“You see “Bob” and I still clung to the old Texas style which is, never kill one of your own beeves when you can get somebody else’s.”

From: Chas. A. Siringo. “A Texas Cowboy: or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony”P. 161.

While I tend to favor Shakespeare quotes for introductions, this one spoke to this week on several levels. It’s from a sadly ignored text, one of the first “cowboy epics” ever penned.

Cinco de Mayo note.

Horoscopes by the Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 4.30.2015

Taurus:

The opening quote is about managing resources, with an oblique sense of humor, my humor, that is, layered on top. Not sure if it works, but it seems to. Happy birthday, by the way. Thought I forgot?

Mercury leaves your sign this week, but Mars is still cooking, and the focal point is about how you manage resources. Following the advice of the quote, sometimes, it’s better to use other peoples’ stuff instead of your own. Simple idea. Simply put.

Use what’s at hand, for Taurus, use the materials that are provided, and whenever possible? Use the other guy’s stuff, first.

Gemini:

I’ve found that it never hurts to break from tradition. I’ve found that bending the rules can help take a bad situation and make it feel better. I’ve found that rules, more like guidelines, are useful, and there’s generally a way to amend said rules.

“Lawyer Up,” dear Gemini, get the Gemini Lawyer hat on. Cinch that sucker down tight. I didn’t say to break any rules, just bend the words around to fit what you want. To fit how you feel, make this work for you.

“You ditched work and went fishing today!”

The correct, blatant lie? “No, no I didn’t.” Flat out denial that’s false. You did ditch work and go fishing. Now, the correct way to answer that question, keeping with this week’s theme of bending, not blaming?

“Why would you ask that? You know where I was.”

Not a lie. Quite factual. No patently false statements, either. Kind of a trick, but then, you are Gemini, and your main planet is the Trickster of myth and lore. Use it. Answer a question with a question, if you know what I’m referring to?

Cancer:

I was watching a cop, downtown, not long ago. I have open admiration from too many days on the road and too many cops for clients, for any officer who wears a uniform, badge, sidearm to work. What I noticed, though, the officer’s firearm, 9-mil, be my guess, was on his left hip. He was holding a phone with his left hand, while he was talking about something. If there had been an emergency that required immediate access to his sidearm, he would either have to shift the phone to his right hand, wasting precious seconds, or drop the phone, which isn’t likely, or maybe the left-handed holster was a fluke, but I doubt it.

I was at a little taco stand, and I doubt, seriously doubt, there would be any trouble that called for an armed response from the officer, still, that image stuck with me. Made me think about Cancer and what’s going on, and what to be ready for. If you’re a a lefty, like that cop? Keep the left hand free to respond in a proper manner, to wit, be willing, ready, and able to snatch that pistol up from its holster. I don’t think there’s that kind of armed response needed for your week, but there is a response and instead of being lulled into a sense of “everything’s all right,” be ready. Be sharp. Think, “Left-handed draw holster, left hand not encumbered with a stupid phone.”

The (mighty) Leo:

The one excuse I really hope I don’t hear this week, especially from Leo? “I landed on it wrong.” I’ve seen this in a number of situations. Jumping, at the gym, walking, getting out of a pick-up truck that had extra clearance added? Leo, normally a graceful sign, and Leo, with that Sagittarius kicker, and Leo, with Uranus in Aries, lending strength, and then, the Moon, adding that extra dose of, “I tried too hard.” That can be jumped too high, went one extra round at the gym, stepped off the curb in an excited state, could be any number of situations where you get ahead of yourself. The result? Something snaps, something pops, maybe, if you’re not careful, something breaks. If I see you with an ankle cast, a walking boot-thing, arm in a sling, bandage on your head? I’ll know, for sure, you didn’t listen. I’ll ask, “What happened?” Know what you’ll say?

“I landed on it wrong.”

I can prevent that if you listen careful, read carefully: caution. An excited mistake can lead to bodily injury.

“You know, Kramer, it didn’t hurt until I landed on it wrong.”

Virgo:

For me, my favorite places tend to be “dives.” While that term can vary, from person to person, as a Good Virgo, I’m sure you understand what I’m driving at. The greasy spoon, less-than-wonderful looking, the places that belie a quality therein? That’s what we’re looking for, this week. Dive bars. Tacquerias that might, or might not, be here next week. Health code questions, however, there’s no question about the quality. Good, good stuff. Tasty, impeccably prepared with that certain essence that only comes from hole-in-the-wall, dive types of places. Again, definitions can vary. One place I’ve been known to frequent is listed as one the best diners in America, and it is, in a traditional sense, a “diner-like” experience.

