"Grabbing The Spotlight Isn't So Hard... But Then What?"

Everyone has heard the warnings about how hard life at the top can be, but we're all still pretty sure it's a gamble that we're willing to take. Most of us would gladly trade our current problems for those of a slightly more successful person, especially those we see as unworthy for one reason or another.

Nevertheless, it's hard to look at this auction catalog of Michael Jackson's personal possessions without dwelling on the stark emptiness around and inside them. Each item is a symbolic of decades devoted to opulence and frivolity, but it's common knowledge that the erstwhile King of Pop has had to scale back his extravagant lifestyle due to mounting debts. While some of the 2000 items are obviously pretty valuable, I'm most fascinated by the ones that are purely personal: A framed letter from Ronald Reagan; the AMA statuette he won in 1984 for "Thriller"; original artwork made by an 11-year-old Macaulay Culkin, who's the godfather of two of Jackson's children. Artifacts from his own history just aren't useful or interesting to him anymore; will anyone else want them either?

The traditional Seven of Wands shows a young man staving off numerous challengers, whether real or perceived. Grabbing the spotlight isn't so hard... but then what? Unbearable scrutiny, rivalries, and ethical dilemmas arise from below, and only the most well-balanced individuals will be able to keep rising and emerge as true leaders. The fellow shown in the card is clearly not a paragon of balance -- his shoes don't even match! Sort of reminds me a bit of Jackson's Swarovski-encrusted single glove, which you can buy this April for an estimated $10,000-$15,000.

The imperial garment above makes a rather lovely (if bitterly ironic) comment on the results of declaring victory too early, or resting on one's laurels. In all professional matters, merely showing up and pronouncing yourself top dog is not enough; without the strength and solvency to overcome obstacles as they arise, both internal and external, your diamond tiara may as well be a Burger King crown.

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