O God, that one might read the book of fate,
And see the revolution of the times
Make mountains level, and the continent,
Weary of solid firmness, melt itself
Into the sea, and other times to see
The beachy girdle of the ocean
Too wide for Neptune’s hips; how chance’s mocks
And changes fill the cup of alteration
With divers liquors! O, if this were seen,
The happiest youth, viewing his progress through,
What perils past, what crosses to ensue,
Would shut the book, and sit him down and die.

King Henry IV in Shakespeare’s
Henry IV, part 2, act III, scene i, lines 45-56

Sun moves into Libra, Fall Equinox, September 22, 2017 at 3:01 PM — your mileage may vary slightly. The passage includes some serious salty reference to the potential for the weather of the oceans, referenced as “Neptune’s hips,” interesting?

Remember, Cash Only.

Horoscopes starting 9.21.2017

Libra:

A “catalyst” is a substance that must be present for a chemical reaction to occur, or, according to one definition, enhances or quickens a chemical reaction. However, with that catalyst? The substance itself doesn’t change. Just a compound or substance that has to be present, rather than being part of the reaction. On some of the farm roads around here, older homesteads frequently have lightening rods, simple, or ornate, metallic rods that are grounded, to prevent the occasional display of Nature’s fury from charring the — usually wooden — older farm houses.

Catalyst and lightening rod, two images for this week’s Libra.

Catalysts is present but doesn’t participate. Lightening rod, conversely, is used to attract — then ground — the energy. With all those little planets in Virgo? I have to ask, are you a lightening rod? Or are you merely a catalyst? Personally, I prefer to be the catalyst, off to one side, helping move matters along, but not being directly involved. The challenge, though, as this is the beginning of the Libra birthdays, the challenge is to not be a lightening rod.

Scorpio:

Last time I was in a bookstore, well, this was a couple of weeks back, so it wasn’t the last time, but I looked at the Sun-Tzu’s “Art of War” section. I had a picture but it didn’t turn out to my liking; however, I counted ten or twelve versions of Sun–Tzu’s “The Art of War.” In translation, in original with translation, in original, with translation and commentary. I didn’t bother to heft any of them, as I’ve played this game before. Translation is, at best, a tricky business.

What first got my attention, and this pattern is repeated over and over, but what first got my attention was that the original “Art of War” was merely sticks with ideograms — by no means a full text. Not even a partial text. Just a set of rules, or, to me, guidelines. Little planets are in Virgo, Sun moved into Libra, and that leaves Scorpio with a hidden message, one of those short lines from what is now a long line of work.

“Don’t pick a fight you can’t win.”

We can turn this into a big production — a whole series of books, if you like, maybe a PBS special, or something on the History channel, but the message, figured out by a successful — what the heck — let’s pretend Sun–Tzu was Scorpio, let’s say that message reaching across the eons?

Scorpio: Don’t pick a fight you can’t win.

Sagittarius:

Because I no longer frequent “Mental Health” circles, I’m totally unsure of the current name for this essence. Used to be called something like, “Cognitive Dissonance Affect Disorder.” I might have that incorrect, but I’ll go with that for now. After all, I’m not a real medical doctor. The planets in Virgo, mostly, cause a disconnect for Sagittarius.

This is temporary.

In a few days, Mars, Venus, Mercury — there is a shift. However? Until then? There’s a pervasive sense that we’re not connecting with people. This isn’t bad, just lacking in normal human warmth and that sense of interconnectedness — normally? As a Sagittarius? We feel that, like, with everyone. Most everyone, a lot of the time. The disconnect isn’t bad, just being aware that we’re slightly out of step, or out of tune, or not on the same wavelength? Understanding that source might help us work with this, this sense we’re not connecting with humanity this next few days.

Capricorn:

Grease the wheels. As a Capricorn complaint individual, I want this to be easy. Easiest way to make it easy? Grease the wheels.

The term refers to a coat of a rather industrial-grade type of grease, a heavy lubricant for wheel bearings and such. Not really pleasant material with which to work, as it’s dirty, messy, sticks to everything, and has a relatively high melting point. However, axel grease, what I was thinking of, it does serve a valid purpose, it keeps the parts that slide on each other, the places where the potential for friction to build up? It does keep those parts from burning, frying, or otherwise binding up.

Grease the wheels. Now, not every Capricorn will understand the term, so, another way for some civilized folks to understand the term?

“Hey, that’s a nice outfit.”

Greases the wheels, which is what this week, in Capricorn is all about. A little extra “nice” to make things flow better. Got to add some grease, either social grease or real axel grease. Whatever works? Whatever works.

Aquarius:

I had a penchant for images of various street and sidewalk images for a spell. Mostly due to my pedestrian ways, but I was always amused by the artwork on, like, manhole covers.

Turns out, I was onto something, as that turned into a European “thang”. The artists were using current, extant manhole covers, and apparently other types of city titties as printing blocks.

The Aquarius take-away? Sometimes, inspiration, and its familial kin, “follow through,” sometimes that’s right underfoot. In the example of the manhole cover art? Almost literarily — underfoot.

Pisces:

Shakespeare’s Henry IV, part 2 ends with a prodigal son becoming a king. Henry the 5th is a badass king. He conquers France, settles several age-old disputes, and reunites a kingdom. The rest of this myth is in the next part of the play cycles, aptly called Henry V — but this is about Pisces.

The way I was first introduced to Henry V, not historical but dramatic re-enactment? He was brawling, street-smart hooligan who forsook his youthful indiscretions to rise to the throne of England. Not exactly based in truth, but we never let a good story suffer from lack of factual basis.