It’s also, at the correct hours, a dive. Night shift, day shift, drunks from the night before, the current crop, like me, headed out to fish, just cacophony of local flavors. Then, too, there’s the food. Not always spectacular, but always spectacularly good. Flavor is correct. The grill, obviously, this place has been cooking up breakfast for hundreds of years, so the grilled food tastes perfect. Like it should. Again, ignore some of the trimmings, the decor, the aged photos, that sort of extra. To make it through the next few days, this next week? “Dives,” according to whatever good Virgo definition you’ve got, but it’s the seedy, savory yet unsavory, place that hold the keys.

Libra:

This week’s quote isn’t even from Shakespeare, as it’s a bit about how to manage resources, from the beginning of the canon of Western American Literature. Still, there’s another thought that kept coming back to me for Libra: I don’t want to be your Romeo. As in, I don’t want to die on your grave, only to find out that you were alive, then, like that play, it’s a tragedy, you know, they all end up dead. Not interested in seeing that play out with Libra, especially not this week.

There’s a heightened sense of “something,” and I’m not sure how you want to interpret that “something,” but I’m sure it’s there. Heightened sense of “frission,” or “friction,” or lack of friction. Something. Varies day by day and person to person, Libra to Libra, but you’ll feel it, for sure. Here’s the deal, let’s not have a tragic ending to this one, OK? No Romeo. Simple enough, and what that also means? No volunteering to be the martyr.

Scorpio:

Good thing that Scorpio can be as tough as it is, because there’s a point, this week, where you’re going to need that tough Scorpio shell. Hide. Tough exterior. Tough Scorpio skin.

Within the next five to seven days, as a Scorpio, as a decent, nice, kind, gentle, “nice to all people” Scorpio? In the next seven to ten days, more like five to seven, someone — NOT ME — is going to take a shot at you. Cold shot, low blow. Hit beneath the belt, not playing in the rules, something like that. It’s mostly the fault of Mars in Taurus, but you get the idea, correct?

I’ve been around enough Scorpio people, I know better. Even if you handed me knife and turned your back? I still wouldn’t do it. But I’m an exception with a long list of Scorpio history. I have utmost respect for Scorpio. Problem being, someone doesn’t. Too bad because failure to respect Scorpio can have deleterious side effects, later. Forgive? Yes. Forget? Ha.

So here’s the deal, I’ve warned you that someone else is going to take a shot. What to do? Nothing. Sure, revenge is nice, and even better, when served cold. With a side of “karma, bitch.” However, let’s wait. Maybe not do anything at all. You’re Scorpio, they attack, you can parry the onslaught with no retribution. At least, not now. Doesn’t pay off, not now. No getting even.

Sagittarius:

Sometimes a little change is good for the Sagittarius soul. I switched, this week, from a straight Shakespeare text to one that’s kind of strange, historic, with a long and strange tale about the book itself, but still, as a piece with historical value, especially since it deals with my native lands, and my native cultures, I found it fascinating. So that’s the change. Wasn’t a big change, just a little one. In the near future, I’m sure I’ll be back to quoting Shakespeare, as I’ve been studying that some, too. Still, a small change helps. Not a big difference, just a minor one.

Saturn is about hard work and Saturn’s efforts are highlighted by Mercury opposing Saturn, in these next few days. Small change. Changes, but small changes of our own making, that works better than anything else. Something’s going to give, pick and choose, experiment, a little. Like something besides Shakespeare for one week.

Capricorn:

In military training, there’s the “Command voice.” Directions, issued in that tone? Underlings tend to follow the orders because of the tone. Likewise, in the real world, outside of the military? There’s the Teacher’s Voice. Might need some practice, but there’s a time, place and chance to use that voice. I prefer the term “Teacher’s Voice” to the militaristic “Command voice,” but the idea is similar, if not the same. To exert authority, one must sound like one is in charge, so the quiet and timid Capricorn? Doesn’t work. Exercise that Teacher’s Voice, to gain control of the situation, to keep the Capricorn minions in line, and to insure there’s still order.

