Fishing Guide to the Stars
by Kramer Wetzel
(c) 2005, 2006 by Kramer Wetzel for astrofish.net
For the Week starting: 11.2.2006
Palamon: What is this?
Arcite: Venison.
Palamon: ‘Tis a lusty meat.
Shakespeare’s (& Fletcher’s) The Two Nobel Kinsmen [III.iii.27-30]
Aries: I was fiddling with some computer code, trying to, metaphorically, squeeze a single penny from a drop of blood, and I wasn’t getting anywhere too quickly. Sort of an annoying problem, these days. Plus, it’s a problem that my fine little Aries friends are more than familiar with, I’m sure. Just trying to stretch a single cent to see how far it will or — in my case — won’t go. It’s all about managing the resources, how we shepherd our available assets. The temptation is to spend more than is available, and therein is the caution. This is a function, as much as anything, of the harrowing influences stacked up in Scorpio. Not to be confused with a stacked Scorpio deck, either. Not that I wouldn’t count that out. The Aries influence, at this time? Consider going back and trying to get as much mileage as possible out of that single cent. It will pay off, handsomely, in the long run.
Taurus: Hate to admit it, but I’ve been around computers most of my adult life. At least one ex will say I’m not really an adult, not in my behavior, but I’m not sure that’s part of this time line. In the computer world in which I live, I’ve found that there are two kinds of people. There are those who have suffered a catastrophic computer crashes, like a major hard drive failure, and the other kind? People it will happen to, eventually. Back in the days of yore, it was possible to just reach up and slap the video terminal on the side of its head, just to smack the computer around. I seriously doubt that affected the problem, but as an end user, it sure made us feel better. With notebook computers, though, slapping the monitor isn’t encouraged. For that matter, with a flat-screen display, again, hitting the monitor just doesn’t have the resonance it used to have. So that’s really not much of a good option. There was one screen I worked on, and if I tapped it just right, the little wires in the back would sort themselves out, but then again, that was one exception to these guidelines. Sure as the Sun is in Scorpio and everything else going on upstairs, there will be a situation with a computer, and it’s going to fail at the worst possible moment. Now that you understand that, thank the Scorpio slice for this, you’ll be a little better prepared with a decent and recent back up. Right? You did back up critical files, didn’t you?
Gemini: A client showed up the other day with a few samples of food for me, sort of a token offering, above and beyond the usual fee. They were small packages of trail mix, mixed nuts, mixed nuts and fruits, and I was intrigued by the branding. “it’s really from my sister; she works in the nut house.” Only, later, when I examined the contents, I found out the name of the business was “The Nuthouse.” Rather amusing. Kind of place I’d like to work, I’m sure. Wouldn’t it be nice to say, “I work in the nut house?” Which, given where everything is, explains a lot about what’s going on with Gemini. It’s really all about the pressure from fixed planets, and how that pressure is working on your own voluble, mutable, delectable Gemini self. It’s about change and no Gemini that I know is afraid of change. Small changes, big changes, everything in life is in a constant state of flux. Why I love me my Gemini’s. Howsoever, there’s a suggestion that other folks are less than willing to accept change, gracefully, or otherwise. Herein is the hassle associated with this week, the other people are being stupidly stubborn. And you can’t change that.
Cancer: I ran into a sweet young lass the other afternoon, and yes, she was pouting. Like only a Cancer can pout. Seems that there had been some kind of downturn in her emotional life, and she was taking it out on everyone around. Seemed a little bit like she was play acting, if you ask me. But she didn’t. She just continued to pout with her loveless life, school, parents, brothers and sisters, and no one seemed to feel sorry for her. I tried to lighten the situation with an attempt at humor. Didn’t work. I started to launch into a long joke, but that that got cut short. Girl was down, and that was that. Cancer is feeling the effect of the Scorpio spin on life. Cancer really isn’t doing that badly at all. At all. Got that? I’m sure you do. Now, the next time I try and tell a joke? Instead of pouting? Might try listening to the joke all the way through.
