Fishing Guide to the Stars
By Kramer Wetzel
(c) 2007-2008 Kramer Wetzel for astrofish.net
For the week starting: 10.2.2008
"For his bounty,
There was no winter in ‘t, an autumn ’twas
That grew the more by reaping."
Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra (V.ii.108-10)
Mercury is backwards just yet.
Libra: Ever want to just run away? It’s your birthday, and nothing seems more attractive than just getting away from it all. I’ve got an easy life. In the middle of hectic work schedule, I can just take a day off and head down to the coast. While it’s not a real vacation, it’s only an hour (or three) to get there and back, and the fishing, in October, can be spectacular.
The hurricane season is over, at least for the Texas Gulf region, and we’re still putting the pieces back together. However, there’s still some good Bull Reds to be found, and that’s good for an afternoon’s adventure. This isn’t a complete escape, but for a few hours, I’ll leave the phone in the truck, and I’ll be disconnected from "reality."
I get to catch a break. I have to make it, but that’s what this is about. Come on it’s your birthday time. If no one else is going to give it up for you? Then who is? It’s up to you. Let’s sneak off to the coast for a few days. Or someplace equally exotic and far-flung? Consider it as a birthday gift to your Libra sanity.
Scorpio: "Hamlet’s not a play, it’s a Mel Gibson movie." I can’t make this stuff up. No, it’s play with its authorship attributed to one William Shakespeare. But trying to belabor that point to a Mel Gibson fan, or movie person with limited play experience? Hey, whatever works to get them in the door, I suppose, is the right answer.
As a movie, it’s not a bad movie, although, certainly not really a good Hamlet. As Mel Gibson, it’s whatever you want, although, I’d expect a little more action and little less talk. I suppose, though, it did put a classical mark on the actor’s card. And it wasn’t a bad film, in fact, one of the Ophelia scenes was done particularly well. Good camera work. Whatever.
This isn’t about film versus play acting, and one of the best Hamlet’s I’ve ever seen was on stage, and never mind, I’m just being a snob. This is one of those times that you don’t want to follow in my footsteps, so to speak, Don’t belabor the point about whether it was a movie or play by Shakespeare, or movie about a play by Shakespeare and just stop. Quit trying to confuse me. Or confuse the other people. If someone has something set in their wee (non-Scorpio) brains? Let it alone. Doesn’t matter how ignorant it might seem, now is not the time to make that point.
Sagittarius: I was on a plane, going somewhere for work. A lady who was not unattractive sat down beside me. I stretched my legs, rocked my head from side to side, sighed, and slumped down in the seat. Another hour on a thin metal tube hurtling through the sky. She looked at me, "Hi. I don’t mind if you pass out and fall asleep on my shoulder, but no drooling. I will slap you awake if you start to drool." Nice to meet you, too, dear, and by the way, what’s your birthday before I start falling asleep?
I have a Sagittarius nature, and we tend to be gregarious, sometimes, to a fault. But I had no intention of falling asleep. Or falling on her shoulder. It’s just our friendly and outgoing mannerisms can be construed in such a way, and, and never mind. However, with Mercury where it is, backwards? Mars and Venus in Scorpio? Get the picture? You could have a fetching young lass making a comment just like, although, I doubt it would be on the same flight.
Capricorn: I’m still working on this, but there’s got to be a practical application of what’s going on within your realm. In the world of Capricorn, there’s got to be a good deal happening. It’s matter of selecting the proper offer to take advantage of. I got a credit card offer in the mail, promised this huge (to me) credit limit. With a small asterisk by the amount. I filled out the application and it came back, a little different. It wasn’t nearly as rich an offer as I thought. The introductory rate, and the credit limit? Not that good. The fine print? Worse yet. Usurious rates on a small, nay, even miniscule credit amount.
