What boded this, but well forewarning wind
Did seem to say, “Seek not a scorpion’s nest,
Nor set no footing on this unkind shore”?

Queen Margaret in Shakespeare’s Henry 6 pt. 2 (3.2.85-7)

There’s an opening shot from a marginally famous film, shows a huge, gnarly looking Scorpion crawling along the desert sands. Nasty, ugly looking brute, with a giant tail, implied, loaded with venom. Black shell with blood-red markings. The real insect used? Not deadly. Not even painful. Looks means and nasty, but isn’t. A scorpion is one of those creatures that’s managed to make it into the subconscious everywhere.

Horoscopes starting 1/26/2017

Aquarius:

Every real story is truly a never-ending tale. Happy Aquarius birthday, yes, it’s that time again. There will be a certain amount of “falderal” about the Chinese New Year — still — for Aquarius? There’s a new start about to occur. As I mentioned, every story, really good stories, are never-ending tales. What is about to unfold, in Aquarius, for Aquarius, the next chapter. This isn’t an ending. It’s a new verse. New chapter, new section, new material to be added to the Aquarius story of, Aquarius story of, the tale of, well, something. New verse, new chapter, new act. If you read this before it starts, get ready. If you read this after it starts, the wheels are in motion, get ready to ride this one all the way through. Just remember, it’s really more like a continuation rather than a new tale. Just adding a sequel. Yes, new sequel.

Pisces:

Cool looking leather cover for a brand of field notes, to carry a pencil, the notes, maybe some other scraps? I’ve longed for those items, I think of them as hand-toys or hand-tools, a slim leather binder with notes and notebook, blank pages begging to be filled with sketches, ideas, notes for the future, perhaps arcane clues to the way the universe works?

Practically? I bought one of those notebooks, different brand, beautiful, had-tooled leather, carved in a symbolic image, bound with a leather tie, soft and supple to the touch. I even went so far as to treat the leather binder’s surface with preservative waxes, special leather care.

I used that leather-bound notebook exactly once. One trip, one summer, I used it for about three days. Then, not unusual, I went back to using a phone and digital camera to record and recall events from that “expedition.”

This is about what’s necessary and what’s not. I love looking, shopping for those cool notebooks, or better yet, the special binders that hold the blank books. It’s very attractive. Makes a great package.

However, I’m reminded, I used one.

Once.

Even at that, it didn’t make the whole trip, as I reverted to my current style of almost-cryptic notes on the phone, and them digital images. Spurs much more. For me, it’s way less laborious, too. As we look forward to VD and then Pisces birthdays, in another few weeks? Shopping is OK. Buying? Maybe not so much. Like those notebooks and notebook covers? Never got used, not really.

Aries:

One of my former neighbors has an impressive piece of Old “American Street Iron.” It’s an early 1970s American-made car, two-door model, lots of metal in the hood, no air bags, no shoulder straps, just a big motor with some advanced timing, maybe a slightly hotter cam, big tires, alloy wheels. That car used to make the most satisfying burble when it idled passing the house. A slightly syncopated thump, a throaty growl when he would put his foot on the gas. It was a classic American hot rod. My blood would quicken and I got excited at the mere audio presence of large V-8, mildly hot-rodded, and churning up dirt.

Mars is entering Aries this week. Mars is like that big V-8, with its throaty growl, the slow, syncopated idle, the hint of the roar of the pipes should one put one’s “foot into it.”

As a suggestion, with this Mars and timing for Aries? Better to keep that Aries motor at low grumble, hinting at speed, hinting at horsepower, hinting that you can move really fast with out noise, and yet? Not doing it. Now isn’t the time to loudly accelerate away. Menace all you want, like driving low and slow through the neighborhood, rumbling along, perhaps blipping the throttle once or twice, racing the motor. With Mars, though? Now’s not the time to “put your foot into it,” and stomp down on the Aries gas pedal.

Taurus:

Some days, it’s the most minute minutiae that matters. Littlest of details matter the most. Annoying, to some, details about this and that, or the other thing and then that one thing, you know? Seriously, it’s the tiniest of little bits and pieces that make the biggest impact. Some of this appears rather insignificant.

