Card of the Week: Eight of Rods

Sometimes even an unseen force can still have tremendous power.  Even something as simple as an idea or an inspiration can make you feel giddy, swept away in a rush of enthusiasm.

The Eight of Rods indicates activities and energies that are on the “fast track.”  Perhaps business deals are being accelerated by the speed of modern communications, or there could be an actual race underway in which you are only one participant speeding toward a goal.  Appreciate the fast pace of developments, even while keeping an eye out for hazards that might otherwise be missed in haste.

Inverted, this card is a reminder that those overlooked hazards are important.  Too much haste can lead to miscommunication, wasted energy, panic, discord, disputes, regrets and remorse.

In “Wink of an Eye”, the Enterprise responds to a distress call recording from the planet Scalos, but a landing party finds no inhabitants.  After the landing party returns to the ship, even as the ship exhibits a rapid series of malfunctions and an alien device is discovered, the invaders still cannot be found.  Captain Kirk suddenly vanishes from the sight of the bridge crew, but from his perspective the rest of the crew has slowed to a near halt.  The Scalosians have accelerated his time sense to match theirs, a much faster rate than normal, and believe the change to be permanent.  Their Queen, Deela, wants Kirk to join with her to become their King.  Instead, an accelerated Spock helps Kirk destroy their device and send the Scalosians back to their planet, then repairs the ship at high speed before using an antidote to return to normal.