Do we ever get tired of measuring how well we’re managing to get what we want? How about life direction–is there a moment when we aren’t casting at least part of our psychic energy and attention into the future, trying to measure what’s to come? That ability to live in the moment is supposed to be the key to happiness–which may be why it’s so tough to achieve. Today’s influences don’t help us fix on the here and now; instead they send us off obsessing over future power arrangements (Ceres nov NN), which are too steeped in fantasy, illusion, or misunderstanding to do us any good (Ceres opp Neptune), and fixate our thoughts on what we could’ve had, if we’d only done differently in the past (Mercury nov Venus). How to best handle it? Look to the future by assessing our real assets and current reach, refusing to succumb to illusion by drawing clear correlations between our ideas and what assets we truly hold, including talents. A clear-eyed look at reality will set up the future in terms very close to ideal, if we can manage it, thank you very much!

Today’s word image is smoke but no fire. Take that situation that you believe is some kind of disaster and see it one of two ways: as a false alarm, or as a harbinger of what’s to come–but in any case, it’s not actually in meltdown now.