Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 10.20.2011

“The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark
When neither is attended.”
Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice [V.i.113-4]

A very appropriate sentiment, on the eve of Scorpio.

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Libra: There are a few birthdays left in Libra but soon, very soon, the Sun rolls on into Scorpio. For the remaining Libra (Sun Sign) people, Happy Birthday! As the beginning of Scorpio slowly and surely rolls our way, what are we to infer from the planets? There is a new, leaner, more austere Libra starting to emerge. Like a Cicada, shedding its skin, or the butterfly, emerging from its chrysalis, the planets suggest you shed your skin. At least one Libra, a fan of horror/slasher films, that one Libra will come up with a celluloid exposition, and that might work, too. Personally, I’m not a fan of slasher films. Gore isn’t my thing. Can’t say I know a lot about the genre, either. There is an ex-wife it reminds me of, but that’s normal, now. I was thinking about the local Cicada rather than the butterfly. On the rough bark of a tree, as the first of the fall leaves flutter down, there’s a reminder about where we’ve been. That shell, that husk, that former Libra life? You’re leaving it behind. Don’t forget where you’ve been, though. Belated happy birthday to that one. Offer is still open.

Scorpio: The first time I encountered the “fried green beans,” I was in El Paso, TX. I figured it was a typical, time-warp, anomaly. El Paso does that, and having it as a whistle stop for many years, I got used to the idea that it was weird, in ways we can’t fathom. However, up the road, in New Mexico, in a fancy-pants place, I ran into the fried green beans again. That whole “Santa Fe” cuisine thing? Yeah.

The first time I encountered those fried green beans, I was amused and frankly enthused. The second time, the trips were so far apart, I was equally amused and enthused. The third time, I kept recalling that I wanted to make note of the unusual food group. Like deep-fried green beans. As the first of the Scorpio birthdays begin this week, as the show in Scorpio gets underway, you keep discovering a new item that really isn’t new. A familiar oddity that isn’t really odd. Fried Green Beans. Taos and El Paso, along that New Mexico Line. It’s really all just a side-dish, too.

Sagittarius: I’m starting the “Tortilla Chip Oracle.” I’m not exactly sure how I’ll work it, I’ve tried several variation on the theme. The first is reading the chips as they arrive at a table. A secondary version, halfway through the complimentary basket of chips, stop and assess the question, what the oracle is attempting to convey. Look for patterns in the chips, the dust and crinkled pieces lying on the bottom. Seek out the patterns in the chips. There’s a third and fourth version, all depends. We’re Sagittarius, a lot of what we see, think, feel, do, a lot of that “all depends.” Which is why, I think, buy me a meal at a TexMex place and I’ll do the Tortilla Chip Reading. Tea leaves and later, coffee grounds were common divinatory practices. I’m thinking the Tortilla Chip Oracle? Its time has come. It’s a matter of looking at extant patterns and seeing the logical conclusion. Done while gazing t tortilla chips, or tortilla chip dust. I did this with a bag of cheese puffs one time. Not nearly as accurate as the tortilla chips.

Capricorn: “Mi Tierra” is a frequently referenced TexMex restaurant of some note. It’s just west of the tourist section of San Antonio. The place advertises, “We never close.” Neon, over the front door. They don’t ever close. Open 24 hours a day, all the days in a year, all day, all night, and all the next day. I have several anecdotes about the place. In one of the “formal” dining area, there’s a cardboard cutout of Clinton. President Clinton. Now former President Clinton. In the other corner, same dining area, the late Tejano star, Selena. Both are highly venerated in the local pantheon of deities. Both hold places of honor. Selena is considered a little more important than the president, but not by much. After all, she was an artist and cross-over Tejano star, and not just a great Democrat or President. Point of reference. Place where the decision is being made. Think about that. It’s not about what you see, or what I say, it’s about where you are when you make the decision. What’s most important to you? What’s most important where you’re at?

Aquarius: “How can we work things out?” I understand it might be difficult for me to sum up a whole week’s worth of astrological data in a single sentence, or, in this case in a single question, but I’ve done it. I wish I could do this more often. A simple, single sentence to wrap an idea, a totally unifying concept, a way to pull it all together in a single gesture. Simply put, the question, as an Aquarius with Mars cooking along on the opposite side, the way to confront the obstacles and mostly ignorant people? “How can we work this out?” That simple question, it’s about compromise and suggestions that lead to healing and wellness, a way to get from here to there. A way to make it better. Between Mars and the subtle influence of Neptune, you’re going to be confronted with one of those situations that could get very ugly, really quickly. Instead, think about that question. Think about asking, “How can we work this out?”

Pisces: The way I heard it, there are two versions of this axiom. “Money can’t buy me love.” The musical reference. The more traditional, “Money can’t buy happiness,” that one works well, too. However, I’ve got several smart clients with quick verbal ripostes for those axioms. “Can’t buy love, but in the right place? You can rent it for a little while.” The other tasty retort? “What do you mean, ‘money can’t buy love?’ You’re just not shopping in the right store.” Does engender the question, though, what are you seriously seeking, and what are you willing to trade for that? Will money buy Pisces love? I’ve got on Pisces client, her words — NOT MY WORDS — “Pisces are just whores with a heart of gold.” I believe that was a suggestion that some trade secrets aren’t secret. I’m not sure. This is about commerce. This isn’t about sex. This about happiness and love, in the Pisces world. This isn’t about sex. This is about what brings joy into your heart. Not about sex. The question is, “Can you buy love (happiness, &c.)?” The next question, would you purchase love, if it was for sale? How much would you be willing to pay? I’m of the camp that the best things in life are free, or nearly free.

