"To persist
In doing wrong extenuates not wrong
But makes it much more heavy."
Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida [II.ii194-6]
Leo starts now. The best of times, no?
Leo: One word: Gelato. I was sitting outside a coffee shop, and I’d managed to talk the cute (Pisces) barista into letting me have one scoop of vanilla gelato. Good stuff. Mixes well with superior coffee. A couple was walking by, a gent, maybe a few years older than me, and a fetching lady, about his age, but certainly in excellent shape.
They looked appraisingly at me, at the gelato I was spooning into my mouth, and the couple kept on walking. When they were about three paces away, I heard "ice cream," and I replied with one word. "Gelato."
"What the hell," the woman said, "we’re on vacation," and with that, they went in and had themselves a couple of espresso floats.
Timing is important, and your Leo timing is every bit as good as mine was, that hot afternoon in July. One word sales pitch. One word. Simple, direct, to the point. More than a whisper, less than a loud voice. You’ve got Venus power, use it.
Virgo: "You pull a chuck wagon to a convenience store, you’re going to get a crowd; I promise." I was at one of the "first-second-last" "Saturday-Monday-Thursday" events. Some small town, west of here, depends on tourist traffic, trades in western-flavored material. So there was a real chuck wagon, or as real as I can expect a slightly updated variation to be. And beside it, there was the owner or operator, I’m not sure which, and he was doing a sales pitch. Or maybe he was just touting his wares, I only caught part of the conversation.
It just amazed me that there were still real chuck wagons around, and that there were still cowboys who would operate such wagons, and finally, that there were still places where just such a item would actually draw a crowd. However, thinking about it only makes sense, that a chuck wagon serving real chuck wagon fare, parked just about any place, that such a vehicle would attract attention. The more I thought about it, though, and the more I thought about all the traditional aspects of that chuck wagon, the less I was interested in chuck that was prepared so close to the operating horsepower — the horses themselves.
It added an aromatic quality I was was less enamored of. As long as Mr. Mars and Mr. Saturn are sitting on you, think through the idea — all the way through. Chuck wagon, cool. Chuck wagon with horses? Horse by-product? The thought of novelty items when the novelty wears off.
Libra: I ran across an interesting term, "Endangered Real Estate" As it turns out, Endangered Real Estate it’s like endangered species, only, it’s the buildings themselves. Perhaps they are buildings of social importance, or perhaps, historical, or maybe, from my point-of-view, an architectural point.
Locally, the century-old courthouses are regularly saved and preserved, and some of those buildings are just plain ugly. Doesn’t matter, endangered and ugly? Still saved. What bothers me, in the encroaching creep of inter-urbanization, older office building, but not really that old, are regularly torn down while something new is sent up. I never did quite get it, why not just reuse some of the available building in a new format? Reuse, revitalize, recycle, in effect, reflect?
Obviously, they didn’t check with me. I’d have pointed out classic examples of spaces that have been recycled to a more productive use. I’m not going on and on about endangered real estate because I’ve got a hand in some deal. That’s not what this is about. It’s about thinking about alternative uses to an existing item, a solution no one’s thought of, just yet. Instead of tearing it down to build a new — or tearing it down to build anew — think about how it can be reused. Like endangered real estate.
Scorpio: We were talking about cars that guys use to attract women. "Buddy of mine, he had a Nine-Eleven (Porsche), but after he got married, she made him sell it." That former Porsche owner is probably Mr. Four-door sedan, I’m sure. It happens. Relationships exert a special force, like gravity, only different. Before and after pictures are rather telling. As are decisions about vehicles. Consider before — and after — images in Scorpio.
Think about some of the issues at hand. You know, that cool sports car, there’s no place to put a baby seat. Kind of hard to haul groceries in a two-door sports model. There are problems with the ideas. In the spirit of compromise, there’s always a little change that must occur. Subtle changes, minute changes, a little bit of give and take. Consider this, consider that former Porsche owner, I mean, how would your Scorpio self feel if the baby spit up on the leather seats? Suddenly, the little changes, the concessions aren’t so drastic.
The Scorpio astrology weather is suggesting a change is imminent. You are allowed to fight with the changes, if you so choose. However, sooner or later, you’ll realize, in your Scorpio brian, that the suggested switch? It makes good sense. Like getting rid of that sports car.
