The power to see into the future is limited to the five Oracles. Often, they will share frustratingly obtuse hints about upcoming events with demigods who are destined for historic greatness . . . or heartbreaking tragedy.

Receiving a vague and ominous prophecy is a rite of passage for all fledgling demigods. It’s right up there with endless monster attacks, near-death experiences, and uncomfortable family drama. And yet, while prophecies from an Oracle don’t always promise future danger and strife, they do have the power to drive demigods to the brink of paranoia.

Are you freaking out about your future? Never fear. We’re here to help you read between the lines and better understand what the Fates may have in store for you before your next quest. (Or the next quest you’re living through vicariously.) The best way to do so is, ironically, by looking into the past.

Percy’s First Prophecy

Tell us if this sounds familiar:

You shall go west, and face the god who has turned,

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned,

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend,

And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.

This is the first prophecy Percy Jackson ever received, during the events of The Lightning Thief. Fairly straightforward. The Oracle of Delphi told him where to go and what to do: guard his heart, distrust his friends, and prepare for an eventual loss. Not the sunniest prophecy in history, but at least it was honest, right?

Wrong! This prophecy was riddled with intentionally misleading information. Most likely, these couplets were your first exposure to the very concept of prophecies. And as our first prophecy, it taught us a few valuable lessons early on.

One, never take a prophecy at face value. Two, don’t let an Oracle come between you and your besties. Three, “turned” and “returned” is an acceptable rhyme. Just don’t blame us if you get in trouble with your teacher for using it.

Annabeth’s Super Bleak Prophecy from The Battle of the Labyrinth

You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze,

The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise.

You shall rise or fall by the ghost king’s hand,

The Child of Athena’s final stand.

Destroy with a hero’s final breath,

And lose a love to worse than death.

If we’re being honest, this prophecy that Annabeth received before her quest into the Labyrinth still haunts our dreams. Any demigod who receives a prophecy this bleak can totally be excused for not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.

Where do we even begin with this one? Endless maze. Final stand. A love worse than death. Each couplet promises more darkness and despair than the last.

And yet, if we remember the lessons from the first prophecy, we can reasonably assume that it isn’t as dire as it sounds. You just have to ask the right questions.

Do I actually need to reach the end of the maze? Am I the Child of Athena the Oracle is referring to? Is the Ghost King really such a bad guy? The key is to introduce a healthy amount of doubt to the whole affair. Your therapist may call it denial. We think of it more as a coping mechanism.

Lester’s “Dark” Prophecy

The words that memory wrought are set to fire,

Ere new moon rises o’er the Devil’s Mount.

The changeling lord shall face a challenge dire,

Till bodies fill the Tiber beyond count.

Yet southward now the sun must trace its course,

Through mazes dark to lands of scorching death

To find the master of the swift white horse

And wrest from him the crossword speaker’s breath.

To westward palace must the Lester go;

Demeter’s daughter finds her ancient roots.

The cloven guide alone the way does know,

To walk the path in thine own enemy’s boots.

When three are known and Tiber reached alive,

Tis only then Apollo starts to jive.

This was one of several prophecies delivered to Apollo during the time he spent on earth as a mortal named Lester Papadopoulos. As a god, Apollo was no stranger to the power of prophecies and how they shaped Olympian politics for centuries. But as a mortal tasked with saving the world from a trio of evil Roman Emperors, his relationship with prophecies changed dramatically.

This one, provided by the Oracle of Trophonius and spoken by Meg McCaffery, was dubbed the “Dark Prophecy,” but internally, we often refer to it as the “Too-Long Prophecy.”

Prophecies such as this give us a lot of potential information to interpret. Maybe too much? Gods and demigods alike can drive themselves nuts analyzing each and every line, combing for possible danger and destruction.

Our advice? Don’t sweat the sonnets. Prophecies over a dozen lines long essentially tell us that our fate is fully out of our hands. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride as best you can.

Frank’s Self-Explanatory Prophecy from Mars

Go to Alaska.

Find Thanatos and free him.

Come back by sundown on June twenty-fourth or die.

Remember the prophecy Frank Zhang received from his father, the Roman god of war? This one is proof that not all prophecies are filled with vague hints pointing to a tragic fate. Especially if they’re delivered by gods such as Mars, who are famously less poetic and creative than the Oracles.

Prophecies delivered by the gods can be as clear and concise as Be sure to pick up milk this afternoon or you will violently perish. And quite honestly, that’s how we prefer them.

A grim prophecy delivered to you by an Oracle or a god, whether it be in the form of a rhyming couplet, a word puzzle, or even *shudder* a limerick, can often feel like a death sentence. The important thing to remember is that no matter how much time we spend analyzing the words and trying to find some hidden meaning behind it all, the future will arrive regardless. The best thing we can do is face our destiny head-on with a clear mind and a fearless heart.

Either that or bribe the Oracles with a fat stack of golden drachmas. That might work, too.