Aries: Which tragic Rock Star are you? Pause, think, which one do you want to be? In some cases, I’m not saying for sure, but there are few current performers who are still walking around, performing, rocking out, and not dead yet. Should be but they ain’t. Go figure. Don’t look too good these days. Look in the older pictures, and the old rock stars, they look good, but now? Stop. This isn’t about live rock stars that might be zombies, walking amongst us, this is about dead ones. They don’t have to be a rock star, but that was the easiest one I could conjure up, as a frame of reference. Dead or alive, doesn’t matter. They all seems to be the walking dead. (Fancy pants literary allusion for $25?) So here’s the deal. This next couple of days, figure out who your totemic “dead rock star” personality should be. Like one of those games, “Which tragic dead rock star are you?”

Taurus: I was feeding a girlfriend’s grand-daughter. Do the math, or not. It was okay. The baby was about a year old, and I love this child. Dinner that night was pasta shells and green beans in a little baby food TV-dinner tray. Zap in the microwave, peel and eat. Or peel and feed. This kid, the granddaughter, she’s rather enthusiastic about food. It’s a Taurus thing, no? So the green beans, I’d load them onto the little baby spoon, and she would gleefully chew for a while, then she’d reach up and take the green bean out of her mouth. I moved to the meat, or ravioli, or whatever it was, portion of the meal, she’d chew and swallow. I snuck another green bean in, she would chew, then just each up with her baby fist and pull it out. I love this child. Barely a year old, and she already hates her vegetables. Took me years to get to where I hated them, then liked them. These days, I rather enjoy the veggies. That’s now. Instead of forcing that child, she’s barely a year now, to eat something she clearly finds disagreeable, I just quit trying to feed her the green beans. I love that kid. The obvious message for Taurus? If you don’t like it, then don’t swallow. Better yet, if you think you won’t like it in the first place? Don’t bother sticking it in your mouth. Extrapolate as need be to allow for the conditions. All that Scorpio stuff starting, you know, new moon on the horizon and all? Skip the stuff you don’t like.

Gemini: There’s kind of a punch and I tried to warn you about this, get your head on straight, well, as straight as any Gemini can have their head on, and I pushing you in a certain direction, it’s all about work, see, and I need you to pay attention now, because this is where the rubber meets the road, or whatever your favorite expression might be but you’ve got to get with the plan, or get with the program, or do something, whatever that thing is that you need to get with, or start, or do, and I’d like to make sure you realize, my extra-fine little Gemini friend, that this is all about the career sector of the mundane astrology chart I use for determining what your week will look like since that’s what we’re here for, even though, in my case, I’m pretty sure I’m not all here, but that makes it perfect to ensure that you get the message about starting, or stopping, that one thing that you’ve been doing that so many people find annoying. Like trying to get the whole scope out in one breath. Almost made it.

Cancer: There’s an old-school garage, around the corner from me. Old-school, as in lifts, tin roof, older guys working there, and, from the apparent era of the cars for sale, they know what they’re doing. In the garage. Every other week, there’s a vintage classic, late 60s, early 70s era machines, freshened up, looks good, to me, looks tempting. I was watching as I walked past, one morning, last week, as they were sweeping the place. With compressed air. Blows out the dirt, dust, leaves, and various bits of trash that accumulated in the work space. Hold that image. It’s been many long years since I’ve used compressed air as a broom, but yes, it was the fastest way clean the place out. As we get into the beginning of the next week, maybe over the weekend, sometime, think about that image. Compressed air, hose, just blasting away at the dirt, sweeping with a high-powered stream of compressed atmosphere. Sweep it out of the way. Blast it out of the way. Maybe not the first choice, but a good choice, as good a choice as any, for the late fall, pre-winter clean-up.

Leo: You have a choice, this can be easy or this can be difficult. What do you want it to be? You have a choice, Leo dear, this can be rather easy, or you can make this into a difficult proposition, which way do you want this to go? You choose. Easy, hard. Difficult or not. Your choice. I’m not making the decision for you. As the Fishing Guide to the Stars, and a fan of all things Leo, you know I want what is best. You decide. Not me. I’m not taking the heat for your decision. I’m not saying this or that. You decide. Hard or easy? Difficult or not. Your choice. Mars heats it up. Mars gives you energy. How you expend your energy, that’s up to you. Easy or hard. Wise or unwise. All up to you Leo dearest. All up to you. Choice. It’s all your choice this time. (Hint: I’d go for the easy way, but that’s just me.)

Virgo: I know several “Fang Sway” consultants. While I can’t necessarily recommend one in your town, I know at least one who can do stuff over the inter-nets. That’s not what this is about. What this is about is finding a suitable work-around. I got stuck thinking about the Fang-Sway and looking for a suitable way for Virgo to get through this, and I kept coming back to compromise. How to use this wisely and get through what’s in front of you? There’s got to be a way. One of the principles of the Fang Sway, as I understand it, when an undesirable obstacle, like a bathroom in the wealth sector, is in the way, there’s system to put up trinkets and markers, mirrors and such, to change the energy. Which is how all the furniture in the office came to be stuffed in one corner of the building. That was then. Never mind. To get through this week, think in terms of a suitable “work-around” for your Virgo self. Think in terms of not trying to modify something that doesn’t want to be changed. Work around it. Put up one of them what are they called, Ben-Wa things? Or five hollow rods with a bell. I don’t know, Fang Sway isn’t my deal. It’s about finding a suitable route around the obstacle instead of trying to go through it. Find that little decorative item that helps the energy flow around instead of trying to force your way through it.