This Cloten was a fool, an empty purse,
There was no money in’t. Not Hercules
Could have knock’d out his brains, for he had none.

Guiderius in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline 4.2.115-

Horoscopes for 11.7.2019

The Portable Mercury Retograde

Scorpio

It’s always a race to the bottom, and that’s what this might be about. Oh yeah, happy birthday, away. Thought I’d forget? Hardly. But the idea that it’s a “Race to the bottom” struck a good chord with me, and I watched, as a number of my Scorpio buddies started to pick back up that bad behavior. “It’s my birthday,” or “Mercury is Retrograde, my astrologer told me, so I can do this.” Yeah, not how this works, I mean, yes, it is your birthday time, and yes, Mercury is most heinously retrograde in your sign, but no, that’s not a valid excuse to slip back into a previous arrangement that did your Scorpio self no good. Celebrate? Yes. Indulge in your birthday? Yes. Use that as an excuse? Can’t say I didn’t try and warn you. Good luck.

Sagittarius

Years and years of research, astrological, phenomenological, psychological? Years and years of applied astrofish.net research has a couple of easy guidelines for this kind of Mercury in Retrograde (in Scorpio, no less). Because of the relative motions, I found that a particular part of my ritual involves: coffee. Bad day today? Coffee. Good day today?

Coffee. Sleepy? Coffee. Tired? Coffee. Stressed out? Coffee. Happy? Coffee. Celebration? Coffee. No work today? Coffee. See the common thread? There’s another version of this, more like a sticker I’ve seen before, “Drink more coffee. Do more stupid things faster.” The demons are not held at bay, and the nightmares walk the earth. No, wait, it’s all puppies and spring flowers. Which is it? Depends on the moment, and the solution? Coffee.

Capricorn

It’s a dance, and it’s that simple. I tend to see this as “The Work Dance,” and I would guess that’s how this shows up. Or where this little dance number shows up for Capricorn. The work dance is the shifting of calendars, schedule, in my case, simply bouncing clients around to see who I can talk to when. The dance. “Can you do Wednesday afternoon?” No, how about “Thursday at 3?” No, then maybe, and it’s a dance. Back and forth. It looks like a dance to me. It looks like a “St. Vitus” dance to others. (Look that one up.) The work dance is the deal, and it’s like this: no one will be totally pleased with the work done while Mercury is like this. No one will be totally happy. As someone who loves Capricorn, I’d be pleased be cause I see a job that is totally finished to my satisfaction as defined by the parameters of the project. But I’m not your boss, your client, your employer, or your employee. One, or more, will not be happy, for whatever reason. Stick to the letter of the instructions, and make sure that’s done. Best you can do, and remember, it’s a dance, filled with forward and backward motions, not a straight shot.

Aquarius

There was some early 80’s pre-emo music on at the mall. There’s a reason I don’t like shopping; it’s not been a good experience for me. I listened carefully, and the music really was that stuff, which, in its era, 30 years or more? In its proper era, it wasn’t called “emo” yet, but that’s what it was. Pretty depressing stuff. The term, “Emo” wasn’t in broad usage yet. To some of us, me included, this is a sign of the decline and fall of Western Civilization, the formerly edgy, almost outlaw, youthful, and angst-ridden rock, now on at the mall. Love, loss, heartbreak, with a slightly catchy tune? Now a staple of background, almost elevator music? “Yeah, good times.” Shrug. I notice material like this, and you’re going to notice it, too. Not necessarily great stuff, but good stuff. This is also an example where the original intent of the artwork, music in the example, was different from its current portrayal, driving column sets in the holiday season. This Mercury Retrograde serves up some weird stuff, and that song in the mall? That’s just that tiniest of examples. It’s coming, this week. You’ve been warned.

