My lord, I rescued her;
Her Highness is in safety, fear you not.
But on, my liege, for very little pains
Will bring this labor to an happy end.

The Bastard in Shakesperare’s King John (III.ii.7-10)

Mercury — officially — goes unretrograde on Dec. 6, 2018 at 4:22 PM.

Portable Mercury Retrograde – Kramer Wetzel

Portable Mercury Retrograde: astrofish.net’s Mercury in Retrograde

Portable Mercury Retrograde

Plus: Mars conjunct Neptune? New Moon square Mars?

Horoscopes for 12.6.2018

Sagittarius

Ever consider the lines in a parking lot? Especially one of those big lots, usually attached to a large retail establishment? The lines and arrows all point this way and that, and the lines are guidelines. One is supposed to park within the lines. Doesn’t mean it happens. Frequently, we used to pull through one place, and with a fishing boat in tow? The easily takes two spots. One buddy he will occupy at least four spots, truck pulling a boat, but he is considerate: park way far away from the front door. He’s not taking up spaces that other folks could be using, that’s for sure. So the lines in the parking lots of life, think of them, sure, hard to ignore, and places marked out, sure, but unless there are curbs and parking bumps? All those stripes and lines, arrows and such? More like suggested and proscribed rather than hard and fast. Sure, we all try to park within the lines, but when there’s some jerk taking up two spaces, we just grumble then adjust as need be. Personally, given the current times, and Jupiter in Sag? I would think about parking at the extremity of the parking lot of life right now. Easier to walk an extra 50 meters and not worry about door dings. The parking lot lines are just suggested, not always accurate, despite what the signs suggest. Suggested guidelines — that’s all — suggested.

Capricorn

In analysis, in retrospect, I realized I was over-thinking a solution. I built an answer to a problem, and the answer to the problem was far more complicated than it needed to be. Analyzing my first, second, and then third solution to fix that problem? Way more complicated than it needed to be. Follow my path, though, in this case, why I’m called a guide? Follow my path.

The temptation is to over-think, over-analyze, then over-build the answer to that burning Capricorn question. While it might be more difficult to arrive at, the simplest answers, they usually are. Look at the first, second and third try then go back to what works.

Aquarius

I remember watching a buddy do battle with an “All you can eat” BBQ place. The large man cutting the ribs, he asked, “Is that enough?” My buddy just nodded, “No.” Cutter kept cutting. He paused, maybe two thirds the way down a rack of pork ribs, lifted his eyebrows as if to ask, “Enough?” My buddy, he just nodded “no” again, then added, as if it was a serious situation, “I’m from Lockhart.” Lockhart is famous for BBQ families and lore that goes deep into the last century, stretching into the future. By way of explanation? Some sort of BBQ street credit, if need be. Think: old-school. Since it was “all you can eat,” my buddy — not named “bubba” — felt duty-bound to eat more than the allotted amount. It’s not race, but he did turn it into a competition. Unnecessarily, I might add, but he didn’t ask. Half a link of sausage and some brisket to round out the tableau. This is about accepting an Aquarius challenge then rising to the task and accomplishing the goal. My buddy? He did eat all of it, but I doubt he had much salad, and there was a “carnivore-induced” dullness in his eyes. He did rise up and conquer, but some days, I’m not up for that. I’m also not Aquarius. Good luck with the “all you can stuff in your face” buffet, or whatever the challenge is. Yeah, good luck. He managed to come out ahead.

Pisces

There was this one technical issue that I was wrestling with, a simple “hack” to some. Super simple, in fact. So simple, I got confused and made a complicated mess out of it. With Mr. Mars blazing through Pisces? There’s temptation to avoid the simplest, easiest way to get “there” from “here.” “There” is defined was the Pisces stated goal, and “here” is understood to be kind of where we’re all at — sort of at this moment. The tension is that New Moon, supposed to be good for a number of us? It just smacks the figurative Pisces head on one side. “Ow! That hurt!” Yeah, the moon can be like that. Part of this is Mars, part of this is the New Moon, and part of this is Sagittarius at fault. Wait, that’s me. No, not my fault, but I can suggest you watch for that new moon/Mars slap, and I can suggest, being ready? As it comes, you can roll with it. Instead of pushing against that energy, let it be wind that fills your Pisces sails, and let that breeze — energy — push you further towards a goal. You’ll get “there” from “here” quicker, that way.

Aries

There is a company that I use and that company is a perfect example of the way around the holiday madness. That place, basically a one-person show, does one thing, and he (they, now) do it well. One product. Simple menu choice, “We got one thing.” The bonus is that they (he) does one thing well. Simple. Straightforward. No bells, no whistles, no up-sell for a feature rich, all-inclusive package that includes this and much, much much more, no, it’s simple. Single product, done well. Done right. Done well, over time, so the craft of the production has pride in a job well-done.

Over the years, I streamlined my processes to include products that seem to come from a single source. Think — this is like “single source” coffee beans. Not what it is, but it’s like that. A single job, a single task, a single product, maybe in a variety of shades, but the same, basic product, done one way: the right way. To make it through this holiday madness week, even with the planets no longer in evil disarray? Look for the provider who does one thing well, a simple catalog, a simple menu offering, a single brand that is for just one item. That Aries frustration can be a lot less if we stick with one, one do well, one done by a shop that only does the one thing.

