Enough; hold, or cut bow-strings.

• Bottom in Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night’s Dream 1.2.50

The Sun enters the tropical zodiac sign of Virgo on August 23, 2019 at 5:01 AM. Happy Virgo Birthday!

Horoscopes for 8.22.2019

Virgo

When I first encountered a lecture note about that single line, “Hold or cut bow-strings,” the academic went sideways with the data pretty quick. A cursory search of the web reveals that there is wealth of conjecture about the meaning of the expression.

However, I have a simpler way to see it, and when I first heard the expression, probably read it first, but let’s suggest it was a stage or movie version of the play, Bottom is a hugely comic character. Hard to see him as a military person, as the idea of “cutting bow-strings” seems to imply. However, over the years, I’ve grown to like this expression for myself, and I use it when most people will insert the term, “Fish or cut bait.” I was going to get all technical and make suggestions about planets and Virgo birthdays, but simply put, to quote Shakespeare’s character Bottom? “Enough! Hold or cut bow-string!”

Libra

It doesn’t matter where your Libra soul is in your development. Age is a thing. There’s a certain kind of finality and essence that suggests time is almost too finite. “I don’t know what you mean, there’s just not enough time!” Exactly. What this is, more a function of the twin influences of the Sun (in Virgo), and Saturn (in Capricorn), plus, well, there’s another influence, but it’s too technical to include in a horoscope. But the energy this creates?

“Hurry up!”

The urgency might not be felt by everyone around you, the non-Libra people. They — we — might not get the urgency, the “time is of the essence” kind of push. Realize that we’re not all onboard, sharing your need for speed. We might not grasp the shortened nature of the times. We might not understand why you seem so impatient. Understand, too, that the perception of a need for urgency doesn’t always mean there is a need for that urgency.

Scorpio

In this next few days? You will encounter, that guy, “Can’t keep the neon in the tube.” It’s an expression, kind of local, kind of among certain buddies of mine, but the terms is both humorous and as applied? Accurate. I’m a perfect example, like, one end of my brain — according to Scorpio — is leaking mental ability. Just “Can’t seem to keep the neon in the tube,” as it applies to me? I sort of buzz, fizzle, then sputtering and maybe flash once or twice then go dark.

More than one Scorpio will agree. Mostly this is due to the heavy weight of the Virgo influence on the Scorpio quadrant of the sky, but mostly, this is just a number of minor influences. The problem — for Scorpio — is a number minor influences tend to lead to major problems. To keep that from happening? That buzzing, the sound of the neon sign that is going to short out, or leak out, or whatever? That’s the warning sign that some of us — non-Scorpio — might be coming up short on our delivery of data. I warned you, right? Where was I going with this? “Yeah, Kramer, just can’t seem to keep neon in the tube, huh.”

Sagittarius

For some years, those steel coffee mugs, the hermetically, vacuum-sealed tumblers? For a while, those were all the rage. Nice mugs, and nice as a conveyance for caffeine solutions. I found some smaller ones on sale? Like normal coffee mug size, not the giant tumblers. The smaller ones, they were knock-offs of the name brand, looked like “Yeti,” but weren’t. Consequently, the coffee cup — insulated tumbler — was much less expensive.

As I used this over the years, what I found? The original tumblers hold a beverage hot — or cold — longer than just about anything else, and as such, are worthy of the reputation. However,the smaller ones, at first didn’t seem to keep the coffee hot. The secret is in the lid. If I put the plastic top on the smaller ones, doesn’t matter on the larger ones, but on the smaller ones? If I put the plastic lid on, snap that cover into place? Works great.

Coffee can stay warm all morning, and even half the day. Seemed like an earth-shattering revelation — to me. This a simple, super-simple-Sagittarius example of what happens if we follow the directions. Simple as that. “These knock off don’t work nearly as well as the original.” Turns out, they do work as well, just have to put the lid on it. Sagittarius: either follow the directions, or put a lid on it.

Either one works, this next few days, cf. Taurus.

Capricorn

One Capricorn buddy has a way with words. While, technically, he’s not really a fishing buddy, he does have a way with words, and it would be easy to see a day in the boat with him. There’s a way, and I can see him as he — apparently — weighs what he is about to say. He can usually get the right amount of sarcasm, snark, and social anxiety all rolled up in a quick quip. I’m not Capricorn; and therefore, I don’t do this nearly as well. I’ll have the right quip, but too soon, or the wrong thing to say, at the worst time. I lack measure. In part, he’s been delivering bons mots for years, as part of his professional banter. Then, too, he’s practiced and smooth with assessing what is over the line and what’s close to the edge but not too far. I admire that skill. Wish I had it. Make sure you weigh your next comment.

Aquarius

Stop grinding on it. Just stop. There’s a point where endless, ceaseless repetition is no longer amusing, funny, “ironic,” iconic, or even useful. If you’re not careful, my fine little Aquarius buddy? If you’re not careful? It looks like you’re grinding on it.

There’s a difference between grinding, and merely offering to repeat a passage, a deal, a deed, several times over, and then, there’s that idea, “Well, he (or she) did wrong me, and now I must get even.” Or see that justice is served, or whatever form of retribution that your Aquarius self deems correct. To me? to other, non-Aquarius people? Sounds like you’re grinding on it. Look, no one, and I mean no one, does revenge as well as Scorpio. Take a page from that Scorpio revenge guide, yes, justice will be meted out, and like a good Scorpio? That justice will be served cold. In the distant future. Which means, in the meantime, like the rest of this week? Next week? Stop grinding on it.

Stop grinding on it.

