Horoscopes by the Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 7.4.2013

“Prove this a prosperous day, the three-nook’d world
Shall bear the olive freely.”

Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra [IV.vi.8-9]

Happy Birthday America!

Cancer:I have but one tale to tell, on this fateful July 4th. Fireworks, not long ago. Bought a ton of little firecrackers in strings, and then proceeded to unravel the strings, making individual firecrackers. Light and throw. Much fun. Probably dangerous, or even illegal in incorporated towns. Certainly wasn’t within the city limits, that’s for sure. Anyway, buddy was lighting them and giving them a good toss, see how far he could get. Our hands were coated with a thin film of gray gunpowder of some sort. I’m not sure.

I never claimed this was an adult endeavor. My buddy was smoking a cigarette, and he touched the tiny fuse to the lit cherry — and the tiny firecracker exploded in his hand. Talk about a short fuse. He showed me, on his hand, where the force of the explosion had caused a nail to gouge a bloody gash in the side of his finger. It wasn’t a cautionary tale, not for him, not for me. However, it is a cautionary tale, with Mercury, Jupiter and all, in Cancer? Watch the short fuse. I can see something going off in your hands, and you might not be as lucky as my buddy.

The (mighty) Leo: The way I learned it, prayer is talking to god, and meditation is listening to god. Too often, for me, prayer is more some kind of “Let’s Make a Deal,” as in in, “please, please dear lord, don’t let this fish break the line!”

There is a strong, this is important, meditative component to the Mighty Leo chart. Planets, arrayed thusly, indicate meditation — whatever form you choose — is the best course of action. For years, and even to this day, I consider walking to be a form of mediation. I’ll unplug from my electronic world, the phone, the iPod, the various device and walk in silence. Consider, just shutting yourself off for a few minutes, maybe an hour, maybe longer, see if that doesn’t bring some much-needed answers — from within — from the inside voice of the majestic Leo.

Virgo: I’d been fishing with some buddies, down along the coast. The fishing pole and reel I was using, earlier, I mean, I know Mercury is retrograde, I spooled on some new, extra-cool (expensive) high-tech fishing line. “Casts farther, reels easier, catches bigger fish!” I tossed that lure out, we were popping topwaters along a grass bed, just off the InterCoastal waterway. Big knot. Loop looped back on itself and it was a mess. Gnarly mess. Gnarled mess. I put the pole in a pole holder, pulled out some extra line, sat down and I spent the next 20 minutes unfurling a fishing line snarl of truly epic proportions. I won. One buddy succeeded in landing a small Red, but other than that, not much was happening. I didn’t miss much. Opinion varied, but we motored off, switched baits and had much better luck. I didn’t really miss too much action while I was unknotting my mess. Two other guys and only one caught a fish, sort of explains that. Mercury will snarl something up and dealing with it? Best to follow my action, and stop to deal with the Mercury problems at the moment they show up as a knotted mess.

Libra: I was strolling, sweating in the noon’s sun, when I happened across this. I think it’s a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. What he, (she?) was doing in the middle of the yard, alongside a busy street, two days in row? I’m unsure of what the bird was doing. I tend to see them, variation on a theme, the heron-class birds, in and around the waterways, most frequently, in the San Pedro acequia, and alongside portions of the Riverwalk. I grabbed a half dozen images, but the bird, maybe just an adolescent male heron, was clearly away from the waterways because this place afforded more food. Path of least resistance, for the bird. I’ve watched them stalk food in the shoals, so watching this one stalk grubs on the ground was different but familiar. As a Libra? Might not be your perfect habitat, but whatever works? Sure, just like that bird. Seriously, he was less two hundred meters from watery ditch, but he did look out of place.

Scorpio: Little boy, I passed in the mall? His clothing? T-shirt: Girls are mean. Yes, yes they are. Girls are mean. Just been my experience. Little man was learning fast. I’m not sure he was old enough to read it himself, but it’s never too young to start them learning the ways of the world. To be honest, not all girls are mean. To be correct, some guys grow up to be real jerks, too. Depends on which side of the line you’re on, I suppose. The problem with Saturn, in Scorpio? That T-shirt sums it up best, “Girls are mean.” There are some mean people in the world, and your sweet Scorpio self will feel like a magnet for those mean people. Might consider a T-shirt like that, just as a reminder. Or, “Boys are jerks.” Whatever fits. Do well to remind you that you will encounter those people these days, and a firm — but ever polite — hand on the tiller helps best.

Sagittarius: The white petals against a blood-red heart of one, particular Hibiscus flower. Pretty amazing stuff. What was weird, the more I became fascinated with Hibiscus, the more I learned. It’s not a native plant, and yet grows almost wild throughout the area. I’ve also learned that it, supposedly, the tropical variety, won’t bloom in a location that’s had freezing temperatures within the last 18 months. Middle of hot summer here, no one remembers last winter and no one can seem to look forward to next winter. Besides, this cursory material I’ve picked from comments made about my images of hibiscus? Not exactly academic, peer-reviewed or verified. To work within the constraints of the current planet cycles? Look at how a single image, a freak shot that turned out well, gave rise to series of images, and then, from that, sent me down a path to examine biological details and trace the route the plant’s heritage took to get there from here. With what’s happening? Celebrate the weird, non-linear path.

