What does Eight of Wands mean reversed?

The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading: Delays, missed or contradictory messages; or a hurry that breeds errors and misunderstandings.

What are the Kabbalah and astrology correspondences of Eight of Wands?

In the Golden Dawn system Eight of Wands corresponds to the sephirah Hod, the element Fire and Mercury in Sagittarius in astrology.

Thoth Tarot · Minor Arcana

Eight of Wands — Swiftness

Swiftness

swiftness · communication · momentum · movement · news

A reflective starting point

What is Eight of Wands — Swiftness asking you to look at?

Meaning changes with the position, the surrounding cards and your question. Take what follows as a language, not a verdict.

Read this card in a ritual Draw it from your own deck

Upright

Things are moving fast: respond promptly and use the favourable wave while it lasts.

At first sight

Speed, messages, journeys, news that arrives all at once. It points to rapid developments, travel, decisive communications and solutions found in a flash.

Within you

The mind lit up by enthusiasm: thoughts racing and seeking immediate expression. It asks you to give the speed a direction so that it does not become agitation.

On the path

Fire in Hod, the Splendour of the intellect, with Mercury in Sagittarius in the first decan: will transformed into thought and signal. Swiftness is fire turned into luminous vibration, energy that travels more than it burns.

The shadow

Ill-dignified, it signals haste, scatter, hurried words, misunderstood messages or impulsive departures.

Reversed

In the Thoth tradition a reversed card is read through its dignity with the neighbouring cards; this is its shadow side.

Delays, missed or contradictory messages; or a hurry that breeds errors and misunderstandings.

In love, work and spirit

Love. Messages, declarations, love at first sight; a relationship that suddenly speeds up.

Work. Awaited news, fast contracts, projects gaining speed; clear communication helps.

Spirit. Light as the messenger of the Will: sudden intuitions to be welcomed and checked.

Correspondences

Hod · Fire · Mercury in Sagittarius

Crowley's note

The Thoth deck shows beams of electric light crossing beneath a rainbow and drawing a geometric solid: energy as a light wave, the pure speed of thought.