Journey not Destination
My approach to astrology is much like intreprations of Shakespeare’s work; it’s all about the journey, not the destination.
Bass fishing, inshore coastal fishing, Shakespeare scholarship, and my astrology, what does it all have in common? Journey not Destination, simply put.
Journey not Destination
Some of this material is relatively easy to grasp. I’ve toyed with Sun Sign definitions for the whole of this career, as each sign sign has obvious archetypes, tropes, and caricatures of the meanings.
But splitting that kind of material up, and delving first into Moon Signs, then balancing that against a Sun Sign and Rising Sign, that gets to be more of a dance and tricky balance point rather than just straight up interpretation of materials.
Over the last half-dozen years, when presented with the time-and-soul-sucking vortex of a commute to Austin at least twice a month, I got in the habit of “books on tape,” which were neither books nor on tape. First was a lecture series by an Oxford professor, and her works, typically a class, was centered on a question about a play, each hour presentation was themed around a single play. Got some good high points from that. Some straight Shakespeare, but also a great deal of material.
From there, I finally got to listen to the entire canon, read around, or acted and recorded, forty (plus) plays. Listened to that all the way through three times so far.
There’s depth and layers, interpretations of interpretations, ancillary supporting material that might — or might not — have any bearing on the subject at hand.
This is about process versus production.
This is like fishing, wherein the goal is to catch fish, but being aware of what’s working, what’s not working, and what gear, tackle, and baits are best? On any giving day, the equipment requirements can change. What worked on afternoon for fishing — and catching — Large Mouth Bass? At this one local lake? What worked on that one afternoon, might — or might not — work the next day.
So the line between my version of Shakespeare Scholarship and fishing is clear as both are process-oriented endeavors. While there is a stated goal, the route to reach that goal can meander, slip sideways, fall into a pit of problems, or just motor along, blindly and happily in ignorance, from time to time.
Used to fish at this one lake, and there was a power plant entrance, the intake for water — as the reservoir was nothing more than huge pond for cooling the generators. The intake side had warnings, which, as is my style, we would regularly ignore. Drift under the roped-off area, trolling motor purring almost silently, not generating any wake of note? Sure.
For a while, that was the great “secret spot” to fish, guaranteed to succeed — as much as any fishing trip is guaranteed — since most of the other guys fishing wouldn’t go under the wire.
- Got to bend the rules some days.
Likewise with Shakespeare scholarship, have to bend some of the rules. A recent discussion brought back faded memories of an all-female cast playing Taming of the Shrew — straight. Elizabethan styling, conventional staging, just, all the actors were female. While the play itself wasn’t — according to my memory — embellished any? The jarring juxtaposition of gendered served well.
- Got to bend the rules some days.
With astrology, there are certain guidelines. Accepted data points, rules, interpretations, and lore — all handed down from many millennia of research and documentation. Astronomical data is easy; what it means is more nuanced. If only there was a guide for this.
- Got to bend the rules some days.
Journey not Destination
astrofish.net
BareFootAstrology.com – Kramer Wetzel
Bare Foot Astrology (Volume 1)
Portable Mercury Retrograde – Kramer Wetzel
Portable Mercury Retrograde: astrofish.net’s Mercury in Retrograde
