“He sues his folly like a stalkinghorse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.”
Shakespeare’s As You Like It [V.iv.57]
Scorpio: “Them Scorpio’s, they stick to you like a burr, don’t they?” Client-side query. Yes, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me, as well.
I don’t know the Latin genus/species/phylum for “Sticker Burrs.” I don’t know if you even have them in your neighborhood. We do. I grew up with the pesky plants, ruined many a summer’s day when I should’ve been barefoot, only to have to wear shoes because of sticker burrs.
Close examination reveals that stickers are barbed and basically a round seed pod with a hardened, spike-covered exoskeleton. The individual points have strong hooks on each end. Stick and stays stuck.
Pull it out with your hand? Suddenly, stuck in two place, not just one. The weeds grow wild and seem to know no seasonal changes, still growing strong late into the South Texas “autumn.” The stickers, though, once it’s stuck? Like a Scorpio, or anyone who is dealing with a Scorpio? Once stuck? Best left well-enough alone.
Brush off a Scorpio, especially now? Get twice as stuck. I’m just saying.
- Venus is Retrograde special: Order a half-hour reading and get a full hour (year overview) reading for the half-hour price. Valid only if your birthday is this week – some restrictions may apply.
Sagittarius: There is some delivery that is just best delivered in a verbal fashion. While I tend to write in a similar vein, that’s not going to get the real point across.
There’s a dry, almost parched, delivery required. Perhaps with a hint of exasperation, and sooner or later, this material will piss one person off, greatly offend another, and make one (usually a Scorpio) chuckle. “Oh why don’t I just kill myself now.” Dry, clearly ironic delivery. Like I said, I’ll probably get hate mail with the “It’s not funny” comments.
Fine.
You’re missing the point. It’s a stage comment, the way it’s said clearly emphasizes that point. Hammers it home. You’re not getting it if you think I’m making a joke about suicide. The joke is about the planets. The joke is about the way Mars enters with a roar, and everyone else (planet-wise) is just kind of poking along in Scorpio
The few weeks before Sagittarius start? Usually fraught with anxiety and unrepentant angst. No, exacerbated by the entrance of Mars? Even worse. Hence my clearly ironic comment and, this goes a long way to explain why there’s people who don’t have a sense of humor sending me nasty e-mails. Stop. I’m just as sensitive about this as you are.
Capricorn: I ran into a guy on the street, and I’m a friendly person, so we started to chat. It was amicable enough, exchanged cards, or rather, I gave him one of mine with my website and email address. I left it at that. He contacted me later, pitching a get-rich-quick scheme.
Smelled funny. Didn’t sit quite right with me. I’m not saying the guy was openly disingenuous, just seemed like something wasn’t quite right. A little later, I got the pitch, again, and it wasn’t packaged any different, not to my eyes.
I’ve often wondered if I’m target for this kind of material, but I refuse to be too jaded and openly suspicious, although, that would probably do me some good.
Or not.
I thought about that interaction, and the guy must’ve met with some success since he kept trying the pitch. He circled back around to me a few days ago, one more pitch, close to what he was talking about before. Slightly different verbiage, but close enough, in my mind, as to not be any different.
Same pitch, different day. Anything change for the Capricorn? Are you buying yet?
Aquarius: I spent so much time in the harsh Central Texas sun that I started to see a dermatologist. Been seeing him for several years. Nice guy. He looks me over and burns away spots that might be pre-Cancerous. Or something like that.
I don’t pay too much attention. I can’t be bothered by whatever it is that he’s doing. We talk about fishing. He’s a bit of wade fisherman himself.
The Texas Gulf coast is particular sweet this time of year, fishing’s not just good, it’s usually great. We both lamented that we were in his office instead of doing something fun, like fishing. I just pointed out that November, coming up? It would be good, too. Like in the next couple of weeks, while there’s a mad holiday scramble?
