“The peace of heaven is theirs that lift their swords
In such a just and charitable war.”
Duke of Austria in Shakespeare’s King John (2.1.35-6)

Horoscopes starting 10.6.2016

Libra:

Myself, as a part-time pacifist, the peaceful side of me can find no war that is justified. No such thing as a just and charitable war. The more bellicose side, though, understand that there are certain times when one must “Lift their swords,” etc. So as a Libra, we’re faced with a bit of a riddle, from one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, about whether this is a just war — or not. In context, the quote is patriotic, more or less, and as a stand-alone quote, it does raise some questions. However, as an assurance? That’s what’s most important. This doesn’t have to be combative, and this doesn’t have to be about “War.” Or “War!” This can represent any number of struggles, and as Libra, first with Jupiter, then Mercury at your feet? Stick to what’s right. The just cause is justified, although, I’m sure you’ll agree, maybe not by any means, but the clue is to be careful about picking the just cause.

Scorpio:

One of my frequent pedestrian routes cuts through a large parking lot, attached to a shopping center. Mostly the place is anchored by a grocery store. There’s office supply, and a bookstore, plus a chain of of discount sporting goods. Hot afternoons, in the fall? I’ve discovered that folks get forgetful about their driving habits.

For a Scorpio? Be extra careful. I was listening to some Shakespeare read aloud, so I wasn’t minding where I was going, one foot, in front of the the other, progress towards a destination, like coffee and post office. I looked up, just in time to notice that a car was backing out, a mid-size SUV with an empty kid seat in the back, and realizing that the driver was intent on rear-view mirror clearing. She didn’t bother to look to see if there were lazy Sagittarius pedestrians — other obstacles — besides cars. I pulled up short, she slid past me, then glanced over, grimaced, or I’d like to think she grimaced, then gave me a visible shrug, a suggestion of “I’m sorry!”

Not much of a suggestion. Would’ve been better if she’d looked before she dropped into reverse and started to motor away. Part of this is about being observant of what’s around Scorpio at the time. Part of this is about giving other people — non-Scorpio people — give them some extra space. A little more room for their errors, way I’d think about this. For Scorpio? Give them a little extra room so you don’t get run over by someone’s mom.

Sagittarius:

Long-dead pencil fetish, a mechanical “lead holder” affectation. Wasn’t really an affectation, but I kept thinking that the right pencil, the right kind of mechanical lead holder, with the right piece of hardware, I would be able to write better. I would be able to draw better. If I just had the right pieces.

To me, the most common mechanical pencil is 0.5 mm, and that’s too thin for my heavy (Sagittarius) hand. Fine for delicate and intricate drawings, I prefer the less common 0.7 mm lead, and I used to prefer a Faber pencil. Lead holder. Then I got distracted with Mont Blanc, and for a pen, I like the Mont Blanc just fine, still carry one, but for a pencil, I got distracted, first with Cross, too thin, looks good, but too thin to handle a lot, and then, with a Rapid-Graph.

Why pencil? A lack of permanence. It can be, theoretically, erased and rewritten. The pencil lead makes for fine shadings and cross hatches, and pencils operate in airplanes cabins with reduced pressure, and most pencils stand zero chance of exploding in one’s pocket. After years and years of searching for the perfect pencil and lead holder, what I’ve discovered? Whatever is handy works best. The most recent office supplies for writing? I’m Sagittarius, take heed, the best pens and pencils these days? You know those free pens that have some company’s name on the side? Like hotels, motels, and machine shops? Those are best, now. It’s not about expensive tools, it’s about how we use what’s at hand, dear Sagittarius.

Capricorn:

Maybe a hundred miles east of here, there’s a slew of B&B spots. One of the more rustic locations, the B&B is a series of small, historic buildings, each hut a hundred years old or more, but as such, they all predate “Indoor Plumbing.” The bathroom was clearly an after-thought, a modern addition. The hot water heater is, literally, in a small closet-like space at the end the shower stall/tub.

Unlike most hotels, motels, and guest rooms where I’ve stayed? Hot water is instant. Instant, and potentially scalding. Most motels, as I’ve travelled, most motels and such? I have to wait until the water warms up, or makes it to the third floor, or, in many cases, I have to guess when the other guests aren’t all using the same hot water. So the B&B was different, in a good way, but it was so instant, I almost burned myself. No warning, just hot, hot water. Instant.

