For the week starting: 3.6.2008
“A lover’s eyes will gaze an eagle blind.”
- Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost (IV.iii.281)
Pisces: “Oh. Oh! You are in so much trouble!” It was a young mom, addressing her darling child. Little girl, long, pink dress. The little girl was looking up with the innocent blue eyes, while she was sucking her thumb. In her other wee child hand? She had a pair of sparkling purple slippers. The mom and daughter were just coming out of a busy restaurant. “That child will be the death of me.” Which, if you think about it, is a timeless comment, as I’m sure parents on either side of that generation can identify. The mom was exasperated because, from the ongoing conversation, a little one-sided, it was obvious that the mom and daughter had an agreement that the shoes were to stay on on the kid’s feet for the duration of the meal. A prerequisite. And the long face the child had? I was just guessing, but I’d guess some Sagittarius in the kid. Resilient, abhors shoes, finds rules are more like guidelines? Sure. There are some points, in life, that just can’t be surmounted. When you’re facing just such an obstacle this week? Don’t get down and get in the child’s face. It’s not going to work and the child will win, anyway. It’s matter of realizing when you’re up against an obstacle that is stronger and more fixed in its position. Which, if you think about it, is why I spend so much time barefoot.
Aries: Thai food that goes to 7. I had it. For dinner. “Six peppers (menu rating) is the hottest we’ve got.” I wanted something really hot. Found one that goes to 7.
Taurus: Waiting on bluebonnets. Bluebonnets are the state flower. And they appear, some years in huge numbers, starting as early as February and as late as April. Around here, now is the time. More or less. There’s an arcane method for determining what the Bluebonnet season will be like. Has to do with rain last fall, drought in the winter, or is drought in the fall and rain in the winter? I’m already screwing up the way this is figured, and I’m sure I’ve got the scientific stuff backwards. Not that it matters to me, as wildflowers and their biology really aren’t my area of expertise. As I was looking at your stars, what I was thinking about was that I was also waiting on Bluebonnets. In a similar fashion, just like me, waiting on the wildflowers to pop up? There’s my fine Taurus friends, waiting on something to happen. Since wildflowers respond to such a diverse and almost unpredictable pattern, Taurus, too, is beset with what seems to be the same. But it’s not. There is a pattern here. You just have to wait until the pattern starts to emerge. Like the flowers.
Gemini: It was one of those “art walks,” here in the neighborhood. The little art galleries were pushing what starving artists and starving artworks they could. Upstairs from one place, there’s a tiny little nook of a studio space And in that studio space, there was some new art from a talented individual. I’d call it multi-media, but I’m no critic, and I’m not sure what the stuff is called. It jutted out from the wall, and in one piece, the whole wall was part of the design. The bored gallery owner was at one end, talking on her mobile (phone). She glanced up at me and dismissed me as a buyer. Which was true. However, a few minutes later, she did get around to offering me refreshments. Oreo Cookies and a fine, red wine. I’m not much on the oreo thing, the chocolate doesn’t do a lot for me. And the red wine, I tend to stay away from fruits of the vine these days. What I was impressed with, though, was the way two items were offered and set out next to each other. Like it’s normal to have a decent cabernet with oreo cookies. At this point, a Gemini will pop up and suggest that it’s true, those two items do belong together in the Gemini Universe. Which is fine. It’s just that the Gemini Universe has to interact with the rest of us and therein is the problem. I’m not suggesting that the cookies and wine aren’t a good idea. For some Gemini people I know, it is not only natural, but a good fit. I’m not saying that this is bad, Im just saying that other people, perhaps the buying public, the Gemini’s customers? Might want something that is a little more closely aligned.
Cancer: There’s a well-known but moderately secret Tex-Mex place, just around the corner from me. It has a big parking lot on one side of the building, and at noontime, that lot fills up. There’s a second, secret lot, on the other side. Seems that no one is aware of it. A girlfriend wheeled us into the secret parking lot, and as soon as I made note of it, she threatened me with slow and painful death by dismemberment, if I were to mention the name of the place or the location of the secret parking lot, which is either east or west, of the building itself. Or maybe north. Or south. However, the location isn’t really that important, not unless you’re in my neighborhood at lunch time. What is important is understanding that Mars is careening into your sign. To make the most effective use of the Mars infusion, consider the politic manner in which the little (Cancer) girlfriend suggested I not mention the name of the or location of the secret parking lot. That’s the point.
