For the week starting: 9.23.2010

“Some to war, to try their fortunes there,
Some to discover new islands far away,
Some to the studious universities.”
Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona (I.iii.7-10)

This scope really does open on the Fall Equinox (Northern Hemisphere). Sun has just popped into Libra.

Libra: Life is full of “gray areas,” those points where facts collide and sometimes, there’s just no right answer. Hence gray areas. No hard and fast, black and white. However, there’s solid indication, this is a Saturn and the approaching Saturn/Sun conjunction, kind of thing, and anyway, the gray areas? Avoid them.

Saturn is mean, and I know it’s your birthday and all, but still, there’s a sense that there’s a definite right and wrong answer. A correct or incorrect way to handle the situation.

If it were me? I’d go for the wrong answer every time. I have knack like that. But I’m not a Libra and you are. As a Libra, think about this.

Stop. Right answer, wrong answer. Equivocate? Sure. But the gray area? No, it’s not a gray area, it tends to blend a little in the middle, but this is a time, this is really important, this is a time when the right answer is evident. And you must come up with that right answer, even if it’s a little uncomfortable for some people. Yes, I know, birthdays, it’s just, this is a time when you have to do what is right. Doesn’t always feel good at the moment. However, in days, weeks, months, even years, on down from this point? You will be glad you made the correct choice.

Scorpio: Over or under? Which is better? I’m guessing that I should back up a little here and frame the question in a better light. Imagine that you’re sitting on the toilet. You reach for some paper to finish your business. Does the paper roll off over or does it roll under?

Which one is better? Should the roll of toilet paper have the loose end roll off the top? Or should that be reversed, so it rolls out from the bottom? In many high volume, public restrooms, like in restaurants and hotel lobbies, there’s now a big contraption and that device renders this question moot. However, like, at home?

Which way is best? There’s also a male/female version, what I’ve read, guys are under and girls are over. I don’t have any empirical evidence to back up this claim, but someplace, I’m sure, there’s a web page devoted to this very debate. Not what this is about, though.

Let’s say, you’re at home, and the last occupant put the toilet paper roll on backwards. Backwards from whichever way you think is right, okay? I’m not dumb enough to argue with a Scorpio. Especially not about such a minor topic. Between several influences, most importantly, Venus and Mars, but not limited to those influences? You’re going to find yourself stuck someplace. I’m not saying it’s your own house, but you notice that something irritates you. Like the toilet roll being on backwards.

Here’s a way to fix this so you don’t pop a blood vessel: change it yourself. Just fix the little problem. Reverse the roll. It’s that simple.

Sagittarius: Wait. Hold on. Just a minute. I’ll be right back. Not yet. Almost. No, not yet. I told you to be patient. It’s going to work out, just not yet.

Wait. Stop. Hold on. Would you sit still for a minute? Didn’t you bring, like, a book to read or something? I told you to do that. Don’t you ever listen? I guess not. No, it’s not ready yet.

Wait. No. Hold on. Stop. Quit fidgeting. Don’t mess your hair up. I told you not to touch that! What’s your problem? Can’t you just sit still for a few moments? Don’t you understand what the term “quiet” means? Did you look it up? I told you to do that.

Wait. No, not that. I swear, some days, I just know, you’ll be the death of me. Then what will you do?

Wait. Hold on, just a minute. Stop. Don’t do that yet. No, not yet. Hold on.

Wait.

Capricorn: In San Antonio, in front of the Bexar County Courthouse, facing the historic San Fernando Cathedral, there’s a square, bordered on the east by the fabled San Antonio River (and Riverwalk).

Late on an early September evening, I noticed two old men. Playing dominoes. The local term is “mexican,” although that term completely misses the rich local heritage, which can include diverse ethnic backgrounds. The church itself? Canary Island Catholics, settled in 1738. Wait, this isn’t about the ethnic background and culture mixture, it’s about two old guys, in their twilight years, the merry smile as the ivory-colored dominoes were shuffled for one more game.

The white teeth against the darkening twilight. One of them all I could see was a smile. Moon was getting full in the earlier part of the month. The gentle rivalry, and one more game before calling it night, shuffling off to home, or church, or the bar.

This is the time, like those two old men, this is the time to pause and have one more game. One more something. They were playing at a small table, and I’m sure the cops would run them off before too much longer. There was a familiarity between the two players, this was a not a new game, not with the ongoing gentle rebuttals and rejoinders. Shuffle the tiles one more time, play one more hand.

