"Now Mercury endue thee with leasing, for thou speakest well of fools!"
Shakespeare’s 12th Night (or What You Will) Act I, scene v
It’s the Clown, Feste, to Olivia about Malvolio. Upcoming events, information is here.
Pisces: Happy Pisces Birthdays! Got that out of the way, and to all our dear Pisces friends, here’s good wishes for the next year. There will be many more, I’m hoping. Now, onto what matters, now. Mercury.
We’re still in its shadow, at this point, and although, no longer technically retrograde, Mercury is still making a fine mess that no one but a good Pisces can clear up. I was crossing a bridge from South Austin to North Austin, from Shady Acres towards downtown, not really much more than a mild mile march, in the mild March mid-afternoon. There was a group of delegates, tourists, or convention folks, all lined up on the bridge, cavorting, posing, snapping pictures of downtown Austin like it was really something.
Everyone in the group had nametag, but I couldn’t make out the organization or function. Obviously tourists. Happy tourists. Happy convention goers, happy something. Oblivious to the fact that Mercury was still making the life of Pisces a little problematic. Mercury’s shadow? That energy can be effectively dealt with by emulating the action of those tourists.
Aries: Rodeo is coming to town. Happens every March, and I can’t say that I’m looking forward to it. I don’t have much to do with the local rodeo circuit. Don’t know a lot about the sport. Involves horses, and cattle, and the females seem to dominate the barrel racing. That’s about it. But that also means there will a strong contingent of cowboy-adorned city-folks who will be out and about.
Mercury is just unwinding from a long retrograde stint. I’ve got one buddy, not named Bubba, who is all excited about the rodeo this year. Forget the international splash that overshadows the rodeo events, the usual SXSW material. It’s all about getting out to see performers and looking at stock. Not unlike me, you’ll be tempted to make fun of certain urban folks who suddenly switch from a coat and tie to a cowboy hat and boots, who, overnight, become "Jin-U-ine" ranchers and riders, people who are transmogrified into cowboys for a seasonal event. Proud of their roots and heritage.
So it’s rodeo time — in Aries. Mercury isn’t done, and the real cowboys, the real Aries cowboys (and cowgirls, whatever) need to tread gently around the posers. That simple. Don’t offend the tourists, either.
Taurus: Teeth gritted, nostrils flared, eyes wide with passion? Interesting image for a delicate and sweet Taurus but an apt one. It’s all about passion. Now, there’s a caution with this, though, as how that passion is demonstrated is the question. I suggested one image, and it started with gritted teeth. Point behind the gritted teeth is that pesky Mercury and Mars, and while we’re looking at it, Venus, too. Each one is a player in this scene. But what each one points to, I’m starting with the two M planets, Mercury and Mars, but as punctuation, I’d add Venus, on rapid approach to Taurus, what’s happening is something is going to get you.
Political point? Office point? Ex-lover? Current love interest? One of them is going to do something that demands an immediate response. Here’s where I earn my money: grit your teeth. Don’t say a thing. Take it easy. You may be mad, but giving voice to your anger will do nothing but take a bad situation and move it to the "worse" category. I’m not disputing that you’re angry, or irritated, it’s how you choose to deal with that situation — that’s what is so important. Gritted teeth, if need be. I didn’t say you couldn’t express the irritation, but do so with facial gestures, not by saying anything. That’s adding combustible material to an already raging inferno.
Gemini: I broke down and called customer service. For a Gemini, this might not be a big deal, but for a guy like me? Big damn deal. I admitted I was face-to-face with a situation I couldn’t control. So I called the 8xx number on the back of the package, and played with the phone tree until I got an operator.
We discussed the problem, in brief, after running through the "security" questions, last known address and that sort of thing. Then, I could imagine, with one click of her mouse, or a single keystroke, the problem was resolved. That easy. I responded, "I think I love you," and anyone who’s talked to me on the phone, that person can usually hear the dripping sarcasm. "Yeah, I hear that from all the guys," the operator informed me.
Normally, I’d be crushed, but I was, at that point, starting to have some fun. Besides, the problem was resolved in my favor. She continued, "but it’s causing problems with my husband. He’s not too keen to have all of you guys giving me that answer." I suppose it goes with the territory and the limits of just verbal communication. Big problems are easy to solve within conventional bounds. Ancillary problem, little stuff, on the side? Still suffering from Mercury-infused drama.
