Eight of Rods

Man, why do some cards have to be so confusing? What am I supposed to get from eight rods flying through the air? Exuberance? Freedom? Anger enough to throw rods? Surprise resulting from something weird flying by? I'm at a loss, here. That, I suppose, is the downfall of the system. Some of the images are so abstract that nothing but deep familiarity with your deck will ever lend to fully understanding what the art is trying to represent. I guess that's what I'm after anyway.

It turns out that the Eight of Rods is sort of a card of surprise, which I'll get to later. Mostly, it has to do with quick action, a symbol of the onset of action and its effects and a sign that the iron is hot and ready to strike. It also stands for the arrival of news or information, which to me relates it to a feeling of surprise. The news this card represents is always useful, and it may not be immediately apparent, so stay alert or you'll miss the message. Finally, it has to do with conclusion, bringing events to a close and returning to earth. Complicated, no?

I'm again unsure of what this card is telling me. Do I need to do something quickly? Are 3 hours of bookstore experience enough to get a job at a real bookstore? I did get some small news, my sister is sending me a package, which I was pleased and surprised to hear about, so that could have something to do with the card. And I'm certainly not involved in any projects which could conceivably come to a close right now. I'm leaning towards the news portion of the card, but the interpretation is still rather shaky. Still, it's all I can come up with right now.

You want to know something weird? When I saw this card, I was sure that I'd drawn it before, back when I was recording my cards for the day on livejournal. But checking back on my entries, it turns out I haven't. I don't think I'm confusing it with another card, since the illustration is pretty distinct, but I can't shake the nagging feeling that I'm missing something here.