The 'Pondering My Orb' meme features an illustration of a wizard intently gazing into a glowing crystal ball. The artwork originates from the cover of the 1988 gamebook 'Middle-earth Quest: A Spy in Isengard,' depicting the character Saruman using a Palantír. It achieved viral status in late 2021 after a Twitter user paired the image with the caption 'pondering my orb.' Since then, it has evolved into a versatile template for expressing deep, often obsessive focus on anything from cryptocurrencies to mundane daily habits. Its appeal lies in the contrast between the high-fantasy, epic aesthetic of the wizard and the often silly or relatable modern obsessions it represents.