Pisces: Imagine what it’s like to live in a trailer park in South Austin, before it was hip and cool, with movie stars for neighbors, and Airstream Trailers that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Yes, imagine that. Trip back in time. Neighbor of mine, Pisces, he was all hot and bothered about this one girl lived across the street. The other row of trailers, sort of “across the way” from where we were. He was hot for her. You could see it in his eyes, in his action, and especially his body language.
I was thinking about him and how he would pine away, moon about, and how he use to bug me about doing astrological comparisons between the two — him and her — even though she wasn’t interested. Not at all. Didn’t mind the guy, just wasn’t interested in him, not sexually, not romantically, not even if was the last guy on the planet. Didn’t like him as anything more than casual friend, and certainly, she wanted nothing to do with him as a lover. At all. Out of the question. So far from reality as to not be a part of it.
I’d watch, as he would fawn over her, and she’d accept his little declarations of solemn love, and it was like watching a dog chase a car. He wouldn’t know what to do with it if he caught it. Which, as long as I lived there, he never did. I was thinking about that one neighbor and his undying love, and I was looking at your chart. Something you’re hoping for that will never, ever happen? Dreams are one thing, but clear departure from reality?
Aries: I’ve got one client, a seriously macho, brute of a fellow. In private? Sweet and docile as can be, however, the public persona? Big, burly, macho. He has a tendency to scare most people, partially his gruff demeanor and partially his overwhelming physical presence.
Doesn’t scare me. I know the scowl is just a front for whatever issue is ticking over in his mind. I’ve tried to (astrologically) coach him a little.
It’s all about appearances. All about how he makes his presence known — and felt. He was working on softening up his approach. While, in most situations — I’m thinking of a potentially violent confrontation — his approach is highly successful? It’s not always the way to approach each situation.
If I was trying to do bill collecting? I’d like to have him around. More as a prop than real arm-twisting, but still. Physical presence is good. The trick, though, in some situations, the gentle way is better. Whatever is your usual approach? If it’s not working? Think about a different way of pitching this.
Taurus: One piece of art I’ve never mastered, dreamed about but never even attempted? The original idea was a superior gold-gilt, highly ornate wood frame, and nothing more. Just an expensive (looking) frame, on the wall. Taking it further, to truly emphasize the empty spaces? I figured, instead of a usual single wire on a nail? I was thinking, it would be possible to hang it without anything showing.
Just a blank frame on the wall.
No wire, nothing. It might look like it was glued to the wall. Or just hanging there, suspended in space. Maybe wires from the ceiling, or, what I was thinking, just twin nails, one on each side rather than any exposed clues. Just wall. Nothing fancy. The image of this picture frame idea has haunted me for many years, but I’ve never executed it. I might’ve seen it in a book or a museum. Might’ve been an image in something I was reading.
I got to playing with the idea, and thinking about it, and maybe one of those slim, metal frame, polished and shiny, or matte black. Against a trailer’s thin, wood paneling. Against the cinder-block of an old warehouse, against the exposed brick of a super cool inner-city dwelling, against the old plaster of a homestead.
It’s not about the actual execution of the installation. It’s the idea. Then, too, there’s the emphasis. There is no “art” in the frame. Does that make the frame art? The wall? With Mars and Venus thusly arrayed? It’s about negative space.
Gemini: I was listening to a dear Gemini client. I believe the description of the situation and the impending murder of her spouse? I’m sure that it was entirely hyperbolic. Had to be. As the attending astrologer, it was my job to listen, and act concerned. Which I did. I also looked at the chart.
All that material in Scorpio — except for Mars, now in Sagittarius. When Mars opposes our Gemini selves, we tend to get worked up. The Gemini rants and raves. I make suggestions on how to get rid of bodies. We all benefit because neither one of us is called into action. Mars is like that.
