“Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season,
When in the why and the wherefore is neither rhyme nor reason?
Well, sir, I thank you.”

• Dromio in Shakespeare’s
  Comedy of Errors 2.2.42-4

Horoscopes for 10.22.2020

Scorpio starts Oct. 22, 2020, around 6:05 PM, local time. Don’t forget Mercury. Steals and deals are available in the Halloween “boo-tique,” at astrofish.net/shop.

Scorpio

Happy Scorpio birthdays. Got that out of the way? Ready to move forward? The challenge is “communicate.” A simplistic approach is to suggest, “Well, Mercury is retrograde, and therefore, communications are problematic, at best.” Yes, a super-simple way to see this, and one that I will employ, over the next few weeks, as need be. The real Scorpio challenge, though, doesn’t come from the placement of Mercury, yes, it is retrograde — usual protocols apply — but this is about bigger stuff, namely, Jupiter, Pluto. And Saturn, relative to the Scorpio placements in your own chart. Spells out problems with communication.

“What did you say?”

“I said it ‘spells out problems with communications’ this week.” We used to call this “academic writing,” but there’s a kind of more formal tone required. No contractions, no slang, no stylized lists. Nope, nothing casual, all formal n’stuff. Be formal. Be precise. Eschew excess verbiage. Direct, and straight to the Scorpio point, and might have to do that two, three times, because, you know, Mercury is Retrograde.

“Repeat myself?” As need be.

Sagittarius

When I first started out casting astrology charts, I approached this from the computer-user space, I was fascinated with the charts themselves. Over the years, I can trace what I’ve done, moving from big, desk-top software linked to a heavy laser printer, to smaller and way more portable laptops, to, eventually, using a tablet for most of my work. In part, this about the march of technology and where that ends, no one knows. But it’s all about the portable nature of the work itself, what I used to do, anchored in front of a large desk-based computer? I can do that on the fly, I think my watch can do a chart, these days. In part, though this is about an idea, and way to work within the framework of the current Mercury in Retrograde. A scientific study showed that moving from room to room causes our brains to reboot (citation needed).

So the trick is, while I’m working on a single chart, like the chart for this week’s stars? I’ll carry that tablet with me. I’ll have the document that I’m making notes on, open. That way? I can’t forget what I was doing when I changed locations. Simple solution, in order to stay on point and focused during this next week, keep that work, whatever the open-ended project is, whatever task? Keep it open and keep it right in front of us, so we don’t forget. For me? I’ll be walking around with a tablet in hand, glancing around, trying to remember what I was doing, walking into the next room. At least I won’t forget what I was working on. Keep it with us, and keep it open. Simple solution.

Capricorn

It’s like this has come full circle, no? Easy there Capricorn, you know that doesn’t mean it’s all bad, now, does it? The full circle stuff? I got a chance to travel some, and I found I was living out of a suitcase, literally, for a few weeks. This reminds me of the days of old, when I did live out of suitcase, for, seemed like weeks and months at a time. For that kind of lifestyle? I shuffled through a succession of suitcases only to come back and arrive at the first decision I made, years ago: one suitcase. Then, for the rest of the “grab and go” stuff? I use a man-purse, less than a backpack, and more than a wallet. I require less and less when I travel, now. So it wasn’t too much of a challenge to live out of that suitcase, and the trio worked out well. Old ground, old friends, new territories, new friends. It was coming full circle that made me think of this week’s Capricorn and the cycles that are at work. There’s an urge to buy new stuff, and that just becomes more weight, and more crap to cart around. Think about re-using an existing piece of hardware, see if that doesn’t work better. Merely a practical application to what the stars say this week — for Capricorn.

Aquarius

I have an aversion to most “self-help” texts. Being in my line of work, I’ve been exposed to a great number of them, and over the years, I get to where there are only two or three that matter to me. What the essential self-help text does? “Problem: solution.” Then the text talks through the way the reader can arrive at that solution via hard work. Two books that I still reference to this day, though, are couched as “anti-self-help,” or a satire, when, in fact they both serve as solid guides towards helping one help one’s self. One book is reframed Buddhism, and the other is clearly Taoist. Neither Taoism or Buddhism is actually a religion, they are merely philosophical life underpinnings to help and can be easily worked into most religions.

Your mileage may vary.