Cancer: There’s nothing so bad as thinking too much. That’s the simple message. I can get into a convoluted explanation about where all the planets are in relation to the Cancer components in your astrology chart, or I can be simple and plain. It’s called thinking too much. A little less talk, and lot more action will be good. Good for you, good for your soul, good for your heart.
There’s an easy-to-decipher theme running. It’s about learning new tricks. Some people learn by reading. Some people learn by observing. But most of us? We have to touch the wet paint to see if it is really still wet. So there’s the sign, the message, the warning, and what are going to do? Go ahead and see if the plate is really hot. Touch the wet paint. It’s not a bad way to discover. Most Moon Children are such that the other methods of learning, observation and rote memory, usually work best. But not now. It’s matter of doing. I’d suggest you follow the instruction, but then, that goes against the idea of exploration as a method of learning.
Leo: I was in little pizza place, a joint much favored by a younger "college" crowd. Usually. And on a Friday evening, it was crowded. Ordered up some pizza, then sat back and watched. At a nearby table, a guy was holding forth about a certain destination, "No man, I’m serious, like, Waco is a fun a town." (Waco — home to Baylor University — a seat of Baptist thought and thinking — ultra-conservative reputation.)
Waco is not known as a "fun" town, not in local lore and legend. But this one young man went on to enumerate several experiences that would make some people blush, and his adventures included the usual amount of male bravado (and most likely, hyperbole), that goes with such tales. I’m not naming names, but we were in a zip code that ends with the digits "666." Coincidence? I think so. Did I believe his stories? Probably. Is Waco a fun town? Define fun. They do have an extensive library, brilliant for research for the arts and letters crowd.
But "fun"? All depends, I suppose. I see Leo like that one guy, holding forth, perhaps adding a few extraneous details that might — or might not — be true. Perhaps I’m being unjust in my sentiments about Waco, too. Good food there, for sure, as I’ve sampled it a time or two. But not necessarily a "fun" destination. So your Leo self is holding forth, and the pitch isn’t going the way you’d like it to. Consider small exaggerations to help make your point. Although, to the rest of his audience, there were no believers.
Virgo: Spring break. South By South West. Rodeo. (something) (university) Athletics. It all starts next week. And there’s some green thing happening, too, not that I can recall what. Does it involve drinking a lot? For some of my neighbors, well, most of us, while we appreciate the advent of the events, we’re also a little put out by the way the town swells in size. Local venues are crowded to capacity. It’s not exactly a happy time. I mean, well, it is a happy time as commerce does well, but the capacity crowds can be a little upsetting.
A buddy of mine, a fishing buddy, hates having to drag the boat through here, to fetch me and tackle, to fish. The good news is we’re fishing someplace else. The bad news is the crowds, the traffic, the press of humanity is to a point that it seems a little overwhelming. That’s a problem.
Look, plot a careful course, for the Virgo weeks to come. Plan around certain activities. Make allowances for untimely interruptions. Figure out how to beat the odds. It can be done, but this will require some careful planning. Maybe a trip or two to the lake, is what’s called for — something out-of-town and away from the crush of the tourists.
Libra: I pointed this out to my patron for the afternoon. I was in a coffee shop, being entertained while consuming delicious coffee-based beverages. "What’s odd is that it’s not odd," I said. A German, according to sources, tourista had wandered in and out. The touista was wearing a vintage skirt, wooly sweater thing, and cowboy boots with fancy, hand-tooled uppers, redolent in turquoise piping and inlays.
"She wants to fit in, dress like locals," I was informed. Other than the heavy German accent? Maybe add a (pink) cowboy hat? It wasn’t that unusual of a look. But then, I live in a place where cowboy boots and short skirts are commonplace. While that kind of outfit might offend a delicate Libra sense of style, the weird thing was, that strange arrangement of attire? It really did fit in. And to a Libra, especially this week, even being a little outlandish is okay. You’ll fit in. That’s all that matters, accent or no.
