“I have not kept my square, but that to come
Shall all be done by th’ rule.”
Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra [Act 2, scene iii]
- Mercury turns backwards before too long, like by the end of these scopes….
Aries: It’s less about you than you think. It’s more about what you [Aries] can do to help your neighbor [any non-Aries folks you know and love]. I’ve found that reaching out a little is very helpful — particularly with both the Sun and Mr. Mars in Virgo at this point. There’s a common misconception that Aries are more self-absorbed than other signs. Not true. However, this is a good time to see what actions you can take to debunk this myth. I’m sure you’re wondering about this sort of bland advice, but work with me here: act like our problems are more important than your problems. It’s like one Aries friend, having trouble with his outboard motor — and here I was stuck with a transmission half in and half out of the truck. His Aries motor problems were small compared to what I had scattered across the parking lot.
Taurus: It’s a mixed bag, and it’s a mixed blessing. Sure is a ton of stuff flying around right now, but most of it is — ultimately — supposed to be good for you. Really good. Way good. Wonderful, even. There’s this one narrow band of trouble and toil that casts a shadow across the Taurus landscape, but this is like the flitting of a shadow, like from passing bird, or maybe a fast moving plane overhead. That’s going to hit, some time this week, but it’s not all bad, and it can pass in the blink of an eye. I like watching the Red Tail Hawks around here, although, it’s easy to confuse them with Turkey Buzzards. The Red Tail Hawks tend to be a little more graceful, perhaps even a little more predatory, in flight. With what looks like a huge wingspan, there’s this little shadow that goes racing along the parking lots and ground cover. Like that fast moving shadow, if you’re really observant, you’ll see it. Could be trouble, especially if you’re a small rodent. Or it could also be a little warning, just something to let you know that there might be a predator lurking overhead. Or, it could all pass in the blink of an eye, and we’re back to things being good for Taurus. You make the call.
Gemini: Most “magic” is nothing more than slight-of-hand tricks, optical illusions, or, from what I’ve gathered, just a matter of pulling the viewer’s attention from one place to another, to make something appear, “just like magic.” Don’t confuse an illusion or trick with real magic. Real magic occurs, almost every day. You can see in a sunrise, a the colors of West Texas sunset, the sunlight dancing in a child’s eye, or the miracle of Tex-Mex cuisine. The curative and restorative powers of a greasy plate of enchiladas is often underestimated. So much for day-to-day magic. It’s out there, and it’s a strong pull for your week. If you can’t make the big things happen, you can look for the little ones. Some of the most important miracles occur right in front of your Gemini face this week. Instead of looking for the big symbols, focus on the more mundane, everyday occurrences. There’s magic in the air, and you’re an air sign. Instead of trying to grab the magic, acknowledge it exists. Better than looking for the giant indications, look for the more commonplace indications. You’ll be pleasantly surprised — particularly the coming weekend.
Cancer: This is destined to be one of those “weird” Mercury Retrograde times for Cancer. It’s not like it’s “bad,” per se, but it’s not like it’s going to miss you completely. You can do one of two things, and personally, I think this first one is a hot idea: shop for some tasty, tangy, flavorful boot polish for your footwear. Make those boots you wear taste like something you enjoy., A cherry flavor, or maybe a spicy peppermint. Something like that. See: you’re destined to put your boot into your mouth pretty soon. Might as well make it all more tasty. Considering the times, and considering what’s going on elsewhere, this really isn’t the worst of the stuff going on, not by any stretch of your copious imagination. But you can be prepared. You can find something that makes your apparent slip of the tongue a little more palatable. Me? My Cancer mouth is looking for Barbecue Flavor Boot Polish. I think there’s a good market for this stuff, at least here in TExas, and that would work for you, as well. If you do start to market something like, a 1% share for my idea wouldn’t be too bad, you know.
Leo: Good luck is everywhere. The problem is, the harder you look for it, the more illusive said good luck becomes. Quite trying so hard. Don’t make this an issue. If it’s not a problem, then don’t worry it into a problem. Ease up on the material focus you’ve got at this point. Luck is tenuous at best, and it shows up in the most unlikely places. Graciously accept what’s given to you, but make an effort not to make an effort. Jupiter is getting nice and warm in your sign, making everything better, a little bit at a time. The luck you get from Jupiter is more along the lines of a spiritual nature. That usually shows up as a “growth opportunity” to use a beleaguered new age term. Accept what’s there. Don’t argue. Fightin’ words get you no where at this point [even when you’re very right, like you are]. REalize that you may not win the big one jackpot, but a series of small gains, over a period of time, turn into a really big jackpot when you add it all up.
Virgo: I’ve got this one friend, let’s just call him “Bubba” for now, and he’s always got some great idea. He’s always on to the “next big thing.” Great ideas. Wonderful source for inspiration. Some ideas are pretty cool. Sometimes, though, Bubba’s “next great idea” isn’t such a wonderful idea. It occasionally seems like he’s filling time up with vacant words. While listening to various scams and plans can be amusing, at a time like now, between Mars, the Sun and the relative position of Jupiter, these long-winded ideas get tedious at best. You’re face to face with a couple of decisions right now. Which one are you going to be? My illustrious friend Bubba, with harebrained schemes? Or are you the bored listener? “Get to the point, the crux of the biscuit, where is this tale going, Bubba?” I tend to suspect that you’re the person stuck listening to some idiot scheme for getting rich quick. The question then, is how do you politely head this one off at the pass? Or are the talker? Are the one carrying on at length, and you’ve got an audience that is clearly getting restless? Pay attention. Mars works to crank you up; how you deal with that energy is up to you.