Mars can take a single issue and turn it into a big damn deal. Huge deal. A deal so big it eclipses everything else in the Gemini universe. At that time. Murder’s not really an option, but you can discuss all kinds of outlandish solutions, if it makes you feel better. Which it will. Unlike other signs? Some days a Gemini just needs to talk it all through.
Cancer: The recession hit one of my little Cancer buddies hard. A few weeks ago, I was talking with him, and he was explaining, “I’ve got to go and have a few drinks so I can talk to the mortgage company.” How he deals with pain. I’m not saying this is right, and I’m not suggesting this is an answer for all the fine Cancer folks I know, but it did give me an idea.
Social lubricant? Some kind of grease. Lube. “Astroglide” for the social situation or to help ease the interaction between two parties. Friction is sometimes a good feeling, and a little friction is okay, but there’s a situation that requires something stronger — as a lubricant. I’m at loss for other solutions. I have no idea what will work, not without looking at the individual chart, but I can easily see that some kind of grease, lubricant, oil, palliative unguent, something is required. In the example, what the liquor did to my Cancer buddy? It dulled his ability to riposte. No smart-ass comebacks and therefore, he was able to buy time. Which was the whole point. Lubricant. Grease. Social “Astroglide.” Whatever works.
Leo: I watched, I was sitting in a small curb-side cafe, horrified, as a young woman put her purse on top of her car, got in, started up the motor and started to drive off. Something fell out of the purse, looked like a checkbook. Caught her attention. She stopped.
If it’d been me? I’d a-reached up from an open window and just retrieved the purse or package. She stopped. Rolled down the window, got out, picked up the checkbook, then her purse, from the top of the car. There was a small package, too. Not sure what that was about. There was also something about her body language that indicated she wasn’t happy about the whole ordeal.
Wasn’t happy that she did this in full view of curb-side dining. Wasn’t happy more than one person saw. Wasn’t happy, and seemed pretty down on herself.
If it had been me? I’d looked up, saw the audience and signaled that I was okay, the contents were secure, and the whole situation was back under control. I’d made a joke, maybe taken a bow, acknowledge the audience. Work that thing.
Which one are you? I know, you’d like to make it so you don’t make a silly/stupid blunder. I’d like that, too. But if you do?
Virgo: In some mythology, Mercury isn’t a messenger, he’s the guide. As a fishing guide, I like that idea. Mercury is less about information and more about pointing a way to go.
In a natal chart, it can represent where the light shines and how we should guide. Mercury is in Scorpio, a weirdly compatible sign for Virgo. Samhain, Harvest, Halloween, All Saints Day, Dia de los Muertos, all this week(end).
With Venus backwards but Mars triumphantly marching forward, this is about how Mercury is going to guide Virgo for the next few days. Quietly, gently, and in proper Halloween — or whatever — spirit. I’d suggest a costume that involves the image of the guide. There’s a similar image that sprang to mind, as a both a costume and metaphor — the Hermit Card in Neo-classical Tarot. It’s an image of a hooded figure draped in a long cassock-like robe. In one hand, there’s usually a staff, and the other hand holds a lantern that shines the way. Perfect image, perfect costume, and the best answer for how to follow, or lead, by Mercury’s position.
Libra: “I like all music, except, maybe, for country and western. Don’t like that ‘hick’ sound,” a client was telling me. I’m well-versed and I can easily excise the country and western from my playlist for the next forty-five minutes. However, what will pop up, sooner or later, is music that will be interpreted as “country and western,” when, it’s really a local singer/songwriter, rocking out.
I argued, unsuccessfully, with a fishing buddy about hip-hop. I suggested it was music, just not something that I understood fully. Doesn’t make it bad, or atonal, just means it’s a form of art that falls outside of my realm of comprehension.
To be honest, I’d guess there is a hip-hop title or two I do like, but I’m not the best one to ask. Stay open. Stay willing. You’ve got to be willing to jump across genres to make it through this mess. Don’t get too hung up on labels, listen to what the music itself says.
