Magic Lines Can Go Boink — But They Can’t Pick the Direction

At the end of the day, it’s either go up or down, right? It’s 50-50. That’s the simple reality we all face when trading.

Everyone has their own way of approaching it.

Some people swear by volume profiles. Others follow moon cycles. Some just chase green candles on the five-minute chart.

Me? I keep it pretty simple:
I use balls tingling and magic lines — aka intuition and TA.

The first one helps me figure out the direction I want to bet on, and the second helps me figure out when and where I want to place that bet.

If it works, it works — and this combo has worked well for me.

Let’s dive in.

First Comes the Bias

Before I even open a chart, I try to get a feel for what the hell is going on out there.

Not in the hyper-technical, “read 37 reports” kind of way — more like:

What’s the mood? What’s the narrative?

Is the market in risk-on mode, or are people scared?

What’s the Fed doing? Are we pricing in cuts, or are we still sweating inflation?

Is everyone too long or too short?

Because honestly —

How can an overextended RSI be more important than tariffs being resolved or WW3 suddenly being off the table?

Price moves on real-world stuff way more than just a few technical signals.

It’s not about being perfectly informed. It’s about understanding the story the market is trading on.

Because most of the time, price doesn’t move on logic — it moves on narrative and positioning.

Once I’ve got that general vibe — that gut feeling about whether I want to be long or short — then I go to the chart.

That’s when the magic lines come out.

Then Comes the Chart

Technical analysis is where I get tactical.

But here’s the key:
I’m not asking the chart to tell me what direction to trade. I already know that.

I’m just using it to find good spots — areas where I can enter with clear risk and decent reward.

If the story makes me want to be long, I’m looking for:

pullbacks into support

breakouts that look clean

or areas where price is likely to trap shorts

If the story makes me want to be short, it’s the opposite:

weak rallies

failed breakouts

or trendline kisses

The chart is the map, not the compass.

It doesn’t tell me where I’m headed — it just helps me figure out how to get there without falling into a hole.

Why This Matters (Here’s a Quick Example)

Let’s say we’re in a strong bull market.

Inflation’s coming down.
The Fed is softening up.
Everyone’s back to bidding up tech stocks and risky stuff again.

That’s a bullish environment. That’s my bias.

Now, let’s say I’m staring at a 1-hour chart and I spot a clean bearish divergence.

It’s tempting.

It might even play out a little — maybe we get a dip.

But here’s the thing:

Is that short really worth it?

Probably not.

Even if the setup works technically, I’m trading against momentum and narrative. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be a hero, I want to make money.

That’s not a high-probability trade.

That’s just trying to be the guy who nails the top — and that guy gets stopped out a lot.

Instead, I’d rather use TA to find long setups that align with my fundamental bias.

Maybe I wait for price to pull back into support, or I get a clean retest after a breakout.

That’s where I want to take a shot — not counter-trend, but with the wind at my back.

Trading Isn’t Perfect — And That’s Okay

Look — you’re going to take bad trades.
You’re going to be wrong. A lot.

If you could win every time, you’d either be the richest person alive or dead.

That’s just how trading works.

The real job isn’t about never losing.
It’s about:

winning more than you lose

staying consistent

and not erasing yourself from the game

Find a method that works for you, stick with it, and remember to have fun along the way.

Because at the end of the day, trading is a marathon, not a sprint.

The Simple Rule

If you only remember one thing from this:

Bias gives me the trade idea. TA gives me the execution.

That’s it.

Final Thoughts

I’m not claiming this is some secret formula.

Some people trade purely off charts and crush it.
Others are macro wizards who barely look at candles. That’s fine.

But for me, this mix — intuition, fundamentals, and then technicals — keeps me aligned with the market and out of dumb trades.

So yeah, magic lines can go boink.

But only after you’ve figured out where you actually want to go.

That’s the key.