Leo: The thought never crossed my mind, but should you decide to act in a slightly irrational manner? Just let me suggest that you act and err on the side of caution. There’s a heavenly push, not so much as a direct influence, but a really indirect, sideways income shove, and that’s what I would watch for. You’re wandering along the Royal Romance Road for Leo, and then, someone, something pops up and tries to change your direction. How much are you going to let this affect you? Let it change your direction? Or can just swerve and veer a little to the side, and get around the obstacle? That’s the suggestion consider that someone is trying to convince you that the person’s own, person agenda is clearly more important than the Leo plan. Don’t guffaw or snort, just make a course correction and gently sail around the problem. Not through it, around it.
Virgo: I was watching one of my fisher friends. It’s a cattle egret, or white egret, or one of those. Not the big snowy egret, although, I’ve seen one of those, too. Just a long-legged, long-necked white egret. He was ankle deep in the creek. I was going to try the “no egrets” joke but the last time, that one didn’t fly. Anyway, this one egret, I was watching him and he was watching me with one eye, but the other eye was scanning the shallow creek bed for a little bit of a repast. Dinner. Lunch. Maybe brunch, I’m not sure what kind of schedule he was on. She? I don’t know much about the bird, other than he fishes close by. I watch him — or her — and I pay attention to what he’s dining on. I see him, most mornings. Since it was cool, cloudy March morning, he was hunkered down, in a fashion I don’t usually see. His head was tucked in low, and he wasn’t scanning the depth of the pond’s water, more like just keeping an eye out, and he wasn’t really feeding. I suspect, as I passed fairly close to him, that he was also watching me. Just a wary eye out for interference. The water, it must be a little on the cool side for his yellow feet. The long legs, then, instead of the extended neck, the bird’s head was resting on its shoulders, in as much as birds have shoulders. I took it as sign that the fish weren’t active. Paying attention to what the birds are feeding on is one way to stay tuned into what the fish are doing. The cattle egret is fairly common, still, though, an elegant critter. I couldn’t help but think about virgo, too. I don’t know the bird’s sign, but I’d bet on some Virgo in the natal chart. A little caution, and ever wary for interference from other, long-legged critters. Like me. Careful observation will reveal valuable details.
Libra: It’s like a mosquito bite. Usually, and I’m fairly conversant with these critters, and to be honest? Normally a mosquito bite isn’t a big deal. This week, I’m not saying you’re going to get bitten by a mosquito, but there ‘s a similar annoyance. Blame the bug, blame Mars, blame me, if you must. Understand that a simple, pesky mosquito bite can be one of two situations. It can either be a simple, small pinprick with minimal swelling and redness. Or you can scratch at it, let it fester, back up against a post and itch it some more, get blood running everywhere, and let this simple inconvenience turn into a major medical problem. Major medical metaphor, anyway. The way it looks, there’s a whole lot of tremendously good energy running around. And then there’s that mosquito bite from Mars. Again, it’s all a matter of how effectively you decide to deal with the first incident, when the bug bites, when Mars stings. How does that hit you? Me? I take a mild antihistamine, and I’ve found that’s the best protection against the pesky bites. It’s just a matter of finding something that works for you.
Scorpio: I was walking, in the mall. Could be any generic shopping mall, but in this case, it was a mall with a pair of giant cowboy boots outside. Not that it matter. Typical mall scene, at first, a young couple, she, pregnant and blonde, and I’m guessing, the little tow-headed kid running alongside, then alternately holding hand with “daddy,” then “mommy,” he must’ve been the first-born. Just a guess. But the hand he was holding, and when father and son decided that mom would have to shop in a certain store all by herself? The father’s calves were covered with ink. Tattoos of death’s heads, in various forms. Then, the hand the kid was holding? The arm, the forearm, visible? It was covered in grinning skulls. Like a pile of skulls. Intricate and precise artwork. A lot of it. Since the mom had no visible tattoos, I was wondering about the connection. My mind wandered, not unlike the small son he had. Musician? Famous musician with a “alt-punk” band? Just a roady? Tattoo artist? Could be any number of possibilities. I’m — perhaps — a little old-fashioned. I find the heavy “death’s head” tattoos, eerily reminiscent of prison artwork, a little out of place with a person who is a caring and doting father. However, that could just be my own, limited perceptions. That’s also what I’d be careful about, too, making judgement calls when there’s an absence of hard fact. Not that it bothers me, but then, I’m not a Scorpio with a wild imagination this week.
