In the heat of the moment, many of us say and do really stupid things.  The key is to remember that we control the energy we expend. Waste not, want not, folks.  Wasting energy on trivialities and senseless fears and people leaves us with not much left for what truly matters, what truly deserves and requires our attention.   But reserving our 'fire' for all that withholds significance will benefit us with the kind of conclusions we want to see, precisely when we want to see them.

That said, our energy is of utmost importance, this week.  It will be needed in a variety of areas, so much so that we may wind up sharing a workload.  Not a bad idea, but the choice is ours.  Let's just keep in mind that pitching in 100% of ourselves into one thing or person leaves us with nothing for anyone else.  Even if we're receiving ample drive, dosages upon dosages of creativity and the ability to stay awake without a drop of coffee, the Flame reminds us that all these things are gifts-- with a limit.  Privileges.  Like credit cards.  When we waste these or mismanage them or simply use them at undeserving savages, we fall asleep at our party or wheel.  A part of our lives, another person, a situation, results in getting the short end of the stick which is (although really Libran-sounding) un-fucking-fair.  And we know it.  Worse, the flames within begin to die, leaving us with less and less of the courage and strength we'll each need to get by. 

This card is all about packing up and moving-forward with a passion or endeavor or an instruction of our instinct at gut-wrenching speed.   My guess is that some schedules and events and plans will be blasting off sooner than expected.  So if our flames are dying, we're in, what you call, a bit o' trouble.  Because without those flames in tip-top shape, maintained, our attention spans are going to suffer and we'll make grave errors or become involved in accidents or mishaps that could otherwise have been prevented if only we hadn't overlooked or failed to communicate certain details, although the same applies to those of us who share way too much information and ideas with others-- they, too, lose their fire.

Might want to ask ourselves if our "accidents" are really accidents and if our "mistakes" are really mistakes.  Probably not.  I wasn't looking where I was going the other day and almost sprained my ankle.  It was all my fault and I was lucky to spare myself of an injury  considering a very busy weekend ahead with LOADS of physical movement.  If I had the luxury of sitting on my ass and watching "I Love Lucy" reruns like I did when I sprained my ankle at the age of thirteen, I'd have been open to the idea of an injury.

Ah. 
 
Kidding.


                                    


What can I say?  I, like several of you, am on fire.  So I have no room or time for the awkward insecurities of others.  No way is anyone gonna put out my flame.  I have a couple of insecurities, but at least I'm accepting or working on 'em versus hating others for not sharing my "woes" or whatever.  I don't complain  while there are a zillion others who've been dealth a far worse hand of cards.  And I can't come up with anything but happiness for the successes of others.  I've just never been the kind of person to desire or hate the contentment and/or gifts of others.  I might sound alien to you, but it's true.  Despise me all you want for that.



                     


Our deep feelings for someone new or distant may be nothing more than an unhealthy obsession or even a dangerous infatuation.  It's really time to move on from either and get a grip.  Sometimes we develop these kinds of feelings, which are NOT rooted in love at all, regardless of what Dawson's Creek tells us.  In truth, some of us are only seeking a crutch.  Someone to lean on and debilitate  instead of relying on ourselves, trusting ourselves, for answers.  

A bizarre, unexpected, completely outta left-field sentiment or statement may come our way.  I'd take it with a grain of salt.  Saying something is never the same as meaning it.  Feel free to test the validity of others' tales.  Test away!

                                         Ignorance-- to a point-- is bliss.  Beyond that point, it makes us idiots.



                                  This Could Be You



For those of us dealing with fiery personalities (see also: the hotheaded, feisty, impatient, unruly, immature and frustrated prone to tantrums, tirades, rages, explosive-diarrhea mouths and so on), distracting ourselves with plenty of physical movement and outdoor activity (action) will liberate minds from the hall of stupid.  Take a break.  Sometimes we just need to step outside and look back at what we've just left behind to see it for what we really is.  It also helps to ask someone else for their opinion.  We often miss details even when they're right in front of us, don't we?  Yeah.  That about explains how, when we're stuck in a shitty situation, we don't actually discover the shit until we step out of the squishy mound and get a whiff.  Then, we realize that not only a huge mound of shit before us, but also strips of the vile stuff on the soles of our shoes and brown footprints on various chunks of  sidewalk.

On the bright side, and there's always a bright side, my mom used to say that stepping into shit brings good luck.  We never see it before stepping into it, do we?  Yeah, it's one of those fine, obvious details we so often miss. 

And there's always a bright side.  Hm.  I like the sound of that.


               


Anyway, I dunno about shit stepping bestowing good fortune upon us, but perhaps there may be some truth to mom's statement, symbolically.  I mean, when we find out that we've literally stepped in shit, we clean it up by rubbing our soles along some grass or something, right?  We're taught a valuable lesson about where we're walking, and we learn how to clean up our soles. 

Well, imagine what can happen when we figure out that we've practically been buried by a steaming pile of symbolic shit for a good portion of our existences or a job or a even a relationship (professional, personal, romantic, etc).  We wind up "cleaning" ourselves up then, too, don't we?  Not in the same amount of time it takes to cleanse our shoes of shit.  But we sure do learn a hell of a lot from those entirely preventable mistakes.  We might feel a little stupid and foolish, but we learn.

What a feeling that is!  And it bring us into a whole new round of (personal, professional, romantic, etc) potential, too.

