- But thou art deeper read, and better skill’d;
Come and take choice of all my library,
And so beguile thy sorrow, till the heavens
“Which is it, girl, of these?—Open them, boy.—
Reveal the damn’d contriver of this deed.”
- Titus Andronicus in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus 4.1.33-7
Fishing Guide to the Stars
starting 10.8.2015
Libra: As Mercury unlimbers from his disruptive run in Libra, this week, “things” start feeling better. The problem with “things feeling better,” though, and you knew there would be a Mercury-infused possible problem, right? The problem being “things feeling better,” and that information making into your Libra brain might cause, well, it might not make it.
So even though this a time when stuff starts to get better? Make it better in the Libra, for yourself. There’s a symbolic beginning to a new cycle, happens at the end of Mr. Mercury in Retrograde, and that’s the start.
I’m big on symbolic, deeply meaningful gestures. Time to take some. Take one. Do one thing, one item makes you feel better. I used to get these fruit cups, almost a roadside kind of food (thing), strawberries, melons, pineapple, maybe grapes and other fruits, all smashed together in small, plastic cup. Each fruit cup came with a tiny tub of chili powder, for added zest. One thing, just one step that brings a smile, one positive step. You know, all-organic and healthy, good stuff them fruit cups.
Scorpio: One of my favorite food groups is “Fishing Foods,” stuff that I can eat when I’m fishing. High Fat, Salt, protein, all I want. Beef Jerky, in various incarnations, used to be good. When I started building a “hurricane box,” though, I discovered that “Beef Sticks,” slim jim-like foods, those were even better. Easier to handle, less fuss, less mess. Best of all? No expiration date on those. They will last — literally — for-ever.
The notion that a food can last that long is a little scary, even to me. All preservatives and chemicals, not much in the way of real food, sort of leftover food scraps that get ground up and salted, then swept into a narrow tube. Probably good as a fishing food, and maybe as a part of a “hurricane box,” but I’m unsure of whether that stuff is really meant for human consumption. Might not be good for us, at least, not on a regular basis. Still, as a survival food, it’s good. Shelf life of “really long time.” Sure, good stuff.
Sagittarius: My primary care physician is a Sagittarius. Helps. I was explaining to her, that in my family, I’m the most normal person.
Last girlfriend, before she met my family, she guffawed at the idea I was the most normal in my family, then she met my family.
“Kramer, you are the most normal.”
That should’ve scared her off. With where the planets are? “Normal” isn’t going to return to the Sagittarius spheres, not any time too soon. “Normal” might be highly relative, too. In my case, it’s probably because my relatives are high, but that’s not the question. Nothing is going to go back to be normal, not any time too soon.
The results my physician was giving me? “Mr. Wetzel, it’s says here, you’re normal.”
We all get a chuckle out of that.
Capricorn: A secret vice of mine is “Mexican Coke.” It’s available, at least locally, pretty much everywhere, now. It’s Coca-Cola brand Coca-Cola, made and bottled in Mexico. The secret ingredient is real, cane sugar instead of high-fructose, ultra-processed material that’s in normal coke, nominally, American Coke. I can’t drink it every day. I don’t really want it every day. Still, there’s one of those October afternoons that was just like a summer’s day, heat-wise, and I know it’s October, and the sweat was pouring off of me. So that afternoon, as a break from too much routine, and to escape Mercury’s tirade, I popped the top off a Mexican Coke. I think it tastes better straight from the bottle with all its carbonated, sugary goodness.
It was the perfect beverage. Cost, I think I got a case of it for under ten bucks, so, maybe, what, 75 cents? Perfect beverage for this weather. Doesn’t matter where you are, there’s perfect way to deal with Capricorn’s Mercury-infused energies. A Pause. A pause that refreshes. The afternoon beverage, it is a vice, but a vice I don’t entertain often. A break, but at less than a dollar, not much of a break. Still, “Mexican Coke,” there’s something that sets it apart, marginally more healthy than other brown, fizzy waters. Less than a buck. Pause. Worth it. Need a break or small reward. Something like that, it really does taste different, better.
