My Witch of Endor tendencies...

Yeah, yeah... they're just cards... and in this case, virtual cards at that. But... like horoscopes, I've had some pretty insightful tarot readings too. Like the one I got for free from tarot.com on my birthday. (Only downside to tarot.com is that cards don't ever seem to come up reversed, which can be pretty significant with real cards.) It was a traditional Celtic Cross spread, focusing on the challenges of the upcoming semester.

I got the Eight of Swords in the Self position, the World in Situation, the Knight of Wands in Challenges/Opportunities, Strength in the Foundation, the Nine of Coins in Recent Past, the King of Wands in Higher Power, the Hanged Man in Near Future, the Page of Swords in Blocks & Inhibitions, the Queen of Swords is my Ally and Advise comes from the Queen of Coins. And Eight of Coins is my Long-Term Potential. Now, if you're a hard-core tarot person who doesn't have to look up meanings of cards and you know what I'm doing this semester, this could be a "woah!" moment.

Here's what it means for those who might care:

I'm about to have quite the trial this semester. I knew this going into it, so this card wasn't a surprise, other than it was rather obviously apt. Eight of Swords in the Tolkien deck (which is my favorite deck - big surprise!) is Sam preparing to attack Shelob in defense of Frodo, who lies poisoned. And like Sam, I'm going to need my wits and a sharp sword (in my case, a figurative one) to get through this. The World is my Situation... Oy... Basically, it's in my hand to possess and conquer or throw away - But hey, no pressure or anything! My Challenge card? Faramir preparing to battle the orcs in Osgilliath. (Do we see a theme here?) Not all will happen as planned and I have to keep a sharp eye and strong nerves to stay on top of things. Lucky for me that my Foundation is Strength, represented by the White Tree of the King at the dawn of the Fourth Age. This card in this position shows that "someone somewhere showed [me]..." that "there is no chaos so fierce or frightening that it can't be tamed and led to serve the greater good. This skill gives [me] the courage that empowers [me] to go with confidence into the lion's den." And the theme of going into a great battle continues... But this is good 'cause apparently, I can handle it... as long as I remember:

1.) ... that I got through last semester without blowing a gasket and to be proud of that accomplishment. (That would be the Nine of Coins card in Recent Past - even if it is represented by the Nine Rings given to Men.)

2.) ... that I need to take control of the situation with as much enthusiasm as I can muster and let the encouragement of those around me support that effort (That would be King of Wands).

3.) ... to not let the little things get me down... like Faramir almost getting burned alive on the Hanged Man card in my Near Future. He almost died... lost all the men under his command... his dad went nuts, tried to kill him and then died himself, but did he let any of that get him down? No! He went out there, got better and won Eowyn's heart (not that it was particularly hard at that point, but I digress...) Likewise, I must remember that I am *that* good, I *can* do it, and bleak feelings will not help me, only hinder - tossing them aside as soon as possible and getting on with things will serve me well.

4.) ... that I must avoid my self-deprecating tendencies. (Reiterating the warning above in the Page of Swords on my Inhibitions card.)

5.) ... The Queen of Swords (represented as Eowyn immediately after she has slain the Witch King)... This is a person (male or female) who has become an ally of mine in the challenge that this semester poses. I can't help but think that this is Professor Manolaraki. It may also be Dr. Milton, but since Prof. M has been *so* very helpful and encouraging, I think it's her. The Queen of Swords is "a canny, articulate... mentally imposing person" who "is a warrior of the mind" and now, my ally.

6.) ... Queen of Coins (Luthien convincing the Valar to allow Beren to live again)... She is my Advice. I should take heart in what I have and trust it. I have my parents, I have food and money enough to live and more. I want for nothing. I have wonderful friends and family who are extremely supportive. If I remember all of this, I will be able to get over any negativity all the sooner.

In short, I have *mad* *skills*, as they say. My Long-Term Potential (Eight of Coins), indicates that if I take my abilities seriously and don't fall into "my own worst enemy" mode, I can do just about anything I want to do and I can overcome just about anything. So, as long as I follow through and work damn hard, this semester will be, if not a cake walk, at least very doable and worthwhile.