On the eve of the eve of Halloween? Why the concern with so-called, “Eastern Mysticism?” There are answers built into the simple precepts of those two philosophies that will help Aquarius in the next few days. Simple answers to complex questions? Yes, and that’s the way to make it through with what we’ve got going on, astrologically. (Book link)

Pisces

In the course of my professional life, I’ve watched as my technology, my tech stuff, it’s gone from carrying a cable to hook a modem to a phone jack in order connect to the inter-webs, it’d gone from that to a wristwatch that answers e-mail and texts. How much of this stuff defines who I am? What I like, is the ability to answer and be in contact with a number of far-flung people in diverse locations, and we can connect electronically. I’ve also worked very hard to limit my digital footprint, so I can do achieve maximum results that I like with a minimum of effort on my part. I prefer to let the technology do the heavy lifting. Easier that way. How much of this, though, is the technology itself and what part of this is my approach to that technology? Am I shaped by my tools or do I use tools to shape what I want? Interesting questions, and with some of the pressure in Pisces, we have to pause long enough, a pregnant Pisces pause, to think about the questions, and its answer. Answers. Might be more than one. Are we letting the technology shape our output, or do we choose the output and let the technology just handle delivering our missives?

Aries

One of the most frequent questions I get, as an astrologer, has to do with future employment. Looking for jobs, changing jobs, looking at leaving jobs, all variations on a theme of employment. For years, the term I’ve used is “day job,” although, to be fair, a disproportionate number of my respondents worked nights and weekends, so the term is relative. The expression implies it’s the form of employment we all participate in to put bread on the table. What we do to pay the rent. Most often, the day job isn’t emotionally or spiritually fulfilling. Looking at future employment, and looking for that dream job, a gig that is both emotionally and spiritually fulfilling? Not every person gets lucky and stumbles into a gig like that. To make this happen and we have overwhelming distractions at this moment, but to make this happen, this Mars thing is about making some longer-term decisions to help move this process along for Aries. At one point, I had resumé, now a CV, that stretched for three or four pages. Aries has a simple list of employers, ideas, goals, directions, and this list gets longer and longer. The secret, and this week’s side-hustle goal? Get that Aries CV or resumé down to one page. Just bullet points and highlights that show the strength, the diversity, and the greatest potential we all know you’ve got. Single page. Have to get it all on a single page. Yeah, I know, all electronic but you get the idea. Single page length bio, if nothing else. This weirdness continues, but there's an opening, just up ahead. Soon. Get it ready. Down to one page.

Taurus

This week? Connection points. For me, that connection point is simple enough: astrofish.net/contact. I keep this simple because I learned, over the years, to make it simple and direct. There are a variety of connection points for Taurus. A book I was reading, about halfway through, I fantasized a happy ending, and I saw that the two main characters would survive, and thrive, in their modern era if they developed a form of communication that worked. Connection points. Not how it turned out, but then, it was a work of fiction, and they all did live happily ever after. Not that it matters. The connection points are important, most important, to Taurus. The deal is, with the pandemic, and our interconnected, hyper-activated, online world?

“Now with BlueTooth!”

This week’s Taurus energy demands that several connection points be open. For example, look at that connection page for me. I prefer e-mail, but there is a list of various other online messaging systems that I respond to. Not as quickly as I’ll respond to e-mail, but I am available. All kind of depends. With the current state of astrological disrepair? Make sure all the connection points are open. Must be able to communicate with your Taurus self in one form, or another.

Gemini

With the first of the smart phones, I got in the habit of not carrying a piece of paper with me, as I no longer needed something to write on. Or with. No more shredded bits of paper in the laundry, or otherwise. Recently, and with this motion of Mars, especially, it’s time to rethink that idea of carrying a paper pad and a couple of pens or pencils. Or both, you know, a Gemini thing. Carry back-up supplies. There will be, in this next week a myriad of ideas cascading down through the Gemini brain, and hopefully, some of those ideas will be caught by the pen and ink, dutifully recorded, for later emendation, elucidation, and Gemini action.

Later.
Not now.

