The Tarot of Eli 2: Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot-Eight of Pentacles & The Animal Totem Tarot- 8 of Pentacles

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The Rider-Waite-Smith-Eight of Pentacles Tarot card is again more prosaic and traditional than Western Hermetic Qabalistic Tarot, as it shows a craftsman at his work on finishing one disk while paying attention to details. There are six finished ones are hanging and the seventh is on the floor, implying overreaching. The Divinatory meaning of the Waite card is, skill, prudence and over carefulness about trivial things, at the expense of the great. However, it is also about skill, work, labor, employment, skilled craftsmanship, and business.

The Animal Totem Tarot-8 of Pentacles illustrates and image of learning. Here a young Mountain Goat is standing on a mountain overlooking the precipice. When your life depends on where you place your feet, every step you take is well thought out until it becomes muscle memory. By mastering your footwork, you master your craft and muscle memory becomes skill.

The 8 of Pentacles implies skill created by hanging in there and keep at it. Here, practice makes perfect and before you realize it your skills will generate a big demand. So do what you do, for it means a lot to you and you alone.

The mountain goat is a potent and dignified animal spirit in both indigenous traditions and Hermetic metaphysics. As a Totem, Power Animal, and Spirit Guide, it carries the essence of elevation, surefooted progress, and spiritual tenacity. Let’s explore each of its roles through a Western Hermetic lens.

🏔️ Mountain Goat as a Totem Animal

As a totem, the mountain goat symbolizes mastery through persistence. It teaches individuals how to navigate steep, precarious paths — metaphorical or literal — with balance, poise, and inner strength. This animal embodies those who:

• Take the higher path in life, often alone.

• Climb through challenges, drawing wisdom from hardship.

• Maintain focus and resolve, even when others falter.

From a Hermetic view, the mountain goat totem links with the zodiac sign Capricorn, ruled by Saturn — the Lord of Time and Structure. It evokes Binah on the Tree of Life, where discipline and divine understanding refine the soul through limitation. Thus, the goat teaches the adept to find transcendence through the climb, rather than by avoiding the ascent.

🔥 Mountain Goat as a Power Animal

When invoked as a power animal, the goat bestows the ability to:

• Persevere when paths are uncertain or blocked.

• Ascend spiritually, overcoming material attachments.

• Establish solid foundations in life’s ambitions.

The mountain goat’s power is not flashy, but enduring. It is the power of controlled ambition, the steady rhythm of climbing higher with each step. In Hermetic magick, this aligns with the discipline of the initiate, who must scale the heights of consciousness without falling to distraction. Call on the mountain goat in times when your will must be tempered with wisdom and patience.

Magickally, one might invoke the mountain goat spirit when working through Capricornian themes:

• Career growth

• Initiatory trials

• Building a personal legacy

• Discipline in ritual and daily practice

🕊️ Mountain Goat as a Spirit Guide

As a spirit guide, the mountain goat may appear during phases of inner initiation, especially when one is:

• At a crossroads or experiencing spiritual tests

• Being called to rise above ego-driven desires

• Asked to trust the journey, even when alone

This guide teaches that spiritual progress is not a race, but a pilgrimage. Its lessons are quiet but persistent. A goat spirit might lead you to hermitage, contemplation, or higher altitudes—both physically and metaphorically—so you may gain perspective from above.

Its appearance is an omen of success through hardship, and a call to take the high road in all situations.

🜂 Hermetic Symbolism & Qabalistic Correspondences

• Planetary: Saturn – restriction, wisdom, boundaries

• Sephirothic: Binah – Understanding and the Sacred Feminine Womb of Form

• Elemental: Earth – solid ground, endurance, manifestation

• Zodiacal: Capricorn – the climbing goatfish, ruler of time and slow transformation

The goat may also serve as a symbolic guardian to path 32 on the Tree of Life, which connects Malkuth to Yesod, where the climb from physical matter to subconscious awareness begins. Therefore, I will supply a Western Hermetic Magic invocation ritual for the Spirit of the Mountain Goat below.

The Western Hermetic Thoth 8 of disks calls the otherwise traditional card "Prudence" and has assigned this 8 of Pentacles card the Sun in the house of Virgo. Individuals with the Sun in Virgo often exhibit distinctive characteristics associated with this zodiac sign. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication and intellect, influencing their traits. Here are some unique characteristics of someone with their Sun in Virgo:

1. Analytical and Detail-Oriented: Virgos have a keen eye for detail and are highly analytical. They excel in tasks that require precision and attention to minutiae.

2. Practical and Grounded: Virgos are known for their practicality and down-to-earth nature. They prefer tangible, realistic solutions and are not prone to flights of fancy.

3. Organized and Efficient: Virgos thrive in organized environments. They have a natural ability to streamline processes and ensure efficiency, making them excellent planners and organizers.

4. Service-Oriented: Virgos derive satisfaction from helping others. They often find fulfillment in acts of service and are willing to go the extra mile to support those around them.

5. Critical Thinkers: Virgos have a sharp mind and are critical thinkers. They enjoy problem-solving and are adept at finding logical solutions to challenges.