Pisces

I was, at one time, pretty familiar with a few neighborhoods in London. Careful observation, and it was possible to see how the neighborhoods were built up around creeks, streams, and tributaries, that all drained into the Thames. Stories tend to follow plot lines like meandering river courses. When I lived in Austin, especially the last decade I was there, along the banks of the Colorado River, I was fishing there, and various other lakes, east of there. Stories tend to follow plot lines like the curves and bends in that same Colorado River, as it flows through Austin, then feeds the Lower Colorado River area. Although there are several flood control dam along the Colorado in Central Texas, the original meandering plot line still exists. Also visible in a potentially more storied town like London, the old creek, are paved over, but in the rain, the waters’ routes are clearly visible. To plot a careful path forward? This week? Not likely to happen. Some of the Pisces route has been paved over. Other parts are stopped by a dam. “Day-ham.” That, too. Still, the water seeks its own level, and — eventually — will find its course home, whether that’s the Gulf of Mexico or the Thames, or whatever it is that you’re trying to find. Plot that course, but willing to let Nature be the ultimate guide. Might be some turns and bends, but you’ll get there. Eventually.

Aries

It’s a maniacal sprint from here to the end of the year, and this current state of Mercury? This doesn’t help, not one little bit. Studies have shown that when I cross the threshold into another room, I change my mental frame of reference and in doing so, my brain changes gears. Or attempts to change gears. Doesn’t always work, but it is a nice try. That’s the all-too familiar, “What did I come in here for” scenario. So “science” claims a basis for that mental state. Cool, we now have an excuse. Just realize that it’s the exact same, quite pervasive, and subversive energies that are present. This plays little and big mind games with the Aries psyche. The challenges presented by this look like an obstacle course, one of those “ninja” challenge courses, and every time you think you might be getting ahead, or just caught up, some trick knocks you back. Or, this is the ropes course in a training facility, and the instructor is purposefully making this harder, just for Aries. Still, the trick is to carry on, keep moving, even if it doesn’t feel like it’s foreword all the time. It’s that course the physical endeavor, the way your mind plays a trick when you change your Aries location: keep moving forward. Or in forward-like, a forward-feeling direction. Might not be all right, but you’ll be OK, and it will reward you. Might be next year before we see the pay off, but like I suggested, it’s maniacal print to the new year from here.

Taurus

While it’s a joke? It’s also a commentary, and a display of my own understanding of what limitations I might have. I’m male, straight, and white. That means I have no rhythm, and poor fashion sense. At least one wholistic fruit will chime in and point out that I do have my own sense of style, and I have a unique kind of rhythm. Might be true, but I prefer to just acknowledge what my obvious limitations are. Not going to be a dancer. Not going to play the bass in a rock band. Not going to be a rock’n’roll star anytime too soon. Not me. Not a problem, either.

I understand exactly what my limitations are.

The deal is, in the coming week, coming weeks? In the near future for Taurus? Understand the limits. The position of Mercury, and its retrograde pattern, forces a look at what limits might be there. Some days, some weeks, some years, for some of us, are good times for testing what limits might be there. Limits on Taurus action, limits on social interaction. Limits on the number of limits that might be there. All part of the what is happening with this cycle. Here’s the deal, like me, admit to what the limiting factors might be. In my example? I’m easy, almost too easy: fashion sense. But that’s merely an example.

Gemini

In mythology, and I’m too lazy to look this one up, but in — I think — Greek Mythology? Wasn’t it Cassandra? She was given the gift of the accurate prophecy, only, she was cursed that no one would believe her. The Cassandra Curse, think that’s what it is called. Guess what applies to Gemini in the coming days?

The Cassandra Effect, wherein you’re 100% right, and no one gets it. No one if going to get it until after the new year, which is too bad, as I’ve implied, you’re right.

The Curse of Cassandra, know the feeling?

Little trick from my book of little tricks for this kind of time? Shut up. Be quiet. Bide your Gemini time. The deal is, you’re probably quite correct in your goals, directions and the way you see this coming about. The problem being? No one, not a single one of them, will heed your warning, or even listen to your prediction about the way this works. What’s worse? Even though I know you’re right? I will still discount your predictions until a later date, like, next year. “Wow, you were right!” Doesn’t do a lot for the next couple of days, but as a Gemini? You should be refreshed to know, that eventually, you’ll be known as “right.” Just not right now.

