Western Tarot symbolism
Eight of Cups
The account describes a dejected man deserting his cups and previous undertaking. It immediately admits antithetical readings involving joy and modesty, and says a formerly important matter may prove slight. The supplementary list assigns marriage upright and perfect satisfaction reversed, while the main reversed list gives joy and feasting. Departure therefore does not settle all of this edition's readings.
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In the sources
The card account
LiteraryThe account describes a dejected man deserting his cups and previous undertaking. It immediately admits antithetical readings involving joy and modesty, and says a formerly important matter may prove slight.
Comparing the lists
LiteraryThe supplementary list assigns marriage upright and perfect satisfaction reversed, while the main reversed list gives joy and feasting. Departure therefore does not settle all of this edition's readings.
Context & interpretation
The active library scan carries L. W. de Laurence’s name and reproduces material associated with A. E. Waite’s Tarot exposition. This entry follows that supplied edition’s card prose and supplementary lists. Historical divinatory assignments and period character labels are distinguished from the pictured symbolism and from independently supported judgements about people or future events.
Original passages
Source 1
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
A man of dejected aspect is deserting the cups of his felicity, enterprise, undertaking or previous concern. Divinatory Meanings: The card speaks for itself on theOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; card description, active reader leaf 112
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0112
- Original scan leaf
- 118
- Recorded leaf number
- 118
- Current Reader position
- 112
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
Eight.—Marriage* with a fair woman. Reversed: Perfect sat- isfaction. Seven.—Fair child; idea, design, resolve, movement. Reversed: Success, if accompanied by the Three of Cups. 5'/'.r.^ PleasantOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; additional meanings, active reader leaf 151
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0151
- Original scan leaf
- 157
- Recorded leaf number
- 157
- Current Reader position
- 151
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Ace of Cups
A cloud-borne cup, water and a descending sacramental emblem give this Ace several symbolic layers.
Shared source pageEight of Swords
A bound figure surrounded by swords is expressly described as temporarily confined.
Shared source pageFive of Cups
Three fallen cups and two remaining upright make loss and remainder part of one composition.
Shared source pageFive of Swords
A figure controlling the field watches two others retreat while their swords remain on the ground.