Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 3.8.2012

“Here let us breathe, and haply institute
A course of learning and ingenious studies.”
Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew [I.i.10-1]

As Mercury slows to a crawl, in apparent cosmic movement, compared to the other “stars.” Planets, really, but who’s counting?

The first time the term “rodeo” was used to promote a riding and roping event?

March, 1912. In Los Angles, California.

Available now: the astrofish.net/marsminute/

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Pisces: The term for this week is “bolero.” My personal story starts with what was called “progressive rock,” then the term was “art rock,” and that’s where I got introduced to the song by Ravel. Originally, it was written as a single — like a record single — for ballet. Russian ballet, I think. Might be wrong, as I know precious little about that genre of music. I’m willing to display my own ignorance. The song and its title got bantered around at one part of pop-cultural history as a part of movie. Never saw it. The real meaning I was looking for? A “bolero” is a short jacket. I’m guessing, like jean jacket or a gavacho-type of attire. Short yet functional. That’s kind of the point. As we get closer and closer to the real point where Mercury goes into apparent retrograde motion, a mixed-up term, like that jacket — or musical piece — a short jacket that functions to keep the evening’s chill off your Pisces self? Good idea. Happy birthday! (Usual Mercury caveats are now in place, right?)

Available now: the Mars Minute.

Aries: I’m a walker. We all have different ways to express our physical energy. I’m a walker. Used to be a runner, but that’s hard on the knees, and frankly, I miss too much running. Conversely, going to the gym, treadmill and weights? Rowing machine? Not happening, either. If I’m rowing, I want to get someplace. If I’m walking, I need a destination. The physical energy is how I get out of my head, gain perspective, and get away from the immediate problem so I can find a solution.

I headed out the other afternoon, intent on just going to the post office, but I found myself wandering the mean streets of downtown, in an extended walk-about. The problem, as I reached for my wallet, as I wanted some more stamps, I discovered I’d left it behind. I thought, this would be a good time to have one of those smart phones with a credit card pay-chip embedded in it, but then, I don’t always trust that technology, so I don’t have that feature, and I doubt I would use it, if I did have it. I was unable to do much more than walk and look. As we get closer to Aries time, but it’s not here yet, think about what I did. I heartily do not recommend walking off and forgetting your wallet. However, I do suggest that a little time disconnected might help out. Me? I prefer a long walk.

Taurus: Buddy of mine showed up the other afternoon, in time for a reading. He was toting a Styrofoam container with food, a typical Taurus offering. All about the food. It was a “Mexican” food thing. Some sort of meat, I’d suspect it was pork, but I wasn’t sure. Buried under onions and tomatoes, peppers and the right amount of garlic, not too much, just rich and flavorful. Piquant and spicy without too much of anything. Maybe a little heavy on the salt, but I wasn’t sure. Besides, free food? From a Taurus? Not turning that down. I put it aside and did a reading, then, after we were done, I dug into that to-go container of food, dug in with gusto. It was good, but I tend to trust my Taurus friends for epicurean excellence. No one else gets it. The food was take-away, carry-out, probably from a roach coach where English wasn’t the primary language. Not a problem. Might not be a licensed place. Not a problem. Might not be that sanitary. Not a problem. Food was good, and healthy, in its own right. As we face off against Mercury, Sun in Pisces, and Venus now making nice with Taurus? There’s a chance to go for the good stuff, only, it’s not in the usual places.

Gemini: One Gemini claims she can feel Mercury Retrograde before it ever happens. Sure, I’ll buy that. However, that’s not always the case. There are several elements to consider, to adequately cover this week’s symbolism. Yes, it’s all about Mercury and its pattern. Then, there’s other planetary punctuation, waning Moon phase, Mercury and its proximity to Uranus, the influence of Fire on the Gemini Air element, all combines, and means something. Air feeds Fire, is the expression I think about, usually — but these are not usual times. Still, that Air feeds Fire, it’s just, what are you getting all hot about? Is it really the issue? There’s a sense that you’re not getting the due attention you think you should get. Back away. Maybe, think about that Mercury situation, maybe you really don’t want that attention, not at this moment. Not this week.

