foul-weatherfriend asked: Hi, I applied to the school of my dreams and I am not sure if I am cut out for it, should I continue to pursue this dream and my career?
If they are dumb enough to say no to you, Querent, make them do it more than once! This past week I went to my partner’s graduation from the school of his dreams; the first time he applied, he didn’t get in. Where would he (or I) be now if he’d decided to take that as a sign that he wasn’t cut out for it?
The Lovers indicates that it’s a good match and a noble choice. I hope you get the answer you’re looking for!
troublingenigma-deactivated2013 asked: I entered a relationship without my mom knowing and i really wish to talk to her about it. Im scared that she'd hurt him if i did though. Should i still try to talk to her?
Wow. Ignoring everything I know about the actual card meanings for a moment, I have to say that the layout above looks exactly like an illustration of your fear — the woman on the left creating a magical explosion that seems to result in the guy on the Tower card being blown right out the window.
Look, I can’t say I have enough info here to tell you what the wisest or safest thing is to do. Sometimes parents are monstrous for good reasons, and sometimes they’re monstrous for terrible reasons. And sometimes, they’re just monsters. There are times when you can make things worse by telling, and times when you can make things worse by not telling. Learning to tell the difference is part of growing up, and unfortunately sometimes the consequences either way can be quite steep.
I’m not psychic or anything like that. But I did get a chill looking at the images above, and seeing that you specifically chose the word “hurt” to describe what she might do. My weak, weaselly answer is that you should explore this relationship for a while and see if it goes anywhere before deciding whether it’s worth talking to Mom about.
In the meantime, please follow your instincts and do talk to someone else about all this. Not just a friend, but someone older who you can trust. If anything bad does happen as a result of all this, it’s invaluable to have someone who knows the situation and who just might be able to help.
Anonymous asked: My life has always been a sort of whirlwind-things rarely go as planned and often don't go so well. Lately, it seems that I am getting opportunities that might mean my dreams will come true: Should I take these chances, throw myself out there, and hope everything works out okay? Thank you very much.
If eyes are suddenly on you, then give ‘em a show, Querent! Please don’t psych yourself out by thinking in terms of your dreams coming true, or about how stuff didn’t work out in the past. The Magician can’t afford to think about these things, he has to remain fully in the present moment, alert and attentive to what’s happening in the audience right this second. Throw yourself out there, observe what happens, and try to take the future just one card-trick at a time from there.
Anonymous asked: i'm happily in a relationship, but my boyfriend has been talking to a girl that has a partner. normally i wouldn't care, but this girl is notoriously known to cheat. the thing i'm worried about is that they only seem to talk about her sex life. they've only known each other for a few months, they met when we were temporarily broken up. will they amount to anything further? or basically, what i'm asking is if he is going to cheat on me?
I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Querent… from him, at least. After all, he seems to be fairly up-front with you about what’s happening, and I’m sure you’ve voiced your concerns. This is one of those situation where the ball lands right on the line, and one of you calls “FOUL” and the other calls “SAFE.” These things happen. It’s all in how you conduct yourself as you make your case.
She’s the problem, not your boyfriend. She has a history of not respecting boundaries, and she’s acting inappropriately by jeopardizing her own relationship (I’m assuming) as well as your bf’s with all the sex talk. Your bf is acting inappropriately by indulging in sex talk with a partnered female — if for no other reason than he knows it makes you profoundly uncomfortable.
I think it’s fair to ask your boyfriend to let this girl know that the sex talk is creating problems in your relationship. You’ll both learn a lot about her from how she responds. If she takes it seriously and reins it in, then you’ve pretty much got to respect that. If she doesn’t take it seriously and persists with the sexy sexiness, then it proves that she doesn’t care about what the consequences of her actions are, and that means she’s not a safe person to socialize with.
But the bottom line is: you have concerns, your bf isn’t acknowledging them, and this is eroding your trust. That’s the conversation you need to have with him: What is he getting out of this that is worth making you feel so terrible and anxious? If he’s fairly young and/or inexperienced, he may still be learning how his actions affect other people’s feelings in a relationship.
Be patient. This isn’t a competition between you and her, it’s an opportunity for you and he to learn how to more effectively love and listen to each other.
Anonymous asked: I am currently homeless and staying with a friend until I can get back on my feet. My life is still one mad whirl as an artist, performer, theater designer and I work part-time at the theater where I do all this work. As my theater work is community based, there is no pay. I have dreams of success in some field that I am involved in and would love to be able to make a living at it. Or am I to be a part-time janitor the rest of my life?
Your concern is somewhat related to Mike’s just below, so I shouldn’t be surprised to see the Five of Coins resurfacing here. Reading from left to right, here is the story I see playing out:
1. You devote yourself to art, resolving to work hard and make the best of whatever comes your way financially speaking
2. You endure all sorts of hardship based on this decision, and lack many of the comforts enjoyed by those around you
3. You emerge on the other side of this as someone whose talent has been forged in the fire of endurance. You have the courage of your convictions, you’ve learned how to do a lot with just a little, your optimism has become leavened with realism, and inevitably your artistic accomplishments begin to be acknowledged by a larger circle of people.
I’m someone who’s gutted it out along a similar path, and it can be a long one. In my opinion, the key to (eventual) success and stability are fourfold: quality, quantity, personality, and longevity. No one or two (or even three) of these are necessarily enough in their own right. If it requires you to be a part-time janitor for another five years, is that worth it? I think so, but I don’t think it will come to that.
One thing: don’t get so swept up in your dreams and ambitions that you forget to take care of yourself and those around you. I work a lot more hours than I’d rather, just so I can satisfy my creative and my material needs. You have your entire lifetime to inspire people with your artwork — you can afford to take time here and there to learn how to provide for yourself.
On a practical note: learn how to apply for grants. Write to people who actually get paid to do what you do, and ask how you can follow in their footsteps. Offer to assist or intern. Look three steps ahead of where you are now and begin connecting the dots. Best of luck to you, Querent!