This is the time to come up with the processes, the goals, the destinations, the ideas that will require action, later. We got some stuff that’s been on the back of the Gemini brain for a while, and that stuff is starting bubble up and maybe, if you’re not careful, it will boil over. This is the time, to write down those ideas, or, to go to the stovetop metaphor? Lift the lid and sample the stuff that’s been simmering, maybe turn the heat down. This should give you a few ideas, like, just a little more pepper for the stew.

Cancer

Client was trying to record a reading with me, on her phone. Other than the switches themselves, the current iteration of a phone has very few moving parts. Touchscreen, but that’s not a moving part, and the on/off and volume buttons, about it. The phone was churning away with a couple extra open — and running — apps. Caused the delay. Or it’s an old phone. Or it was hacked. Or it was updating, or it was searching for an open WiFi signal — not my phone, I don’t know. Client smacked the side of the phone. A light slap, sort of heard a thunk, but not really. The recording started to work, and I got to work. Technically, the little slap on the side of the phone did nothing to the hardware or the software. But that little nudge, in this case a physical nudge, got the phone to work. I suspect it was the extra few seconds spent messing around with the phone that let it cycle through whatever process was running. I don’t know, not my phone. Like that light tap on the side of the phone? The Moon Children need to jostle the situation. Could be as simple as giving the phone a shake. Old days, a buddy used to smack the side of his cathode-ray-tube monitor to make it work. Same principle. Worked then. Works now, for the Cancer.

The Leo

Inspiration — solutions to the current crisis for The Leo — inspirations come from the strangest of places. I was looking for an answer to a website technical issue question, and one pointer led to another, led to an astronomy site. Not astrology, but astronomy. While I’m a big fan of astronomy, astronomy doesn’t always admit it likes astrology, although, go back half a millennia, and we were all on the same team. Church, science, and all of that separated us, and I tend to downplay my astrology around the astronomers otherwise I just get an eye-roll or worse. However, the solution to the problem, the question, and its answer? Clear as day, right on the astronomy website. Hate to admit, but they got it right. Which is what I was looking for, and finding inspiration plus answers, for The Leo? That’s what we’re all about. Where to find them? Right within the friend-enemy’s realm. I know there’s a portmanteau for that term, friends and enemies, all in one, but I’m not sure how that really plays out for The Leo. The deal is, the answers are there. The solutions are there. Don’t hesitate to look at what your “friends” are doing to find the answers you want.

Virgo

Walking into a store the other afternoon, I was in my rather usual attire, shorts, sandals, bandana mask, and a bright floral shirt. Walking out, going the other way was a similar attired man, bit older than me, wearing socks, sandals, shorts, bandana mask, and a bright floral shirt. At almost the same time, we both looked up, smiled under the masks, and said, “Nice shirt!” To some, this would look like a cosmic twin situation, but for me? Hardly saw it that way. The other guy was older, portly, graying hair as a halo around a burgeoning bald spot, and sporting a medium length ponytail. He was moving slowly, and his measured pace indicated some kind — I’m guessing — age-related infirmity. What I didn’t want to see that this was me in matter of days or weeks, and me and the older guy, we are probably on equal ground, I just had more coffee, or a better night’s rest, the day before. I didn’t even think of him as dopplegänger until I started using this as an example. I see this as an unfair reminder that time is marching forward, and unless we — in Virgo land — take proper care, that could be us. The older, wizened, cozened version we see coming the other way. It’s a mindful mercurial minder — Mercury is in Retrograde.

Libra

We’re always looking for the magic elixir that will fix everything. Might not exist. I have one fishing buddy who will vehemently disagree and point out — for him — really good bourbon can serve as a magic elixir and fix most of his problems. But other than that one buddy? For the rest of us, I’m not sure that such a thing exists. With that in mind, trying to find a way to circumvent the inevitable, or a way around a problem that needs some hard work? Not likely. Besides, this Retrograde Mercury is eventually headed back into Libra, which will only serve to confuse and confound the problems. While I’m a big fan of a magic elixir that cures problems, like my buddy’s solution? Think these planets spell out a different solution. There’s always that uncomfortable reality we all must face. Now, since Mercury is Retrograde? Maybe breaking down the bigger problems into smaller, more manageable-sized pieces would help. Instead of the giant, jumbo problem? Think about making it into a half-dozen “fun size” problems, instead. See if that helps.

astrofish.net/travel for appearances

“Nothing runs on automatic.” - L.W. “Bud” Shipley, Jr.