Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 10.21.2010

“And ’tis a kind of good deed to say well;
Words are no deeds.”
Shakespeare’s Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth [III.ii.199-200]

Scorpio: Happy Birthday! What we really need to talk about is “Periodic pruning.” I know, your birthday and all, but the topic for the moment? Periodic Pruning. I was thinking about this because I got caught with a website/software “situation” that involved a momentary panic, a little hard work, and a complete rebuild. Could’ve been an engine, or a fishing reel, but this example was a website.

The data itself was safe, it was just the templates, the framework used to display the data, that was shot. The work was simple, merely re-roll the wrapper, the outside shell for the information, and it was good.

Momentary panic because I’d let the old shell get covered up with all sorts of little add-ons that, in some cases, were no longer required. Just pruning. I’ll admit it occurred at a time when I didn’t want to do the work. However, the task was easily accomplished, and it was the equivalent of using a high-pressure air-hose to dust. Blew all the old stuff right out. All the strays ones and zeros? Which is what this is about. Periodic Pruning. Now. Happy birthday!

Venus in Retrograde special: If your birthday is this week, here’s the deal, book a half-hour phone reading and get a full hour for the half hour price. Valid for online booking only and valid only if your birthday is this week. (Some restrictions may apply.)

Sagittarius: Language. What it means. What it is. I live in a culture that is mish-mash of cultures.

In one language, Que, to me, say it with an English accent, and it means to line up. The English are quite orderly about it. Line up for anything, queue up for any event. However, in Spanish, or, more properly, in Mexican, Que, usually with an inflection and preceded by an inverted question mark?

Literally, it means “What?” Emotionally, there are two translation, “huh?” or Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. There’s a third one that popped up, too, “Que.” that’s the abbreviation for the French part of Canada. Yes, I know the British spelling is different from French spelling and that is different from Spanish. Doesn’t matter. Pronunciation is wrong, too. I know that. It’s just, that they’re words that are close, and yet, so far apart.

Language and meaning, what’s being said and what’s being meant?

Capricorn: I’m in love with a friend’s mom. Not like that, get serious. One of my former neighbor’s, her mom is a Sagittarius. Like me. Same date, different year. Sweetest, kindest, nicest lady on the world, that mom. Why I love her so. I want to grow up to be like her. She always has a kind word, she is sweet to dogs and kittens, takes in strays, or, at least, she tries to find them homes.

Always smiles a genuine gentle smile at me, like I might be a slow child but cute nonetheless. Which might be her perception, but I don’t really care. She’s just as sweet and kind, and friendly as can be, I want to be like her — when I grow up. That’s the observation.

When my friend reads this about me loving the mom, the rest of the scope is discarded, and there’s an assumption of prurient interests. But that’s not what I mean at all; however, the words that get bantered about and the perceptions? I can’t change that.

As a Capricorn, you can’t change that, either. Two options, the way I see it, that’s you’re faced with. You can hastily jump to the conclusion I want to jump my friend’s mother’s bones. Or you can read it all the way through and realize that the meaning is different.

Capricorn: due diligence.

Aquarius: Who knew that sitting at a desk, writing, could cause this many health problems? It’s weird, at best. Used to fold one leg underneath me, and I’d sit on my ankle, after a fashion. I did that for a while until my knee started to creak too much.

The latest problem I’ve had is from cocking a foot underneath me, against the chair’s leg, and leaving my foot like that for too long. Developed a bruised spot, from that, made me limp. Mouse, keyboard, and the worst offender, for me? Trackball. I get a something akin to Carpal Tunnel, if I’m not careful. Again, all from sitting at a desk and writing these horoscopes.

Who knew? When I started this kind of career, I didn’t expect there to be damaging health problems, not from sitting at a desk. I’ll guess, though, it can be hazardous. There’s are some simple solutions, getting up and moving around is one of them. Works best, although I tend to looks little restless that way.

I took the trash out in the middle of this horoscope, just to preclude any health problems, however, that’s what worked for me. The problem is, I can only take the trash out to the dumpster so often.

