- “Saint Denis to Saint Cupid! What are they
That charge their breath against us? Say, scout, say.”
- Princess of France in Shakespeare’s Loves Labors Lost (V.i.90-1)
Saint Denis was the first bishop of Paris and patron saint of France.
The year in overview: I have a pair of books that are filled with numbers. American Ephemeris for the 20th Century and The American Ephemeris for the 21st Century 2000 to 2050 at noon. I pulled that last one down then placed it back on the shelf. I can do this with software or I can look it up in the book. In keeping with our modern times, I’ll try the software version, first. Quicker and easier.
Mercury turns Retrograde Jan. 21, 2015 going direct Feb. 11, all in Aquarius. Mercury goes Retrograde again May 18, 2015 to June 11, all in Gemini. Then Sep. 17 to Oct. 9, all in Libra.
Venus turns Retrograde at Zero Virgo on Jul. 25, 2015, until Sep. 6, all through Leo.
Those are the dates and the signs, now, the meanings?
The Air signs, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are most impacted by the year’s Mercurial actions. That’s going to sow a level of confusion during those synodic periods. The Venus “thing?” That is a rerun. “Been there, done that.” Right after the Summer Solstice, it’s like, all manner of stuff will seem to fall apart. Thank Venus messing with our summer romance ideas. Picking opening quotes that deal St. Valentine and other icons of love bring this year’s focus to the forefront.
The Air Elementals indicate this is an intellectual year, and maybe, just maybe, it’s time to overhaul our thinking. Be willing to examine long-held beliefs.
Finally, this is the conclusion to the three-year haul with Uranus Square Pluto. I’ve explicated that in detail in other forums, but the short notices?
Uranus (Aries) “squares” Pluto (Capricorn) exactly Mar. 16, 2015, for the final time in this round. Say “Hello” and “goodbye.” Wait, that could be a song.
Horoscopes by the Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 1.1.2015
Capricorn: This week, this year, starts with Pluto/Sun and Mercury/Venus in Capricorn. That planetary array brings laser-like focus to the Capricorn mind. There’s a highly excitable energy associated with this. Over-active imagination? Sure. Once the big night is over, and the year commences — in earnest? Mercury and Venus leave Capricorn. That doesn’t mean you have to lose your focus.
In the past, I’ve enumerated a number of “secret ingredients” in my cooking, to include, bacon, lemon/lime, and brown sugar. The secret to any and all of these cooking elements? Like this week in Capricorn? Experiment with just a little at first.
“But if a little bacon would add flavor, why not a whole ham hock?”
That’s this year’s problem, my Capricorn friend, that’s the problem. Experiment with a little, at first.
Aquarius: There are some changes, underfoot even now, that we can gracefully undertake. There are some changes, though, as the wondrous and amazing Aquarius? Maybe you’re not ready to acquiesce to those changes. What to do? Mars, Venus, Mercury?
Stop. Analyze.
Consider the options. I tend to use either Tarot Cards or consult the I-Ching, or look up my book of Sabian Symbols in Astrology, to get an accurate idea. For this week’s Aquarius horoscope?
Stop. Analyze.
Pisces: There’s a cool buzz phrase I’d suggest for the coming year, “Interpreting subtleties.” This is less about great, big — think billboard size — messages, and this is more about the smaller, little subterranean tickles. Feelings. Hints, echoes, reflections, an image caught out of the corner of your eye. Not the loud sounds, the quiet noises. The whispers, not the shouts. Listen carefully. There’s a distinct and very clear message coming through, but you have to listen for it.
- There’s a series of mediation exercises, basically audio files, that I pulled together some years ago. The mp3’s are available from the site’s index, if I recall. One of the “Mercury Retrograde” mediation audio files is a perfect example of how this listen for the sounds between the sounds, listen for stuff that’s not loud but quiet.
The message from this horoscopes, since it’s not always clear? Have to dig around to find that free link with the audio files. Then, too, listening to those sounds helps. It’s not the loud noises, but the quiet voices. This year is about learning to interpret — Pisces — interpreting subtleties.
