Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 4.12.2012

“O! Swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest thy love prove likewise variable.”

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet [II.i. 115-7]

Tax Day (US Holiday, observed).

Aries: “Success is defined as the time when preparation meets good luck.” I just made that one up. Variation on a theme. The Moon slides down through the signs, getting smaller and smaller, making matters more inconstant. Mars gets stationary. Retrograde is over, and the end of this horoscope, so is Aries. But until then, the light still shines in the Aries corner of the sky and the message is still the same, to borrow an over-used sports metaphor, you’re still batting clean-up. Still picking up the pieces. Still getting upset over the mess some other sign has created.

Short message? Stop. Longer version? Stop and assess what needs to be cleaned up, pulled back together, pieced together, assembled, disassembled, or otherwise fixed. Ascertain what needs to be done, first.

Available now: the Mars Minute.

Taurus: One of the most difficult tasks for Taurus, this coming week? Stay on point. Keep the primary goal as the central focus. Really, that should be the only focus. Most Taurus folks I’ve dealt with, most of them have no trouble whatsoever with keeping a tight reign on the primary objective. If we’re fishing, then it’s fishing. If we’re listening to music, then the music is the thing. Usually, it would be the whole catalog of music, or the entire contents of the iPod. Disparate elements are at work, now.

Focus. Pull it together. Think about me, think about me, in a fishing boat, and I decide to change lures, only, at the last minute, I change from what I was changing from to something else. Change the change? While that can be good at times, this isn’t one of the times when a Ritalin-addled, ADHD child-like sense of wonder is best. Nope, what we need to do, in Taurus, with Taurus, is focus. Single point. Single goal. Single objective.

“Wait, did you see this over here?”

No. And don’t look, either.

Gemini: One of the harshest expressions I can shove at a Gemini? “Shut UP!” Yet, there it is. I would rather suggest that you consider the situations, consider the locations of various planets, especially Mars, while categorically un-retrograde, by the end of the week, no, it’s really not there yet. Venus is creeping through Gemini, which should be good. But that’s why I implore you to keep a lid on it. Or, basically, shut up. Something, could be the tail-end of Aries stuff, but something is going to hit you wrong, could be Jupiter in Taurus, I’m unsure, but the idea is that you need to keep your Gemini mouth shut. Harshest expression I can think of, cut a Gemini off from that ability, that need, to communicate. However, there it is. I’m not suggesting that good times aren’t around the corner, but the biggest player in this mess is Jupiter, and his influence is one that would make you act, carry on, or even just spout off something in a ‘too-hasty’ manner. Which then causes problems. Shut up and wait.

Cancer: That fickle mistress, the moon! She’s just giving you fits these days! Fit to be tied! Or untied, I suppose it has to do with one’s personal quirks, kinks and tastes. Just think about the opposite of what you consider ‘fun,’ then think about ways around that. For me, the opposite of fun is work. Not really, as there are many aspects of my job that I thoroughly enjoy, but this isn’t about me, it’s about Cancer and a single, disagreeable task that you’ve long avoided. Used to be cleaning out the cat-box. I no longer have a cat, so that’s not it. However, the metaphor isn’t lost, I’m sure. It’s disagreeable, this one task, and you’ve put it off for a while, and as Mr. Mars sits there, basically stationary, unlike all the other planets, just sits there, all week long, this is the time to tackle that one, last onerous task. Haven’t you put this off long enough? Promise: next week rolls around really well if you tackle that task, this week. Before next Tuesday.

Leo: I have a penchant for brightly colored shirts. “Hawaiian shirts,” to some. Floral print, or bright print patterns, usually quite loud, a few are understated and slightly elegant, but most of them are loud. Bright. However, when I’m wearing one, which is frequently, I tend to misunderstand the importance, or implications, of my actions. I’ve been walking along a busy city street, and various people will smile. Some will try to start a conversation.

Most, if not all, except the regulars, will assume I’m on vacation. I endeavor to greet each morning as if it were a vacation day, but no, it’s not always. Because I feel the same on the inside, I fail to grasp impact of my sartorial choices. As the mighty Leo, as the best Leo, think about what it is that others perceive. How does your presence impact their lives? In my example, it’s something that I clearly don’t see, I don the shirt and I’m off to the races. As a Leo, as The Leo, what happens when people greet you like that? Is it you? Or something you’re wearing?

Virgo: Some exercises are a complete waste of time — and energy. Some exercises, not as bad. I wasted a day down at the lake, pitching various baits at fish. I caught nothing. Not so much as any kind of action. Nothing. No nibbles, no little fish, no beach babes, not even a park ranger or game warden.

The fish were laughing at me, as were the non-existent crowds.

There are two ways I choose to perceive this situation: complete and utter waste of time, or good practice for days when there are fish interested. It was a drill. It was a run-through for actual fishing situations. It was a dry-run. Waste of time? Hardly, not in my mind’s eye. Not the way I choose to regard my afternoon tossing various baits into the waters. Good effort, bad timing. Not a misuse of my time, at all. As a Virgo, what with limited resources, you normally try to be careful about not misusing your time. You’re probably going to do a practice run this week. Waste of time? No, you need to go through the motions. Besides, like my example? Any day spent fishing is better day than most.

