8 is a number of setting priorities and goals, organizing your life, systems, regeneration and structure, practicality, balance and symmetry. On its side 8 resembles the lemniscate - a symbol of infinity. Cups are associated with the element of water, with emotions, love, pleasure in life, matters pertaining to the unconscious, intuition and inner planes. This card is sometimes seen as indicating a period of disillusionment; a time to walk away from it all and reflect upon what matter to you.  Reversed it can indicate looking at psychic or intuitive experiences and re-evaluating them; deciding which psychic tools are most appealing to you.  It may also be warning against over-organizing and warning that you need to trust your instincts and psychic intuition.

"Reflecting on relationships and thinking over what you like and don't like about them.  Putting your emotions into some kind of order and finding ways of categorizing or analyzing your feelings.  Establishing emotional priorities  among several relationships or within a single relationship." - Gail Fairfield

Interesting that I drew this card today because I've been considering walking away from a professional organization of which I am president.  I still care about the other members of the board and about the goals of the organization, but I've been feeling rather burned out and overwhelmed lately.  I think the majority of this is the situation with the mom-in-law and brother-in-law.  Some of it is due to the fact that I'm so unfocused and undecided about things.  I'm waffling on a number of fronts. 

I think it is time to prioritize things on an emotional level.  For the past few years I've been passionate about doll collecting but lately that passion has been turned down to a simmer.  I am becoming more passionate and interested in cooking (which is a wonderful way for me to justify all the cookbooks I've been acquiring).  Tarot has remained a constant during this time, ebbing and flowing like the tides.  The reality is that I cannot afford to indulge all my passions at the same time.  Even if money was not an issue, time and energy would be.  I don't think I'm every going to walk away from my doll hobby but I do think it might be time to focus my priorities on another area.

I think this is also Tarot's subtle way of reminding me that it's time to get my priorities straight as it pertains to some type of career path.  I need to figure out what I am passionate about when it comes to a job.  Do I want something I know I can deal with for the next few years but won't engage me on an emotional level?  Or do I need to find something that will engage not only my mind but my heart as well.  I had that once and it ended up being very painful when it was taken away.  However that doesn't invalidate the time and effort I dedicated to that agency and what I learned from my time there.  Besides the reality is that I know I cannot be happy at a job that I cannot commit to in body, mind and sprit.  I'm just not that kind of person.  I need to focus on what I truly want to do deep within my heart of hearts, in my dreams.  What would be my dream job?  It's been so long since I really considered this (mainly because my dream job at one time was being director of Duncan Center and I've achieved that), that I'm not sure anymore.  I don't know if I ever bothered to dream a new dream.  Something to start pondering.