Dromio of Syracuse
Marry, sir, by a rule as plain as the plain bald pate of Father Time himself.
Antipholus of Syracuse
Let’s hear it.
Dromio of Syracuse
There’s no time for a man to recover his hair that grows bald by nature.

Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors 2.2.58-60

June 21, 2018 — 5:07 AM (+/-), Sun goes into Cancer, the Summer Solstice.

Mars starts a retrograde pattern June 26, 2018 at 4:04 PM. (Goes direct August 27, about 9 in the morning, your mileage may vary, see dealer for details.)

Horoscopes for 6.21.2018

Cancer

I was in the big box bookstore; the store is close to me. They kind of know me in there, but my tastes have proven to eclectic, at best. I looked at one cashier lady, a very nice woman, I mean, she works in a bookstore, so I find that doubly attractive, right? I turned on what charm I think I have. I asked, “Where’s the self-help section?” There’s one title that I recommend for times like this, and it’s a good book to have on hand. I was checking to see if the store had a cheap, maybe a discount, mass-market version.

“Self-help? If I told you where it was, wouldn’t that be defeating the purpose?”

The Leo

Mars, from stationary to backward, opposite The Leo. Tough call. Then there’s me, with a floriated shirt. I look kind of obnoxious, maybe a little hideous to the delicate Leo eyes. I got to be who I am. There’s a tough kind of energy, an obstinate, almost awkward kind of event, and, then, there’s The Leo, asking, “Am I the only one who sees this?” Answer to that question?

Yes, actually, you are the only one who sees it. Incongruity, un-congressed problem, or the childhood song, “One of these things is not like the other…” and you think to The Leo’s self, “this is all wrong.” Yes, yes it is. Then you think, “I should notify the authorities, call attention to this, point out the error of their ways.”

Simply put? No. Remember: Mars.

Virgo

I try to make sure I’ve always got a pen, pencil or other implement like that, with me, when I’m out. Phone, tablet, pen and paper, something. Anything. A dozen years ago, I started a website and populated it with daily images from right around me BexarCountyLine.com — because I would carry a cheap, digital camera and record whatever I wanted to remember. Sights, sites, and sounds, the texture of the fabric of existence. Work, for me, it is a form of work. Techniques shift and change, as do priorities and locations, and I’m less interested, these days, and furthermore, I don’t carry cheap cameras anymore. These days, it’s all done on a smart phone — or tablet. Mostly a phone. As a Virgo, there’s a strange, weird, bizarre, or seemingly otherworldly influence that requires you to take note. Why I suggested a pen or pencil. Cheap camera. Phone image, something. For me, this was spin-off of an idea that I kept running into material that I knew I wouldn’t remember, so I needed something to refresh my memory. Doesn’t have to be much. A good Virgo? That universal, good Virgo might have a note hastily inked on her palm, just to remember.

Whatever works. Can I get a picture of that?

Libra

I know one Libra lass who can turn any small problem in a huge issue. I just imagine, when we’re chatting, there’s a cartoon bubble over her head, and either the thoughts or words, they all have triple exclamation marks after them.

“It’s that important!!!”

Sure it is, but with the unfolding Mars issues? Is it really that important that we turn a small problem into a larger problem? I know I’ve used this admonishment before, but as a watchword, or catch phrase, or what to look for, next weeks, especially at the very end of this horoscope’s reach?

“Inside every small problem is bigger problem struggling to get out.”

As we say here, “Don’t feed the beastie.” If your Libra self can leave the small problem be? It won’t turn into a thing that requires three exclamation marks (!!!)

Scorpio

Watch out with the words with fangs. It’s not limited to Scorpio words that might have fangs, but that’s the caution. It’s not just a biting comment, it’s biting commentary that has extra teeth. Words that are sharp. Perhaps almost poisoned words. Yes, words with strong teeth that bite, and what to avoid. Mars does this retrograde thing, and it starts at 9 Aquarius, more or less, backing down, eventually, to 28 Cap. Until it gets out of Aquarius, though, this creates a discomfiting situation and unreasonable energies for Scorpio.

Retract the fangs, if you can. Maybe check to see if you want to sink your teeth into that person, that project, that possible scenario, because, we both know, once you get your teeth into it, it’s hard to let go.

Well, it’s hard for a good Scorpio to let go. Watch the words with fangs, coming and going, but mostly, what I fear, going.

Me? I’m inclined to blame Mars.

Sagittarius

As a family typical Sagittarius myself, I only hope I can follow my own advice with this one. Take a step back. Step away from the keyboard, the microphone, the telephone, the electronic communication device. If I still owned a typewriter, I’d drag that thing out, as it would be perfect, but again, a wave nostalgia ruined that for me. Not my nostalgia but there was group that became fascinated with typewriters, especially mechanical one, and that sort of ruined it for me. The mechanical typewriters? I’m really very bad at those, as I’ve used electronics for almost all of my adult life. Which is why, the suggestion for this week’s energy, and the start of Mr. Mars in his retrograde pattern?

Sagittarius: Step back from the digital, electronic communication device, if only for a moment.

“Oh man, my computer crashed.”

Capricorn

Work the system. I know you can do it. It’s really simple; work the system. There’s a set of plans, maybe series of steps or instructions, something, and it’s a system, if you do this, over here, then that falls into place, and from that, you can move onto the next part of the Capricorn plan for total world domination, or whatever it was you were working on. Yes, I know, Capricorn Total World Domination is a bit of a reach, but you get the idea, at least the ruler of your own corner of the kingdom, right? To make this happen? Work the system. Buddy of mine works for the State (State of Texas). There are mandatory employee reviews, and there are parking spots, and there are incentives to keep everyone in line, and then there’s the system. I don’t understand it wholly, but there are built-in steps and rewards, along the way. In Austin, to beat the traffic, my buddy shows up a few minutes early, maybe 20 minutes early, each day. Big deal for some state employees, am I right? This gets noticed, and when cushy, plum assignments and special projects come around, he gets preferential treatment. Think: conference at the Hill Country Resort, where there are two mandatory meeting and week-long vacation.

