Eight of Wands as a Person (Upright & Reversed) Tarot Card Meaning

The Eight of Wands is the card of movement, progress, excitement, and sudden changes. The card shows eight wands suspended in midair as they are flying towards their destination. They are traveling at maximum speed towards their target. This shows their decisiveness. They are unstoppable. 

The Eight of Wands reminds us that being laser-focused on our goals often leads to success. It’s not enough to dream about it. We have to do it. The Eight of Wands lives by the mantra, “Seize the day.” It does not wait for anyone. It wants to strike while the iron is hot. 

Upright Eight of Wands as a Person

If the Eight of Wands appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person either lives a fast lifestyle or is generally very quick moving in some way. This is also the card of communication, so communication can be a major part of this person’s life. For example, it might be important in their chosen career path. They tend to be quick witted. This card is astrologically associated with Mercury in Sagittarius. Because both Mercury and Sagittarius carry masculine energy, this card carries a double dose of active, assertive energy. Thankfully, because neither are particularly aggressive masculine energies, the manifestations tend to be more positive. We all have a little bit of both energies expressed in a balanced way, regardless of which gender we identify as.

For physical characteristics, the Eight of Wands as a person represents someone who is fast-moving or very active. They may enjoy extreme sports. They will tend to also be very talkative, and animated when they communicate. They may have a strong social media presence. If this is somebody you met on an online dating app, and you haven’t met them in person, you will pretty much get to “see” them physically on an almost daily basis. This may be because of their social media presence, or they just really enjoy sending you photos of them daily. This person may enjoy wearing activewear, or they frequently change styles. Because they are influenced by Mercury in Sagittarius, they may communicate their philosophical, spiritual, and political beliefs through what they wear. They are excellent visual communicators.

For emotional characteristics, the Eight of Wands as a person represents someone has the gift of the gab. They know how to make others see things from their perspective. They know how to sell their point of view. What others call manipulation, they call presentation. They may work in a fast-paced industry, often dealing with communications and dissemination of information. When drawn in the upright, this may be a journalist, a writer, a news anchor, a blogger/vlogger, content creator, social media manager, or as a salesperson. They are also gifted at sharing their thoughts to a diverse audience of people. Mercury in Sagittarius influence here may indicate an ability to communicate internationally somehow, be it through the internet or their ability to speak in multiple languages. Not only are they multilingual, they also possess an in-depth understanding of different cultures, ideologies, philosophies, religions, and different systems of belief.

For careers, the Eight of Wands can represent someone who works as a fast communicator. This is the type of person who always has to be on their toes at their job, available on short notice, and constantly on call. They may be breaking news anchor, a reporter, or even a social media manager. This person may work in any fast-paced field, so emergency room doctors, EMTs, fire fighters, and even law enforcement may fall under this category. Occasionally, the Eight of Wands may literally signify air travel, so this person may be a pilot and aircrew member. Because the Eight of Wands is a card that does not feature others, this person may also work in a field where they don’t have that many coworkers or they work in solitude. They could be a night shift security guard, for example, or they may work online where they have infrequent real life human interaction.

The Eight of Wands as a person represents someone who makes you feel like time flies. Time passes really quickly when this person is around, it could be just that this person has never-ending topics to talk about and they’re always exciting. Or, they’re just so much fun to be around. They’re very engaging, and you will never have to worry about running out of topics with this person. Mercury and Sagittarius means that this person will have very strong opinions, and they will be outspoken about those opinions. Awkward silences are a rare occurrence with this person.

Reversed Eight of Wands as a Person

If the Eight of Wands reversed appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is careless with their words. They may not be a very effective communicator. Or, alternatively, this person may be very slow in some way. Because this is a Minor Arcana card, some of these traits will not be inherent aspects of their identity. If they are behaving unfavorably, they might just be going through a temporary phase. It may be a behavioral pattern that they can still unlearn, if they choose to. Good or bad, nobody is perfect, and people can use their free will to change for the better.

For physical characteristics, the Eight of Wands reversed as a person represents someone who is sluggish. They like to take their time, and they may even have a tendency to be lazy. They may not know how to effectively communicate visually, so their style isn’t really a form of self expression. Whereas Sagittarian energy is typically very opinionated and expressive, in the reverse it becomes muted. In fact, you may never learn much about this person from their physical appearance. In some cases, they could be purposefully trying to hide something, like their wealth. These people may make a point of appearing as “basic” and as unassuming as possible. 

For emotional characteristics, the Eight of Wands reversed as a person represents someone who is not the most communicative. They might be very quiet. Unfortunately, in the reverse position, this card may point to dishonesty. They’re not the most forthcoming. It’s up to you to determine whether this person is telling little white lies to protect your feelings, if they’re just being standoffish because they generally don’t open up to people they don’t know too well, or if they really are hiding something harmful from you. As this card in the reverse position embodies the darker side of Sagittarius, this person may unfortunately lack a sense of humor. In the reverse position, they may also have quite an aggressive style of communication. Just make sure that it doesn’t border on abuse, and make sure to stand your ground if this person does get too aggressive.

For careers, the Eight of Wands reversed can represent someone who works in a field where information is suppressed somehow. Like the Eight of Wands in the upright, this person may work in PR or communication, but from a different angle. In the upright, this would be a PR person who markets something or someone into the spotlight, but in the reverse the opposite is true. This could be somebody who works in crisis management PR, someone who sweeps potentially scandalous events under the rug or frames them in a way that is more acceptable to the public. If they work in the media, this might be a very biased journalist or writer. In extreme cases, this person may be responsible for a lot of misinformation.

The Eight of Wands reversed as a person represents someone who makes you feel like you’re not getting the full story in some way. For example, you may have been friends with this person for a decade, but you’ve recently realized that you still don’t know much about them. They’re not very talkative, and when they’re upset, they will give you the silent treatment. If you’re romantically involved with this person, you may feel like your relationship is developing at a very slow pace. Mercury and Sagittarius indicates that this person may fear being judged, and once you do get to know them they may have a lot of unconventional or unpopular opinions. They’re reserved and prefer to keep to themselves for this reason. 

Conclusion

For love readings, the Eight of Wands represents decisiveness and movement towards a goal. This card is all about knowing what you want and taking action. This can be a very positive force for any relationship, as long as the direction is mutually agreed upon. 

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your relationship matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on love & relationships, as a neutral and objective third party.