"I had rather have
Such men my friends than enemies."
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (V.iv.32-3)
Mercury is firmly in apparent retrograde motion, using the Planet Earth as the reference point. Air and fixed? Air signs and fixed signs are having the most trouble with this one.
Aquarius: I was digging through an older copy of Marcus Aurelius Meditations. I was looking for a short, pithy answer, perhaps a good quote, something to plug into the Aquarius scope. Hopeful yet firmly rooted in the real world. For such quotes, I tend to use Marcus Aurelius.
Makes it easier, see, the guy who turned me onto Marcus was (still is) a devout Christian. But my friend discovered that quoting scripture didn’t always work where as a more neutral source, like Marcus Aurelius Meditations? Much more palatable.
Think about that, as you get ready to recite, scripture, chapter and verse, to illustrate a point. I’m not saying the Bible isn’t a good book to quote, but judge the audience a little. Instead of offending some of the listeners? How about picking a more neutral source? Could be the exact same message, just delivered in more neutral words. Perhaps a source with less bellicose overtones?
Pisces: I was in El Paso, and I stopped at a boot outlet to purchase a new pair of (discount) boots. I looked for some endangered species, but I couldn’t find any. I did find a new pair of ostrich, but the price was a little high. I like the "Handmade in Texas" tag on my boots, call me silly. I found a very light tan pair, and I thought they would look good. I asked my companion, and her eyes lit up. "Muy bueno, tambien, eres hot," she said. (Translation? I’m guessing, "very good, and also you are caliente." But that’s a guess.)
I got the boots for a very low price, close-out special. I like deals. Factory outlet by the airport, shopped there before, can find handmade boots, cheap. In lots of colors. I was wearing black jeans and black t-shirts, so I didn’t see a problem with the really light tan-colored boots. Until I looked in the mirror. Didn’t exactly go with the black outfits I’d brought. But what do I know? I’m fashion-challenged, at best.
I tend to wear black boots with black jeans and black t’s. Add a sport coat, and I’m good. However, so I’m guessing, the boots were not a favorable addition, not with the black. They would look good with blue jeans, especially faded blue jeans. Black? Not so much. I was thinking about this combination and the shopping advice, and how I looked "charp" like that. Consider the source, consider the cultural perspective. Consider, too, that listening to friends doesn’t always mean you’ll get the best advice.
Aries: There are many theories about dealing with Mercury being backwards. I should go over the rules again, but I’m less thrilled at he prospect of trying explain material I’ve covered numerous times before. Mercury is going to be backwards, in apparent retrograde motion, in Aquarius. Combine that with the rest of the planets now in Aquarius? There’s a heady, steamy mixture.
As a decent Aries, the biggest mistakes are easily blamed on Mercury. As an indecent Aries, though, you have to wonder if a single, small planet can really wreck so much havoc. Wreak havoc, I suppose, would be more proper. Way it goes.
Mercury’s Mayhem doesn’t have to be too bad, not for Aries, not this time around, but I would implore you to use the usual cautions I tend to observe myself, no new work, wrap up old projects, keep a double check list handy, triple check, even, and consider going back over old material that you already covered. Editing is also a good idea at this time. And that term, editing, that doesn’t just apply to written work. It could apply to just about every aspect of your life. Consider what you would trim and toss, if you could. I’m not saying do that, just consider it.
Taurus: St. Joseph is the patron saint of home sellers. To that end, the Catholic stores tend to carry a little figurine of St. Joe, and at least one store had a complete "St. Joseph" home selling kit. Little box, had a St. Joe, he was carpenter, so he’s got a plane in hand, bearded fellow, sort of a patron saint action figure, and the rest of the kit was a pamphlet that had a prayer and dubious instructions. I’m not saying that this will work, but South Texas has a strong Catholic flavor, so St. Joe is a big deal.
Here’s the instructions, maybe more myth than anything else, bury a statue of St. Joe, facing away from the house for sale, on the NW corner of the property. And St. Joe? He needs to be upside down. He’ll help sell the place since he wants to be right side up. Might be the SW corner of the property. Maybe he should be right side up. Maybe he should be close to the front door. Perhaps he’s supposed to be under the front walk. Or the rear corner of the backyard? I don’t know. More myth and superstition than real advice. The confusing instructions, and the fact that these "kits" are available at the Catholic stores?
