hardworking. The results will come.

Ok- everyone is welcome to join in. I am waiting for more insights. It is so nice when you think that you’ve seen everything in the card and then someone shows you more.
Grip? :)




 

Grip Dellabonte

Eight of Wands

Is that Cupid? At the least it is a young angel forcing his attentions upon a young lass. Not very angelic! ;) (Not only that, but he's impeding her withdrawal from the situation by stepping on the hem of her gown, and holding her in place).

This card may be about making the first move and declaring your intentions, but I think it's an awkward way to get that message across.

Aside from it being slightly distasteful, there is built in hesitation and reticence that you don't see in this card, usually. The girl does not look comfortable with the boy's advances.

This is a card that calls for taking the initiative. I think "swiftness" is a word often used with this card....swiftness of action or thought.

It does get this point across, but I think it could have been gotten across in a more genteel way!

Eight of Swords

Why is one young man on the ground? He looks to be in some sort of pain while another young man attempts to help him.

The man in white was obviously felled by something, whether it be that large plant that lies broken beside him or something else.

But the other man is urging him to get up. And, he looks like he could get up if he tried...he's not hurt that badly.

Typical eight of wands relates to being in a bad situation of one's own creation. The way to fix it may not always be clear, but generally there are options, if one looks around.

In this card, one clear option is that someone has come to the young man's aid. Is he able to see this, or is he still holding himself trapped in his situation?

Eight of Cups

"Rosemary is for remembrance". This is a quote I learned whilst studying plant lore. It is one of the reasons why rosemary is used, or was used, in bouquets and tussy-mussies and such.

So far, the eights have been very good clones of the RWS....not much struggling to find the meaning in them!

Again, we have the person needing to set off for pastures new. He is leaving behind all that he has loved, and heading off into the unknown.

It is a risk, but it is one he has to take.

He has left the woman with a bouquet of rosemary. This is a reminder that we may leave things behind, but we will always have those memories with us. And sometimes those memories get us through bad patches.

Eight of Pentacles

In this card we have a woman displaying a figurine on a lush pillow. She is quite proud of it! It does seem as though she made it herself, and this is probably her first, since she is showing it off.

The eight of pentacles is the card of learning and being on the road to mastery. It shows that one is working hard toward a specific goal.

If this card were to come up in a reading it could mean that a person is involved in some form of learning that they have a strong desire to succeed at, or that it is time they did get involved with such an endeavor.
 

madhavendra

Hello Grip!
Thanks for your insights. I found it really funny to see how we differed about how the girl in 8 of Wands feels about boy's advances :D

I also see that Harmonious often shows positive sides of the cards that usually are considered negative. Like in 8 of Swords someone is giving hand to the person in trouble (in other decks I know usually it seems that you have to manage by yourself). Have a look at 10 of Swords- this is perfect example of that- where the flowery nurses are looking after main character of the card- who in other decks traditionally is dead like a stone :)

Thanks for "Rosemary is for remberance". This is very special to me. I used to live in one place in Spain, in countryside that was very dry and desertlike, and one of the main plants there was rosemary. It was growing everywhere and you could smell it sometimes, when the wind was bringing breeze from the hills. I spent one of the best years there, togeteher with my wife, but then things went wrong around there and we had to leave. After 7 years I still remember Rosemary Hills. My friend who lived there with us wrote this beautiful song about that place: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MJIKth0yKA
Now this card is going to remind me this song.
 

Grip Dellabonte

Thanks for your insights. I found it really funny to see how we differed about how the girl in 8 of Wands feels about boy's advances

Sexist!! Ha! Yes. I couldn't resist! ;)

I also see that Harmonious often shows positive sides of the cards that usually are considered negative. Like in 8 of Swords someone is giving hand to the person in trouble (in other decks I know usually it seems that you have to manage by yourself). Have a look at 10 of Swords- this is perfect example of that- where the flowery nurses are looking after main character of the card- who in other decks traditionally is dead like a stone

I also like that the artist does this from time to time. It does give a feeling of not having to handle something completely on our own. Plus, if it was meant to be the antagonists from the Seven of Wands, then there is the added element of the victor extending his hand to his foe...letting bygones be bygones....another nice touch.


Thanks for "Rosemary is for remberance". This is very special to me. I used to live in one place in Spain, in countryside that was very dry and desertlike, and one of the main plants there was rosemary. It was growing everywhere and you could smell it sometimes, when the wind was bringing breeze from the hills. I spent one of the best years there, togeteher with my wife, but then things went wrong around there and we had to leave. After 7 years I still remember Rosemary Hills. My friend who lived there with us wrote this beautiful song about that place: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MJIKth0yKA
Now this card is going to remind me this song.

Then, once again, rosemary has done its job! But I apologize. I mispelled "remembrance".

I enjoyed the telling of this story. But when I went and listened to the song.....WOW! It made the story that much more visual. I had to come and read it again.

Seems like you lived an encapsulated Eight of Cups moment, right down to including the rosemary.

It was a great time, but things changed and you had to move on. But you still have fond memories......wow.....

What a nice gift you shared with me in my quiet afternoon, Martin! Thank you!

Lovely, haunting (in a good way) song, by the way...