Still in all these sinister aspects the influence of this card can be materially modified, but never counteracted, through intervention of bright cards.
Eight of Spades—Upright. This card is ordinarily of bad import, as its primary signification is sickness, although it is more generally interpreted as bad news. This is its acceptation when preceded by the knave of spades or the knave of diamonds, or when accompanied by the ace of diamonds, and sometimes by the eight of hearts, reversed.
When this card signifies sickness, its synonyms are:
Illness of the body, soul or mind; bad condition of health or of business; derangement; infirmity; epidemic; gangrene; agony; displeasure; damage; mishap; accidental injury; disaster; indisposition; head-ache; heart-ache; inquietude; melancholy; medicine; remedy; charlatan; empiric; physician; quack; languor.
Sometimes, however, this card is employed to designate prudence, whence we have as secondary significations:
Wisdom; reserve; circumspection; reticence; discernment; foresight; presentiment; prediction; divination; prophecy; horoscope; second sight; clairvoyance.
Eight of Spades—Reversed. Unlike other cards, the reversal of this one brings with it a modification of its primary significations. Hence, when coming out reversed, it most generally signifies ambition, a passion for which we have synonyms as follows:
Desire; wish for; search after; cupidity; jealousy; aspiration; onward; higher; illusion; pride.
Another primary signification bestowed upon this card when emerging reversed, is that of a nun or pious woman, whence we derive the secondary signification usually applied to this card and expressed in the synonyms:
Inaction; peace; tranquillity; repose; apathy; inertia; stagnation; rest from labor; pastime, recreation; nonchalance; free from care; idleness; supineness; lethargy; torpidity.