Could be me, but I was wondering if this wasn’t like the original problem the Church had? Selling pardons and such? Indulge me here, the idea of a simple figurine, a religious action figure, I’m not so sure that it will help with large financial transaction, like selling a house, but with a ill (Mercury) wind blowing? Any kind of help is good. The problem is, like that action figure, what’s the right way to use it?
Gemini: I was shredding some records the other afternoon. More than anything else, I couldn’t escape the thought that the paper mulch would be so perfect for a small garden. Like mine. The problem being that the shredded records, my old financial files, might contain sensitive data. I’d hate for that to show up in a neighbor’s garden. I can hear it now, "I was just turning the compost, and look here, a valid credit card number. Wonder if I can charge anything on it?"
I’m not being overtly paranoid and until my neighbor got a shredder, I dealt with this kind of material in slightly different manner, I’d just bury it in the dumpster. Coffee grounds, soiled cat litter and dog excrement is usually off-putting enough to discourage dumpster data mining. As a security system, it’s worked without fail for years. However, the shredder was an idea, and I did hang onto old transaction reports longer than was required by law.
I switched credit card processing companies a while back, and these days, I have to keep a lot less records. In many cases, I don’t even have access to the cc numbers. Makes life a lot easier. Less paperwork for me to control. Less record management. But that’s part of what this is all about, too. While I was looking for stuff to shred, I had no problem coming up with records that were easily ten years old, or older. In most, if not all, of the transactions, the numbers had expired. No loss on the shredded documentation. However, with Mercury where he is? And like he is? Think before you start shredding stuff. While most of the files were really old, I did happen across a box of records from last year. Have to hold onto that one.
Cancer: Ever get the feeling you can’t do anything correctly? I mean, it’s not like you weren’t warned about this Mercury thing, but it just seems like no matter what you try, it fails. What’s worse? If you were to really examine the root trouble with the failure, the components in the equations that let you down? The part that broke? The pieces that don’t fit? They aren’t under your direct supervision.
It’s not you, it is them. Someone else has failed to perform up to your expectations. Your specified standards were not met. Therein is the problem. The solution? I’m not so sure that there’s a fast and effective solution to these problems. What it looks like, to me, is this is one of the situations where you have to do it all yourself. The help, the staff, the hired hands, the people who said they would "be there for you" just aren’t. And unless you peek at the astrology chart and you ascertain that the other party does, indeed have Mercury Retrograde in the natal chart? Unless you can, without hesitation, verify that one piece of datum? Then I’d plan on doing it all yourself. The people you usually count on to come through? They probably won’t.
Leo: It is just wrong to argue with the Leo. The Leo is not amused by such suggestions, either. There’s an easy way to get this done, and then there’s the hard way. As the Leo, I’ll promise that you’re going to run into folks trying to do it the hard way. "Are you just trying to piss me off?" I’d expect that as a typical question over the next few days.
I have, on certain occasions, taken it upon myself to piss off a certain Leo. For starters, I’m an expert, and for back up, I like to live life dangerously. Irritating a Leo is really living life on the edge. Ragged edge, at that. Ragged edge and fixing to get my butt kicked, too. Like I said, I did this, in a controlled environment, and I did for amusement, plus, I did it to illustrate a point. That anger I aroused, it was useful. Drove home a message. Then, too, I left myself a way out of the mess, a chance for me to grovel, kneel, and beg forgiveness. A little self-flagellation, in front of the Leo, that doesn’t hurt, either.
Got a good image, now, of how to approach a Leo and what to do if someone were to piss off a Leo? Good. Because with Mercury backwards in Aquarius? This scenario is only half right. Means someone will piss you off, only, whomever that is? I don’t think that person will be bright enough to grovel, beg, kneel, supplicate, entreat, or even exercise some demonstrative self-flagellation. Nope. And that’s the problem. (Simple solution: give the offender enough time, and that person will see the error of his or her ways. But it takes time.)
Virgo: My most august of Virgo friends are sorely put upon by numerous events. Most, if not all, of these events can be traced to a simple misalignment within the sphere of planets’ influences. One, of course, is little (mischievous) Mercury. The other planet is, off course, Saturn.
I was going to use a different example, but this one idea kept coming back around. It’s like a good, used tire I purchased for an old truck, a while back. Tire looked good, for a used radial and it sort of matched the other tires on the truck, and it was just going on the back, with the old whitewall turned in, so it looked fine. Can’t really repair a nail in the side of the tire. But a few weeks later, I discovered that the tire was out of balance. Not in a fun way, either, as highway speed this lack of balance even more apparent.
