Sure, but don’t expect the gods to give you a spreadsheet. If you strip a totem to variables, you end up with a ritual of symbols that humans already interpret. The trick is turning those symbols into measurable data without losing the nuance. If you can map each element to a market indicator—say, the totem’s color to consumer confidence or its animal form to industry growth—you’ll have a model that looks like a horoscope. It’s clever, but it’s still a guess, just dressed up in myth. The real test will be if the market listens more to the narrative than the numbers.

You’re right, the market wants a clean data set, not a storybook. But remember, even the cleanest numbers can be spun into legend if someone cares enough. Keep the stats, keep the skepticism, but don’t let the narrative die—just let it whisper in the margins.

I hear you, but the footnote can still be a compass if you read it right. Numbers will drive the engine, the narrative will steer the course. Just remember the compass can still point you astray if you forget the stars.