Test the water before jumping into it. There’s the obvious heating elements, twin flames from Mars and Pluto, with the Moon just adding new level of hot to to this combination. Since I was just there? I couldn’t help but think about that instant hot water.

Aquarius:

Do you want to be happy? Or do you want to be right? Basic, binary question.

With the planets where they are? Played against that basic Aquarius sentiment — you know how you are, right?

There’s a stunningly obvious, well, it’s obvious to me as an outside, big-time Aquarius fan (and observer), there’s a simple, almost painfully binary decision.

Right? Or happy?
You get to choose.

It’s a simple choice, really, I’m a typical guy. My first instinct is to be right. Yes, first instinct. I want to be crowned as being right. However, over the years, some would say I’ve matured, but I wouldn’t make any such claim, but with time has come some lessons learned. Faced with this possibly painful decision, what comes first? The first, most primordial Aquarius instinct? “I must be right, or I won’t be happy!” Looking at this little different, though, I’m thinking, over time, trust me on the years thing, being “right” is a lot less important than happiness. You can argue this, but proving that you’re right? I just sort of shrug it off. Stick with what makes you happy, next few days. Don’t have to be right all the time.

Me? I’m very willing to be wrong, and have you be right and happy, at the same time.

Pisces:

I was chatting up a Pisces friend, and she’s tech-heavy, like a Kindle, iPad, iPhone, and so on. The cut-off point for her? 99 cents. “I’ve got a bunch of books on Kindle, I want to read them, but (job, course-work) keeps me from finding spare time. But I keep getting more.”

99 cents, less than a 1 dollar. For me, depends, but the cut-off is usually $2.99 — but that’s my version. I’ve been known, this isn’t new, to buy both a hardbound copy of a book, then buy the eBook version to read, as a hand-held reader tends to be lighter, in those situations. Then, too, there’s the local electronic library, I’ll use that a source for electronic versions. I was curious, though, scrolling through the titles of the hundreds of books she had on her Kindle. What is the cut-off. “They send a me an e-mail and the 99-cent books look good, you know. Less than a dollar, it might be worth it.”

She shrugged. What’s the cut-off point? 99 cents? $2.99? $3.96?

As a Pisces, there’s got to be a threshold of some sort, some point where, “That’s too much,” or “it’s not worth it, not to me.”

What’s the personal Pisces cut-off point this week?

Aries:

We need some smooth jazz to soothe the Aries soul. Soft beat, the gentle rustle of steel-brush on the cymbal, a slow, syncopated beat, soft snare, distant and murmuring bass music. Not loud. Not raucous. Slow paced. Easy. The 5/4 time, that too, sets a slower, more leisurely pace for Aries.

“I don’t want to slow down!
I have too much to do!
I need 26 hours in a day!”

I’ll guess then the addendum to that is my suggestions for smooth jazz fall on deaf Aries ears? There’s a desperate need for Aries to “Crank it down a notch,” or “take it down a peg,” or some other, similar, kind of measurement. The excitement isn’t really originating in the Aries corner of the world. Feels that way, but this is about other, non-Aries issues. “But it’s my issue now!” Sure, if you want. You shouldered that load yourself, and since you did take that on? It’s your own deal. I did suggest you not grab anything that wasn’t sincerely your own, didn’t I?

“But this has to be done,” and the followup, “it has to be done right now!”

Slide some music on, soothing music. Let one of those self-imposed deadlines slip by. Nod to the slower rhythm and let it wash over you for a moment. There. Slow it down. Getting in an all-fired-up Aries hurry doesn’t get us to our destination any faster, just creates frustration. Slow it down.

Taurus:

One location, a furniture store, I’ve passed it many times. I was going to write that I passed it hundreds of times, but that’s not true, hasn’t been quite that frequent. Still, I do see it a lot.

