Pages symbolize messengers, youth, innocence, opportunities for change, new possibilities, new growth, new experiences, acquisition of knowledge and expression of new emotions, risk-taking, grace, and art.  Swords represent the growth of the conscious mind; developing our thoughts, ideas and system of beliefs.  Swords are about acting on our philosophy of life.  The suit of Swords is associated with reason, thought, logic, will, courage, verbal skill, matters pertaining to the mind, communication and the element of air. 

Interesting cards.  The young man on the Page of Swords looks confident, almost arrogant, and sure of himself.  The image on the Hero's Journey looks much more adventurous and willing to explore the air around him and see things from a different perspective.  It's quite a different take on the usual interpretation of this card.  I like it.  It reminds me that one of the keys to the Page of Swords is innocence, change and new possibilities associated with reason, thought and the mind.  So this card reminds me that in order to expand my mental horizons and begin developing my philosophy of life, I need to explore unchartered territory.  I need to be willing to let myself go and not be so bound by my usual patterns and restrictions.

This really struck me today as I was sitting in economics class.  As I listened to the teacher explain the economic concepts of supply and demand and the impact of producer and consumer surpluses, I got it.  I understood what she meant.  I got a bit frustrated because the analyses we were doing were so simplistic.  But then I realized that we are just starting out.  Teaching us more complicated economic theories and concept would have been overwhelming.  But I had a moment when I felt thrilled because I got it.

On another note I realized that I'm also getting ready to explore a new genre of fiction.  Well I guess it's not new really, I actually enjoy it but I haven't read any books in this genre in a while.  I'm talking about hard-boiled detective fiction a al Dashiel Hammett, James Ellroy and Raymond Chandler.  I'm not really sure what it is in my psyche that is drawn to books about the darker, seamier side of human nature but I am.  It's probably one of the reasons I was drawn to forensic psychology.  I genuinely find it fascinating to look at what makes human's ticks and what motivates them to do the evil things they do.  Even the most atrocious serial killer wasn't born that way.  Something about the labyrinthine twists and turns of the human mind are chilling and yet enthralling.  I want to turn away but I can't.  And it looks like as the wheel of the year turns to the darker half, my mind turns to darker literature.