I suppose it was a try out, or a buy out, or something, but when I got the "good deal," and when I read the instructions, the details, I realized it wasn’t nearly as good as they would have it seem to be. Now, how I made good on this? When that offer arrived and I realized my error? Where I was at fault? For answering something like that in the first place? I just sent it all back and I declined their offer. In the long run, in the grander scheme of life, the universe and everything? I’m out ahead by turning down an apparent offer. Check it out. See what the real details are, and see if you don’t do better by refusing.
Aquarius: Ever meet one of those people who just likes to argue? I’m not talking about a lawyer, it’s more a personality type. One who likes to argue about anything? Sometimes, it’s valid disagreement, but on other occasions, it’s less about the subject of the discussion, and more about the point of disagreeing. In and of itself, this isn’t always disagreeable.
Folks like that can always be counted on for coming up with holes in theories. However, there’s the adverse side, and those are folks who, no matter what your fine Aquarius self does, those people aren’t happy unless they’re complaining. Hence the trouble.
Understand that you’re probably going to run into one of these arguers before too long, like in the immediate future, and realize, too, that these people aren’t happy unless you’re actively disagreeing with their points, valid or otherwise. My quick, temporary solution is to nod and make affirmative noises. At the very worst, you can always say, "I see you have a valid point, there."
Pisces: There was a guy with his kid in tow, and his mother. Might have been a mother-in-law, but I’m guessing it was, from the interactions, body language and so forth, his mom. The kid’s grandmother. It was in a chocolate shop, near here. Tourists and good chocolate, all with that special Texas flavor. I like the "armadillo droppings" myself. Pecan and caramel.
The child wanted to sample a special candy that was, like, $2 a pop. "That’s a dollar per bite," the dad moaned. His mother, the grandmother, she chimed in, right on time, "and worth every penny." Apparently the candy was good. I’m not suggesting that sugary goodness from a place near me is what will cure all that ills Pisces. But there’s a question, which one do you want to be? You can make a call about how this week turns out, either worried about the price or enjoying the fruits. Your call, Pisces. Hint: really good chocolate does cure many ailments, real and imagined.
Aries: I keep a couple of containers of a certain bottled beverage on hand. I tend to buy in lots or, and this is usually a find, like when there’s a sale? I’ll get a case or two. The oldest case goes in front, and the freshest one is set back. Usually. Some sort of order, just like stocking a store. Sell — or use — the oldest stuff first.
Except, I was thinking, see, I was shuffling stuff in the kitchen around, and I grabbed another bottle to put in the ice box. Only, what I was thinking, maybe I didn’t shuffle the bottles around when I brought them in, and I was grabbing the freshest, which I really shouldn’t use first. Or was my stock rotated? I wasn’t sure.
Mercury, backwards, opposite you. Has it been rotated or not? I’d like to suggest that it really doesn’t matter, not in the long run, but you can sure get yourself in trouble trying to second guess yourself like that. I finally caved in. Whichever way it was? I was sticking to that. Except, well, maybe I should just grab the one from the back. Or is the front one the oldest?
Taurus: Mercury is is in apparent retrograde motion in the Taurus (natural) Sixth House. That lends a degree of precision and focus on your career arena of life. Good, bad? I see it as a little of both. There’s a degree, a point, a place where something gets reviewed, and while it was originally a fault finding mission, someone else was hunting down Taurus mistakes, what happens? Taurus is more than covered. Maybe covered isn’t the right word, but it’s close.
I tend to gather receipts and mark them. While I’ll just call an item "grocery" and hence, not tax-deductible, a closer examination of the receipts will show that I bought batteries that are used in various work-related devices. Only used in work-related devices. Envelopes, too. Or paper, to print charts. Even though my receipts are marked "grocery," that doesn’t mean that closer examination would point out that there is a valid (deductible) expense that could be itemized.
I’ve had more than one pissing match with auditors. I tend to be correct because I try to document every item in triplicate. Annoys them when I walked out with them owing me money. It can be done. This is accomplished by ignoring certain details. Ignoring just such details, where the degree of precision is — or isn’t right now — so important.