Libra: These are the dark days for Libra. What worse, Mercury is in your sign, making you more prone to turn into a chatter box. But with both Mr. Mars and Old Sol himself lined up in Virgo [the sign preceding you], there’s a problem. it’s like you’re talking and no one is listening. I feel your pain. I have this very same problem most of the time. In fact, most of my more brilliant predictions get missed at a time just like this. The little influence of Mercury really isn’t enough to outweigh the bigger problem of the that pair of influences going before you. If there ever was good time to keep quit, then this is it. Sometimes, a nod is better than a long diatribe. Sometimes, a little acknowledgment that you’ll “take the suggestion into consideration,” and that you’re planning to “get back them as soon as you can,” is a better way to answer the week’s questions. Might be a good time not to commit to anything, not just yet. You’re a helpful, kindly soul. A little charity [especially if it’s directed towards me] is good. Holding forth, though, might not be the best idea. You can get one idea stuck in your head, and stubbornly refuse o change your position, even though, in a week or three, you find out you might be wrong with some of your assumption. Keep a lid on it right now.
Scorpio: I was standing in line to get a table at a restaurant with a Scorpio date on my arm. More like I was on her arm, given what we all know [and love] about Scorpio’s. “We want a booth, and we want one of the one’s lakeside, okay?” My Scorpio friend told the hostess. I quickly jumped in with an addendum to her comment, “Please, just do as she asks, it’ll make it all go a lot better for both of us.” The “us” I was referring to? Me and the hostess. My Scorpio companion smiled demurely at my witty comment, and she nodded in agreement. It’s not like being a hostess is a really high-paid position, and it’s not like the poor hostess doesn’t get enough labial action from customers as it is. But she did get us just the seating situation we wanted, and my comment garnered nothing more than a sly smile. So it doesn’t matter what’s being said, and it doesn’t matter that some of the people around you don’t get the sly, witty, droll comments about how wonderful Scorpio’s are. Doesn’t matter — you wind up getting seated where you want to be seated, and that view of the lake is wonderful. Don’t pay attention to characters who don’t quite “get it” at this point — it’s not worth the trouble to enlighten the lesser folks you encounter.
Sagittarius: This really happened: I was in a little town, just a few scant miles south of where I live, and there were a collection of “good old boys” trying to figure out how to measure the flagpole. They would try standing on each others’ shoulders to get that tape measure to the top. It was sort of like a comedy routine. I watched, and wondered out loud, why they didn’t take the flagpole down… “Stupid, we’re trying to find out how high it is, not how long it is.” Before you look down you nose at just a situation, make sure that you know what’s what. There are times, thanks to Mars, the Sun and whatnot, when you want to figure out how high something is, and the obvious solution is not always present. Before trying to stand on one another’s’ shoulders, and before making it all collapse into some kind of a slapstick comedy routine, think about what it is that you’re attempting. How high is it? Or can you just measure how long it is?
Capricorn: The last time I suggested that I would brook no terms of discontent from a particular corner of the sky, I caught lots of flak. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for me. In as succinct a phrase as I can muster up, “things is good in Capricorn.” It might not be grammatically correct, but at this point, I don’t really care. This week starts out on the terrible note from days gone by, but there’s something kicking around in another corner of the sky, and that stuff that’s kicking is making your life wonderful. Maybe not wonderful, but certainly above average. Now, there is a caution this weekend. Your emotional state is going to be a little more highly excitable than usual. It doesn’t have to be bad at all, but a little word of caution might be in order, like, watch out for the knee-jerk reactions based upon a strictly emotional understanding of a situation. Never hurts to look at all the facts before rendering a decision. Before you decide to take the first thing on the menu, look over all the selections, maybe ask if there’s something special you should try. We’ll both be much happier that way.
Aquarius: There’s a particular anthem played — at least attempted — by most Country fiddle players. The song has a special meaning for me, as I lived downwind of some orange groves, at one point in my educational career. “The Orange Blossom Special” always reminds me of that time, happened every spring, when the orange blossom let loose with this heady, aromatic, fragrant, and ultimately seductive smell. It was launched on my world, and for the next three weeks or so, I was useless. It’s a smell of love, it’s a smell that evokes hope and rebirth. That song usually sets off my memories, and for the next couple of days, after hearing the song performed live by a decent fiddle player, no amount of hard rock, acid rock, or any other kind of auditory stimulation can shake the strains of the fiddle from my mind. It’s that lonesome whistle, it’s that train’s whistle blowing late into the night, mourning its travels. It’s coming and going, at the same time. My friends would just shake their collective heads at the orange blossoms and my reaction to them, “He’s toast for a few weeks yet,” was the common observation. You’re heading into the same fog. Might not be brought about by a certain song, but you’re definitely headed out to that same place I go. Call me, we’ll do lunch with our heads in the clouds.
Pisces: As a cat person, I obviously like various cartoon renditions of my fine feline friends. There’s a veritable litany of names that can be invoked, cartoon characters you can be compared to. Long gone, but not forgotten, is Bill the Cat. Remember him? The antithesis of what a cartoon cat was supposed to be. He kept getting checked into rehab clinics, and his singular, most typical response to any question, just about any time, there was a little balloon dialog bubble over his head? “Aack!” Instead of trying to give you some really solid advice about how to deal with problems, I’m pointing you towards a long gone fictional character. I’m suggesting your life right now might imitate art. While funny papers, and the characters who live on them might not be the best way to live your life, I’ve found that great spiritual truths can be gleaned from those messages. And as a strong supporter of an American Tabby, I’m in favor of looking towards a cat cartoon in order to get information about what the next few days are like. You can fight, you can make a statement with your actions, you can do any number of things, but the best response is probably going to be just like Bill the Cat: “Aack.” [Hey! Sometimes, a little lack of action is really the best course of action.]
