What they mean together
The Five of Cups is the blow: something didn't turn out the way you hoped. The Eight of Cups is the decision that usually follows, picking up your staff and walking away from what no longer fulfills you. Together they tell of a goodbye that grows out of disappointment. The big question is whether you're leaving to find something better or to avoid feeling what hurts, because the sadness travels with you if you don't face it first.
In love
A relationship that has let you down and that you're pulling away from, maybe already on the inside. If you're single, you need some time alone to figure out what you really want before opening up again.
Career and money
You were turned down for something you were counting on and you're thinking about leaving. It could be the push you needed, as long as you leave with a plan and not just anger.
An example
After five years at the company, the promotion went to someone else and you're wondering if it's time to go. The Five and Eight of Cups come up. The disappointment is legitimate, and the Eight says you may no longer find what you need here. Even so, the Five reminds you of the two cups still standing: what you've learned, your contacts and your reputation are still yours. Start looking at openings calmly, update your résumé and don't announce anything until you have something more solid.
By position in the spread
In the past
You left somewhere after a letdown, and that exit still explains some of your decisions today. Maybe it hurt to go at the time, and now you see it was the right call.
In the present
You're caught between sadness over what didn't happen and the urge to look for something else. Give yourself a few days to separate the anger from what you really want.
In the future
The time will come to walk away from something that has disappointed you. You'll travel lighter if you've grieved what you needed to grieve first.
If they come up reversed
If the Five of Cups is reversed, you're coming to terms with the loss and can decide more calmly. With the Eight upside down, fear keeps you in a place that no longer fulfills you, or you leave and come back again and again. With both reversed, the grief is unresolved and any decision made now may be rushed.
Before you leave, write down three things you're looking for and can't find where you are.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Five and Eight of Cups telling me to leave my relationship?
They point to a major disappointment and a wish to pull away. They don't decide for you, but they do ask whether there are still cups standing or whether you're already looking elsewhere for what you can't find here.
Is leaving running away or a good decision?
It depends on where you're headed. If you know what you're looking for, the Eight of Cups is a healthy exit. If you just want to stop feeling the hurt of the Five, it's better to wait a bit and talk it over with someone you trust.
To read them separately, here is the meaning of Five of Cups and of Eight of Cups. And if they came up in a three card spread, look at the position each one landed in too.
Other combinations with these cards
Drew a different pair? Look it up in the combination finder.