Five dollar tire, ten dollar mount fee, total cost was only about $15. Not like I’m out a lot on the tire. As an experiment with that one place where Spanish is helpful for communication? Worthwhile experiment. And wrong, too. The used tire really didn’t work, not for an extended period of time. Worked for a quick fix, but it lacked long-term function. However, it was price that appealed to me. Price versus function, and which is more important?
Libra: Tread carefully, Libra dear. There’s a weird as can be energy that’s just kicking and floating and meandering along. It’s a strong influence that is determined to skew the direction of Libra travel sideways. Not really knock you completely off course, but it’s like trying to keep up with me and my routes as I wander along downtown.
I may be just headed to the post office, and maybe a coffee shop, but that doesn’t mean I’ll take a predictable route. Or that I’ll go in anything like a straight line. What should be a twenty minute hike can turn into a two hour meander, and that’s with little or no provocation. While this doesn’t bother me so much, trying to keep up with me, trying to pace and parse the walk? It’s almost impossible.
Some weeks, I’ll just go the same way, every day. However, there are days, when that predictable route just won’t do and I’ll use railway right-of-ways, footpaths, alleys, and parking lots as shortcuts. Or long cuts, really. But that doesn’t mean that the route is devoid of purpose and meaning for me. But I’m not a Libra. I could play one on TV but doubt I’ll get an audition.
Look: you’re going to be one a straight and narrow path, and that pathway will deviate from its regular route. As long as you keep the central objective in mind? You’ll do okay. Getting irritated that I meander so much? Or your route has as many twists? Doesn’t do either of us any good.
Scorpio: A buddy of mine has a daughter. She has long legs, long, blond hair, and body that can best be described as "goddess-like." She’s all of about 16 or 17 now, I don’t recall. I was with him, the daddy, when a date showed up at the front door. My buddy hoisted himself up from the couch and tiredly answered the door. He looked the guy up and down. Then my friend launched into a short, sounded rehearsed to me, speech. "If you hurt my daughter, I should just warn you, I’m not afraid of prison. Any harm comes to her, you remember that."
His daughter was not amused. She left, and my buddy grinned. "Usually works. Scare them good the first time, and they stay in line." I had a cousin who used to meet potential dates for my niece by cleaning his bird gun. He said that shotgun was the cleanest when she was 15 or so. These are situations where dire, possibly hyperbolic, statements are made. The point of the grand statement, though, is to protect. I doubt you’re guarding a teenage daughter. But whatever it is that you’re supposed to look out for? I’d borrow my buddy’s comment. Or the cousin, either one works.
Sagittarius: The way I heard the joke, it applied to the Yankee states wherein there are two season, winter and road construction. Which, to be more accurate, is more like road repair. I was considering that while I was motoring along some South Texas highway that was, oddly enough, being repaired.
The sign said, "No Center Stripe." There was a center stripe, at least, there was some form of white line. I realize it probably should’ve been a yellow line, but there was lane marking. Sort of. At night, I’m guessing, this would’ve been a little more difficult. Days are still pretty short, but getting a little longer as the Earth describes another trip around the Sun.
However, like that sign, which said, "No Center Stripe," there’s a guiding principle in our Sagittarius life, and that simple, clear principal fades in and out, waivers, snakes out of control, or just disappears?
Capricorn: This is just not going the way you want it to go, now is it? The plans were laid with care, and the outline, the form you want to follow, all of that was well-thought out. The problem being, the execution of those plans, you didn’t take in account the concept that the trickster would be trying to sublimate your process.
I’m not talking about a single person, but the over-all schemata leaves something to be desired. There’s a problem with the structure, see, it’s like one of those flow charts, used for construction. Project management, one of those kinds of plans. The problem being, we’re starting at one end, over here on the left-hand side of the chart, and there’s all this dependent action, the stuff that flows down from where we are starting? If there’s a break in the process, if there’s a halt, or a slowdown? The whole machine comes creeping and shuddering to a halt.
Which is going to happen, sure as the sun rises tomorrow, there will a slow-down, some part breaks, stops, or a person doesn’t show up, or the pieces don’t arrive on time. Everything grinds to a halt. Cry, scream, rant and rave? Waste of energy. Just document what went awry, and where, and then work on fixing the problem. The flow will be restored, and you’ll be better off because — after reading this — you knew it was going to break.