Pisces

The high road to Amarillo? Along the high road to Amarillo (Texas), there’s numerous spots — I’m thinking of the state highway that runs from Ft. Worth to Amarillo — there’s numerous spots that advertise, “Busloads welcome!” While good for business, as far as volume is concerned, there’s the problem with quality control, and some of those places, I can see a bus load of tourists, or just a bus load of travelers, causing problems with the plumbing, and running out of the change for the vending machines, not enough ice on the coke machine, any number of negative experiences due to the crushing load of customers, dumped all at once.

Not that I have any experience with being in such a place when a bus load of high school students shows up, no, not me. But I can imagine. This week is like that busload of tourists showing up. You hear the air brakes and the bus settles on its suspension, the front door slides open, and the first of two dozen kids pops out, headed right for you. First, the bathroom. Then one starts mixing cokes with other flavors. A beleaguered chaperone trying to corral kids and being largely ineffective. As Pisces, though, there is the sign, out front, advertises that “Busloads are welcome.”

Me, I’d blame “management,” but around here? I am management.

Aries

Discount bin in a store? One of those racks, just when you walk in, says, “Prices reduced!” I tend to find my best shirts in places like that, on sale, and then with prices slashed even further.

In this example, it was a “fishing” store — to me. Sporting goods. All manner of sports and sports-like hardware, great aisles filled with gear, and clothing. Late in the season, back-to-school was already on sale, I found a floral-print “fishing” shirt. The sporting cut was born out of coastal fishing shorts, but the design has long been co-opted by other sports and subsequent uses.

Still, this was — basically — a Hawaiian print fishing shirt. Better? It was on sale. Best? It was discounted from its discount price. To suggest I’m cheap? Yeah, that’s not new information. To suggest that — like me — your Aries self would appreciate a bargain? Again, not really new data. But, to suggest that you watch, as this is a very Aries kind of observation, like, right when you walk in? There it is. Be aware. Sometimes, the great deals, what your Aries self so desires, sometimes, that winds up being right in front of you. Like that shirt, on the sales rack, just as you walked in the door.

Taurus

Some years ago, I discovered that prolonged exposure to astrology charts, reading data on a screen or a phone, or these days, tablets? I discovered that my eyes “got tired” late in the day. By evening time, I would have trouble focusing on the print in a book from prolonged exposure to charts and fineprint.

I graduated to simple “readers” and from that to – eventually — prescription reading glasses. I just need assistance when it’s late, or early, or I’m tired, or the small print is set in a tiny font size. As I understand it, this merely a function of age, and it happens, as we grow older, the lens in our eyes loose some of their flexible nature.

Don’t know if that’s true or not, I probably read it late at night — might’ve just been on a website. We know how accurate those are.

The idea is that Taurus needs an “assist,” however that might show up. In my simple example, it was that first pair of readers, and I would only use them late at night in a trailer park in old South Austin. Over the ensuing years, that’s changed, as I’ve aged. Not really matured — some would suggest I haven’t even seasoned well, but that’s not the question. I gave up and gave in on the glasses. These days, I think of them as a possible fashion accessory in addition to improving my eyesight. Whatever approach works? Accept and acquiesce to the improvement, as it will help you see things more clearly.

Gemini

The halo I used to wear? Fell off. The angelic wings I soared upon? Those were charred off, too. Looks like the horns are starting show? The way I originally heard it? “Looks like it’s going to be one of those days.” Not every day this week will be like that for Gemini, no, just the days whose names end in “Y.”

Seriously. There’s a good chance that the “bad” Gemini gets a chance to show itself. Himself. Herself. One of those, maybe multiples? Yes, might be more than one. Reminds me of another line, though, as I was working through your chart, “Good friends will bail you out of jail; really good friends will be there with you, ‘That was fun!’” Would you do it again? Knowing how this might wind up? Me? I’m certainly the wrong one to ask. Halo is gone; horns are starting to show.

Cancer

Comes a time when we run smack-dab into our unrealized expectations. Comes a time when what we want, what we think we want, our hopes, desires, and some dreams? Comes a time when we are confronted with failures, losses, and hopelessness.

The esoteric question, then, is what part of that, what we see, is a reflection of ourselves? What part is something in ourselves that we see, and is reflected in the outer world view? So running into what some would perceive to be a failure? This week has that, for the Moon Children, and as such?

Is it really a failure? Is this a complete and total break-down, or this merely a chance to re-align goals, directions, and maybe adjust the dreams, or adjust the dream-time channel. One of the phrases that drives me forward amid mistakes, gaffs, blunders, and assorted sordid errors? “I did the very best I could with the available information.” When confronted with some aspect of this dream world, the Cancer’s internal life? When confronted with a possible shortcoming, or failing, or apparent failure, the secret is the understand that simple statement. “I did the very best I could with the available data, at the time.”

The Leo

This kind of cosmic shift brings both happiness and sadness to The Leo. The sadness stems from the way the Sun shifts into another sign and that naturally draws the Sun’s light towards another sign, in this case, persnickety Virgo. I guess that expression is a little redundant. However, just as The Leo shines under the light of the birthday sun, other signs fair less well.

The small problem, like I alluded to before, is that attention is merely drawn elsewhere. The happiness is brought about because there is a certain lessening of astrological pressure on The Leo. This results in a quieter, more internal kind of mellow happiness. Not the ebullient, over-joyed, screaming “I’m so happy!” No, this is a more like a quiet assurance that you’re in control, as much as you can be, and that you’re on top of matters, as much as you can be, and that “things” are going to work out, just like they are supposed — as much as you can let it. Let the pieces fall where they will: as much as The Mighty Leo wants to be in charge? This week? Let someone else call the shots. Be amused. Be amused at their decisions.

astrofish.net/travel for appearances

“Nothing runs on automatic.” – L.W. “Bud” Shipley, Jr.