“Adieu, valour! Rust, rapier! Be still, drum! For you manager is in love; yea, he loveth.”
Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost [I.ii.96]
In 1602, during a rebellious year, the Earl of Essex requested that (Shakespeare’s) Lord Chamberlain’s Men perform the older play, Richard II, a play with political overtones.
Sagittarius: Happy birthday to all those most excellent November Sagittarius types. Just about the best, huh?
Mars is fast approaching a square with Uranus. Not bad, just a little extra layer of tension. While I like tension on a fishing reel, and I like tension when it involves the plot, what I don’t like, and what none of us Sagittarius likes, is tension that’s not welcome and appears suddenly.
Weird how that works. This week. Could be from any number of different areas. How you deal with it? That’s the secret to success. The way I see it unfolding, we have family plans for T-Day. At the last minute, a whole group of cousins, distant relatives, friends and neighbors all show up.
That kind of tension. I’ll do my magic act with the loaves and fishes, but after that? How do we fit all these people around the single dining room table that was already too full?
Here’s the Sagittarius trick and answer to the Mars induced tension: card tables and folding chairs. There’s a definite “retro” feeling to this action, yet it’s also an effective way to deal with the tension caused by Mars (and maybe Uranus). Be prepared to add room for extra guests. Family, friends, enemies. All of them. It’s a simple gesture, go to the closet and start unloading, and unfolding, a few extra place settings.
Capricorn: Maybe a year ago? Maybe not quite that long? I don’t recall the exact details. Road trip, I know it was a business trip. Of that I’m sure. I bought shirt, a floral print, brightly colored shirt. To some, it would a be a Hawaiian shirt. To me? It was inexpensive outerwear from nationally recognized discount chain store. Cheap. Off the deeply discounted price. Might’ve been two or three dollars, I don’t recall. I used it all last summer, repeatedly.
Last month, I was about to pull it on and I noticed a small fray. A tear in one seam. The collar was starting to come apart. The shirt is beginning to disintegrate. The laundry tag with its “hecho in Mexico” lettering already too faded to say, “Wash in cold water with similar colors.”
This splits the problem. On the one side, I could be perturbed because the shirt fell apart so quickly. Flip that around, and after its first use? The shirt paid for itself. No, it didn’t get a job, but it provided coverage that was more than worth the value of what I paid for the shirt. Remember: it was on sale in the discount place. Faded, worn, falling apart?
I tossed that shirt into the “recycle clothing” bag. Goes to a charity where one worker will be paid to clean and mend the shirt then another will be paid to set it out in the racks, and third will take someone’s money for the recycled clothing. Don’t be afraid to discard — recycle — when the item has reached the end of its (Capricorn) life cycle.
Aquarius: I walked past a building, currently, it’s in use by a city agency. Sign outside, how I know. One of the double glass doors, swung outward, had a sign taped to the inside, and I could read the sign with the building backlight in the evening’s dusky twilight. “Use other door.” In cursive script, quickly lettered.
I passed the door, and I heard a thudding noise. There was someone, inside, trying to get out the door that was locked shut. It said — I could read it backwards — “use other door.”
There’s some part of human nature where we try the door that is marked “closed.” I’m guessing, city employees and all, you know, I won’t say anything bad, but still. Just testing?
Reminds me of a date. She thought I was wise beyond her meager years. Not wise, just tired. Too tired to try that door that’s marked “Use other door.” No surprise that it might be locked, or worse, unhinged.
Thanksgiving is a good holiday break for my little Aquarius friends. Just as precaution? That sign that says, “Use other door”? If you want to be like everyone else, you can try the broken door and discover it is locked. Better yet? Read the caution sign and avoid the problem.
Pisces: Groundwork. Preparation. Foundations. Three similar phrases that might, or might not, carry the same meaning to my little Pisces friends. Think about it. This is one of them holiday periods that we could all do without. Not the best of holidays, and frankly, my dear (what would Rhett say?)