I doubt it’s from sitting at desk, struggling to wrestle words to the page to make sense out of the planets in Scorpio and how this impacts Aquarius, but there is a health risk in Aquarius. To make this easier, though, there’s also a simple solution to ameliorate this issue: restless exercise. Movement. Something. Could be as easy as just taking out the trash or running a load of laundry over to the laundromat.

Pisces: Car, quite possibly older than me? It’s one of those classics. I think I’ve got a couple of images of it, stored on the web someplace. Anyway, the car, it’s rusted in spots. Worn out. It’s also of vintage, that’s easy to spot. There are timid fins on the taillights, the lens are shaped like rocket motors, and the lens’s taper outward.

Like I said, a design that speaks to a certain age, when rounded and rocket ship made certain cars look sexy. Old machine has soul, if you ask me. The upholstery looks original, the tires don’t match and the car moves almost every day, so someone is driving it. Maybe just moving it, but the tags are current.

Unrestored antique. Still useful. From a day and an age when Detroit was renown for it’s “iron,” and believe me, that car has more than enough “road holding weight.” Iron. Not plastic, not synthetic, but real, heavy metal. Real cloth on the seats.

It just fascinates me, that one old car. I’ve never met the driver, as it’s usually just parked in the neighborhood when I walk past, so I don’t know a thing about him — or her. That hasn’t stopped my imagination from creating a scenario or two, plausible, realistic, and completely fabricated from the airy firmament of my mind’s eye. Not very real. I also know that what I’ve dreamed could be a complete fiction. I’m okay with that. Realize that as we proceed in a forward direction, in Pisces, that some of this? Completely made up.

Aries: There’s a time to be forceful. This isn’t one of them. There’s a time to be daunting and courageous. This isn’t a time for that. There’s a time to be brash and daring. Again, not now.

This is great time, come on, it’s the beginning of Scorpio, this is a wonderful time to be tacit and demur. Not exactly strong points in a typical Aries personality. However, I’d submit, just as an exercise, now, more so than before, is an excellent time to consider being quiet.

Partly, this is function of the planets, but partly, it’s just an experiment on my part. I’m working on new solutions to old problems. The problem, it’s not really an Aries problem, but the solution? My idea, the way I saw that strong Scorpio influence?

In order the circumvent negative implications? Shut up. Just a suggestion, but tacit and demur would avoid attracting attention, and that’s attention, even though you think you would like it? Maybe not. If you’re faced with the same situation? Same as before? Try my way; it’s different. New solutions to old problems.

Taurus: “One of these days these boots are going to walk all over you.” Musical note: it was Nancy Sinatra, first and only way I’d listen to it.

Her Daddy was a Sagittarius. “You keep same-ing when you ought to be a-changing….” It’s a lick out of the song, not in its entirety, but oddly enough, not out of context.

Nancy’s a Gemini but that’s not important, because, as a Taurus? With Venus, backwards, opposite you? Mars? Fixing to leave Scorpio? Mercury and the Sun in on that mix, too? Think about Nancy Sinatra singing her signature song. More important, imagine that she’s walking over you with her boots. No, not what you want. How about you walk over someone else with your Taurus boots?

The trick to dealing with the unsettled senses and planetary oppositions? Like that one line suggests, “You keep same-ing when you ought to be changing…” Just a suggestion. A lyrical, musical suggestion.

Gemini: Great Roman author, antique author, once wrote, “Pay your taxes and honor the gods.” Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Close enough. Recall, that Rome, in its heyday, had a panoply deities. Some of the gods were liberally borrowed from older civilizations, but I don’t want this to get into a discussion about anthropomorphous deities and Mediterranean civilizations. Or religions.

It’s about getting done what needs to get done, in order to effectively call it a day. Two components to the deal, for Gemini. “Pay your taxes.” That’s open to interpretation, but I’d look at it, like, make sure the practical obligations are met. Taxes, landlords, bosses, clients, all those people. That’s the first part. Or maybe it’s the second part and the quote’s order should be reversed.