“God is in the details,” just ask any Virgo I ever dated. She’ll explain for sure. However, as a Taurus, details are not always a strong suit. This is a time to pay attention to the details. Some of this is merely window dressing, or appearances, or whatever. Like making sure the cuff and the collars match. Or the accessories match. Color coordinate the outfit. It all kind of depends, but before the next day or two arrives, there will one — or more — of those situations where an attention to details, attention to Taurus detail, is most important.

Gemini:

The “Get Stuff Done” and “To Do List” is a minor industry unto itself. I’d credit 3M with starting it, with their “Post It” notes that are now generic and ubiquitous. Quotidian, even. From one of my buddies, a self-styled “Efficiency Expert,” the way I understood it? If the “To Do List” in whatever format? If that list has six or more items on it? None will happen efficiently or in an expedient fashion.

Further back, when I helped with a print shop, the sign on the wall read,
“1. Quick 2. Correct 3. Cheap: pick 2.”

A Gemini wants fast, efficient, and correct. Cheap, too. This is about managing the available time, and making a rather un-Gemini effort to do it correctly. The quickest way to get this accomplished?

If that daily list has more than 6 items on it?

Cut back.

There’s only one of you. Excuse me, there’s only one of you inside that shell that contains three or four, but as far as getting it done? If the list has more than 6 items?

Cut back.

I’d suggest no more than five items, but that’s me. I’m certainly no efficiency expert. The planets, it’s mostly Mercury — in Capricorn — Sun in Aquarius — and Mars heading into Aries. It’s about how you pick and choose what’s going to get the Gemini attention. More than six things on the list? None of it will happen well. Good enough sometimes isn’t good enough. So, again, my clue? Cut that list down to no more than five, max.

Cancer:

At least two towns I’ve frequented for much of my professional career claim to be “The Most Haunted.” I can’t vouch for either place being more haunted, but of all the towns in Texas, I think San Antonio, with the Alamo downtown, I would think it is probably the most haunted.

There was a sign, downtown San Antonio, again, “If you don’t bother the ghosts, they won’t bother you.” Best advice I’ve seen in a long time.

While the history and mythology tend to conflate, there’s always the question. The way I see it, there’s a famous tourist hotel situated on the killing fields of the Alamo, and the legendary 183 were probably burned there. Got to be some lingering spirits.

The trick is, with this week’s energy, I’m looking in Capricorn — opposite from Cancer — for the clue, the trick is to leave the ghosts alone, and they will leave you alone. It’s really simple, in one way of seeing it. There are some stirrings, this can be historical, this can be comical, this can be spooky, this can be a throwback to Halloween — but the “spirits” are restless. If you don’t disturb them, they won’t bother you. Pretty simple.

The Leo:

I know very little about music, much less the various categories, sub-groups, and derivative forms. However, I’m pretty sure, not completely, but pretty sure, it was a familiar song-introduction that had been run through a mixer-thing. That turned the opening credits into “dub-step,” near as I can tell. It’s not bad, there’s just an unexpected rhythm to that more syncopated beat. There’s an extra pause, then shuffle, then pause that is — to me — slightly askew.

That I could recognize it, I’m happy. That I understand it, and see a pattern, albeit a different pattern than one I’m used to? That’s good, too.

As The Majestic Leo, there’s a change-up occurring. Is this bad? Not so much. However, the best trick is to be willing to adjust to the new. I think you’ll grow to like it, and less time spent complaining means more time to learn the new steps. There are occasions when an updated process really does result in improvements, even though your Leo self liked the old way better.

That was then,
this is now.

Get with the new step. New rhythm, new way to get this done. Once you learn it? It will be easier.

The Leo: I’m all about making life easier for The Leo. (You know that, right?)

Virgo:

I’ve got a couple of books about grammar and punctuation. One or two copies are quite aged, but there have been some more recent books, slim little novella-length tracts about the sad state of grammar these days. Funny, to me, I was being paid, as a writer, for more than a decade before I embarked upon learning and re-learning grammar. Part of this is a reaction to “Microsoft English,” as dictated by the guidelines in a rather ubiquitous word processing software package. Then, too, some of this is more recent, for me. I don’t think I’ll ever get any better as a writer, but I can hone my craft. Towards that end, I’ve endeavored to review and renew my understanding of the rules.