Aquarius: In the good, old days? Medicine Men, Witches, healers of various stripes, they all used “Eye of newt, toe of frog, bubble bubble, toil and trouble,” for the less culturally aware the “eye of newt” refers to a scene in Act 4 of Shakespeare’s play, MacBeth, the scenes with the “weird sisters,” who were witches. Anyway, in my own world, there are botanicas with readers and healers, most of whom rely on herbal remedies. The good, old days, “back in the day,” the herbal remedy was more common, ask any good naturopath.
This week’s Aquarian planets call for an herbal cure of sorts. It’s less invasive than traditional Western Medicine, and perhaps, quite similar to Eastern medicine. Some place in between both.
Mint Tea, in its various forms, always been a favorite example. At least one “yoga chick” will pipe in with that heinous stuff, the, I don’t know what it’s called, as a viable source of probiotics, and all that good stuff. I’m not sure what your individual needs are, but as a guideline? The local “all-natural, off the shelf” kind of store has just what you need. Could be as simple as a pink pill for an upset tunny, again, caused by the aftermath of Mercury’s recent activity.
Pisces: There is, in the deep Pisces Psyche, a need to assert yourself, next few days. There’s a pressing desire to make sure you’re both heard and understood. Next few days, there’s this incessant pressure to make sure you’re both understood, and that your personal Pisces message is heard. Probably not going to happen, but that doesn’t stop the nagging desire to make sure we’re hearing you. The problem comes with comprehension. We hear you fine, but — it becomes obvious — we don’t understand the problem with the Pisces psyche.
As an astrologer, what I can do is warn you that we’re not understanding it, not completely. Implications, ramifications, implied meanings, story-telling, metaphors, and analogies? Goes right over our heads. As a Pisces, you now know that we’re probably not getting it, and I’m not even sure what “it” is that we’re not getting. Part of your message.
Cue cards. That might help. Make notes and rear back to the notes and figure out what you’ll have to review with us, at a later date because, apparently, we’re clueless. Might have to repeat the message a few time, and even then? Can’t count on it going through.
Aries: One of my little Aries buddies took one of my messages to heart.
“If you can’t be a good example? Be a fair warning!”
In proper Aries style, when the first option wasn’t available the second option became an easy target.
“If you can’t a be a good example? Be a fair warning!”
Great idea and good advice. With the Sun still in Libra? Plus Mars and Jupiter close in Virgo? This is about examples and warnings. I’d warn you away from some imminent threat, and then, instead of avoiding the threat, when I suggested to stop? Aries jumps in with both feet! What happens? Great confusion and much mirth, on my part. I warned you “not to do that,” and you took a shot.
“If you can’t be a good example? Be a fair warning!”
Aries: the final answer? “This is probably not how to do this,” right?
Taurus: Bit of fishing advice that, as a Taurus, you’ll have to adapt to your own situation. Have to have lines in the water. Some of the fishing I do is more like hunting than fishing, as in, bait the hook, then set the line in the water and wait. Here’s the trick, the advice, can’t catch any fish with no lines in the water. Sitting in a boat, on the lake of life, there’s nothing going on until line, hook, bait hits the water. Fish don’t jump into the boat of their own volition. Just saying.
So, I’m not sure how to translate this to your individual situation, but the message is clear, whatever it is that you’re seeking, looking for? Like me, fishing? Can’t catch anything if you don’t have a line in the water.
The legend of the “First Cast?” Last month, bass fishing? I had a new lure, wasn’t sure, shiny little spoon. First cast on the lake, one fall morning, I’m sure there’s a picture on the website. Taker advantage of that option First Cast. Get a line in the water.