Leo: One of the dubious joys of being small business owner and operator, like I am, is that I have complete and total control over all aspects of the business. But that also means I’m solely responsible for getting my material to the accountant and the end of the year. I’m responsible for calling up customer service and straightening out issues, whether those issues are internet service, balky computers, or handling payments and collections. Can be a problem. The bookkeeping end of the business isn’t really very fun. I try and make a game of it. I endeavor to find ways that it amuses me. But there are days when the paperwork in my “paperless pipe dream” of an office becomes overwhelming. I had this, three nights in row. Not one night, but three different evenings, I had to sit down, sort through bills, circulars, mailers, mailing lists, and so forth, and I had to decide what needed to be attended to. What was important. What wasn’t. Then I had to make a dreaded call to customer service because I kept getting an extra charge on a card, an added sum I can ill afford. Winding through the automated phone tree is harrowing at best, and a major pain the neck, at its worst. I mixed up a vitamin package, herbal drink thing, then I grabbed the headset. I kept punching and punching until I got through to someone live. I don’t think English was a native language, not that it matters, I was polite, and I kept reiterating my point, and eventually, the problem was resolved. In my favor. Cool. And that’s how to handle the problems, one at a time, with a cool beverage in hand, patiently explaining, over and over, what the problem is, and never, ever hesitate to offer a solution, too. But do so gently.
Virgo: There’s a surrealistic quality to the living life as a Virgo these days. To me, it’s much like jet-lag, something I really haven’t suffered much lately. Since I purposefully limit my travel to relatively local environs, I’m not often out of my own time zone. When I wander as far west as New Mexico or even just to El Paso, I do encounter a time change, they being one hour earlier, stuck in Mountain Time, not Central Time. Last few times I’ve traveled, out past that magical point where the time zone changes, I’ve just left my wristwatch on local time, my local time, not theirs. Means, I didn’t have to adjust anything, and I never lost track of local conditions. It’s way I have to tricking myself into thinking properly. A ten AM appointment out there is really an eleven AM time slot to me. By making this kind of adjustment to my schedule, or, for that matter, by not making this type of an adjustment, I’ve found that I don’t suffer from drastic shifts in my space-time continuum. Part of this is about what you do to return some semblance of normality in the Virgo life, how you keep in touch with home. The other part of this, though, is about what changes you acquiesce to whereas, there is some changes that you don’t. Not changing the time on my wrist watch is simple, cheap trick. But it works. Also sticking pretty close to home makes it all a lot easier. Instead of a convoluted answer, try something easy. Or simple and cheap.
Libra: Most fishermen have a favorite, a special “go to” lure, as it’s typically called. There’s usually a lure that always works when nothing else works. That favorite, been using it a while and it’s a little worse for the wear and tear? Time to consider a change. The fish, or whatever that Libra’s target may be? Those fish have been seeing the same lure, over and over. Switch it up. Change. Consider something else in the Libra’s arsenal of tricks. Get something interesting out and run with that. Just because one trick seems to work best all the time, a little experimentation might yield further information, more data for the Libra’s mind about what does, and occasionally, doesn’t work. Now, in light of that last statement, the “might or might not work part,” I’d also suggest that you turn your good Libra sensibilities towards the selection of a different, a different device, a new trick. Change is good. Some folks are fighting some changes, but not my favorite Libra friends. As such, try something new. If that doesn’t work, there’s always the old reliable “go to” that does still work. But it never hurts try.
Scorpio: I was watching some cattle. It was a cow, and she seemed to be supervising two baby cows. Down at that end of the pasture, there was a big brush pile, and those two calves got in a little game of grab-ass, in as much as unrefined veal can do so, and then a rattlesnake started to buzz in the brush pile. Those kids (the babies) had scared up some late fall traffic. By now, most snakes are asleep, but in central Texas, the weather was warm that fall afternoon, so I guess the rattler was seeking one last meal before the winter. While some of us do find cow tasty, when properly prepared, I’m not sure that the rattler enjoys the same outlook. And much like normal adolescent humans, the calves didn’t bolt from the danger. The older cow seemed to wander over and tried to shoo the calves away from the brush pile and away from the buzzing rattlesnake. I’m older and wiser these days. Unless I have a big stick, or more preferably, a handy firearm, when I hear that buzz, the rattle of familiar foe? I just back away. As a Scorpio, you can be any one of three players here, the inquisitive youth? The older, more mature “adult” figure? Or, perhaps, there’s a third a position that’s even better, standing off and looking, observing. The problem is youthful arrogance is foisted on you by the planets. As such, while I don’t think it’s deadly for you, that snakebite could hurt. I just have this image with you stuck with a snake latched onto your Scorpio nose.