Sagittarius: What I’ve long admired about our Sagittarius selves is our zest. Given just about any kind of an action, and we just jump right into it. "Ride it like you stole it." It’s a cowboy expression, and I liked it because it captured that Sagittarius flavor. Well, what’s our usual style, anyway. Seems like our daunting and derring-do is little overdone these days. Besides, that "ride it like you stole it" might give off the wrong connotation. I’m not so sure that someone wouldn’t take a shot at one of our Sagittarius selves because they saw us riding it like we stole and therefore, they assumed that we, indeed, did steal it, since we were riding it like was stolen.
Just us being our usual selves. Yet, that joy and frivolity, that devil-may-care attitude, that needs a boost as this weekend gets kicked off. There’s a push and pull, a yin-yang, a come-hither and go-away kind of energy. Mars, and Saturn to a lesser extent, or greater extent, that stuff is in Virgo, creating tension while the Sun is in Leo, creating boundless good energy. Which is going to be? That’s why I was invoking that phrase, "Ride it like you stole it." If we can tap into the normal, ebullient joy? We can get back on track and do well. Despite the dour Virgo influence.
Capricorn: Oh man, "Normal is a setting on the dryer." I wouldn’t know, I read that someplace. I like the idea of there being a "normal" setting on the dryer, but most of the coin-operated machines that I feed? There is no such thing. I don’t think the laundry room in the old trailer park even had a "fluff" setting, and certainly nothing was ever normal.
Permanent press, I’m sure, and some kind of wrinkle free setting, that too. But normal? Not in my world. Wouldn’t you like to be able to select a switch, just rotate the setting around to a point that registered normal? And then, have everything turn out to be normal? Wouldn’t that be the best? As close as you’re going to get a normal setting, that comes up in the next five, maybe ten days — there isn’t one. But there’s a growing sense, especially as we get closer to ten days, that there’s a positive and useful change underfoot. Just remember, you have to let it run all the way through the spin cycle, first.
Aquarius: I like skin art. I don’t have any myself, but I admire it as often as I see it. There was this one guy, his tattoo included, "Nothing to Prove." With that much extensive artwork, it was a full set of "sleeves," I think the message was a little ironic. Big letters, worked into the design across one forearm, and I had to wonder, with "Nothing to Prove," if that wasn’t proving something to begin with. Or does this get a little reductive, and maybe it was a joke?
Joke’s on me, then, because I don’t think I quite get it. I should’ve asked the guy what his birthday was, and I’m sure I would’ve found out that he was an Aquarius. And there’s an iconic or ironic, or iconic and ironic, or ironic, iconic and iconoclastic message to the tat.
As an Aquarius, as of this week, you have nothing to prove. Stick to that story, and stick to that idea. With nothing to prove, it’s a lot easier than trying to make something out of nothing, which is a providence of Sagittarius astrologers, and don’t make a big issue out of it. I’m not even sure what the big deal is, but whatever it is? Like the tattoo says, you have nothing to prove.
Pisces: The waitress implied she would have to "Kill someone to get you a fork, you know." After she whisked away the salad, with the hard-to-come-by fork, I signaled that another set of silverware would be nice. "Second set of silverware, oh great I’m a serial killer now," she grimaced.
The restaurant was full, the waitress was merry, and the food was passable good. Good salad, after I didn’t have to use my fingers to eat it, and the bread, I think it really was fresh. The point being important, though, is that I couldn’t just reach to the next table and grab another set of silverware. She showed back up, "One more down." A few moments later, she reappeared with dinner.
We went back to our meal, much amused by the thoughts that the diminutive and cute little waitress was killing them in the kitchen. Pisces, a March Pisces waitress. Which accounts for the humor and the dry delivery. I don’t think anyone can roll their eyes as well as a Pisces. Especially the early March Pisces. Which is not to discount the late February crowd, just my observations.
That Pisces waitress, though, she was a good example to follow. Make light of what can escalate into a serious problem. Keep it light. Keep the banter up, because, these next few days? It’s going to be like that. Somebody need to give us a lift, and a little deadpan humor from a Pisces will help. Help you, too. That girl got an extra good tip. Money won’t cure everything, but a nice tip? Helps, like the jokes, "you’re killing me."
