Eight of Wands (Swiftness)

Just pulled another card for tonight (as opposed to the rest of the day, which is already behind me) and came up with the Eight of Wands. Interesting that the meaning of this card is swiftness, quick action, conclusion or news. While the seven of pentacles, which I pulled earlier is all about sitting back and assessing. In one sense, the cards are total opposites, but in anothet it only makes sense that a burst of action should follow a time of assessment.

Pertinent info from LearnTarot:

In readings, the Eight of Wands is often a sign that now is the time to declare yourself. All the elements are ready and will work for you as long as you don’t hesitate. The iron is hot - so strike! If events are in motion, they will proceed rapidly. You may feel caught in a whirlwind, but soon the dust will settle, and you see how your plans have fared.

The Eight of Wands also stands for the arrival of news or information. You may see or hear something important. The news could show up in a disguised form, so stay alert. Pay attention to everything that comes your way for a while.

I like that idea of “declaration”, so I will throw that into Google News and see what further unfolds from articles there:

1. Montenegro is voting to declare separation from Serbia
2. Bill would declare English as official language
3. Nepal has recently declared itself a secular state

And an interesting quote from an LA Times article:

When Mao made his famous declaration to “destroy the old and establish the new,” everyone was thrilled at the prospect of a revolution, including myself. “Born in the old society but grown up under the Red Flag,” my generation was too young to have shared in the excitement of the country’s founding in 1949. But now Chairman Mao said that we would have a revolution every seven or eight years, so I thought myself lucky, calculating that I could experience several of them during my lifetime.

From the above, it seems like it’s mostly nations and governments that make “declarations” and they tend to be pretty bold moves, for the most part. Mixed up in that is a lot of power, and potentially some hubris as well. But more than anything there seems to be a commitment to change. A revolution as a turning over from the old to the new. This card doesn’t seem to speak about what happens after that, but is all about that moment of upheaval, of moving forward.