Sagittarius: “Man, it’s been tough. I’m telling you, I feel like I’m pushing a rope.” Sagittarius girl, doing the talking, and complaining as only a good little Sagittarius can. And it is tough in Sagittarius these days. Not for a long time, but just for a short haul. Plus, it does feel like we’re all pushing a rope in order to get from here to there. After I heard that comment, though, I had a thought. First thought, naturally, was an image of her trying to actually push a rope, because, knowing a good Sagittarius, like I do, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to find one of us pushing a rope. But the second though, the image that came after I gave the concept some careful consideration? I was thinking, see, it’s like that rope analogy. But instead of pushing, which doesn’t yield results commiserate with the efforts? How about pulling instead of pushing? True, the idea of “going with the flow” is a little over-wrought, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get something done. Since pushing that rope isn’t doing any of us one bit of good, how about, just for a giggle, getting on the other side and pulling the rope? I was thinking about this, you know, and the more I thought about it, the more it amused me. I’m going to call that girl back and tell her try my way. Change positions and try pulling if pushing isn’t working.
Capricorn: A friend of mine runs a small hair salon. The joke, between her and me, is that she’s my hairdresser. Truth is, last time my hair was cut, she did it. And since she cut it so short, I haven’t let anyone with a cutting instrument near my hair. But she’s still a good friend, and she’s a stalwart Capricorn. I wandered into her salon, the other afternoon, as I was diverting myself from a different route, and I just happened by her place. She had a lady in the chair there, and with something on top of her head, and I don’t know what chemicals they all use in hair these days. I’m out of that loop. But my Capricorn friend proceeded to launch into a longwinded story about me. I just assured her patron that the truth wasn’t always in my friend, especially when she was talking about me. Then it got turned into one of those one-sided conversations wherein not everything was directed at me. Almost like I wasn’t here. I just shut up. Two women, one with her hair up in curlers, the other making up stories about me. It was quite impressive, but I’m not sure that the absolute truth was in a lot of what she said. That’s going to happen to you, my fine Capricorn friend, and given where the planets are? Now that Halloween and assorted other holidays are over? Follow my lead on this one: shut up. Let someone else do the talking. It will actually be good press, if not always quite factual.
Aquarius: I wandered into a store the other afternoon. Despite the fall weather, I was wearing shorts and sandals with a flannel shirt wrapped around my waist. It’s one of those “new age head shops” kind of a place. Candles and trinkets, herbs and spices, alternative healing techniques, and massage oils, a little bit of everything. Except, of course, no “trailer Fang Chuy” book. Which would’ve been nice. I picked up an herbal tea that I can’t find any place else, and then poked around until it looked like there was no line at the counter. I arrived with my boxed-set of tea bags at the same time as a rather attractive woman got there. I just stepped back and let her go first. The counter person was helpful, inquired as the customer’s health, addressed a recent issue, then finally gave a knowing nod about some point that was exactly addressed. Inside, I was doing fast math, making an appraisal and guessing at some astrology signs. But it’s not a store that I’m known in, and for that matter, it’s not a place I really want to be known in, so I didn’t do like I usually do and inquire about birthdays and make quick prognostications. The lady behind the counter was bemoaning her fate, and claiming she wanted to run away. But then, her cell phone would catch up with her, and there would be no escape. So, instead, she was working and doling out health advice. You know the type, such and such a tea for sore throat? If the attractive person asking the questions was, indeed, an Aquarius, then I would’ve had some good news about the issues, health or otherwise: time. “Time wounds all heels,” that’s our Aquarius motto. Then, as this Scorpio material slowly moves on, there will be a chance. You’re going to get better, but a little tea and sympathy is order for the Aquarius chart, just for the time being. Times being what they are.
Pisces: I was messing around, not really paying a lot of attention to the planets, if you have to know the truth, and being a Pisces, you do know the truth, therefore, I’ll be honest. I wasn’t paying attention, All I noticed was that it was cooler out. In the past, the recent past, when I’ve fished here, what I’ve done is find a nice, shady spot. But it’s cooler now. So, I found that my style had shifted a little. I was less concerned with casting a shadow in the water and more concerned with standing in a spot where the sun would warm me. It’s about comfort, and sometimes, the route to success is lined with shade. Other times, I’m more concerned with a comfortable journey, whether or not I really catch anything is less important. A fine fall (Scorpio) afternoon, crisp morning, warm afternoon, a little spot in the sun? Perhaps an action that might go against the best sensibilities for fishing, yet yields the most comfort? Maybe that’s an idea. Now, you might not be standing at the edge of clear-running stream, and you might not have a fishing pole in your hand, and you might not be judging the best place to stand for casting. That doesn’t stop the sentiment from being the best place to fish, for both you and the fishes in the lake, and that’s the hint, the clue. Look for what is comfortable and productive, as such a spot, it might surprise you, could bring what you’re seeking, on more than one level.
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copyright (c) 2005, 2006 Kramer Wetzel, for astrofish.net