Aquarius: “No picture unless you buy a CD,” the singer looked up from the merchandise table. He tapped the hand-lettered sign taped to the table. The fan lowered her camera. I was off to the side, just a little to the left. First, if it were me? I’d go ahead and take the picture, just make sure no flash fired. Kind of stealth-like. Or use a phone camera. Stupid iPhone camera — I left mine with its audio on.

Strictly speaking, I’m no lawyer, but from what I do, or don’t, know about the law? That request didn’t have to be honored. Public place, public performance, public domain. However, as a marketing tie-in? Brilliant.

Probably sold more CDs that way. A lot more. Then, too, there’s the point that the CDs bought there, direct from the artist? Instead of pennies per unit sold? The income is dollars per unit sold. Much better profit. As a working artist, although, in a different medium, I liked that hand-lettered sign. Made a simple, effective point.

Buy a book, a T-shirt, a bumper sticker, something, right? That’s what this is about, too, for Aquarius. It’s simple, maybe the simplest, of marketing plans. Not complicated. Not difficult. Maybe just a hand-lettered sign.

Pisces: I made a big deal out of the price of a case of bottled water, one year. I watched, as a hurricane headed towards the Texas Coast? The price of that bottled water doubled, overnight. We’re two hundred miles — or more — inland. Not really threatened. Doesn’t stop the retail giant from taking advantage of a simple American principle: what will the people pay? Emotionally motivated buying?

I waited until the threat passed then I stocked up on cheap cases of bottle water. Still have some of that, in case there’s another hurricane. Need three things: water, pop-tarts, duck tape. Never have figured out what the duck tape is for but whatever.

I was considering this because, statistically, no hurricane hit the Texas Gulf Coast after the end of September. By the end of this week? We’re pretty much in the clear. No more natural disasters, at least, not now. Means this is good time to pick up on overstocked supplies. I realize that I’m planning for a rainy day that’s almost ten months away, next summer’s hurricane season, but looking at the Pisces chart? Yes, now is a good time to plan. Besides, some supplies are cheap. Now.

Aries: There are a few classics in the canon of “Great Literature” that I’ve yet to read. Or finish reading, anyway. Not that I haven’t tried, and when I was in school, one or the other schools, I did manage to work my way through the accepted grouping of epics in literature. Most of them, anyway, usually dead white guys, as they are more commonly called these days.

Because, in its time, the accepted canons were deceased European males. We’re the best at killing trees. There are also some “classics” that I never read. I’m not naming titles because it will offend some people, and others will nod knowingly, “Yeah, that wasn’t really that good of a book,” or, “I never did get it anyway. What was the point?” A dozen years ago, I tackled one of the masterpieces, one of the most influential books of the 20th Century. I’ve read about half of it, so far.

I read it when I can’t sleep, usually works better than any drugs. I travel with it some times, not to look intelligent, but because, if I’m stuck someplace, it’s the perfect book. I have to read it. Still haven’t finished it. Might never. However, I don’t waste time fretting over whether or not I’ll finish reading that “epic of modern fiction” before I die. Are you fretting about something you have no control over? What can you do? What can’t you do, and why try?

Taurus: A girlfriend handed me a phone. An Apple iPhone, “Here, you have one of these, you know how it works, can you fix it? Ringer doesn’t work.”

I looked at the phone, flipped it over, looked at the rhinestone and faux alligator case. I toggled the buttons a few times, messed around with the screen, looked at the call list and saw that she had three calls to that no-good boyfriend.

Not really even a boyfriend, not to hear him talk about her. Not sure how that works. Actually, I am sure how it works, but I wasn’t being paid for a consultation, so I wasn’t offering any free advice. She just wanted her phone to ring again. I looked at the settings. I tapped at a few of the software settings then I turned the phone its side. There’s a mute switch on that model of phone. Turns the ringer off.

I flipped the switch to the “on” position. “Too bad about the boyfriend, I can’t fix him, or you, as easy as I can fix the phone.” She thanked me, although, I think she was peeved it was such a simple problem. Too bad about that boyfriend thing, too.

Gemini: “I’m taking a day off, and what I’m going to do, is, like, really clean the trailer. From one end to the other. Yeah, that’s what I’m doing today,” reported one Gemini buddy. “First, man, I need me some Q, what are you up to?”