That one place? It’s had three “Going out of business” sales. Twice, I’ve seen, in bold, neon colors, “Everything must go! No offer too low!” I think it was, “No offer 2 low!” But I can’t recall, for sure. This week, there’s a “Sale is ending soon!” There’s a sign, an offer, a coercion, a banner that reads, “Sale ending soon!” Is this a time for Taurus to act? Jump out and jump on that — looks like — a great deal. How great of a deal is it? This where we have to look out for that Taurus emotional hook. There’s a sales trick, or, like that one place that’s been going out of business for three or four years, sales every week, “Last chance!” Is it really a last chance? Looking over the planets in their precarious positions, relative to the Taurus planets? Maybe not so much. Bide your time. Might be a better sale, next week.

Gemini:

This is all about negotiating with a superior. We both know, we all know, there is no one superior to Gemini, true? So the term, the phrase, “Negotiating with a superior” isn’t about talking to to someone who is really better than you. This is about talking with a boss. A supervisor, some person — or entity — that holds sway over the Gemini life. The tricky part, and it’s not tricky as long as you keep your goal in mind, but the tricky part is to avoid falling into an obvious trap.

Some days, folks like to toy with a Gemini, and that’s not always a good idea.

“It’s battle of the wits, and the other person is unarmed.”

Way I heard it. The way this works, though, is that it’s not a battle of the wits, this merely a negotiation. Some give. Some take. Ask for too much, be willing to settle for less. If you ask for too much? Then settling for what you really wanted in the first place? Works well, just the way it’s supposed to work out. But that’s the tricky part, asking, giving, taking. Negotiate. I can’t make this go easier, but, let’s say you want more money from a boss? Ask for twice what you deserve. Boss comes back at half, and you can be secure in knowing you got what you really wanted.

Cancer:

Word for the week? “Discomfiting.” It’s what the planets are doing to the Moon Children. It’s not as uncomfortable as “Uncomfortable,” but there is a series of events that probably leave you with a sense of unease.

There’s a prickling at the nape of the neck, there’s that feeling of unease, and to some? A sense of dread. The way to manage this sense of unease is to realize that it’s there, and to embrace that this isn’t always the happiest of times. Not all bad, but running away from that dreaded sense of dread means that the effects of the dread, and sense of being discomfited lasts longer. This can be a momentary, fleeting experience, given where the planets are. However, failure to acknowledge that there is that, slight to some, discomfited feeling? It will linger and linger. The bigger problem? Worrying about something that might — or might not — happen? Worry is pointless.

Admit to the dread, then move on.

We have much to be happy about, coming up. No, seriously, we do. To me, troubling thoughts are like fish that I catch but have to throw back. Either not a keeper in size, weight, or brand, but do not hesitate to reel it in, look at it, then set it free.

The Leo:

In some of the Shakespeare scholarship I’ve pursued, there’s the question of who really is in charge. I can cite examples where the stars — the supernatural — is clearly the agent of change — the one in charge. Other times, it’s clear that there is evidence of a Catholic deity, and sometimes, the (underground) Protestant version.

With The Leo? Who’s really in charge? Should be clear that you are the single one in charge. Here’s the weekly, somewhat thorny problem, how do you effectively communicate with the rest of us? My standard advice for addressing The Leo is simple, ask nicely.

So, let’s flip that around, I know you’re in charge, you know you’re in charge, the heavens, the minor gods, they all know you’re in charge, so, the trick? Ask. Ask nicely. Wrap the commands and demands up in a question, as an interrogative rather than forceful statement. Ask. Ask nicely. Works for you and it would work really well, given where the rest of the planets are at this moment. Ask, don’t tell.

You can do that for me, can’t you?

Virgo:

One of my neighbors is a man of obvious Latin heritage. He was working in his yard and I made passing a comment, about some yard work, and he told me not to bother; he’d rather do it. “So you would rather me do nothing?” He grinned, nodded yes.

I’m white, male, Sagittarius. In no particular order. I can do nothing for a very long period of time. Days. Weeks. Months, years, even. Being told to do nothing? I might never do one lick of yard work, ever again.

“Don’t you recall, afternoon of September 28, 2016, approximately 1:45 PM? you told me not to bother, you’d rather do it?”

Virgo birthdays are over, and now is the time to follow the instruction. Take it easy. In times like this, if you are directed to do nothing? Follow that advice!