Be mindful of the ups and downs of life, for the sake of your well-being and long-term stability. I pulled The Wheel of Fortune from the Smith Waite deck last night before bed. What drew my attention was the image of Anubis going up the Wheel to the right. Anubis is having a good day! He is going up, up and up. On the other side of the Wheel, however, a serpent is going down. Serpent may not be having such a chill time. It’s going down in transformation and shedding of the old, processes which are often accompanied by difficult emotions. This speaks to me of the vicissitudes of life. We go through days and moments of joy and exhilaration for a time, and then perhaps moments of grief in the next moment. When having a challenging day, we may tend to think that this crap is going to last forever. We subconsciously project the difficult present onto the future, only adding to our despair. But just as this worrisome time arrived, it will depart. Conversely, in days of joy, we may also tend to think that the vibrant feelings will last forever. That it’s all good now. The problem with that is that as soon as the energy takes a downturn, we feel unprepared and like life isn’t being fair to us, as we wonder what we did wrong to screw up the good times. But Wheel wisdom keeps both ups and downs in mind. This mindfulness is urged by the Queen of Swords (Cosmic Tarot), who integrates both directions into graceful living. She is closely aware of the impermanence of all things: things we cherish and things we dislike. In the background of this card you see The Lovers out the window, speaking to this dichotomy. By finding the “middle way” amidst the churning waters of life, we touch peace and equanimity. Our highs aren’t so high, but our lows are not so low either. You, too, can find this peaceful place in the middle. This also applies to attempts at something you are conquering—some attempts will be successful, and some will fail. We learn to ride the waves towards victory. When having a good day, remember to strengthen your heart for the future. When things look gloomy and dark, remember the sun will again rise.