Which outcome should I choose: 4 of swords or 8 of pentacles?

[tarot_quest]

Hi guys!

Tarot can be used to decide which path might be more appropriate. I am trying to see which outcome would be the best to receive a minor medical treatment. I am debating if I should use a more traditional approach or to try alternative medicine (naturopathy).

For both options (traditional or alternative medicine) I pulled 3 cards. The outcome was

path 1 (traditional medicine):4 of swords
path 2 (alternative medicine): 8 of pentacles

Both cards were upright. Does 4 of swords mean that I will finally relax with this problem (rest) or that I will have to rest a lot? Also, is it possible that the 8 of pentacles means that I will have to work hard to reach my goal and still, that despite my efforts with alternative medicine, I will not see a good improvement (or a super slow improvement)?

Thanks!

 

[rwcarter]

Only slightly facetiously, 4S says "give it a rest" while 8P says "work hard at it". So I'd prob go with alternative medicine.

Rodney

 

[Achlys]

Only slightly facetiously, 4S says "give it a rest" while 8P says "work hard at it". So I'd prob go with alternative medicine.

Rodney

I agree with this interpretation.
But at the same time, I can see where op is coming from.

If anything, the 4 of Swords tells me that you'll have sound of mind, but the 8 of Pentacles tells me that this option may be better for you physically.

 

[tarot_quest]

Thanks Rodney and Achlys

Both of you would go for the 8 of pentacles option.

I don't know if it helps or confuses me more, but for path 1 (traditional medicine), I only got swords and air element everywhere...

For path 2 (alternative medicine), I got 8 of cups to clarify the 8 of pentacles outcome. I am not objective here, but does the 8 of cups means leaving a situation that does not work in the sens that my problem will be resolved or that the treatment will not work?

Thanks for your ideas

 

[Laurelle]

I did a reading for a man who got the 4 of Swords as an outcome to his surgery. 4 of Swords can be the rest and recovery after medical treatment card. It can definitely indicate healing after medical intervention.

I would see the 8 of Pentacles as repeating the same thing over and over again. Whether or not you recovery is not indicated by the card.

 

[rwcarter]

Moderator Note

Please provide interpretations for all the extra cards you listed or remove them from your post. If I'm counting right, your reading was 9 cards and you have now listed 5 card, so don't add any more cards from the reading.

 

[tarot_quest]

Rodney, I only added the 8 of cups (and gave my description for this card). I deleted the other cards I added.

Laurelle, what you said was my first option. resting after a treatment that will work (4 of swords) vs trying hard and not being successful with the 8 of pentacles...

I will have to decide next week where I am heading

Thanks!

 

[pandap]

Hi guys!

Tarot can be used to decide which path might be more appropriate. I am trying to see which outcome would be the best to receive a minor medical treatment. I am debating if I should use a more traditional approach or to try alternative medicine (naturopathy).

For both options (traditional or alternative medicine) I pulled 3 cards. The outcome was

path 1 (traditional medicine):4 of swords
path 2 (alternative medicine): 8 of pentacles

Both cards were upright. Does 4 of swords mean that I will finally relax with this problem (rest) or that I will have to rest a lot? Also, is it possible that the 8 of pentacles means that I will have to work hard to reach my goal and still, that despite my efforts with alternative medicine, I will not see a good improvement (or a super slow improvement)?

Thanks!

This is an interesting one. Both cards are pretty much opposites - 4 of Swords is doing nothing, whereas 8 of Pentacles is actively working on something.

That could be taken as 4 of Swords nothing will come of it, or it could mean (depending on what's involved) having to take time off work afterwards to recover.

The 8 of Pentacles also depends on what sort of alternative method they use, but could be saying it will be a repetitive procedure that needs doing a number of times time until it works, so it won't be an instant fix.

 

[tarot_quest]

Thanks for the reply pandap!

This is an interesting one. Both cards are pretty much opposites - 4 of Swords is doing nothing, whereas 8 of Pentacles is actively working on something.

Yes! That is an excellent take. With the 4 of swords, I might only have to take a medication, so it is quite passive. You also mention time to recover with this card, and it might be possible that this treatment could make me feel tired.

The 8 of Pentacles also depends on what sort of alternative method they use, but could be saying it will be a repetitive procedure that needs doing a number of times time until it works, so it won't be an instant fix.

Here is my questioning. I am ok if it is not an instant fix, I just wonder if my chances of success will be better with this approach. I really don't know what the 8 of cups as a clarifiers meant.

Let me know if you have an idea and thanks for the help!

 

[pandap]

Thanks for the reply pandap!



Yes! That is an excellent take. With the 4 of swords, I might only have to take a medication, so it is quite passive. You also mention time to recover with this card, and it might be possible that this treatment could make me feel tired.




Here is my questioning. I am ok if it is not an instant fix, I just wonder if my chances of success will be better with this approach. I really don't know what the 8 of cups as a clarifiers meant.

Let me know if you have an idea and thanks for the help!

If the 8 of Cups clarified the 8 of Pentacles, you need to find what both these cards have in common.

So, firstly, they're both 8's. One of the keywords for 8's is "progress". So with regards to those two cards numerically, 8 of Cups is progressing away from sorrow, and the 8 of Pentacles is progressing in learning or work. They both represent making headway.

Secondly, they are both active cards where something is getting achieved or done, and they both represent a bit of work. The 8 of Pentacles is obviously work orientated, but the 8 of Cups has got some work ahead of him - he's having to use his stick to navigate and negotiate a difficult path uphill towards a possible mountain that he may have to cross, or at the very least near some mountains, which is going to be hard work for him, and he's not sure how long he's going to have to take to get to where he's going.

So I think these cards are both saying you will make progress, but it will take time and there will be some work involved.

Hope that helps give you something more to think about.