Odysseus Faces Scylla and Charybdis
Great trials may lie before you, and the path seems fraught with danger.
Keep your wits, your courage, and your course.
Though the journey is perilous, you will pass through and return in safety.
Even the most dangerous waters can be crossed with a steady mind.
Between Scylla and Charybdis
Odysseus must sail through a strait bordered by two terrors: Scylla, who seizes sailors from the deck, and Charybdis, a whirlpool capable of swallowing the entire ship. Circe warns him that no choice is without loss. Odysseus keeps the vessel away from total destruction, though six companions are taken by Scylla. The passage represents decisions made under constraint, when wisdom means preserving the whole rather than pretending a painless route exists.
Meaning of This Lot
This lot expresses its lesson through Odysseus Faces Scylla and Charybdis. Great trials may lie before you, and the path seems fraught with danger. Keep your wits, your courage, and your course.
Its practical counsel is therefore specific: career: Strong opportunity; act with confidence.; wealth: Moderate gains through prudent choices.; love: Exceptional harmony and lasting devotion are favored.; health: Condition is stable with sensible care.; relationships: Cooperation improves through sincerity.; travel: Highly favorable travel brings discovery and success. The overall judgment is good fortune, so act in proportion to that sign—welcome openings where they are offered, but respect every warning contained in the verses.