Speaking of potential, this card is burning with it.  As I said before, several of us are on fire.  We know who we are.  Stick with each other for maximum effect!  Whatever we're up to, these days, could turn out to be the best decision(s) or worst mistake(s) we'll have made in quite some time, all of which brings immense potential. 

Endings or break-ups provide us with an opportunity for something new. 

Growth and expansion also provides us with opportunities. 

Really, we won't be losing a lot, regardless of what others might have to say about any rash decisions such as:

       "But you signed up for this!" or

       "But you signed up for this!"

Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure I've made clear that we can't make anyone do something they don't wanna do in previous tarot readings or Astrology articles.  We can't force anyone to change their minds or attitudes or hearts!  If a change of heart has occurred, same goes-- we can't revert it.  No one is our emotional slave.  Wanting to regain the attention, trust, respect or admiration of another is one thing, and that's still going to take a lot of energy and time to earn again.  But flat-out commanding attention, admiration, trust or respect is an entirely different story, one that should be brought to the attention of a psychiatrist, oh, arrogant ones.

In last week's reading, I addressed self-proclaimed experts.  By this week's reading, I hope we'll have realized that expertise really doesn't exist and that we're only here to perform to the best of our ability.  Of course, we have unique talents.  But there is always someone better out there at something than we are.  We are not the sole best ____________ on the planet. 

More important than expertise, anyway, is a passion for our subject and the strength and wit to persevere. 

No passion?  No success.  Where there is no passion, there is no practice.  Where there is no practice, there is no growth and, therefore, no chance for success.

But even if we don't achieve success through some of our decisions, let's at least realize that these decisions have paved the way for future decisions and steps and chapters. 

The steps stop when our hearts stop because there is no longer be a beat to follow.  To dance to.  Notice that when our hearts stop in a symbolic sense, so does our beat and dance or our happiness.  That's what I'd pay attention to, actually.   I'd seriously pay attention to how our hearts fit into certain, uh, puzzles. 

If something we're doing isn't something we're passionate about, are we at least proud of it in some way?  Does it prop our chins up?  How can we be proud of something that takes more energy than we have to achieve it?  How can we muster up the energy to be proud of our accomplishment, to enjoy it, when we've spent far more time chasing it and, subsequently, burning off more energy than we have?  And how can we rest and regenerate from a burned-out stage in enough time to maintain what we've won from our chase?


              


I guess there's a thrill in a chase.  But, good God, many are gonna be crashing down while acting in haste.  Oh, well.  If you insist!

In other news, stay tuned for douche buckets, male and female, who stir up controversies for shits and giggles.  See, riling up our valuable energy and making us explode into conflict with others over asinine theories brings some pleasure and, believe it or not, success.  Our support gifts them with popularity, success or, in the grand scheme of things, something to do.  Watching others engage in verbal or physical battles is fascinating to some.  And like Star Magazine, following those who stir up trouble, giving them permission that we ought to give to ourselves to get our foot in the door, essentially subscribing to the b.s., is what grants them the 'bacon'.

Um, why give fools bacon that is rightfully ours?  Why?  Why waste perfectly good bacon on a-holes who know perfectly well what they're doing?  Let them shit on their space.  Let's not get their shit on us.

Ignoring these wannabe drag queens will piss 'em off, royally, especially considering that they're fully expecting others to blow up.  If we don't give them the action, they gain no satisfaction.  Let's leave 'em high and dry.


                                        


Bring home the bacon, friends.  Bring home the bacon for yourselves for a change and lock the douchebuckets out like Fred Flintstone.  Don't waste your words, opinions, suggestions, breath, money or, again, time on them.  It was their choice to waste-- er, apply-- their brains, earnings or successes on their fabulous egos.  Now let them replenish it all with those brains and balls they claim to have. 


             



Let.  Others.  Learn.

There is more than one school of thought on a subject.

This may be a good time to explore recreational activities.  For those of us who can't sit still, something low-key like knitting, meditation, yoga, etc, is recommended while those of us with low-key personalities may benefit from cardio-training or dance classes. 

Let's do the opposite of what we normally do, taking up lessons or tasks or projects we'd ordinarily never sign up for,  stepping out of our comfort zones.  We'll be brave enough to do it and to succeed at it.  More importantly, we'll learn a LOT.


                                         


The Flame translates to the Suit of Wands.  The Suit of Wands indicates sense of self, direction and directness, movement, swift action, change, shift, energy, courage, fun, creativity, leadership, heart, truth and represents fire signs, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.  Wands order us to do it, whatever "it" is, ourselves.  Let's do it our-damn-selves.  Or we're going to wind up doing or affording something ourselves when it is least convenient.  We can plan for "it", now, or we can have our next moves made for us, something I'm sure rebels and change-resisters are going to appreciate!

Instead of making others upset or angry, prone to argue, how about reminding them that they're fabulous?  That they're a shoe-in for success?  And, for shit's sake, have some of you EVER heard of 'thank you' or 'sorry'?

Why is all of that so hard to grasp?

I'd get ready for some debating if I were some of you. 

Can't take the heat?  Shoulda stayed the fuck out of the kitchen. 

As for the rest of you, sizzle on.  Keep bringing in warmth, light, joy, energy and spice into the lives of those who appreciate it all.  They will only make your efforts and contributions shine so much brighter.

Have a super, duper week!