With the way things are? We’re all trying to make order out of chaos, and sometimes, like this next few days, a firm hand on the tiller, a person who is in charge, and acts like he or she is in charge? That works wonders. I doubt you’re any more clued in than me, but that doesn’t stop us from making the effort. Act like you’re in charge. Command Voice, or, better yet, Teacher Voice. Works wonders to get matters lined up, and maybe not make total order out of sheer chaos, but at least, you can get some of the little issues lined up, like the kids at school.

Aquarius:

I’m not Aquarius, so I’ve never had to develop a “Manifesto,” sort of like, the “World according to (your name here).” I’m not an air sign, certainly not a fixed air sign like you are. However, if I were an Aquarius? Time to grab a chunk of granite, a hardened chisel, and one of those big hammers, think Thor-like hammer. Need to consider etching your Aquarius manifesto, carving that in a stone. Like a headstone, only, this is an Aquarius deal, so might need something larger. Wait, maybe we should draw up that manifesto on paper, first, before you begin carving it onto the rock? Just an idea.

The Aquarius Manifesto is what this week is all about. The problem being, what you want now, and what you’re headed for? Might take a few trial runs to get all the details correct. Perhaps pencil and paper, or just digital ink would work, for now, a manifesto that is a “works in progress,” for the Aquarius. No hurry, no rush, well, there is a rush, as you’ve got this large chunk of granite and you’ll want to carve your manifesto into it. Rough draft, this week, maybe not etched in stone, not yet. Examples should include what you stand for, what you tolerate, what you won’t tolerate and what you expect from your “Fishing Guide to the Stars” astrology buddy.

Let me know how that last one goes.

Pisces:

San Antonio has a fairly decent tourist trap area, the downtown “River Walk.” Mentioned more in myth than reality on TV, the local population has a split take on the Riverwalk. Great place to hang out, and horrible place to visit, when it’s crowded. For several years, I was a frequent visitor to the fabled River Walk, and I have images to prove it. What I got to observe, over time, was always the way the local population interacted with the tourists. A couple of the restaurants employ barkers, or hawkers, or whatever that’s called when a person stands there and beckons to the pedestrian flow of traffic, “Cold beer, hot Mexican food, cold margaritas! Lunch specials today only….” It’s mostly Tex-Mex, but I’m not going quibble over what they call the food.

The part that seriously caught my attention was a sunburnt cowboy, trying to corral the crowd into one place. No, he looked right, sounded right, appropriate sun bleached, short hair, boots, faded Wranglers, the yoke shirt with faux-pearl snaps, and straw cowboy hat, no all of that was just fine. It was the Kanji — might’ve been Korean or Arabic, but my bet is Kanji — characters tattooed on the inside of each arm.

Cowboy, looked, sounded and had ink, but the ink itself wasn’t anywhere near authentic. Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter in a setting. me? I’m certainly willing to overlook the tattoo designs, as those were from something, and had great meaning, but in the setting, it ruined the “Cowboy” appeal. There’s a reason I tend to stay away from popular places like that. As a compliant Pisces, are you trying too hard to fit in?

Aries:

For many years, most of this profession’s career, I’ve worked at events that are labelled “Psychic Fairs.” I’ve been labelled “psychic,” too, or “Professional Psychic.” Sure, I did pass a test and I did get a piece of paper that said I was a “Professional Psychic,” but even I don’t believe that crap. However, as an example for Aries? I was in downtown San Antonio, off about some coffee, a coffee shop, a lass who worked there, meeting a client for an astrology reading — which isn’t psychic — and is scientific. I have no idea what convention was in town, but there were tons of folks with convention name tags, and various styles that indicated level of participation, be my best guess. On the street, one guy almost runs me over, we’re both pedestrian, so I looked down at his tag, “Ron! Really?”

“Hey, huh?” He looks up at me, “hey, you’re…”

“Kramer, remember?”

He was lost. He couldn’t place me. That’s because he’d never seen me before, and other than being a bumbling out-of-towner, there was no connection. I knew his name because I read it on his name tag. He finally realized how he was wrong, apologized, glanced down at this phone again, and we went our separate ways.

You can be “psychic” if you want, but I’ll bet, like me, you’ll notice there’s something very clear, very plain, right there in front of you that gives you a clue.

Don’t be clueless; read the name tag. Or, at least pay attention to the obvious symbols.