Taurus

There are certain thematic elements that I can belabor, only for so long. Eventually, the message gets caught up in the noise. That’s the problem, the message getting caught in the noise. When I first started building out frameworks for podcasts, there was a complicated and arcane set-up. Later, this got much easier. One of the elements was the idea of background audio tracks, like, thematic elements that get repeated as need be to fill in the blank spaces. Listen closely, these days, though, and I tend to stick a similar style tho what I’ve always used, a super-simple “point and shoot” methodology, not unlike my written works, and there’s less production values, but more information that is raw and unfiltered. This week is like the podcasts I used to do, quick, dirty, unfiltered, and with unfiltered background noise. This week has unfiltered background noise, “Happy Holidays!”

Gemini

Every work place I’ve ever been associated with has some kind of political caste. There’s the boss, the real boss, the outliers, the rank and file, the gossip, and the roles go on. Every player has a position and then, there is backbiting, infighting, cross-purposes, and any other number of intrigues. Plots, complots, and accomplices. Alliances are formed and shattered. One realization that I had, I no longer wanted to be part of any such “he said; she said” scenario, not at work, not political, none of that. So I choose to rise above it all. Not so much as “rise above” but more long the lines of “refusing to partake.” Might be a clue there.

Cancer

As a non-parent, kids and childhood stories can fascinate me. I get to be a default grandfather figure for one buddy’s kids, and that’s fun — for me.

Incidentally: kids make great bait.

What amused me, listening to a mom, as she was talking about the typical winter conditions here, and one of her kids caught some kind of cold. “I never knew how much snot a kid could contain. It’s surreal, there isn’t enough space for what he was producing.” Real moms understand. I’ve heard them called “Snot rockets,” and various other appellations, but little kids — their immune system is just getting started — produce a huge quantities of mucus, and in this holiday season? Going to be a lot of it. Might not be a kid, hopefully it’s not mucus, but the comment, in the next few days? “I never knew they could produce that much!” I just hope it’s not nearly as gross as my experience was. Who knew kids could contain that much — it’s a rhetorical question; most moms know.

The Leo

I got stuck listening to some podcasts about various subjects I hold near and dear. Interesting bits and pieces, mostly about Shakespeare in performance because I don’t get to see a lot of that. Fishing is “Hands on,” as in, I do it myself. Shakespeare is just fun to study, and I don’t do it too seriously. After all, if it’s not fun, I’m not interested. I was listening to a podcast, the other day, and I hit some button I couldn’t see, so the delivery was at one and half speed. The 45-minute cast was over in half an hour, but I felt like I missed something. While I appreciate that it can be delivered at a quicker pace, I tend to prefer my more laconic and loping speed, where I can interact with the material. After all, I’m doing this for fun, not like I’ll be tested or bested by anything, right? It’s not a competition. This next few days, thanks to a planetary influence, is like that button I hit, makes everything move a little faster. This isn’t so good, now, is it? As The Leo, you like my laconic, lazy, loping pace. As a suggesting, instead of getting caught in the speeded up version, missing the good parts? Pause long enough to slow the rest of us back down to the pace that is best for The Leo.

Virgo

Ground cinnamon is usually served, delivered, sold? I’m not sure of the correct term, maybe a Virgo can suggest it, but ground cinnamon is usually quite fine. Like a dust. I did use cinnamon as a spice for coffee, especially at this time of the year, but there’s a problem with that, its super-fine grind tends to clog my coffee pipes. I used to toss a small amount in the coffee filter, but that would result in coffee not draining in any kind of hurry, and that first pot of coffee in the morning? Big hurry. One buddy suggest an intravenous drip-feed for me. Most folks would have a saline solution or blood, I would have coffee.

To get the “Christmas-like” feeling associated with the spice, though, there is an easier way. I’ll add a shake from the spice’s shaker, after the coffee is mostly done. In one situation, at the coast (fishing trip) early one December, I used a teaspoon of ground cinnamon in the automatic coffee maker, and the little coffee basket overflowed, spilling grounds, partially brewed coffee, and wasting precious resources. So don’t repeat my mistake. A little bit? A pinch, a single shake, a hint, after the process has started, and/or when the process is almost completed? That’s the time to add the extra holiday flavor. Careful you don’t try to soon, like I did, and I made a big mess of their kitchen. Sorry, honey.

Libra

The way I read it? “Now I believe in unicorns!” — straight from Shakespeare. Means it’s true, right? As this particular holiday season draws closer, we must learn to believe in magic again. Unicorns are real. This takes a certain silliness to believe that anything magical can happen. With that at the forefront of the Libra mind, let’s think about this: no proof that magic exists, yet, look? In the eyes of a child, in the spirit of the holidays, in the thought that there might be resurrection and redemption? In the spirit of the holiday, belief system doesn’t matter, but in the ideas that are bantered about? Magic still exists. Unicorns are real. To see this, understand it, and then, to use it? Borrow a kid. Watch for the excitement and sheer joy at the smallest, tiniest of events. The magic — even in our fractured, hopelessly cynical, and damaged world? The magic is there, and as Mercury rights itself, and as the encroaching madness takes toll, pause long enough to recognize that unicorns are real.

Scorpio

I adore most of my clientele, but some of them are bit strange. I know, pot-kettle, not what this is about. I also receive various gifts, gag, thoughtful, intentional, and unintentional, all at the same time. Fun stuff, most days. Not long ago, though I got a “Shakespeare Air Freshener,” and that one? I’m afraid to take it out of its protective packaging. What if it was a real air freshener from 1600? What if it has the smell of the street, open sewers, questionable sanitation, sulfurous decays, the real way it smelled in 1600, what if that’s what the package contains? Scary thought. Doubt that’s what it is, though. “Shakespeare” — as the author of the plays — can’t be copyrighted — he’s public domain. Makes him safe to name stuff after, and that is always a consideration, especially for Scorpio. It is OK to copy, just make sure there is either proper attribution, or that it is copyright free.