Cancer: I was at the coast, fishing trip, staying with some friends, in another friend’s place. Vacation home, beach house, something like that. To me, it was a fish camp. Typical, part-rental, part second home kind of set-up. Nice place to stay, about a block from the water, two blocks from a jetty for fishing. In one corner of the kitchen’s counter, there was a large jar with a glass lid, like a candy jar. It had various plastic baits in it. It was the coolest display of unused artificial bait I’ve seen in quite some time. Just slightly different, not too weird, just a combination of elements that are not quite, don’t quite, it was just a little strange and oddly appealing. Almost like, there were several girlfriends along, almost like candy in a big jar. However, I’d like to stress, artificial baits, while they look nice, and some even look rather appetizing, it’s not a good idea to randomly stick one of those in the mouth. Fish have much stronger jaws, and we were fishing for Speckled Trout that week, and those guys have even meaner looking teeth. This is about oddly appealing material. Do like I did, follow my example, this once. “Wow, that’s cool-looking, isn’t it?” Sure, attractive package. Leave it alone.

Leo: One month. Someone you thought you could count on for sure? One of your most trusted comrades-in-arms, confidante, and otherwise stellar friend? One who is not a Leo, but has earned your Leo trust over the years? Perhaps even decades of friendship? In the coming week, maybe ten days, but I’d guess this next couple of days, it’s going to seem like your good friend has let you down. Appearances, as you know, can be deceptive. “Mercury isn’t even retrograde yet!” True, but this is an alignment with various elements, and while it’s not a for sure thing, the friend seeming to let you down, it’s a good possibility. Here’s the clincher: seems. He/she seems to let you down. Fails to fulfill a promised obligation. Seems to be in default. Seems to be wrong. Here’s the real deal: wait. Wait a month. Three weeks, four weeks? Between three and six weeks, and that perception of injustice against the Leo? Might not be what it looks like, then. Appearances and deceptive perceptions. Wait.

Virgo: Buddy of mine, goes by the soubriquet of “Bubba,” he borrowed $20. Not a large sum, but one that I never saw again. I have a reasonably firm guideline, not quite a real rule, but good guideline that I don’t lend money to friends. I didn’t follow my own, internal, rules. I broke my own rules. However, there was a payoff. See, he never, ever returned the money. Still owes me the $20, and this from a long time ago. I don’t feel like besmirching a friendship over something as petty as $20; however, it was a good lesson for me.

I don’t lend money to family, friends, or even enemies. Just easier, as once “lent,” I’ll probably never see it again. Less of a loan and more of a gift. That gift, though, that $20? It worked wonders. It paid for itself. One Sister came to me, asking to borrow a substantial amount of money, really, to use my credit. Remember the $20 I never got back? Turns out the Sister’ business gamble wasn’t such a good deal and she lost that cash, never to have it repaid. I’d like to point out, she didn’t get anything from me. No loss.

That $20. Fishing buddy came to me with a boat repair bill, he just needed a little help with, promising to pay me back later. Here’s what happened, I said no, he left in huff, but then, he borrowed some cash from his brother-in-law, and that guy has yet to either see the rewards of this loaned cash, a fishing trip, or the original amount back. Bubba’s $20 is a good reminder. Send me $20, and I’ll do the same for you, unless, you think you can do this without my help. I am offering.

Libra: I was looking at Mercury, standing still then starting backwards in the sign that is opposite Libra, over yonder in Aries. Then there’s Saturn, in Libra, backwards but slow. Then there’s waning moon phase. All spells little trouble. None of this means big problems, but little problems can turn into big problems, if the little problems are allowed to become issues. As this Mercury Retrograde starts to unfold, watch the little stuff. No major issues, but a whole host of little items that need your undivided Libra attention. One at time, slowly, steadily, sure, work in some stealth, but don’t count on it. The stealth part. Doubt that will work out, but try the slow, steady, and most important? One at a time. I don’t mind dealing with several incoming streams of information, but while this is all incoming data that is fine? Dealing with the problems that arise? Deal with the little issues — one at a time.