Aries: As I looked over your while year, I thought about this being a year with less change. But it’s not a year with less change, it has just as much change as before, but as some point, in the next year, you, as an Aries, you get to feel like you’re the one making the decisions, no more of this being buffeted around by the winds of fate. Saturn’s entrance into mighty, mighty (mighty full of himself) Sagittarius bring clarity and direction, in that order. Clarity, like a situation is more easily discerned for what’s right for Aries, and direction? Once you can issue the clearly, there’s a strong sense of which way seems to be the best route to take. Clarity and direction, and start this week by considering you are in charge of yourself. No one else can command the Good Ship Aries, you are the captain (and crew, this week).
Taurus: This year starts out with what seems like opposition. What it really is, as long as Saturn is in Sagittarius, easy, at last, easier for your Taurus self. The problems with this week start and stop with pesky planets in Aquarius. Not bad so much as slightly troubling. Annoying, not bad, just annoying.
Venus and Mercury enter Aquarius and that entrance sets up tension for Taurus. The question should be, “What’s your breaking point?” I’d like to suggest, against some of the background noise? Is just like to suggest that some of this annoyance will get less problematic in the following weeks. Time to take it easy, the problems, for the moment? Much less than you think, and there’s no reason to take a small inconvenience and make it large. When I was fishing last fall, I kept getting these “bait stealers,” nibbles gnawing on the bait, but never getting hooked. I didn’t get annoyed, or rather, I didn’t let the bait stealers annoy me too much, and consequently? One, big fish.
Gemini: In Shakespeare’s time, particularly in his plays, the whole cast was usually no more than a dozen, maybe 14 or 15 men. So with this set-up, when there’s a character in one play who spend a great deal of time on stage, but that character doesn’t say much, it begs the question. Question begging aside, Antonio in Shakespeare’s 12th Night, poor guy is directed to be on stage, but he doesn’t speak much. 400-year old stage directions might be somewhat suspect, and as a Gemini you’re wondering about this. What was the purpose of putting a character on stage, with no speaking bits? That’s also clue for how this year starts out for Gemini.
Shut up.
The actor’s silence speaks more than any words can. This week ends with three “inner” planets in Aquarius. That means, this is a good time to let your Gemini silence speak volumes. As a clue for the year? Silence speaks volumes.
Cancer: Buzzword, single term, for the week, for the Moon Child’s year ahead? “Metrics.” The biggest problem with computers and the internet? Absolute answers and accurate numbers. As a Cancer, you tend towards “Feelings” rather than hard, cold facts. That’s where the buzzword, “Metrics” applies. There is incremental progress that can be measured. Incremental Cancer progress. It’s all about about metrics and measuring your progress.
As I see it, a decline in overall readership of my horoscopes is a downward trend. Usually happens in December. However, there’s been an uptick in readings, and new subscribers — without your support this wouldn’t be possible. So fewer “hits,” but more more income from the folks that are hitting this. This metaphor translates to a better position for Cancer. See how this works? Absolute metrics are abysmal; however, the results are a big improvement. Can’t get caught up with measuring too much. Still, the buzzword for the future? “Metrics.” (How and what you measure; how to define success.)
The (mighty) Leo: New Year proposition for my mighty fine Leo friends? “Know your limits.” New Year prognostication for my mighty fine Leo friends? “Know your limits.” It’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s not anything. It’s what you make of it. “That’s an impossible task!” One of my Leo friend’s squeals. That’s a perfect example. If it is an impossible task? I know, you’re the mighty Leo and nothing is impossible, but if you know you can’t count on friends, then don’t work them into the equation. I spend a portion of my “Xmas Vacation,” technically, from T-Day to Jan. 1, I spend a portion of that time at the Texas Gulf Coast, mostly Winter Texans. Last time, weather was cold. Bitter north wind, temps in the 30-50 range, too cold for enjoyable fishing, for me. There were some of my ‘Yankee’ friends out, just shirtsleeves, enjoying — to them — mild weather. Limits, right? I strongly dislike cold weather. I’m older now, maybe none the wiser, but with that age I’ve learned I don’t have to freeze on a boat. Sitting around the kitchen area of a fishing cabin, sipping warm coffee while the cold, north wind blows, enjoying the company of a female companion? Much better than freezing and complaining about fish that are reluctant to play along. Limits. Know your limits. Makes this a more enjoyable week. And year.