He asked me. Phone. Which, in true Gemini fashion became a mid-week jaunt through the seamier side of life, with a taco stand for a breakfast taco and a pink T-shirt for some girl, then some cleaning supplies at the local big box store, did you know that wal-mart was the 20th largest county in the world?

Then there was another stop for South Side BBQ, the original stated goal, then I had to dash over to see a lady about reading, and my buddy dallied in another store, I think he wound up with some music and smoking supplies, but I’m not sure, then it was time for my afternoon coffee, iced coffee in the late September heat, and then it was time to chill and chat since it was now rush hour and he couldn’t get anywhere at this point, and now?

And now we pissed away a whole day. No house cleaning, None of his chores got done, other than hanging around me and keep me occupied and interested. Which is what’s going to happen, if you don’t stick to the task at hand. The stars throw a series of interruptions. Me? I can deal with it. My Gemini buddy? Somehow, I got blamed for his trailer not being cleaned.

Cancer: I’m really good about picking neighborhoods in transition. I can name three, four cities I’ve lived in and the locations I’ve picked, typically inner-city, typically right next to a “bad” side of town? I’ve managed to predict four out of the last four places that have since — after my departure — become hip, cool, urbane city centers with all the good stuff, the good bars, the cool people, the right stuff to make it a happening place.

Wasn’t predictive on my part, though, just happenstance. I picked a place that wasn’t too run down and close to the resources I wanted. My pedestrian ways are the stuff of legend. I walk a lot. The problem with transition neighborhoods? I’m just saying, clients tend to look askance. “Can we meet someplace else?”

Sure. Doesn’t bother me, and especially not now, when looking back over the last few places I’ve been, the cities have grown up nicely around where I was. The question is, just how brave are you? Feels a little like this week is one of those transitional neighborhoods I’ve favored.

Leo: I’m guessing, between seven and eight in the evening, local time, wherever you are? Look to the west. You’ll see, a brilliant sunset. Hope you can see, if it’s not too cloudy. Then, just as the sun sets, there’s Mars and Venus, just headed down, too. They both set, within an hour or so of sunset. I was using that 7 to 8 time frame based on my location in South Texas. Your time might be different. Still, Mars and Venus will be setting in the hours after sunset. So much for an astronomy lesson, right?

In astrological terms, those two planets are in Scorpio, which, as The Leo, we regard Scorpio as one of the “lesser” fixed signs. Water, too. What’s up with that element? Water and Fixed doesn’t really get along with The Leo too well. That and the Third Quarter Moon cycle? No one is particularly happy, and most of all, The Leo isn’t happy.

The Leo is not amused.

I’m not sure what crawled into your slice of the pie to piss you off, but there it is. That’s the source of the ire. Look at the spectacular sunset, the two planets floating along next to each other. The tension brought about by those two planets (and the lunar cycle)? Consider its source, Mars and Venus. This is like me arguing with a girlfriend. Even if I win? I still don’t win. Easiest solution: look at the planets and realize you don’t need to argue about that.

Virgo: I’ll spend a portion of the next couple of years playing quiz games with my little Virgo friends. It’s about “stuff.” The symbolism is from having Saturn in your (solar) Second House. The quiz games will be variations of, “Do you need this or do you want this?”

There’s a difference. When I lived on the lake, a huge assortment of specialized fishing poles was a need. I’d have certain pole/reel combinations in duplicate because the set-up was efficient, and I could keep different baits tied on the various poles. If one didn’t work, quick, just grab a duplicate with another kind of bait.

I don’t live on the lake anymore. I don’t need a collection of a dozen lake poles. These days I have “car” poles. I’ve got some that can go with me when I’m taking a cruise with a girlfriend. Others won’t fit in girlfriend-type cars, but fit nicely in the back of Bubba’s truck. Again, a good choice. Still don’t need 3 that exactly alike, either.

I have a couple of surf rods, a couple of inshore rods, and the all-purpose car rods. It’s a matter of needs versus wants. I’d like to have enough tackle to open my own gear shop, but let’s face it, I’m not in position where I get to fish that much. Not so useful. It’s matter of what I want versus what I need.

I just a need a few, some for coastal, some for bass, one good “pond” pole, too. Just three or four. One light-weight, one medium-weight, one heavy-weight. And one good coastal bait cast. Four. Really, trim what you need. Like me. You don’t need enough gear to stock a tackle store. Not really.