“Honor the gods.” again, this can easily be adjusted for whatever your personal Gemini belief system is. To some people, technology and Western Medicine are gods. To some, money is a god. I’m not passing judgement on what you’re calling your deities. Just honor them as befits the situation. Worship. Church, temple, on the lake in bass boat, wherever.

The message? This week, “Pay your taxes and honor the gods.” Adjust for local variations.

Cancer: Ever get the next “great idea,” and look into the details? I had this, no, seriously, I had this “next great idea” for a website.

Wonderful concept, sit back and earn me money without having to work any harder. The details, the work required to implement the task, to get to the goal from here? The amount of effort required, was it worth it? No. More effort than it was worth. Way more, once I looked into the details.

The details are something I usually leave for a Virgo to work out, and while that’s a great idea? Doesn’t work, either. I’m just suggesting, while you’ve got a great, maybe a wonderful idea, a new concept, something to make modern life — especially the Sign of the Moon Child Life — something to help ease the burden? Look at what it takes to install this item. Look at what it takes to make this work. Better? Or more complicated?

Leo: I know, I was invoking Shakespeare’s Henry VIII as the general quote for the week, but I was thinking of something much more specific for The Leo. 12th Night. Misquoted. Frequently. “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them…” (Malvolio is the character speaking, reading from a counterfeit note.)

It’s a situation where context is so important with the meaning of the quote. Makes everyone, on stage and in the audience, laugh at the character. Not with him, at him. As a Leo, The Leo, you don’t want to be laughed at, you want us to laugh with you. To make that happen? Let me just suggest, not a command just a casual suggestion. Shut up. It’s that simple.

I’ve seen it several times on stage, that play, 12th Night, and there’s an excellent video version available. Recommended, even. In it, it’s possible to see poor Malvolio, reading the note and then finding out he was set-up. Ugly scene and crossed garter, just makes it worse. The solution? While the Sun is in Scorpio along with backwards Venus (and Mars &c.)? Shut up. Or, keep quiet.

Virgo: There’s a quote, erroneously attributed to Picasso, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Although the attribution is probably fake, the sentiment is real. I was thinking about painters who ape “great masters,” copy paintings over and over again, turning out good fakes as well as honing their own craft. It’s time to copy.

It’s a time to steal, although, I prefer, “imitate the master,” to outright copyright infraction.

I found that going back over a particular masterpiece, brush stroke by brush stroke? Doing so gives me time to understand the intricacies of what is involved. What makes it great? What techniques were used? What’s the secret formula? I tried this, not with painting, but trying to capture the smoky essence of particular brand of BBQ sauce.

I cooked up an imitation, made from the labeled elements and a best guess at combining weights and measures. It was a noble try. Tasted like crap the first time, too much tomato paste. I made anther batch, less tomato, more molasses. Less garlic, more black pepper. Closer. Finally, I did it with less black pepper and more “white” pepper. Almost perfect. Ruined a girlfriend’s kitchen, but who cares?

I’m not sure whether this is about cooking up a reasonable approximation of a famous brand of BBQ sauce, or if this is about tracing a masterpiece from a previous century. Art history degree would help. Anyway, it’s about copying something instead of trying to do something original. It’s meant as a copy. Might turn out better than the original. Ask me about BBQ sauce someday.

Libra: I like cops. I talk to cops, frequently. As a focal point for community interaction, the police, all the variations and flavors, have the best stories.

“Best excuse?” I asked, “That made you laugh.”

“Pulled a woman over, and she said she’d just had her breasts done, so she couldn’t wear a seatbelt,” and the officer chuckled loudly.

Libra cop, I know, I asked. I won’t mention the city, just his sign. He was younger than me, and the stubble on his head looked like there was a tiny amount of gray. Still, looked young enough to truly appreciate the issue. This could be a problem, depending on how a good Libra plays with the odds on this one. The fact that he’d mention it? I’d suggest it more apocryphal than factual. With the ways the heavens are treating you? More factual than fact might help.