Scorpio: I was doing a phone reading, the other evening. It was sort of winter out, sort of not. I was debating with myself whether or not I should do a load of laundry, I mean it’s a long hike to the laundry room in Shady Acres, maybe 100 meters — roundtrip. Reading takes an hour, if I can get the laundry in the dryer before the reading, then I’m good to go. Only, I missed it because the client called a little early. Not a problem, I’m easy with schedules and time zones and such. As the reading wended along, a Scorpio, no doubt, but as I continued talking, I found myself first, getting dressed to brave the balmy winter night and do laundry, then deciding it was too late, and undressing again, all the while, reading the signs and symbols in an astrology chart.
Basically, and I’m glad the web cam wasn’t running, I dressed and undressed during the reading, unsure of my own direction. I’m sure, part of this was because I was talking to a Scorpio. Just makes the unsuspecting person disrobe — it’s a Scorpio thing. No one else would understand. My full attention never waived from the chart, perish the thought, but someplace, like in the back of my brain, I must’ve been doing math. 45 minutes to wash, hour to dry. So the boots went on, then off, then on again, then off again. All the while, I was still looking at the Scorpio’s charts. Indecision is not usually a Scorpio problem. But like me, it might be.
Sagittarius: I was in a convenience store, a locally-owned place, and I was getting my afternoon refreshment, a repast, and some news. I bought a coke and a hot dog, then, on a whim, I asked for a lucky lotto ticket, too. When the clerk handed me back the change, I dropped one of the coins. It landed heads up. I took this as a sign. After all, what I do is interpret symbols. I figured that the lucky lotto ticket would win. Maybe even win big. Dropped a coin, that symbolism is not without other interpretations, too. But I chose to see it the way the coin landed, heads up. A good sign.
I didn’t make much off that winning ticket, another three bucks, which the next day became lunch and a coke — plus another ticket. As I pondered the symbolism for the week in Sagittarius, I realized that, in my hand, I had the key. Or, I had a convenience store hot dog and a coke. Either way, it’s about how we look at what’s going on. It can be a positive symbol, if our Sagittarius self will look at that way. Half full? Half empty? Does it matter? Not really, it’s all in how we look at it. So I didn’t win millions. A little win goes a long way to adjusting our attitudes.
Capricorn: I was exchanging e-mail with a client. Also a friend, and a person I have employed in a professional capacity from time to time (a lawyer, if you must know). So the client takes a rather leisurely route with e-mail. I got an answer to a question, some several days later. I’m used to e-mail being fast. Near light-speed delivery, and therefore, instantaneous response, right? If this occurred on a weekend, or when Mercury was backwards, a delay of up to 72 hours is understood.
But Mercury isn’t backwards, and I realized, as I was talking to the computer, that I wanted a response before I sent the reply. I wanted that reply before the question had been sent by me. That’s not a reasonable request, not even from me. Or maybe it is, I mean, that Capricorn should be able, in her capacity as legal counsel, to answer my quick question, even before I ask. So I’m being unreasonable. I’d suggest, too, that Capricorn realize that some folks are going to make unreasonable demands. Humor us. And yes, it’s okay to take your time responding to my e-mail. Doesn’t bother me. Too much. Yesterday will be fine, thank-you.
Aquarius: I was in a fine dining establishment with a client. Not a place I can afford, but fortunately, I do know how to use the right fork. What caught my attention was the hostess. She had a special "hostess-esque" sway to her walk. As a male with some functioning cognitive ability, as the hostess walked us to the table, primordial pressure points were activated via the ocular representation in front of me. Couldn’t be helped. My client noted my reaction, and suggested that the hostess was toying with me. Which then became a more intriguing discussion about the conscious and subconscious designs of the hostess.
I watched as that hostess seated a table of alpha males. They responded. Moments later, the same hostess seated a table of all women. It was a less salubrious encounter. No sway, no banter, no fluttering eyelids. The question, still unanswered, was that young lady doing this on purpose? Was she aware of the way she responded differently? Was it in the employee manual to do so? The black and white difference between the male and female reception was curious to me. Personally, I harbored no illusions of anything more than a casual flirtation, paths that cross for no more then two minutes. By her appearance, as a guess, the hostess was either Aquarius or Aquarius Rising. Not that it matters. As Mars fries through Aquarius? Can you remain slightly detached from the sway?