6. Modesty and Humility: Virgos are typically modest and humble, preferring to let their actions speak louder than words. They may downplay their achievements and seek improvement continually.

7. Health-Conscious: Virgos are mindful of their well-being and often adopt healthy lifestyles. They pay attention to diet, exercise, and overall self-care to maintain optimal health.

8. Worry Prone: While their analytical minds serve them well, Virgos may sometimes overanalyze and become prone to worrying. It's important for them to find a balance and not let anxiety dominate their thoughts.

9. Discerning Tastes: Virgos often have refined and discerning tastes. Whether it's in the arts, fashion, or any other aspect of life, they appreciate quality and craftsmanship.

Understanding these traits can provide insights into the personality of individuals with their Sun in Virgo. Keep in mind that the overall astrological profile, including the Moon and rising signs, contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of a person's characteristics.

For all of you fantastic Tarot readers walking the Shamanic path, this ritual honors the Mountain Goat as a guardian spirit of Path 32, the Tav Path connecting Malkuth (Earth) to Yesod (Foundation/Lunar Self). This is the path of ascension from the physical to the astral, a shamanic gateway often walked in solitude, discipline, and visionary climbing. Below is a Western Hermetic–Shamanic hybrid ritual that unites Qabalistic symbolism with animistic spirit invocation.

🏔️ Ritual of Ascent: Union with the Spirit of the Mountain Goat

Purpose: To align with the Mountain Goat as a power animal and initiate ascent from Malkuth to Yesod on the Qabalistic Tree. To gain sure-footedness, discipline, and visionary endurance.

🔮 Preparation

• Day/Hour: Saturn day or hour (or during a Capricorn moon)

• Tools:

  • A printed or drawn sigil of the Mountain Goat (place on your altar or heart)

  • A stone (preferably black tourmaline or onyx) for grounding

  • A candle (gray, dark green, or black)

  • Incense: pine, myrrh, or mountain sage

  • A bowl of spring water and a handful of salt (to mix for purification)

🌀 Ritual Structure

1. Circle of Foundation (Opening)

Stand and form a circle with salt around your working space.

Say:

"I stand in Malkuth, Earth beneath, Spirit above.
Let the path of Tav be open to me.
I call upon the spirit of the Mountain Goat,
who climbs between worlds — guardian of the high places,
keeper of the solitary way."

Sprinkle the water and salt mix around you in a clockwise circle.

2. Lighting the Flame of Resolve

Light the candle and place it before the sigil. Gaze into the flame and say:

"By Saturn's ring and Capricorn's climb,
I walk the steep path with your power as mine.
Hoof and horn, wind and stone,
Mountain Goat, I walk alone.
Show me how to rise, to trust the rock,
to find the step where others balk."

3. Visionary Ascent (Shamanic Journey)

Sit in meditation, eyes half-closed. Breathe deeply and slow. Visualize:

• Yourself at the base of a high mountain.

• The Mountain Goat appears and looks at you. It nods, turns, and begins to ascend.

• Follow it step by step. The climb may be steep, lonely, or even frightening.

• Halfway, the wind howls. You may feel doubt. Keep following.

• Eventually, you reach a glowing silver gateway — the veil of Yesod.

• The Mountain Goat stands at the threshold, glowing with Saturnian light.

• Merge your breath with its — feel its strength enter you.

Stay in this visualization 10–15 minutes.

4. Invocation of Union

Stand and face the east.

Say aloud:

"Horned one of the heights,
Sure-footed master of the cliff and sky,
Spirit of silent paths,
I invoke thee and ask:
Climb within me.
Give me eyes that see afar,
A soul that does not slip,
And legs that walk the sacred stones
Between the body and the moon."

Hold your hands over the sigil. Feel the resonance of the goat’s strength entering your solar plexus and knees — your center of will and grounding.

5. Closing the Path

Thank the Mountain Goat and offer the stone back to the earth or a natural place later in the day.

Say:

"I return from the high path, but I carry it within.
The guardian of Tav walks with me still.
From Malkuth to Yesod, from root to dream,
My step is sure, my soul serene."

Extinguish the candle and close the circle counterclockwise.

When the 8 of Pentacles/ 8 of Pentacles is thrown during a reading, the querent is:

• In a moment of creative birth of 8 weeks or 8 months, requiring the practice of physical caution, carefulness, and prudence. 
• Experiencing a type of physical wisdom radiating from an inner place of balance and integration.
• Making sure that all the bases are covered; every "t" crossed and every "i" dotted.
• Making intelligent choices, like taking small steps instead of trying to do everything at once, thus making the material world more closely conform with one's needs. 
• Experiencing the possibility of turning a talent or skill into a profession.
•  Skill in work with energy and forms, such as fingers working on a manipulative substance.
• So focused on the minute they are unable to see the larger picture.

If reversed, it implies: 

• Focusing too tightly on the minute details and not seeing the big picture, causing them to never finish a project!
• Not seeing the forest for the trees. (Looking only at the idea of profit and not seeing the lies and plots that will bankrupt them),

Thank you for your interest, comments, and supportive donations. May you live long and prosper!

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