Me again ;) and I have trouble with the 7 and 8 of Coins/Pentacles. They both seem very much the same: both about effort paying off, patience and taking the long view, getting rewards but there being still further to go, stick-at-it. I even muddle them at first glance and mistake which one has turned up! Lately they are turning up quite often and of course when they both appear in a reading they need to be distinguished, each to convey its own message. They're cards I need to work on to get the concept(s!) clearer in my head anyway. Some people write about them as quite negative in meaning while others take them more positively: rewards, versus not there yet. I've been working with the Universal Waite (as it was in the house anyway - from years ago) until today when the Gilded Tarot arrived that I ordered :) and these two are quite different in this deck. The Seven shows a woman by a tree bearing 'fruit' Pentacles, clearly about reaping the rewards of work, clearly about not-yet. The Eight looks like a student. Makes me think of an idea - can't remember where I came across it - that the pip cards go up in threes, each group a beginning-middle-end of learning: material, social, spiritual (something like that). So the 7 Coins would be the start of a spiritual 'course of learning' and the 8 would be its peak, leading to the 9. Unless the groups are 2-3-4, 5-6-7, 8-9-10... I need to look that idea up again! The 7 certainly looks more like an end and the 8 a beginning, in the Gilded deck. (Come to think of it that idea may have been on the Gaian Tarot website... don't take my word for it though!) Still working on getting my sig working so I'll sign off: MandMaud :D

... bump?

sorry I have been dealing with a family emergency this week - not ignoring posts I promise. The seven of pentacles to me means someone who has achieved a lot, but they still feel something is missing - they haven't quite discovered that little extra something that they need to feel fulfilled, despite all their hard work. 7's are more introspective and tend to speak of things within the self. Also, in this card the one coin lies at the mans feet, but he's focused on those coins in the distance. Perhaps it means placing ones energy in the distance rather than focusing on the blessings that are.

Eight of coins is more about hard work at a craft, taking something you love doing and making it profitable through hard work. When work isn't like work anymore, because you are just passionate about what you do and things just flow easily. If they are coming up together it could mean you are working hard towards a goal and seeing progress, recognizing your talents etc. but just a little hint of "something missing" there - maybe a need to slightly tweak or alter your goals a bit to include this.

Don't apologise! There are others, it's a forum :) and I think this just got missed. Thanx for your distinction between the 7 and 8, that's very clear and I can work it into all the thoughts/feelings around these. The 'something missing' refers to the project of learning Tarot, methinx! I hope your emergency sorts itself out ok. MandMaud

Woo, that turned out long.