How he does?

Work the system.

Aquarius

Mars imparts a frantic energy. If there was only a way to distance your fine Aquarius self from that frantic energy, then you would be able to see the messages more clearly. I’m all about some extra clarity for Aquarius, especially these next few days. All about some kind of clarity, and the way to achieve that clarity is to get way from the frantic activity.

Listening to news, stuck in traffic, I started to yell at the commentator. False accusations, false promises, faulty premise, flawed logic, all of it. Stuck in a long line of cars, not moving fast, and then, getting frustrated with the talking points of the news of the days. Me, yelling at the radio. There’s a reason why I tend to avoid news commentary, except of my own making.

The trick, and this is exactly what I did — I turned the radio off. That shut them up, that calmed my nerves, and I din’t have to listen to any more of that patently false material.

Aquarius: Just remove yourself from he source of irritation. It’s really simple. This going to be a long run with Mr. Mars, so, like me, learn to just click it off.

Pisces

Every other year, Mars goes in retrograde motion. It tends to slow down some matters. Other instances, it halts material that was proceeding forward at a goodly pace. This pattern starts, for Pisces, at least for starters? This is a gradual, easy, and gentle review period. The serious challenge, though, is determining what is “I want” and “my excellent Pisces intuitions suggests…” It’s easy to get the two confused, the ubiquitous “Voices in our heads?” Yes, easy to get those confused with type of an array of planet influences.

For years I got to drive an in-town beater, leftover from a girlfriend. Car had close to 200K miles, motor smaller than most motorcycles these days, and a single CD player, no bluetooth, nothing. The car lived downtown for many years, so it had dings, chips, door dings, sagging bumper, and assorted minor cosmetic imperfections, mostly the result of being an inner-city vehicle. It was the ultimate stealth vehicle. When I had a chance to get a newer, flashier, cooler car? No, stick with the stealth vehicle. Runs good, all that matters, and leaving it in the parking lot, out in front of a girlfriend’s house in a sketchy neighborhood? Not a problem, no one messes with ragged old beater.

So Mars, Retrograde, where this starts? That Pisces intuition suggests a new car. Big, better, all the tools and toys. Me? For now? Drive that old girlfriend’s inner-city beater. It can take a licking and keep on ticking, and no one cares.

“But I want a new car!”

And that beater is so perfect, no one notices it. Ever. It’s like it’s invisible on the road.

Aries

Folks who know me, in person should find this twice as amusing, but I’ll try and share as much just to make the Aries message as clear as possible. I am — over the years — a magnet for every kind of new age, healthy lifestyle crap to come along. One friend was pitching a new product, “How do you deal with mounting every-day stress?” Great pitch. Good opening question, good opening idea, good start.

Except.

This where knowing me in person changes the answer somewhat, but a facile — quick, easy — Aries answer to the sales question?

“Alcohol!”

Or, as one famous character is frequently quoted, “Alcohol the source of and solution to, all of man’s problems.”

While that’s not my chosen route for solving stress-related problems, for many I know? It is a surprisingly effective way to run away from the problem. Given Mars, headed into its pattern — and given the Mars is the planet for Aries — the suggestion is a form of medicated — or in my case — meditated — solution.

“Alcohol is a solution, you know.”

Yeah, thanks for that.

Taurus

Work this game long enough, and I get to see things. Many things. This transition, gradual that it might appear, will — at times — feel sudden. This is a sudden time, even now. With a 84-year orbit, that means Uranus spends, maybe 7 or 8 years in a sign. As he transitions then gets comfortable in a single sign? There is sudden and unexpected change. Change is good.

But change, just for the sake of change?

Doesn’t always work out well.

Sop put a giant pause, or, what I prefer? A yellow sticky note, that reads, “We’ll circle back to this ‘change’ in a minute, an hour, maybe a day or two, but we will come back and revisit the idea.”

Sticky note. Digital reminder. An alarm. One Taurus fishing buddy, we’re in the middle of the lake snd his phone starts making a horrendous noise. He looks down, taps, I was guessing, a “snooze” button, then looks up. “I have to remember to stop at the store on the way home.” The hanging, unstated challenge? Forgetting to pick up whatever the girlfriend/wife wanted. I didn’t ask. It was a simple way to remember that it is something that we can all circle back to, after we’re done (fishing — in this case).

Taurus: Maybe not change anything right now, maybe stick a reminder sticky note there for later?

Gemini

One kind of music I’ve listened to, in the past, mostly, is variations on a theme: EDM. Called many different titles, the taxonomy of this kind of music gets so divided, I’m sure there are layers and striations that are categories limited to just one artist. The singular element I was looking at, for Gemini, as a simple underpinning element? It’s the beat. Typically, it is a 120 beats-per-minute or some such measure. I’m unsure, the but the number I typically hear is “120,” with this week’s Gemini energy bouncing and popping to 140 — or more. Beats per second? Might be a better way to judge Gemini energy. Herein is our little conundrum, though, this kind of energy, when everyone else — all the other signs — are moving at one pace? The way those numbers break down? Looks like your Gemini selves are moving at a rate that is close to 20% faster than anyone else. Not that unusual, am I right? Or what? So as Gemini, moving quicker, thinking quicker, being quicker, what can harness this energy best? Realize that you’re about 10% — or more — faster than the rest of us. Then, in order to communicate? Type slower. Talk slower. If you are trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t have that same — Gemini — dance track going in their heads? Pace it so we can understand.