Virgo: It was the perfect foil for a Virgo — sign read, “Win This Lawn Mower!” I haven’t lived in a house that required lawn maintenance since I mowed a lawn back in old East Austin. Been a long time. During one period of my life, I considered the obligation of doing yard work much like the zen dictum, “Chop wood, carry water.” However, I finally realized I didn’t like yard work, and fortunately, trailer parks don’t have “yards” to work. To me, a noisy, noisome lawn mower is not a prize. That machine represents hard labor, an enforced task. Understand, some people like, even enjoy, such labors, but not me. I’m not Virgo. Winning a lawn mower is no prize for me. The only meaning I could derive from that sign, it was a riding lawn mower, was that the task was slightly less onerous. Still, while I walked past the sign, a guy was signing up, looking at the mower with tender love and lust in his eyes.
I’m a lazy Sagittarius — I do not want any tools that require me to work. It’s not a prize (to me). As this week then this year unfurls, are you still thinking that the lawnmower is a prize?
Libra: I gather material and then I can’t find a source for that material. Not a problem, I’ll sail this one out anyway, as it’s is so good for Libra’s week, then year —
“Human’s thinking is slow, sloppy, and brilliant. Machine thinking is fast, accurate , and stupid.”
There’s another quote, probably misquoted, or a total fabrication, about computers, “All computers are quite useless, they can only give us answers,” (Picasso).
Two quotes with dubious attribution, two sources that might or might not be real, and yet, the sentiment bears a strong Libra message: the Libra intuition. It’s not machine-made, it’s not dependent on strong facts, it’s that “feeling.” Listen to that “feeling.”
Scorpio: The joke is old and to some, tired.
Still, it has merit, looking at how this year starts to unfold for Scorpio. Starts well, that’s for sure, but not without a few, minor, upsets.
With Mars just in Aquarius, there’s that lingering annoyance factor. How you deal with that factor is up to your own, Scorpio machinations, but I’d suggest, just a suggestion, that the annoying problem can be spun into a benefit. “Would you look at this? They forgot to put salt on the rim of my margarita! That’s unheard of!” Don’t get upset, where I’m from? A margarita without salt on the rim is considered, like, a health drink. Annoyance? Benefit? Problem that you can laugh at? I prefer that last one, problem you can laugh at, and be willing to carry that humor forward throughout the rest of the year — you’ll probably need it.
Sagittarius: The way the question was phrased, a British (English) speaker asked, so there was the clipped accent, distinct in its own right, and the way the question was put? It’s a question of agency. The discussion was about one of Shakespeare’s plays, and the the professor was asking, not giving an answer, but asking, if the agency was “Heaven above, the Devil below, or man?” The term that I got hung up on, was the expression “Agency.” The meaning was about which agent was in charge, hence the term “agency.”
To me, though, as an American English speaker, the term carries a different kind of meaning, and while I understand the purported purpose of the terms, I still had that moment of pause as the speaker rolled on through the material. Agency. Brings up the question, are the stars in charge? Are we mere movers with no choice in our fate? No say so? I’m a big fan of Sagittarius Free Will as we have opportunities to make decisions — mine are usually bad — but we can decide. As a Sagittarius, are we in charge of our actions now?
Or, are the planets in charge, and we’re just reacting? Pick and choose.
White Paper 2015: The year ahead, what’s not covered in the up and coming horoscope.
The White Paper is available here (free download).