Gemini: I think it’s the ultimate in clever marketing. In the El Paso (international) Airport, there’s a flower vending machine. It sells fresh bouquets of roses and other flowers. Prices are astronomical. Where the machine is located? Right past the security barrier, on the right-hand side. Perfect.
El Paso has a large military installation. Flowers for girlfriends arriving, flowers for soldiers coming home, flowers for just about every occasion. Right there. Expensive. Probably cost half as much just to stop at a florist on the way to the airport. However, if I was getting off a plane, like I frequently do, and if a certain female was supposed to pick me up outside, then I would do well to have a dozen roses, or similar arrangement, on hand. Makes for a smoother arrival. After the plane has landed.
You’re reading this: you’re ahead of the Mercury curve. I’m telling you about that machine to remind you to get flowers, or whatever other action is required, before you arrive and make a hasty — and costly — mistake.
Cancer: I’ve got a buddy, he’s got two cars. Trucks, really. One is a daily driver, old beater of a Ford. The bed is all scratched up. His other is more of a fancy show truck. Jacked up, chrome pipes, and fancy rims. Big plus: a really satisfying noise, a sort of a burble at idle. "Custom exhaust," he bragged to me.
I was thinking of those pipes, the noise, and the oddly (testosterone invested) reassuring grumble, and the note, "Custom Exhaust." For Cancer? It’s like that, only "custom exhaustion." While it’s satisfying, at least to me, that sound is oddly refreshing, there’s something tired in the old Cancer voice. Custom exhaustion. It’s like it’s been tailor fitted to the Cancer lifestyle. Too much to do, too high of expectations, and too little material to get from point A (where you’re at) to point B (the destination). What to do about it? Slow down. Instead of taking the fancy route, instead of crawling up into the cab of that show truck, think about just taking the daily driver, the one without the custom exhaustion.
Leo: "It is better to looked over than overlooked." Who said that? I should run it as a trivia question but it takes about half of second for fast typist to copy the question and hit the search feature and arrive at an answer. Or an attribution. I’m giving it up for another famous Leo: Mae West. Perfect. Can’t say she didn’t fit the role as a Leo. Always at the center of attention. And quick with the wit. Smart and looked at. Like a good Leo should be.
Quoted and drawn, a perpetual symbol, well passed her "use by" date. She’s still rocking, even though she’s shuffled off the mortal coil. I can’t help with the sense of being overlooked, but I can warn about the sense of being scrutinized. Nothing’s worse than that visual once-over. What’s worse than a visual once over? A quick glance and the dismissive look. It’s like a lowering of the eyes. Sort of a visual equivalent of "nothing to see here." Which is offensive to a Leo, and particularly The Leo. So here’s the deal: Mercury is going to get something dismissed. And given that the planets are generally messing up? Maybe this is good thing to be ignored.
Virgo: I’ve grown accustomed to seeing this, out the right-hand side of the airplane, as it traverses a section of West Texas, it’s a place where huge wind turbines are clearly visible. And not much further along? Same plain? Oil wells and gas collection pipelines are arranged around the giant windmills. So there’s a massive amount of wind electricity being generated, right beside the oil wells that are still pumping — or bleeding off — gas and crude oil. Lots of work, in one place.
The idea is that there is lots of work going on — in one place, Matter of fact, add to the windmills, oil pumps and pipelines, add a cell (digital) phone tower? That’s getting three uses out of the same piece of real estate. There’s a message to my little Virgo friends, about doubling — or even tripling — the uses. Eventually, at least that’s the theory, we’ll run out of oil. Might start using a satellite instead of cell towers, but the wind, that could last a long time.
However, for the foreseeable future, like the next couple of days? You’re like that poor, overworked piece of land, being used for three different use. However, if you stop and think, what’s that worth? In the long run? I don’t mean this week, or next week, but, long term? Those mineral rights are worth something. Might feel a little used up but in the long run? Those Virgo rights are worth something — eventually.
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copyright (c) 2007, 2008 Kramer Wetzel, for astrofish.net
