Time Flies with the VIII of Wands

I like to write these blog posts at the spur of the moment. In my mind there is this dream to batch them ahead of time and have one always ready to go. But in reality, I’m usually just finishing them off the day before if I’m lucky. But there is something nice about that. It makes these posts feel relevant and timely.

This week, I asked my boyfriend to pick a card at random for me to write about for this blog post. He responded that he didn’t know the name of any of the cards. I said, “Just pick any one that is in a deck of cards, like the 8 of clubs.” To which he replied, “Ok then, the 8 of clubs.”

Isn’t he precious?

But honestly, it’s the perfect card for this week, or this time of the my time. So, here we go, a blog post about the 8 of clubs, known in the tarot deck as the VIII of Wands. In case you were wondering, I read the suits from a deck of standard playing cards as follows : Clubs = Wands, Spades = Swords, Diamonds = Pentacles, and Hearts = Cups.

VIII of Wands from the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.

Why do I feel like the VIII of Wands is the perfect card for this week? Mostly because it shows rapid movement, time flying, messages coming in hot and fast, and swift change happening. That’s how I feel about my life right now. Summer flew by. It was passionate, exciting, full, busy, and inspiring. And now it is coming to an end and it felt like quite the whirlwind.

Wasn’t it just June?!


I say that life is busy, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. There is such a thing as good busy. It’s when you feel in the flow, when you’re doing what you’re interested in and excited about, when you want to keep going even if you’re getting a little tired. I stack my summer full of activities and events on purpose, because it feels good to be out there doing things. I want to channel the frenetic energy of the VIII of Wands. It was a conscious choice.


The Wands in the image from the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck pictured here are on their way downward. Eventually, all that energy will get expended and the momentum of the Wands through space with decrease. The Wands will fall to the earth, hopefully rooting into some fertile soil or composting to enrich and replenish your exhausted natural resources. There can be fun and joy in the rapid movement of a busy season, but hopefully it also leaves you with a little nourishment that you can use to restore yourself in a slow season.

The VIII of Wands also brings to me a feeling of endings. The energy that was so rapid starts to dissipate. Summer is coming to a close in the next few weeks. It isn’t over just yet, but the climax has long since peaked and we are just cruising into fall. Here in Vermont, the leaves are starting to change, the days are noticeably shorter, and the nights are decidedly chillier. It’s time to go from swimming holes to chopping wood. Mornings require a little research into the temperature to pick an outfit. It’s time to start contemplating pumpkin spiced items for sale.

I’m not going to say I’m ready for it. Summer passed too quickly for me. I could use another month of hot weather and sunshine and beach days. But what can you do? Time moves on its own accord, whether fast or slow. I’ve never figured out a way to make it conform to my wishes no matter how present and still or frantic and rushed I become. There is a feeling with the VIII of Wands that things are out of own hands. “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills”, as intoned in my favorite fantasy series, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. That always makes me think of the Wheel of Fortune card, but that’s a topic for another day….

As September takes hold, and we dive deeper into Virgo season, now is a wonderful time to take stock, to get organized, to plan for the next quarter or chapter of our year. What messages did you receive from the VIII of Wands that you want to utlize or carry forward into the next season of your life? I’ve decided to dust off my old planner that I created and make a new edition for 2025. I took this year off and tried out a different planner, but it just didn’t have the heart and soul (and personalization!) of the one I usually create. If you’re interested in the Willow Path Tarot planner, let me know and I’ll keep you informed of my progress on updating it for 2025.


In the meantime, I hope the VIII of Wands brings you the good news you are waiting to hear. I hope it carries you forward towards the changes in your life that you seek. And I hope it denotes a good busy that has you excited, inspired, and enthusiastic. See you next week!