Good Lord, what madness rules in brain-sick men,
When for so slight and frivolous a cause
Such factious emulations shall arise!

King Henry VI in Shakespeare’s Henry VI, part 1. IV.i.112-4

Sun moves into the Tropical Zodiac Sign of Pisces, Feb. 18, 2018 around 11:18 AM. Your mileage my vary.

Horoscopes starting 2.15.2018

Aquarius

The Sun and Mercury join Venus in Pisces this next few days, and then Venus aligns with Neptune. Remember all that Valentine’s pink hearts, little cherubs with deadly bows, their arrows tipped with heart-shaped points? Poisoned with love? The romantic feeling behind that imagery is where we’re at, this next few days. A little late for the party, but that’s how this one falls out, and where it lands? Right in the Aquarius heart of hearts.

All that romance crap that preceded this coming week for Aquarius? All that stuff the didn’t make a lot of sense? It all starts to click. You’re suddenly romantic.

Aquarius: This weekend? “Oh, now I get it!”

Pisces

There are times when I read a situation so specially wrong, I go down in a shooting ball of flames. Not just wrong, but really wrong. Incorrect from my first assessment, right on through my analysis of the situation, to the point of choosing the best words and examples to fit the given data. It happens. I can be really, really wrong at times. I get carried away, and excited by what I think I see, then I’m off and running — probably down the wrong trail.

Pisces: Let me save you some pain.

The Sun enters Pisces this weekend. Mercury, the Moon, Venus, Neptune, all of that. You’re loquacious, gracious, and all-around nice. However, Mars sort sets up a tiny amount of tension and that causes fallout, or problems, or, like the example of me? Getting off on the wrong assumption — observation, really — and then just not letting up.

Pisces: You’re charming, witty, intelligent, eager, and? And possibly coming across as too eager, trying to too hard to please, and maybe, this exuberance bothers some people. Some folks don’t get it.

Pisces: reel it in, baby.

Aries

This starts out with such hope and quickly disintegrates. How bad does it get? Only as bad as you let it, my fine Aries friend — only as bad as your Aries self lets this get.

There’s a natural order to the current chaos. Let me anticipate your next question, then, “So how bad is this going to get?”

Depends on your own, Aries-inspired intuition. The fatal flaw here? While I’m a big fan always trusting one’s intuition? The fatal flaw is listening to the voice in your own Aries head, or worse, listening to what you think the voices are saying.

The voice might, indeed, be saying exactly what you think, but there’s also a good chance that the voices in your head, the interpretation of the cards, the way you want to see this? You might be seeing the situation for what you want other than for what is really there.

The short form? Is this bad? No. Can you fix it? No. Should you fix? Yeah, that’s where the problem is, if there is nothing to fix, then this is good. Stop.

With the Pisces influence, your (usually good) Aries intuition is heightened, but you’re also more susceptible to seeing matters as you want — rather than the way they are.

Aries: Good? Bad? It’s what you make of it, this next few days.

Taurus

Left over from the Xmas holidays?

“Don’t drink and Prime.”

I had to ask, distant relative, “I got confirmation that I bought socks for my dog.” There was a round of cold weather, but I don’t know that any dogs in South Texas really need socks. However, some combination of sitting at home with a tablet, that ubiquitous shopping app open, and maybe one too many glasses of holiday cheer? I think the culprit was a certain red wine, but I wasn’t there, so I don’t know.

This cautionary tale applies to Taurus because there’s a temptation to acquire, perhaps unnecessary, hardware. Software, tools, something. So the idea, without having to touch a drop of wine, the idea to remember, this week?

“Don’t drink and Prime.”

The adjunct to the? Carefully consider purchases that seem so vital — at the moment. Perhaps my distant relative’s experience will prove helpful.

“Don’t drink and Prime.”

Unless, of course, you want socks for your dog.