Pisces: with the internet and fact checking so much easier these days? Stick with the facts. While it’s fun to spin up a yarn or two? You benefit this week from sticking to the straight facts, no embellishment encouraged.

Aries:

Be willing. Be willing to start something new. Be willing to try a new way to solve an old problem. Be willing to say yes. Or, be willing to say no. Both of these work, but whatever the usual, Aries reaction tends to be? “No, I will not try anything new!”

OK, perfect example. Try “Yes,” for a change. Try something new. Or better yet, try a new way of working with an existing problem. A challenge, an obstacle —

Always dodge left, try and outflank the Aries enemy with a left-flank maneuver? Try skirting around to the right. Keep getting thwarted as you try to clamber over the challenge? Borrow another Mars’ sign’s idea, Scorpio, and burrow under the problem, like, dig a tunnel. There are any number of ways to get this accomplished. The point is important, and most Aries claim that they are always willing to try new stuff. It’s just, yeah, not so often. This is a week, this weekend, be willing when someone says, “Hey, I’ve never done this, not this way,” that’s the Aries clue to give a spin. I’d try that, at least once.

Taurus

Last week, I suggested you define a category that only you belong in, as in, “What’s you deal, man?”

This is a time to refine what that category might be. There’s a reason for trying to pick that single niche that your Taurus self galls into, there’s a reason for the exercise. I can get all technical about the planets, or we can simply look at what’s what. Knowing what it is that defines your Taurus self, that makes it easier to move into this week’s energy. While last week was about defining yourself, that niche of one? This week, knowing what you know about yourself, you can move forward with grace and ease as there’s a companion process at work. The stars want you to play well with others, in the coming days. This is about using what defines you as an individual and figuring out how to work that skill set, those defining characteristics that are unique to you, how to fit that into the group dynamic. Part of the team. As an innovative Taurus with a signer skill set, those skills fit nicely with a framework, really, ore like a team, and that starts? This week.

Gemini:

There’s one “Mom” out there who will appreciate this analogy. It’s a vision of “hell,” and what that might appear like? It’s a “Chick File A” — the chain? One of the ones with a rudimentary, all ages, super-safe playground area. This particular hell is that place, on a Friday night. Sitting there. There is no quiet. It’s after rush hour, but before the kids all have to go to sleep. Processed chicken bits for supper, followed by enormous ice cream cones that are processed diary, sugar, and artificial flavors, plus a little sugar sprinkled on top, just for safe measure. The kids love it. Get wound up so tight, so loud, screaming, yelling, and then, they come bursting out of the playground area, thankfully sealed off from humanity, but still. Naturally, this scenario can be switched to any “kid-friendly” type of restaurant, but on that one Friday night, that’s where I was. Don’t like their politics, but the chicken might be healthier as a food source than other option, so there I was. Screeching kids. This is a vision of a modern hell, got it? For a few moments, though, there is blessed silence as the door to the play area is closed, and the kids are crawling up and down tunnels, slides, making new friends, and burning off caloric intake. There will be respite, albeit brief, for Gemini.

Then the playground door swings open and they burst out, “He hit me!”

Seriously, kind of a hell, no?

Cancer:

I get in the habit of reading, and then, I’ll go on long spins when I’ll only read a certain kind of material. Fiction, fan-fiction, non-fiction, literature, high-brow, low-brow, poetical, or, sometimes, just plain crap. I’ll find one author and I’ll obsessively read everything by that one author. The problem being, that excessively consuming just one kind of material, or just one author, over a period of weeks, or even months, I’ll tend to emulate that style. Pretty sure this is largely subconscious, but I’ll start to use bridge phrases and the same rhythm, that the material — what ever it is — I’ll start to ape that style.

While this isn’t a new observation about me, be glad I don’t read much Middle English anymore, but this does affect Cancer. The Moon Children are being influenced, subtly so, but being influenced by the consumption of some type of media. Might be the TV, might be a series of books, might be the horoscopes you read, but there is an influence. Rather than try and fight that influence? All I’d suggest is that you acknowledge it. Goes a long way to making this a way better week.

The Leo:

Several decades past, I designed a “Stand Up Desk.” I carried that around as furniture that I rarely used, for many years. Best of intentions, just never fulfilled my dream. Eventually, though, a couple of years ago, I started using it in earnest. What it does, for me, is to provide a way to work, do readings, answer email, write, while standing rather than sitting. Then, too, if I want to wander off someplace, I’m already mobile. I don’t have to stand up to get coffee, I’m already able to just walk off.

This is about motion and movement. As the mighty Leo, sure, you’re used to inhabiting a throne. However, motion, movement, and otherwise just taking some small steps is important. More important, now, the rest of this week.

I’m not suggesting you need rush out and by this week’s most popular standing desk, but as a suggestion? Motion and movement.

Virgo:

I was packing for a business trip. Nominally still summer, still warm, and I could go as relaxed as I wanted. Just a couple of nights, so I have a few colorful, silk Hawaiian shirts that pack well, and because they were silk? They get wrinkled up in a hurry. Sort of changes my slightly disheveled look, but not by much. It’s the simplest of choices, for me. Grab the silk one and toss them in the bottom of the travel gear. Good to go. As a Virgo, try keeping this simple. There’s a hurried expectancy from Mars, a relaxed view from Venus, and Mercury makes you think too much.

I stopped, looked at the gear bag, hoped I had everything I would need, and called it good.

The trick as the planets roil and rumble through Virgo? Don’t overthink this week’s preparations. Couple of shirts, they shake out and are almost wrinkle free by show time, and we’re good, right?

Don’t overthink this one. Doesn’t pay off.

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