Sagittarius: There’s a sign, in front of a taco stand (taqueria), not far from where I live.The letters are shaped to fit the sign’s curvature. Some of the letters underneath say, “HUEVOS RANCH.” Huevos Rancheros, those I know. Ranch dressing with breakfast, that I understand, too. What I’m afraid, and I might just be judgmental, I’m just guessing that the sign-maker didn’t plan well enough. Or that the artist lettering the sign didn’t count how many letters were in the words. This is all about planning. Judging the length and duration of an event and being ready at the end of the timed sequence. Or, at the very least figuring out how long it should take to get from here to there. Now the term, as it appears on the sign, “Huevos Ranch,” that does have some symmetry. And in a town where Huevos Rancheros are as common as (pick a suitable metaphor), this isn’t a big deal. There are two more thoughts that go with the idea of that sign, too, maybe it wasn’t poor planning, maybe it was intended that way. For the symmetrical look. Or maybe there really is a place to get eggs and ranch dressing. Or, even now that I think about it, maybe it’s not restaurant at all, maybe it’s an egg ranch. However , before exploring these other possibilities, I’d like to go back to what the message was originally about, about planning. Preparation and planning.
Capricorn: My note said, “Fresh Fat Cap.” Before you even think about getting upset with me, let’s look at the shorthand. “Fresh” as in recently made. “Cap” is short for Cappuccino, as in espresso with frothed milk on top. “Fat” means it was a not my usual low-fat or 2% milk used for the froth. So I had one of these, it was a Sunday morning, kind of crispy around the edges, not really a sultry spring morning, and I ordered up a quick beverage for the hike. On the hike. During my morning walk. Usually I get fat-free cappuccino. Usually I get espresso, but it was cool out and never mind the details. I get used to one thing, and that morning, the impact of the caffeine, the way the frothed milk tasted, the almost crisp morning air, it all came together. It was an ideal drink. Almost perfect. Part of what made it so tasty — to me — was the “fatted milk” indulgence. I don’t think I’d tasted a cappuccino quite like that. The way the flavors coalesced and combined, swirled together and slid around in my mouth? I tend to let a coffee beverage get full action from my tongue — if the beverage is any good. Give me a chance to savor the flavor. As long as you’re going indulge yourself. Which, given the way the planets are? A little indulgence goes a long to way to making you a happy Cappy. (Hint” it doesn’t have to be much.)
Aquarius: You guys, I swear. Anyway. I was walking along, just a little south of downtown. There was a small storefront, and the big plate glass window. A guy was using something, brownish liquid, out of a squirt bottle, to spray cleaner-solution onto the window, then wiping it down with paper towels. I think recycled paper would work better, but he didn’t ask me. As I passed right in front of him, the guy was industriously working away, I caught a faint whiff of vinegar. I immediately started to salivate at the idea of crisp farm-fresh greens, maybe some baby Arugula, rocket salad with a nice, heavy on the balsam, vinegarette. Just an association, nothing more. But then, for the rest of the afternoon’s stroll, all I could think about was salad. It started as an idea for just a little side salad, what usually comes with a BBQ plate full of dead farm animals. But over the course of the hour or more, I kept imagining the artfully arranged green, then I thought about picking up groceries, then I thought about a larger and larger salad. I got to the point that I was considering a huge platter of lawn clippings. This was all all spurred by that vinegar solution used for cleaning glass. I eventually steered myself into a BBQ place since I was starving from obsessing about salad. I’m rather enamored of the way an Aquarius can take disparate elements and come up with a combination that has nothing to do with where we started. Or does it? I just hope you live close to the good comfort food.
- Aperture: ƒ/1.8
- Camera: iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation)
- Flash fired: no
- Focal length: 3mm
- ISO: 50
- Shutter speed: 1/42s