There’s a tail-end, last ditch, “Hail Mary” pass that gets cut loose. Hate to venture to sports’ metaphors, but it’s that football game, that one, last minute play, down by three points, and you’re going to let loose with a long, bomb. Hurl that baby all the way down the field. I’m not much of a football fan, not since the Oilers left Houston. However, there’s still a long shot, literally, and it depends.
It depends a lot on how much time you’ve spent working with that Pisces arm, how much time you’ve spent coaching your receivers, and how much effort you’ve done to lay the groundwork, lay the foundation, and lay other general preparedness. That game looks like sheer chance and luck.
Depends on what kind of a foundation you’ve already prepared. Could be a winner and, here in Pisces, as Jupiter turns around? Less of long shot than you think. You did prepare, didn’t you?
Aries: A “binary decision” is a simple yes/no, on/off, black/white type of decision. Not a lot of questioning, either it is or it isn’t. While this is a general horoscope, written for all of Aries, there’s a simple, binary decision facing a very select few. One, that I can think of, is hitting this wall.
Yes or no.
To me, it looks more like, this is a time to figure whether or not to continue. Tough questions, and this week affords a little bit of extra breathing room. You get a few extra days to make the decision. You want help? You know how to get ahold of me.
However, what we’ll wind up doing? Bouncing the idea, the question, back and forth a few times, then you’re going to make your own decision. There’s a built in cushion with this week’s holiday mess. You get an extra week to weight that decision process. For the rest? It’s not so binary, just the holidays.
Taurus: A consistent theme in my own life, and yes, I have to borrow from the “Life of Kramer the Astrologer,” to explicate the energy. Anyway, a running cosmic joke is my birthday and T-day line up close to each other. From as young as I can remember, my birthday was feted (also fated) the same day as T-day.
I hate turkey. I can probably spend years on couch someplace, trying to determine why I don’t like turkey and Thanksgiving, or we can just look at the stars.
Way it is. Towards that end, though, I’ve had any number of happy birthday weeks, and these are usually punctuated by non-traditional food on Turkey Day.
Break free with the traditions! Tamales are good, especially a home-made, handmade style with pork and peppers. Another good item was pepper-crusted tuna, lightly seared. Finally, one year, dessert? Pink cake.
All of these are very far from the “pilgrims, turkey, dressing mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie” vein. I’m not suggesting that you have Sushi, although in some places, that’s a better dish than turkey, but I am suggesting that there’s one dish that’s different. To get around the T-day, holiday, Moon Phase? Try that different, non-traditional dish.
Gemini: My original quest was kicked into gear by the names of various little towns along the highways and byways I’ve traveled. However, it’s gotten worse. I tend to collect images of signs that might, or might not, really tell a tale.
Saw one, and it’s a perfect example of what’s happening in and around the Gemini corner. “Happy Hour 50% All Drinks.” I never got to ask as I was at the place — they served lunch and that’s what I was there for. Good TexMex. Can’t say anything about the drinks.
I wonder, though. 50% all drinks? I know what’s the implied meaning, half price liquor during whatever “happy hour” was. However, just because it’s the implied meaning? Could that also be construed as all drinks were regular price, but the customer only got half a drink? That would make the bar happy for sure. Be a very happy hour — the owners. Not so much for the customers.
No, Mercury isn’t retrograde. No, it isn’t about anything more than the phase of the moon compounded by Mars in Sagittarius. There’s a kicker to all this. If I were a Gemini? I’d start working on the sign, “All drink 50% Happy Hour.” Or something similar, as it applies to your situation. Either you’re making the sign or you’re stuck, paying twice as much as everyone else.
Cancer: I had a friend, I mean, I lived in a trailer park, right? One of the neighbors, he was a maintenance guy, spent too much time fixing up his trailer. Start with a 21-foot travel-all trailer. Boxy, aluminum siding, little AC unit hung out of the back door? Got an image? He spent much time, time — money — energy, fixing up his place. I doubt that trailer would ever leave. Non-mobile mobile home.