Libra: “I told you so,” is potentially one of the most harmful comments that can be made. Nothing about a warning or a how that dress makes you look fat, no, the worst thing to say is, “I told you so.” There’s a mean, spiteful, pretty much vindictive tone to the comment, too. That’s the problem. Here’s what’s worse, in the next couple of days, someone is going to say it to you.

Here’s the hint: do nothing. Accept the attack, the thinly veiled criticism, the critique, the instructions and the not-so-subtle reminder, accept it. Roll with the punches. One, or more, of the critical comments might feel like someone is gunning for you, Libra, personally. They’re not. Well, maybe they are, but we can’t distinguish that at this moment. Stop. Roll with with it. New Moon, next week, launches some kind of an apology. I’d bet, not a gambling man myself, but I’d bet you were right, after all. Try to refuse that comment, “I told you so,” so there.

Scorpio: Too much time in Austin, and I’ve grown accustomed to the aggressively casual attire. I like wearing beach clothes. I had a long-standing debate with a volunteer group I was part of, and I lost. My attire was too casual. For something I’m not being paid for, I don’t figure that’s much of an issue. Apparently, one of the directors was a little too tightly wound and that meant every one of the volunteers had to be “business casual,” with closed-toe shoes. Long pants. In Texas, in the summer. In South Texas, pretty much year-round — beach clothes work. “Business casual?” Bit over of the top on the attire, if you ask me. No one did. Didn’t even get a vote. There are occasions that demand fancy attire. Other times, not so much. Borrowing from the Scorpio playbook, instead of a tie, if I have to wear ‘formal’ clothes, I’ll opt for a nice, not tattered, black t-shirt, and pull a sports coat over that. Works well enough. That’s as close as I can get to middle ground. As a Scorpio, what with Mr. Mars, your planet, turning around, it’s time to hit that middle ground. Is my ‘aggressively casual’ attire what’s best?

Sagittarius: Anyone who’s talked to me in the last week knows I’ve got a little bit of a cranky streak going on. Mars. As a Sagittarius, what happens is that Mars ‘squares’ us, and that’s the source of the trouble. It’s just like a little, niggling voice, harping on some issues, and that stupid voice won’t let go. Not enough time, too much time, can’t sleep, too tired, overslept, one of those. Mars gradually gets turned around and Mars finally gets moving forward, and whatever that issue was? Is? Needs some thought-cycles. Processing cycles. In strictest computer terms, needs some processing cycles. That’s what this Mars ‘detour’ is all about. Mars will lead us on a merry trip, down some forgotten path and eventually, it all does the big, surprise ending. Good or bad? If we adjust attitude, the big revealing ending can be quite fun.

Capricorn: Strange connections. I read an article about how the pecan is revered as a delicious and healthful food source. Sky-rocketed the local price of pecans, fully 1/3 of the worlds pecans are from Texas. So I’ve been told.

I believe everything I read on the Inter-webs. Everything. Really.

So the price of pecans shot through the roof and the orchards are doing well, but suffering from drought, not that it would affect the output, just this year’s nuts are little more bitter. I was amazing to find out that Asian Cultures tend to regard the pecan as the most healthy of food-sources, allegedly, helping prevent stomach ailments and curing heart problems. Is it true? I’m unsure. Commonplace to me is exotic to another. All depends on the point and frame of reference. Which is what this is about. Point and frame of reference. We have potential ‘launch point’ for Capricorn. How you play that is up to you. Like the current crop of pecans? Might be a bit bitter (to my tastes).

Aquarius: As part of an ad for chain hotel, the sign said, “Free, hot food.” More like “FREE HOT FOOD,” as those sign writers aren’t good with proper punctuation. It’s hotel chain trying to grab business in a stark economic environment, and I can’t tell, lots of hotels have that free breakfast thing going on these days. From my now-limited experience with the “free, hot breakfast” thing, I can’t say that it’s particularly good. The first time I had the waffle with the State of Texas in it, it was, yes, that was cool. But it’s been a decade, and the waffle makers aren’t the novelty that once were.

The novelty has worn off.

That’s the problem, as world-weary Aquarius, you’ve seen it all, and the offer of “free, hot food?” Doesn’t really work. Careful as you proceed through the week.

Pisces: “Just do this one thing for me?” Simple request. Simple request I asked a normally easy-going Pisces. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? Not an issue. The request was discussed, argued, tabled, reopened, further explored, tabled, and now, it’s been about two weeks, and it still isn’t done. I got that, “I’m getting to it,” message, but from what I can see, the task assigned to that one Pisces, it still isn’t done. Not going to happen in the foreseeable future, is it? Mars in this position causes a Pisces to ‘seize up,’ freeze in one position. Immobilized. I knew this, which is why I was more toying with the Pisces than really expecting the task to get accomplished. I’m the astrologer, I know these things, the influence of a stationary Mars opposite Pisces. However, to work forward, to push on through? Maybe, jsut this once, don’t freeze in your Pisces tracks. Maybe you could do this one thing, as we agreed?

Or not.