“He is well paid is well satisfied.”
Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice [IV.i.415]
Leo starts next week, but it’s not without one last BIG party in the sign of the crabs. Cancer gets a special send off, with an unusual little burst of energy. It’s going to be a Cancer weekend.
Cancer: Your chart for this week looks like this place did, last week. Or it might’ve been the week before. We have an annual keg party for the big Fourth of July celebration here in Shady Acres. The management springs for a keg of beer, the rest of us residents drag out our charcoal burning pits, and we cook up all matter of stuff. There’s even a Vegan resident, and she grills up some vegetables. We’re a diverse crowd, you know, a real cross section of Austin lifestyles. We then all wander off to the edge of the river to watch the fireworks displays. Now, there’s a big party in Cancer, right as this coming Friday starts. The problem is, just like this trailer park, the guy who cleans up on the next day, that’s what the rest of the week, the portion after the party, that’s what it all feels like. There’s a bunch of those little plastic cups, some have a few sips of beer left in the bottom, others are empty, and at least one resident (we’re not pointing fingers) but one person even tossed the cup into the river. That looks bad, but I’m not about to go down there and fish it out myself. Still, the place looks like someone had too much fun. Now, it’s somebody’s job to clean all this up. Know what that feels like? Consider all the fun you have this weekend, and then next week, maybe it’s your turn to help police the place up a little.
Leo: The very first expression that sprang to my lips when I looked at your chart was one of utter glee [but not suitable for publication, “holy something.”] Now, I have a built-in sense that lets me edit myself as I go along. It keeps me from saying some things that might not be politically expedient at a particular time. You’ve got the enthusiasm, you’ve got the fire, you’ve got Mr. Mars, and a little later, Mr. Mercury, shoving all those “play” buttons on the Leo DVD player, but you might want to rein in your overabundance of enthusiastic responses. Sometimes, hollering out a profanity is okay. Other times, no matter how well-intentioned it is, such strong language upsets other people. Won’t bother me a bit, but I do know enough about other people to know that such a display can ruffle their delicate little feathers. Look: life is good. You’re happy. You’re energetic. Just be a little careful about how you show this zest. Maybe edit some of the words you might use, as you go along. What’s considered appropriate language in the garage, that’s not always allowable at the dinner table.
Virgo: One of my non-Virgo friends was describing her Virgo friend as the quiet, librarian type [who wears a leather teddy under her long skirt.] Nothing could be more apt to describe how the next few days go. Put on the big frame reading glasses. Look for that high neck Victorian outfit. Then remember to have a just darling and daring corset on underneath it all. Or something similar, a risqué outfit that suits your tastes. Maybe it’s not the underwear but no underwear at all. The deal is, it’s nothing that we can see, but it’s something that you know. And that adds a sparkle, a glimmer, a look to your eyes. It’s something special, that’s for sure. Just how special? As long as Miss Venus is traipsing through your sign, you can make it as special as you want it to be. Just be aware that there’s a pile of planet not quite in Virgo yet, and there’s a little waiting game going on. So take it easy for spell. You know what’s on underneath your Victorian exterior, looks like I know too, but maybe we should just keep this as our secret this weekend.
Libra: When things get tough around here, when the brown stuff hits the fan, so to speak, I’ve discovered that a change in my location is the best way to beat the problems. I go fishing. Up before dawn, a little quiet time, a little time spent tossing a lure in the lake, the way the early morning mist burns off the lake just as the sun rises, it makes for a peaceful way to beat the troubles at hand. Then, the rest of the day is okay. Nothing else can go wrong, as I’ve already had the serenity of the lake to adjust my spirits. I don’t know how you adjust your spirits, but fishing isn’t such a bad idea. Plan for an impromptu get away, take a quick break, do something to help buoy your spiritual malaise. Then — and only then — does everything else fall into place. It’s just a hint, but as the weekend gives way to next week, there’s a certain calm that begins to pervade your soul. Suddenly, those big troubles seem to burn off, like that early morning mist.