There was a front porch and deck, adorned with a trellis, complete with a couple of crawling vines, not like that trailer was going to move. Who wanted to leave all the permanent structures behind? The plants, the little grill, and I’m not sure, but I’m thinking he was thinking about how to arrange a hot tub on another deck extension. Don’t know if he ever pulled it off. I just have to question the idea that, as an investment in time — energy — resources, is that justified in a rented plot of land that, well, in my experience, a condo developer can come right in and snatch that land out from underneath you.
Landlords have no heart. Is the investment in material comforts warranted in place that’s just rented? In some cases, it’s like trying to redecorate a motel room. As the holidays start marching through? Have to ask if the time — money — energy, your Cancer resources, if those are best spent, like, redecorating a trailer park.
Leo: Screw it. It’s the holidays, right? Xmas, around the proverbial corner? Right. All those candied, sugary goodies? Go ahead, have a second helping.
You can worry about the effects of this kind of wretched excess later. Next year, even. What going to happen is you’ll start worrying in about a week, maybe ten days from now. However, for the moment? I’d suggest you have that second helping of dessert. Pumpkin Pie with real whipped cream is what we were having. Along with some Carrot Cake. You know, vegetables and all. It’s healthy. Sort of. Maybe a little. In name, it works fine.
Look: this is all about this week. I’m not saying that sugar and carbs are the best answer, but some days, it is a holiday, and after what’s been going on in the Leo Life? I’d go for the good stuff. Load up. Diet later, if need be. Don’t worry now.
Virgo: There’s magic in travel. For me, I’ve used a number of different ways to travel. I’ve walked. Hiked. Train, plane, truck. Commercial jets were the most common form, for a spell. Then trains. These days, it’s small cars. Not exactly to my liking, but then, it works to get from here to there, and I have this innate need to explore. One way or another.
I like living in a place where I can be constantly amazed and amused. Local traditions, legends and lore are an endless fount of education and entertainment. Even when I’m not really “on the road,” there’s a sense that I’m tourist in my own, home towns.
If there’s travel involved, in your Virgo week, then be prepared to learn something along the way. Could be good, could be bad. Or it could be, the way I like it? “They eat that here? Wow. Who knew.” I’m thinking that this is less about big deals and a lot more about little deals. Can be upsetting. Little upsets can totally ruin a typical Virgo experience. Here’s the catch: you don’t have to let those little upsets ruin anything. I’ve warned you. Amuse, amaze, entertain, educate. You don’t have to be traveling anywhere, this can happen right at home.
Libra: Ever notice the glamor magazines? I saw one, remember where I live, so it was an American title with the headlines in Spanish, but that’s not what this about. It was a provocative title, I’m sure, and the lady on the cover looked alluring enough, I mean, she was fetching enough that I almost bought the damn magazine.
Cosmetics, dress, attire, jewelry, all designed for one emotion, right? Love. Or, to be a blunt about it, and I’m not a Libra, so I can be very direct, this is about sex. It’s more than that. But that fashion, or beauty, or cosmetics, or whatever, magazine was selling sex.
There’s a whole industry, several, built around the idea of selling women’s appearances. What’s really being sold, trade and bartered? As Venus turns around, before you make a purchase, consider what the real motivation for that purchase is. Are you buying an actual product that does something? Or are you buying the dream and promise of what that product will deliver?
Scorpio: I don’t have as much hair now as I used to have. It’s a function of age and genetics. For a good portion of my professional life, I’ve espoused the theory that hair is a recessive gene and can be traced back to the mother’s father for its roots. Look to the maternal grandfather to see what a person’s hair will be like.
That was the way I learned it, and until recently, that was what I believed. I didn’t just believe it, I helped promulgate that theory. The latest material I’ve uncovered suggests that the hair gene isn’t nearly as direct as I thought. I tend to have hair like my maternal grandfather, yes, that much us true. However, that’s just the luck of the draw.
Genetics is, at best, a crap shoot. From what I’ve learned from meandering around on the inter-web tubes, there is no (none) genetic indicator that will accurately portray how a person’s hair will be.
There are some events occurring that can’t be changed. My hair? Can’t do anything about whether it grows or goes. Hats don’t affect hair growth. (Scientifically proven — I read it on the inter-web.) However, a hat can hide that bald patch. What can you do and what’s wasted effort?
