The Ace of Wands represents the beginning of action, the spark of an idea. Given the fiery nature of Wands, we should expect that enthusiasm, passion, optimism along with a strong desire to achieve goals will be the fuel that energizes the initiation of action. The Eight of Cups stands for dissatisfaction and it's expressing the desire to withdraw, to walk away from a situation, to change, as we hear the calling of a new or different future. In some cases the Eight of Cups can even indicate betrayal. The combination of the Ace of Wands and the Eight of Cups foretells an exciting new beginning that ends up in disappointment.
The elements of the cards are Fire (Ace of Wands) and Water (Eight of Cups). A poor combination that shows a battle between the two elements, as Fire and Water are enemies. In this case, water wins, as the strength of the Eight of Cups cannot be overcome by the weak energy of the Ace of Wands. The Eight of Cups has experienced all the previous stages, all the way from the Ace of Cups to the Seven of Cups and is now more confident about the direction it wants to take and for that reason it beats the weak energy of the Ace of Wands.