Dog Socks Traction Control Anti-Slip for Hardwood Floor Indoor Wear, Paw Protection Grey

Gemini

There was an adverting banner, web graphic, and I’m sure the parent company spent much money on that graphic. It was a blurry image. The lettering was indistinct. Couldn’t quite make out what was being said, other than an enticement to “Click Here!”

There’s probably some kind of pseudo-scientific term that describes the human reaction where we are goaded to click on an indistinct image. For some reason, we think we can see the message more clearly if we just “Click Here!”

I write horoscopes to help make sense of unclear, indistinct images, too. Seeing one that was featured as part of an expensive online advertising campaign brought up an image of Gemini, wrestling with this week’s material. Mostly Mars, can be other items, but mostly Mars — in Sagittarius, thank you very much — plus the Moon and stuff? The clarity comes from an indistinct image. Or two, it’s a Gemini thing, you know. The images might not be clear, but they do indicate a direction, a new tack, or better route. Or two. Might be more than one.

Cancer

Saturn is a bit of bear of a planet. Good, bad, indifferent? Either, or, and all of those. Saturn’s getting comfortable in Capricorn, opposite from Cancer. Gentle Moon Child, time to get real about that thing. You know, the thing? The thing you’ve been putting off, the task you don’t want to do, but in the back of your mind, you know you need to do?

That thing.

We can make this easy or we can make this hard. Up to you but putting off starting “that thing,” delaying the beginning just delays the conclusion. With the planets in their somewhat chaotic locations, though, what this signifies? You’re going to start on “that thing,” only to have to adjust your route, adjust your tack, adjust your way of working with this, “that thing,” you’re going to have to change direction, techniques, some aspect of the approach. Doesn’t matter, that’s weeks and week away. For now? Good time to think about starting on “that thing.”

The Leo

It’s the avenue of broken dreams, but not all bad. However, well, let’s start with a joke.

“Know how to make $100K a year in Austin, playing music?”

Got an image?

“Start with $200K.”

Old joke, sad thought, and it’s that avenue of broken dreams, but there is that. I’ve known far too many artists who show up, heart strong with desire, but lacking motivational follow-through which is the secret to make it work.

Typically, when The Leo sets his or her heart on a matter, it will get accomplished. Still, with this week’s totally weird energy? What the majestic Leo heart is set upon? That destination might change. Might veer off to one side or another. Might skid into the ditch, at the side of the highway of life. There are distraction, meandering footpaths, and other dodgy routes. As a suggestion? No Leo is ever wrong, but this might be a time for distractions and sideways trips to get to that destination.

The Leo: Detours are encouraged.

Virgo

What’s the difference between an epithet and epitaph? In some examples there’s a very fine line, and in more than one of the older cemeteries in Texas, there are a few of those funny lines, not sure if it is an epitaph or epithet.

I once dreamed up a short story, along the lines of headstone, carved with a the author’s name and then, each year, a different line engraved until, at the end, the headstone is too thin to use as a grave marker.

Brings us back the Virgo question about differences in pronunciations and meanings of the two words. Similar, in sound, and when one drawls them out, it gets even closer, at least, audibly it’s closer. But the two words carry very different definitions. One, epithet, is a curse, or a swear word, or a series of swear words while the epitaph is cute, ribald, or even plain notation, as a memorial.

“Here lies Lester More
One shot from a 44
No Les, no more.”

That’s an epitaph.

With all the Pisces planets and similar energies? There are two definitions, this week, in Virgo — words that may even sound the same — don’t confuse them.

Libra

Because of the places I’ve worked, I finally caved into some kind of pressure and bought an amulet that was supposed to ward off evil.

Does it work?

No problems with ex-wives these days. Maybe it works. Still, in my mind, I seriously doubt that the amulet is filled — and charged — with voodoo/metaphysical/psychic powers that really emanate rays that provide protection against negative “energies.” That’s what I think. I might be wrong, there is always that. The thing, the deal, with the amulet, though, is what powers I ascribe to it. If I think it has magical powers, it might very well behave in a way that seems magical.

It’s called sympathetic magic.