Aries: I was pulling into a place where I like to fish, two poles were in the back of the truck, sticking out. On the seat next to me was a laptop. I was actually going to work, record a little footage for the web video. As I handed my gate fee to the park employee, a regular, like I’m known there, I told her I wasn’t really going to fish. That evoked a merry chuckle, and a roll of the eyes.
The park rangers have seen me there, at least once a week, sometimes more often, and I’m usually at a spot alongside the western shoreline. I like it fine, the southerly breeze cools me off, some of the park has covered picnic tables, in the hot sun Texas summer, that translates to shade. I doubt you’re pulling into a local park that has a lake where you fish. I doubt that very much. However, I don’t doubt that you’re working hard these days, and you show up with fishing poles — or something — sticking out of the back of your truck.
And I don’t doubt that you’re going to use my line, "I’m really here for work." Best of all, you get that same park ranger that I did, "Yeah, right." But you are here to work, and I’ll promise that if you do work it will pay off, and sooner than you expect.
Taurus: I was watching while a girlfriend got dressed one morning. The way the clothes, just nice slacks and a top, but the way the material all threaded together, it was amazing. To me, it was amazing. Such a complicated process — the little belt thing that casually holds it all together is intricately threaded through and around, and it’s not easy being a girl. Looks complicated. Looks like a lot of hard work just to be casual.
I’m doing good, on any given day, just to make sure my shirt is buttoned up correctly. I don’t think I could even fathom some of the intricacies of the casual look for women. Good thing I am who I am, then. It’s a matter of realizing one’s strengths, then and embracing those strengths. I’m a guy, I couldn’t even begin to have the dressy-casual look of some. I’m just happy to find a shirt that isn’t too dirty, and it’s a wonderful day when the shirt and shorts match. Not likely, except I stick to basic colors.
But this isn’t about gender, nor is it about fashion, it’s about playing to one’s strengths, or, in my case, avoiding one’s weaknesses. As a Taurus, you know what’s a strong point and what’s a weak point. As the Sun courses through Leo, concentrate on playing to your own, very Taurus-like, strengths. You’ll be much happier. Besides, contrary to popular opinion, I don’t really look good in casual summer frock.
Gemini: I’ve got a sweet Gemini client, blonde hair, blue eyes, expected proportions, and she’s pondering her wayward life these days. Means I get that Gemini call, most near daily. And not unlike a Gemini, it’s just one quick question. When I’m doing astrology, I tend to looks back at certain events, like what happened a year ago, two years ago, seven years back, as way to plot what’s coming up.
This was a big part of the question for that one Gemini, and then, I saw this as a trend. Several Gemini, I mean several different bodies of Gemini, not the same Gemini personalities in just one body, but as a grouping, there’s a tendency. I’m trying to shock you out of that tendency. Shake off the trend, as it were. The tendency is to luxuriate in the past.
It’s okay to look at where you’ve been in order to plot a course for the future. That’s where I can help. But spending too much time talking about the past, or dwelling on the past, that’s a luxury you can ill-afford at this junction of the time-space continuum in Gemini land. Move it or lose it. It’s not about hair color, or eye color, it’s about too much time dwelling on some aspect that can’t be changed, like the past.
Cancer: Sitting here, a few days before the middle of July, I’m thinking about what’s up for the end. This next scope heralds the beginning of Leo, and marks the end of Cancer. This same week is also marked by a "last quarter moon" and the position isn’t one that’s too happy. Well, not too happy for some people.
As the original Moon Child, it’s matter of understanding what’s going on, the beginning of Leo, but the need of something else. And I’m not sure how that will play out. In your own life, though, there’s a single matter that really (desperately) needs your attention. Look, I’m not one who can preach about this myself. Buddy offered to go fishing, and instead of working, we were fishing. Which, I mean, in some ways of looking at it, it was work. Serious work. Regrettably, it didn’t generate any income. And I’m not suggesting that it’s really a career issue, either, but I’d say the sign and portents are strong in that direction.
But unlike me, when someone offers to go fishing instead of working? All I’m suggesting is that you tend to that one, last item that needed doing before you take time to go fish. Or whatever the pleasant distraction might be? I suggest you avoid avoiding the problem,. Deal with that one item, then you can go and play. But I might not be the right person to preach about this — I’d ditch work and go fish. In a heartbeat.
