Eight
Water 8 
Wood 8 
Air 8
Fire 8 
Earth 8 
Metal 8 
VIII StrengthEIGHT
Eight - for all intents and purposes, a lemniscate turned sideways, is a complex and deeply nuanced number in tarot. It is also a number that is associated in some cultures with the idea of success, often with financial success very specifically. Perhaps this is because of the inherent beauty, balance and symmetry of the form '8.' Perhaps it is because it follows 7, where, where for all intents an purposes, inside the story line that is the path that numerology beats through the bushes of tarot, the bugs get worked out and when that happens, voila! Everything falls into place, AKA perfection.
There's something a little tricky about the tenor of perfection carried by the 8, which somehow magically brings flexibility to the strong foundation (4) upon which it is built and, that trickiness likely stems from the intimation of success that it exudes for 8 brings with it expectations of responsibility. When we achieve, we give back; that is the balance, the equity, that 8 brings.
WATER - In this suit of emotions and feelings, 8 finds easy expression. In 4, so solid, so immovable, Water was ill at ease, unable to do what water does best, flow. But 8 has flow, is flow...but flow that moves over a base of strength so here we have a harbor, a protected place for us, a place where water slows yet still flows...in and out...in and out.
From this particular vantage point, on the shore, we look out, we look to leave; we look to leave something behind in order to go where we must go next, in order to ride the tide of mundane necessity or invigorating exploration or mystery. We go, not necessarily because we want to leave but because leaving is the appropriate thing to do. There is no regret as we set sail, for what must be, must be, but nostalgia for what was tugs at the heart.
WOOD - In the suit of Wood, where personal transformation carries the energy of nurturing (self-nurturing), 8 may be at its best.Rigidity breaks; flexibility bends and 8 is the very image of balanced flexibility, of give and take, of yielding in order to survive. At 8 we have learned our lessons and have created ourselves as a source of wisdom from which others can draw freely and effortlessly.
When we tend to our needs, when we care for ourselves as we deserve to be cared for, we create in ourselves not only personal strength but a vibration of personal strength that attracts those seeking their own personal power, reflecting for them what it means to be in balance, what it means to truly 'give back.'
AIR - The lyrical curving form of the 8 brings a softness to the suit of the intellect, a suit which can sometimes feel a little harsh. I see in Air 8 the wings of a soaring bird as a mirror of the body's waking consciousness in a state of surrender that allows it to ride the currents of transpersonal consciousness without the usual constraints of judgment, restraint or fear.
Air 8 is the intellect on vacation, finding no need for articulation, using its powers for recreation, a perfect place for inspiration.
FIRE - Fire is the suit most closely connected in our available consciousness to the Spirit aspect of ourselves so 8, with all its inherent balance, is very comfortable here...maybe a little too comfortable, though...almost as though you've gotten ahead of yourself, as though the goal - what ever it is - or the inspiration that has presented itself, feels so pressing that there's a sense of urgency about wanting to real-ize it, almost as though you're about to miss some imaginary boat that's about to sail without you.
When Fire 8 shows up in a reading, it's usually a reminder to slow down and focus on whatever is at hand and not get carried away by imagined outcomes.
EARTH - 4 + 4 = 8. Earth + Earth = Earth on top of Earth = a natural monument. Earth 8 is not going anywhere. So what about the flow? That comes when Earth 8 interacts, in its almost entitled way, with others. Earth 8, after all, got to be what it is as a direct result of a flow so potent that it literally moves mountains. Earth 8 is a monument to flow. And as a monument, it has responsibilities. People look up to monuments, after all.
So Earth 8 brings with it the obligation to show others the way, to teach or to guide, usually in very material, down-to-earth matters. Earth 8 is embodied in folks like Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffett. The flow in Earth 8 is in the transmission of information about the flow and how it manifests in the world. Abundance, is after all, and more than anything else, a state of mind.
METAL - In the suit of Metal, 8 has a chance to really show off. Metal, the suit of the directed mind, is in a constant dance with the vicissitudes of chance. We make plans, God laughs; that's how the adage goes. But not when 8 shows up. When Metal 8 appears all the plans turn out just right. When Metal 8 shows up we get, not just what we planned, but better even than that.
Of course, this is an 8 we're talking about so there's a level of commitment involved here but presumably it's a commitment you signed up for. And if you didn't...oops!.You wanted it; you worked for it; you may be paying for it just a little longer.
AETHER - VIII Strength - VIII, as an emissary of the Spirit World, embodies the strength that is implicit in the structure of the lemniscate, the 8 turned on its side, the symbol of infinity. Strength is the effortless application of the power of knowing that you are exactly where you need to be, that you are exactly who you need to be in the situation, and that you are one with the winding flow of whatever is happening at that very moment leading into whatever needs to happen next.
VIII is knowing, being present, responding or surrendering or taking charge, all depending on what is appropriate to the task at hand. The ultimate strength lies in being true to the moment.
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