Scorpio: On the ubiquitous side-project, I had one image of a small car with the monumental “Tower of the Americas,” landmark, local symbol, I had a reflection of the tower, caught in a small car’s windshield. To me, that was the foal point, the Tower’s reflection. However, over time, as other people looked at the picture, the focus changed. Not my focus, as I was sure that the visual whimsey that prompted the picture in the first place, it was a small car with a big reflection. No, what startled me, time and again, is the number of people who commented on the car, and how it was the car that caught the attention, not the reflection. Clearly, this is an example of my intentions being thwarted. However, the intention that the picture got traction? That came through. Didn’t come through for the reason I thought it should, didn’t happen in way I figured it should, but that didn’t stop it from garnering attention. My artistic intention failed. The image, the photograph, really, just a digital image, that was successful. Not for the reason I wanted it, but then, the accidental nature of art is like that. As we watch Mercury undo the best Scorpio intentions, remember my little tale about who sees what in the art. Or the Scorpio. I still think they all miss the obvious, and I’m sure that’s how my Scorpio friends will feel, too.

Sagittarius: I’ve had a variety of business cards. I’ve held a number of different titles. In the good, old days of the inter-webs and high-tech companies, proper titles were not on business cards. Made companies poaching employees a little harder. One company was famous for this, and I think I still have a decade old business card with the title, “Alien Overlord” on it. Guy was programmer, and true to his calling, slightly weird. I started toying with several titles myself, and I put some of these, as a test pilot, into the e-mail signature files. I liked “tinfoil hats division” as a moniker, as well as a new favorite, “Special Agent In Charge.” What, exactly, am I in charge of? I still stick, most often, with Fishing Guide to the Stars because it has a ring and cachet. Deconstructing the title, the fishing part makes sense and the fishing guide makes sense, and the stars make sense, but it’s really planets that I use, but never mind that now. Think about getting some new business cards. Couple of titles to consider? The aforementioned, “Department of Tinfoil Hats,” “Alien Overlord,” and another personal favorite, “Director of Mind Control Experiments.” All fun titles! Think about getting a couple of business cards with something fun, a different title than what you’re used to, get something equally provocative, alarming and amusing. None of this will last long, so, it’s not like it’s really a big deal. More a diversion.

Capricorn: Mall math? Yes, pay attention, it’s a numbers game. Big, bold lettering, at the mall, but could be in any retail setting: Buy 1! Get 2nd Half Off! Sounds like a good deal, yes? No. Let’s say, like me, I only need one. Why buy two? Or, do the math this way, let’s say the first one is $1.00, the second one is $0.50, or both of them are $1.50, for a net price of $0.75, each. Quarter off, if I do the math correctly, and I’m an English Major, so it’s not like I claim I can do the math. Still, that’s marketing math. I like to call it “mall math,” because there’s one born every minute, and all I’m trying to do is to keep you from falling into that trap. Mall Math trap. Or marketing math entrapment. Sure, it is a deal, but is it a good deal? That’s the question, and as Mr. Mercury starts to stop, think about that mall math. Are you sucker for this kind of thing? There’s one example, even worse. I have a special “Friends and Family” discount rate. It’s 20%. That means, friends who invoke the “friends and family rate?” That’s the regular rate plus an added 20%, rounded up for errors. Think about it. I’m not sure you want to buy anything, and if you do? Try just getting one, not the second one at half price. Don’t think you need two.

Aquarius: My biggest challenge is to top what I’ve already done. Week in and week out, as time goes by. I looked at everything in your chart, concentrating on “big planets,” and all I could think about was something I wrote nearly twenty years ago, about the transit of Uranus. I suggested a mobile home. Like me. Like I had for years, alongside the river in Austin.

Mobile homes are easy to adjust. Don’t like the North-South orientation? Swap it around. Don’t like east-west? Doesn’t flow quite right? A real trailer can be, literally, moved on its wheels. I just see a change in your immediate future, not yet, not now, but say, maybe a month away. Until then? Think about a very “less than permanent” solution. Like a mobile home. Or a week-to-week lease. Whatever the opposite of permanent is to you. What I suggest.