Gemini: While the biggest part of the Mercury Retrograde is over, the fallout remains. As a Gemini, that Gemini portion of your chart is affected by this mercurial positioning. What’s worse, or so it feels? What’s worse is Mars, Venus, Jupiter all in Virgo, with that leftover Mercury Retrograde crap still floating in Libra.
Gemini: it aint’ pretty.
Now that you know that it ain’t pretty out there? Perhaps you are better equipped to cope with the next few days. There’s an incessant rush and headlong push to get something accomplished. This can happen at a good, Gemini speed, but to make that happen? It will not be an elegant — pretty — solution. Happen? Yes. Pretty? No.
All that tension from Virgo is highly mutable, so I wouldn’t worry about it just yet.
I have, many years ago, I did work as welder, briefly. I did “gorilla welds,” as in the welds were strong, some are still holding to this day. They were not pretty, though. Gorilla welding, ugly and strong: Gemini? Get the clue?
Cancer: I use Shakespeare as a source for quotes. I drifted towards Shakespeare’s canon because there is no religious affiliation, and therefore? No one gets offended. Actually, there was a quote from Henry IV, part 2, and that did irritate a particular Cancer. Lost a client there. Can’t win them all. However, it’s usually much safer to quote Shakespeare than say, The King James Bible. Or almost any other sacred text. Doesn’t matter, quote one of them and someone gets offended.
So the deal is, this week, to keep from pissing someone off? Stay away from those topics that you, in your heart, you know those are ticklish areas upon which to trod. Or, better yet, just for this week? Ought not trod. It’s a good time to stay way from sensitive Cancer topics. If it’s a potential target? Maybe this isn’t the time to offer it up. Goes against some of my activist training, to always speak up, but you know, there are times you just don’t want to give them a target. This would be one of those times. Or, flipped around, someone gives you a target? Maybe now isn’t the time to take a cheap shot.
Which is why I use Shakespeare, as a way to illustrate stuff, so often. Less a of a target. Less target practice with me. Polarizing politics comes to mind, as a suitable alternative problem area. Arena. Avoid, if possible.
The (mighty) Leo: That first sliver of a moon, visible next week? That’s the proof that this is starting to change. The Leo trigger point is early next week or maybe this weekend, but there’s a gradual shift.
All I did was a make a pass through my domicile and “clean it up” a little. I’m not a “clean freak,” and much to Virgo chagrin, not a sterile environment kind of person. However, unlike some (most) of my buddies, I am tidy. Consider I’m Sagittarius, and like The Leo in some ways. Consider following me on this one, think “Tidy” rather than “clean.” By the time Venus shifts out of Leo? Time to be “tidy” unless, of course, you’re doing that Virgo thing, where everything has to be clean enough for surgery. Which, if I had a chance, I’d urge we skip that amount of cleaning, and just go with “tidy.”
Follow me, let’s make a pass through The Leo house and make sure everything is tidy. No, there will be no inspection, and this isn’t about cleaning, more about arranging to make it look clean.
Virgo: Mars, Jupiter and now we’re adding Venus to the mix, what does it do to a Virgo? Cranks it all up some. “This Virgo goes to 11!” That works, for sure.
Mars infuses a kind of drive that is otherwise not present. The incessant “Virgo perfection” voice gets louder and more strident. So the trick is to moderate that inner-Virgo voice. Mars is pushing for “More, more, MORE!” This is compounded with Jupiter as we get closer to that alignment.
Look at your Virgo list of “Virgo things to do.” Ten items? Too many. Narrow it down to about five, no, just three.
“But wait, wait, WAIT, I need all of those!”
Pick some priorities, and Venus makes this easier. Now, of those, five, no, three? Pick two. Now, just one.
That’s the current top priority for Virgo. One goal. Easy to obtain. Next, after that? Wait, first goal first, then we look at the list again.
- Aperture: ƒ/1.8
- Camera: iPad Pro (11-inch)
- Flash fired: no
- Focal length: 3mm
- ISO: 64
- Shutter speed: 1/60s