Capricorn: Guy had on a Hula Skirt and Cowboy hat. This is Texas, and along our coastal, redneck Riviera, such attire isn’t at all out of place. Not exactly normal, but normal is just setting on the machine, nothing to do with real life. There will be an obvious allusion to another great Capricorn, Jimmy Buffett. Might go a long way in explaining how I would happen across a guy dressed in a Hula Skirt and Cowboy Hat. At least one person will ask for a point of reference on that image. Sure, say it was a Buffett show. Still, as an image to carry you forward through the fog of Mercury and so forth, all coming unglued around the edges? Sure. Hula skirt and cowboy hat. It’s as a good a summer image as any, the idea of tropical shirts, sandals, sea breezes and so forth? Escape. Get far away. In your mind or for real. Some place where a hula skirt and cowboy hat won’t be so odd.

Aquarius: For more than a decade, I exclusively wore a specific brand of sandal, hand-made in Texas, by a family of sandal makers. I think they are into a third generation of sandals now. That footwear has served me well for thousands of miles. I typically wear through the soles in a year, and I get them replaced in the fall. However, after a little accident on a fishing boat, a little bass boat in the middle of the lake, I switched up on footwear. I have a pair of waterproof sport sandals I use for fishing trips. Small adjustment, but a necessary safety change. Prior to that event, I wouldn’t think about going back to the “sport sandal,” although, I did have long history with them, as well. It’s not any kind of a grand change, or major, life-changing moment. However, it is a small adjustment that has big benefits for me. Works well. Little change. In my mind? A necessary difference. Minute, subtle, yet, neck-saving. Think about the little change. Not really a big deal.

Pisces: Words and expressions we really don’t want to hear? “She was at the bar with my mom.” Buddy of mine, his new girlfriend, and I think the rest is obvious. Isn’t it? I hope so since this is what could happen, in the next few days. I try to warn my girlfriends about my family, as my family isn’t always known for probity in discourse. I’m just making an observation. So the notion that the girlfriend and mom are at the bar, and combine liquor with that equation? It’s recipe for trouble. I try to prevent that trouble from happening. Here’s the idea, this week, with Mercury like he is, and some other influences, too, but mostly let’s hang it on Mercury, let’s keep everyone separated. Keep the moms in one place and keep the girlfriends in another place. Where the two shall never cross paths. Not this week, at least. Not bad, just not always good.

Aries: I was trying to coach a particular Aries, lot of hot, passionate Aries in that chart, and I wasn’t making progress. At all. There are times when an obstinate Aries will refuse to budge from a given position or point. Who knew? (Aries is Cardinal, so not fixed.) I came up with a new to work this, a way through the current Mercury (and Jupiter, etc.) in Cancer issue. Mercury Retrograde issue, too. Let’s start with a list of seven, no nine items that should get accomplished today. Ten. Got a list of ten? Half it. Mercury Retrograde, won’t get to all ten, pick five. Of those five, face it, two will never happen, or not under the current conditions, anyway, so chop those off the list.

See where this is going?

Down to three. Pick the most important item on the list, and start working on it, right now. The rest can wait until tomorrow or whenever you get done with what’s important, and what’s first.

“Lather, rinse and repeat.”

Taurus: I’ve become even more fascinated with local car culture; although, I’m sure this exists on some level, like, everywhere. Low riders, high riders, monster trucks, and my favorite? Tiny, inner-urban vehicles. At least, those are my favorite this week. Could very well change, as I’m fickle like that. As a Taurus, you’re not fickle, not usually. This synodic period of Mercury, this really a lot less about Mercury Retrograde and lot more about a pervasive, long-term influence, but let’s hang the troubles on Mercury. The Taurus ability to render a decision, once and for all? Not the best idea at this time. “But wait, I have to make a choice, right now!” I’ll earn my Taurus dollars now. “Can I get back to you?”

There’s another trick I’ve learned, the hard way, “I made a decision.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not going to tell you right now. Wait and see.”

Gemini: I ran into a friend, well, really, just the counter help at one store, but I’m a friendly guy. She nodded hello, then introduced her boyfriend. I asked his birthday. I nodded and then suggested that the best course of action, for him, was to do whatever she told him to do. “I thought the man was always in charge.” I laughed. You poor, little man. We’re not in charge. Haven’t been, not for years. Any illusion otherwise? Just an illusory, and outdated, belief system. Mercury is retrograde. Doesn’t matter what sign you are, you’re not in charge. Not now. Not while Mercury is retrograde. Follow my lead on this, that guy, my friend’s boyfriend? The sooner he learns to do what he’s told? The sooner he’ll be happy. Gemini: the sooner you learn to listen to the “them,” especially with this pejorative influence? The sooner the problems will go away.

“I’m happy, right?”

“Yes, you’re very happy.”