Scorpio: If I just had a little more Scorpio in my chart, I would be very careful right now. If I was more Scorpio in my true nature, and true to my Scorpio nature, I would exercise a little greater degree of caution. There’s a reason for this. Sound, astrological facts. Leo. Leo is both Fixed and Fire. Makes for a little uncomfortable energy right about now. You’re tempted to shoot your mouth off about some issue — my bet is it’s at work — and you’re inclined to brag a little too much. “I can catch more fish than you can, easy.” While that’s usually a safe bet, and while smart money would always bet on the Scorpio in the boat, this is not a usual time. You’ve got tendency to brag about something you can’t quite deliver. Now, I know you can, indeed, deliver, and I know that you can produce, eventually. But at the end of the fishing day, you’re liable to have no way to back up your claims. You might want to let your results speak for themselves and ease off on the he bragging rights until you have the proof in hand.
Sagittarius: I was having dinner last week with a friend and her young Sagittarius daughter. Now, I like the kid just fine, as I’m a Sagittarius, and she’s a Sag, and we have similar humor. I get a chance to look at what I was like when I was that age. I find this stuff amusing, we had us a plate full of nachos, and I was about to take one, and then I looked at that little Sagittarius, looking back at me. “You want that one?” I asked. “No,” she answered. I grabbed the hors d’oveure, popped it in my mouth, and no sooner had I started to chew then that little whelp of kid let me know, “Hey! I wanted that one!” I looked over at the Mom [always try to impress the mothers], and I thought about offering that food back to the kids, just slightly chewed. I looked at the mom. What me and my Sagittarius friend might find amusing, our little joke who wanted what, and then the display of barely food chewed being passed back and forth, while that might all be in fine humor with us Sagittarius types, you can just imagine what sort of scorn it would elicit from the “mom” contingent of the party. One of the most important parts of humor is knowing when to stop the running gag. I didn’t carry it any further that night, and while all of us Sagittarius types are amused, I’d suggest that we don’t carry our little jokes too far as not everyone will be equally amused.
Capricorn: Middle of the summer. Middle of the long, hot summer. Last spring, I made a prediction that this summer was probably going to be a hot one in Texas. Looks like I was right again. Of course, that’s a safe prediction. What are you doing to deal with this summer’s heat? And if you don’t live in Texas, perhaps in cooler climate, or maybe on the underside of the globe where it’s now winter, there’s still a lot of astrological heat on you, and that brings us back to the question of what are you doing to deal with this heat? I’ve found one of the handiest ways of dealing with heat — real heat or metaphorical heat — is to dress down for the situation. Less is more. Try wearing less clothing for this sort of heat. This might not make a lot of sense in context, but out of context, it could help. Dare to bare your skin. Do something with the hot weather. Sometimes, you know it really helps, but sometimes, less is more.
Aquarius: We were just pulling into the dock, after a rather successful fishing trip. Since I’m pretty much a “catch a release” guy, I didn’t have a whole lot to show for the day’s work, but we did get half dozen or so pictures of me and my fishing buddy with big fish on our hooks. Looked pretty good. Then, as we pulled up to the boat ramp, and while I waited for my buddy to pull the truck around so we could load the boat, I watched as a small kid fishing from the pier snagged a little brim. It wasn’t a big fish. Compared to our haul, it was almost nothing. Looked more like bait to me. But to that kid, this was worth running and screaming about, “Hey! Hey LOOK! I CAUGHT A FISH!” My best estimate placed that kid at somewhere between 3 and 11 years of age. I’m not much good with children. Yet, this was one of those heartwarming scenes, like a little dose of true American something or other. What was that artist’s name? Norman Rockwell? I think that’s it. Looked just like a scene he would paint. Okay, instead of being cynical old fart like me, and instead of thinking to your Aquarius self, “That isn’t a fish, that’s bait,” instead of that line, consider looking at it a little differently. Think how cool it is that the kid is fishing — and catching fish. Think how excited he was. Major milestone for him. Look around you: there’s a scene like this, being played out almost every day for the next week, in your Aquarius world. Enjoy it. No, you’re an observer, not the participant. You can be bitter and cynical, or you can enjoy the little things — which are, in reality, big things to other people.
