That thought stuck with me for a while. We can throw any mysticism out of the equation and still ask ourselves, is there really a point in planning but not setting the date? An engagement might become a burden if we do not know when the wedding will take place as we need to plan an appropriate budget and book the venue, liaise with food caterers, organise travel arrangements. Even the flowers could become your enemies because a lot of them are seasonal, so forget delphiniums if it is a September wedding, however you are in luck if you move it to October. And whilst these details might seem like something a wedding planner should worry about, keep in mind that blue flowers are exquisite and are much more expensive when you try to get them out of season, so it is only the wedding planner’s concern until the moment that you must make a choice between what you desire and what it costs. This could surely be avoided if you set a date for your wedding and then plan everything based on that. It can still of course be a stressful time but at least you do not have to deal with the uncertainties that setting the date eliminates.

Deadlines are something that keep us focused and provide the sense of urgency that is a great source of productivity. They also provide you with both comfort and motivation. You end up following certain steps to reach your goal and you are also responsible as to how it gets done. Control over your own goals cannot be underestimated as a lot of abstract ideas become very much real. ‘Someday’ transforms to ‘Monday’ or ‘1st October’ or ‘August 2024’. There is something satisfying in the certainty, as a person is suddenly moving through time and not simply being carried by the flow.

When you have a goal, you should probably also think of a plan. If you have a plan, you should probably set a timeframe. Otherwise, how different are you from my fortune-telling friend? In the end, she did end up opening her boutique, but before that she spent a long time working to meet all her goals in time for the opening; I went to Turkey the year after as I realised that at the time I did not really have the funds to support my dream vacation; and our marathon-running classmate is currently thriving and living his best life. He will die of course, but hopefully at a ripe old age. After all, the timeframes that are not set by us can never be guaranteed.

When I was around 17 years old, I bought my first “expensive adult” wallet. It was a gorgeous Michael Kors orange purse (don’t laugh, the brand went downhill since then, as this was a long time ago) that fit in all the paper money, coins, discount cards and bank cards that I needed. I was very happy with my purchase and carried it with pride, until one of my friends noted that perhaps according to Feng-Shui or something, orange is not the best colour for money storage. In fact, it might open an “energy hole” that would eventually suck all my finances into it.

At that time, it made so much sense! All my impromptu bad buys unworthy of their price, the bills for things I never knew existed, outings that were far more expensive than I imagined came together like a puzzle. I had picked an unlucky colour for my purse.

Now what? I buy a new one, of course. Look for the colour that attracts prosperity and wait for the riches to fall into my bank account. Except, it is not only the colour, but also the right timing. I cannot buy it in winter because Chinese astrology says that we need to wait for spring to come, and even then, I cannot ignore Mercury retrograde because then I will be penniless for months! I must wait until the moon will be in its growing phase and then leave it on my windowsill during the new moon to let it “collect the energy of abundance”. After all these actions, bizarre traditions and several perfect wallets, I can confirm that I did not suddenly win the lottery.

Our minds find comfort and creativity in various spheres. Believing most of the occult practices helps us to shift a bit of weight onto something that might not even exist. There are plenty of ways to control your life without having to rely on higher powers too much. The idea that my wallet colour is the reason behind my spending increase as opposed to moving out of the dorm and living by myself as a university student, gave me a false sense of relief that I can control my financial situation without having to drastically rethink my expenses. With a proper adviser, I really would not have had to … and I could have afforded by now a “real adult wallet”, like a Louis Vuitton