Rekindling an old flame or relationship?  Bringing some warmth into your abodes?  Realizing, expressing, or reigniting a passion? 

Or do we need to keep some fires in check?  Because this week will be extra helpful in the self-control and self-discipline department.  As such, those of you establishing a new eating regimen or exercise program, that sort of stuff, should do splendidly as will those of you weening yourselves away from a costly addiction or similar.

On the other hand, we'll also be keeping the fires of others in check.  We have an intense week ahead, but a controlled or closely monitored one with excellent hearing ability.  Should someone's ego get out of hand, should one's arrogant mouth spew vile at us, we may just retort with "really?"  Because we can't possibly take criticism from The One Who Swallowed Snooki or Jersey Shore vomit*.  And we'll say so bluntly, in public, specifically in places like... a packed New Jersey PATH train car**.

We really need to keep some fires and/or attitudes in check.  And if we try, we may just succeed at it this week.





The Flame (Suit of Wands) opens this week up bright and early, with a good amount of energy and radiance and a nice thick skin to work with.  Put it all to good use.  That some schedules are changing a bit makes for newness and, thus, invigoration.  We can look at the mundane with fresh eyes.  There's a lot of work to be done, but not so much that we'll be feeling exhausted or drained or bored.  And we'll be appreciating time spent in the comfort of our homes, with or without friends and loved ones, a great deal. 

Social time is nice, but it'll be a lot more fun as we feel up to it and settings and people don't make us uncomfortable.  And "more" doesn't necessarily mean "merrier".

When in doubt, look hot this week.  Look your hottest.  Feel your hottest first, though, because that will enable you to look your hottest.  The perk of the week?  Hotness.  Y'all on fire, baby.  Sizzlin'.  Well, many of you are.  And so no matter how insecure some of us have been feeling prior to this week, THIS week we'll feel confident enough to let others have it (as needed) and tell them like it really is.  It's because a lot of us are stick-a-fork-in-us done with crap and we're beginning to feel more in-control of our own destiny. 

While we're not 100% in-control here due to uncontrollable outside factors, we're still over 90% in-control of who we decide to become, where we are, who and what we are, and that is, or will be, very empowering to know.  Because then we'll know what we have to do to change circumstances we don't like or keep from doing something that's only going to set us back further and eventually place us in a worse position.  Either that, or someone else will be putting their foot down and we'll have to adjust and modify our behavior if we want their support.

Simple as that.  Or else, as the saying goes, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.  Understand?

The Flame translates to the Suit of Wands of the Rider-Waite deck.  Whenever I see wands, I think oooooh, I have a stick!  I get really happy.  Sticks, though plain, are very useful.  They help us walk steadily, reach for items that are too high, fight and defend ourselves, detect the depth of a mud puddle, fish, play baseball and so forth.  Sticks also serve as divine pretend-microphones and tasty, natural dog chews.  Without sticks, we'd have no brooms and mops among other things. 

Sticks are underrated, but I think they're quite powerful tools.  Leaders have held sticks.  Activists have held sticks.  Composers use little sticks.  If I saw a guy walking down the street with a huge, thick stick at his side, I sure wouldn't f*ck with him.  Would you?

Sticks start fires thanks to friction.  We could go on...

Speaking of sticks, this week will likely involve the game Who Has the Biggest Penis?  You've probably heard of it. 

Well, at least it's entertaining to watch, no?

Anyway, wands are sticks you believe in really hard.  Magicians and witches use wands, for example.  So I'd venture to say that the presence of the Flame/Suit of Wands will give certain life and magic to what we'll be doing this week.   People will notice us if we're truly passionate or "into" what we are participating in.  Enthusiasm and strength will show for sure, and those sparks alone will be enough to bring about success in some form.  Enthusiasm gets you to work on time, or as close to "on-time" as possible.

Once you have that enthusiasm for what you do, no one can take it away.

The Flame/Suit of Wands is an ENFORCER.  At best, we'll be enchanting and hypnotic and will feel in our element all week long, supported in our endeavors, recommended, spoken well of, talented, skilled.  See also: "I gots this".

We'll also feel purified or cleaned-out.  To help with the purification process, drink more water than usual and eat smaller meals more frequently.  Definitely keep hydrated foremost. 

At worst, we'll be under a "spell" or completely out-of-touch with reality due to outside controlling factors.  The media can be a big son-of-a-gun when it comes to distorting reality and feeding us what we want to consume visually and mentally.  Especially now.  There are people, even, who are under the influence of the worst, smelliest, most horrifying spell of all:


To say that now would be a good (or crucial) time to work on your own thoughts, self-discipline, building (or rebuilding) our core strength, integrity, pride, and overall self, to stand up for what we individually know in our hearts is right for us, is an understatement.  It's time to catch up.

We have the tools, folks.  Are we going to use or misuse them this time?

Have a great week.


  * I called a big meanie that.
**  ... in this precise place.