I’m trying, everyday,
to be a better person.

Warms the Virgo, don’t it?

Like me, there are rules, guidelines, structures, commandments, and similar dictates that any good Virgo can delve back into, and then, this makes life better. Don’t hesitate to dig back into the rules to see how we can make this better; although, I still really like my dangling modifiers.

Virgo: Another way to see this week’s message? In order to break the rules, you must know the rules, first.

Libra:

There’s a weird echo and strange dynamic, like there’s something wrong, but nothing’s wrong. Nagging feeling something’s “about to happen,” and yet nothing bad materializes. I got one Libra, perfect example, a real 8-to-5 person. 5 PM sharp, hits the door and is gone in a swish. No hanging around, no waiting late, no last minute details that must be addressed.

It’s tricky but the idea is that bailing out, right now, right on time, that might not be best. The idea is, instead of leaving at 5 sharp, be willing to stay a few minutes late, answer one last call, respond to one e-mail, that final query, one last items that requires the gentlest of Libra touches. This isn’t something that other signs are good at, so this requires that diplomatic Libra thing, and yes, the Libra will probably go a little too far with trying to be nice. Why we like them. What’s required is one last tablespoon of sugar to coat a situation that, as a good Libra, you might find distasteful.

Libra: “Just a spoonful of sugar….”

Scorpio:

Two choices my fine scorpio friends, two choices. Take the easy way out in the next two days and suffer for the next month? Or go ahead and do the diligent, arduous task required of you, in the next two days, and then, the next month, at work, that starts to go smoother. But you know what you have to do, next couple of days, to make this happen? It’s up to you. Taking the easy way out doesn’t bode well, I’m just saying.

Scorpio: eschew the easy way. Take the direct, hard route.

It’s the hard road.

It’s the tough way, it’s the more difficult action. But try it, next two days, and see if that doesn’t make life easier int he coming month.

Sagittarius:

Old trick, works wonders. I’ve got a daily carry bag, just the stuff I need for a day at work, or overnight fishing trip, whatever. In order to function at the highest Sagittarius efficiency, we have to be minimally loaded down. The old trick is to empty out the complete contents of the daily carry bag. Purse, man-purse, backpack for some, one of several shoulder bags for me, doesn’t much matters, empty out the carry-all.

That’s the old trick.

Dump it all out on the ground, on the floor, someplace safe, like the carpet in the bedroom, doesn’t much matter. Everything out of the daily carry baggage, whatever shape that is. I tend towards shoulder bags as I don’t have a long hike anymore, from the parking lot to the gate or the parking lot to the front door, and sometimes, all the way back to the ballroom. Never more than 50 meters or so, not with everything in tow. So a shoulder bag works well for me. I do have a suitcase on wheels, two suitcase wheelie things, but I rarely use them. No, the trick is to empty out the day carry bag, whatever that is. Sort through the crap. A few days ago, I tossed out a pen because it didn’t have a cap, and I didn’t want ink leaking all over the inside of the briefcase. When I undertook this exercise, I found the cap, tucked away, in a side pocket. Better to toss instead of risking leaking pens. That’s just a small example but it bears up well, empty out the daily carry bag. Lose what’s no longer needed.

Capricorn:

Pause. Just pause for a moment. There’s much that’s kicking in Pisces, Sun’s in Aquarius, and in Capricorn, Mercury and Pluto play tag this week. To make the most of this? Don’t forget, Mars is going to start to agitate as he moves into Aries, so to make the most of this? Understand that Mercury makes you move faster, and with that plutonic influence, move faster, dig deeper, find out more, and at a quicker pace, than any pother sign. So the deal is to pause. You have to let us catch up with you. Your mind leaps across wide chasms, Capricorn, nimble of thought while the rest of us are merely trying to catch up.

Pause. Just freakin’ pause for a moment. Let the rest of us catch up with you. You’re racing ahead, already adds surged of a positive outcome, so why not let the rest of us catch up? It’s only polite.

So? So just pause.