There’s much going on, a certain amount of instability around Libra, and the quickest way through this is Libra mental horsepower — or, by focusing on that amulet. Good luck charm. St. Christopher for some, a St. Michael medallion for others, or a charm like I’ve got.

Rocks and crystals for some, herbs for others, one buddy does the Feng shui thing. Whatever works. There’s a pathway for Libra and it involves that mental horsepower, however you choose to use it.

Me? I got my good luck charm — that amulet.

Scorpio

There’s a cosmic bruise on the Scorpio psyche. A lingering spot that might be black and blue, but the bruises I’ve had, lately, they tend to yellow a little as the bruises themselves fade. I’m not a Scorpio, so I can easily claim to be clumsy enough to earn my bruising. I ran into the coffee table the other afternoon. Late one night, my shin found the corner of the bed when the bed mysteriously moved into the middle of the room for a few moments. It was dark, no other explanation.

Girlfriend’s fault, right?

These are examples of my bruising, and the Scorpio bruise — that is healing nicely now — the Scorpio bruise is more along the lines of a psychic bump and bruise, nothing broken except for a few layers under the skin. Not a bad event, overall, although, if it was like my shin and the bed? Yeah, that hurt, but only for a moment or two. Nasty bruise, though.

As the Scorpio bruise starts to heal up, two items of notice: one? It will get ugly, but that’s merely an appearance, not really painful. And, two? Don’t poke at it. The more you touch it, push on it, massage it, and you know? Poke it? The more you do that, the longer it takes to heal. Leave well enough alone and the bruise will be gone by the end of this cycle, next few days.

As a Scorpio, though, the cause of the bruise? Yeah, forgiven. Not forgotten. Let it heal up, first.

Sagittarius

There’s a patter that we develop, as Sagittarius, there’s loquacious delivery of (verbal) data that we do. Sing. It’s our “song,” such as it is. Chant, song, soliloquy — something. As a sales person will explain, there’s always “The Pitch,” and that’s what this can sound like. It’s not a pitch, per se, but that’s how it can sound. Therein is the problem, when we get on our — metaphorical — soap box? We can get started in our rant, rave, delivery, solo, soliloquy, sales pitch, and we could sound like we’re delivering canned material. It sounds rehearsed.

Honestly, one of the challenges to any Sagittarius Energy is learning not get carried away and start preaching when we should be either talking or listening.

As a reminder, as much for my Sagittarius self as for any other Sagittarius? We have to reel in that exuberance and enthusiasm that can get us in trouble, from time to time. Like, right now?

Blame the infusion and influx of planets into the Pisces sphere of influence as a cause but the harsh reality? We might not be as cool as we think we are, not this week.

Sagittarius: tone it down. Take it down a notch, just the for the time being.

Sagittarius: Seriously.

Capricorn

It’s a given fact that I drink a lot of coffee. Lately, it’s been tea, as well, just to break up the patterns, but, yes, lots of coffee. By virtue of the sheer quantity, alone, I’ve become an inadvertent expert. I am not so good as to be able to tell what farm and who the guy was picking the crop on that day, but I do know a thing or two about brewing that first cup.

There two schools of thought on this topic: water used in the coffee. Some purists suggest that the water must be filtered, purified, and otherwise treated in order to extract the best of the coffee flavors. The other group, the one I tend to align with, suggests that tap water, with all its impurities imparts a delicate essence equally important to the coffee extraction process.

The theory I read, and what I liked, all the extra molecules of non-water stuff in regular tap water provides extra places for the coffee, caffeine, and coffee-flavonoids to cling onto. The tap water produces a more nuanced, balanced, fuller flavor.

One is a purist ideal, the other is pragmatic ideal — for Capricorn and Capricorn’s coffee.

I tend to favor the practical approach, as it has worked for me for many long years — but that’s my understanding. As a refined epicurean Capricorn, it’s up to you to decide which way works best for your tastes, but with the motion of the planets, especially the recent influx into Pisces — try the fancy way, but be willing to admit the practical, pragmatic route is good, or, to me? Even better.