Pisces: I run a web cam, and the star of the camera is the “office manager,” the cat. Then, this web cam took on a life of its own. The cat was more than the star, the cat was a form of prophesy. Depending on which way the camera was pointed, and where the cat was napping developed into a cult following. And what way the cat was facing meant it was either a “yes” or a “no” answer to an oracle. The only symbolism I usually read into this action was dependent on the kind of food she got for breakfast. If she liked the food, then she faced me, and if she didn’t like the food, she turned her head the other way. You know how cats can pointedly ignore you? You’re feeling like I was when the cat was definitely NOT paying attention to me. I don’t remember if that was a Yes or a No in the oracle, but it meant something. To me, it meant the cat didn’t like breakfast. Now, you can read a lot into the way the weekend unfolds, but what it really amounts to is that your cat probably doesn’t like this week’s brand of cat food. Careful that you don’t attach too much importance to something that’s really rather random.
Aries: There’s only two areas of your life that really need your attention right now. Too bad you’re an Aries, it’s a little hard to split your attention between work and play at the same time. But try this one on for size, let’s divide the next week in two parts. The weekend is a good time to work. Next week is a good time to play. Eschew conventional wisdom, get around the schedule conflict thing, and give this one a go. See: it’s like this: there’s a whole bunch of part-time, wannabe fisher persons out at the lake on the weekend. Makes for a crowded place to be. And unless you’re prone to getting up really early, and trying to beat everyone out there, this isn’t the best time for you to go fishing. But along about next Monday or Tuesday, then is a good time. The lake has had a chance to replenish itself. The fish are back up to their fighting form, and best of all, none of the fish are expecting you at the beginning of the next week. But this weekend? Isn’t there some project at work that could really use a little extra time? Sure there is. Do it now, don’t put it off, and next week, you get a break. The really big plus to this is the fact that the lake’s a lot less crowded, thereby almost insuring your chances of good fortune.
Taurus: I suppose that it depends on how sensitive you are. In the middle of the Texas summer, I tend to meander by “surfing the shade” when I’m going some place. I’ve been known to park my truck out in the middle of a deserted parking lot, miles from the mall’s entrance, just because there was a little bit of shade for the truck’s cab. Makes it a lot easier to climb back in when I’m done. Or park around the side of the building rather than out front because, by the time I get out, the sun will have set enough to afford that side a little modicum of shade. Likewise, when I’m wandering up to meet someone at the diner, I’ll take a rather circuitous route — the pathway that affords the greatest amount of shade. I call this sort of action, “surfing the shade,” and I’ve been observed crossing streets just to stay in the cool a little longer. Or relative cool. Don’t hesitate to follow my footsteps in the summer heat. Mars is leaning on you pretty heavy, so be willing to work with what little shade you can find. There’s nothing wrong with going out of your way to stay cool.
Gemini: Saturn is a big player in your astrological milieu. Has been, will continue to be, and he’s an influence you just can’t seem to shake. Now, I was working on another, non-Gemini problem, and I stumbled across a note to myself about “focused, patient work towards one goal.” It was one of those little post-it notes that got lost in the shuffle of paperwork on my real desktop. I can’t remember what it was in reference to, either. But whatever that note to myself was about, it really applies to yourself, and it applies as Mercury switches gears from Cancer to Leo. Take a hint from my note to myself, about some lost project, and get on with what work you’ve got to attend to. The trick, as Mars heats his way through Leo, the trick, the key, the sticking point, as it were, the real key is to concentrate on that one project. You’re tempted to get sidetracked, and you’re also tempted to pontificate at length about something that has nothing to do with the task you really should be paying attention to. Look: this is like me, sitting in a bass boat, out at the lake, and trying to educate some guy about Shakespeare. I usually get the “shut up and fish” comment.