Cancer

We are supposed to “forgive and forget” at previous indiscretions or trespasses against our gentle, Moon Child natures. Yeah, that ain’t happening. Forgive? Yes, over time the pain is lessened and the bruises start to fade, so there is that, some sense of forgiveness. Forget? Yeah, maybe not. Doubt that the long, tortured Cancer memory will ever forget. The goal is to “forgive and forget,” the results are not much until we achieve some semblance of forgiveness.

Little heady on a warm November morning in South Texas, but it was top of mind for the Cancer Moon-children charts. “Forgive and forget? Not bloody likely,” was the way I heard it stated. Rather harsh language to some. Me? I’ve heard much worse, and no one can carry a grudge like a Scorpio, so there’s that less likely to hold onto that material for that long, but there is the sense that this is an even bigger issue, and that this issue “isn’t over yet,” which, in fact, might be part of the problem. Once this thing gets resolved? “Forgive and forget,” or, at least park the notions in the fungible portion of one’s memory. Until it’s resolved, though, I guess we won’t be forgiving or forgetting.

The Leo

Fishing buddy of mine also plays golf. He was in telling me about being in a situation where he was around a former pro-golf caddy, and the caddy was wealth of golf tips. While this looks like a set-up for a joke, as it turned out, my buddy — not named Bubba — got the tip of a lifetime, a million dollar tip, a little observation and criticism that changed his golf game forever.

Look: I don’t get golf. I don’t understand it, I don’t understand why people play it, and I don’t comprehend the whole big deal. That’s where I stand.

My fishing buddy, when he’s not playing golf, he’s lots of fun. “So the caddy watched me swing once, told me to ‘tighten the grip of my little finger,’ and that changed my game — completely!” So as this week’s advice, from my fishing buddy to The Leo — it’s simple. Tighten the grip with your little finger. As not all my Leo friends are into weird games like golf? I’m not sure how this plays out — exactly — but I have a good idea. It’s a matter of getting a solicited bit of criticism, not a big deal, just a small tip, from an expert, then listening to that advice, I’d suggest that you try it yourself. It’s a small criticism, not wholesale change, and like a good Leo? Try it on your own, take a practice swing, in this example, and see what it feels like before you go, “Wow, that does does well!”

The Leo: tighten your little finger’s grip.

Virgo

Cold winter’s night. I was working, late into the wee hours, and I have the heat turned low. The “furnace” wasn’t on yet, not been cold enough for that. Think the AC was still on last week. But the little house has settled, and it’s cooling off, and I’m too cheap to turn up the heat, or even turn it on, and there was like a chill in the air. I pulled an old, long sleeve shirt around me, as I nestled into the couch, under a blanket, reading a book.

There was a subtle ripping noise. I pulled the front of the shirt closed and a sleeve’s seam split at the shoulder. It’s an old shirt, patterned cloth, yoke-cut, long sleeve, faux pearl snaps on the front and at the cuffs, and, for its age, remarkably intact. Now? Now it’s cleaning rags for fishing gear. It was a favorite shirt, but obviously it’s been around, and finally surrendered to the decay of time. Such material, in my life, I tend to recycle that torn shirt as cleaning rags, or some similar type of use for the material. Don’t think it was all-cotton, probably a synthetic blend, they used to use a lot of polyester, in its era. For Virgo, remember, when something breaks down, there’s always a way that the broken material can be recycled, or repurposed.

Libra

What we’re dealing with is an incomplete data set. Not quite enough information? Correct. Not quite enough information. While there are still multiple incoming streams of data, like, ever see those “newsrooms” with a wall of TV sets, all tuned to different information? The inside of the Libra head might feel just like that.

The challenge this week’s energies present? Trying to decipher just exactly what stream of data is most important, and then, constructing a viable conclusion from that source of information, and then? At the end of the end? Realize that the data set is incomplete. While this leaves us with a working model? It might not be a complete working model, and there might be a few pieces still missing. We have to understand that the incoming information — our Libra data set — that might not be all there. Have to be willing to amend, edit, or even chuck the whole thing and start over, as more information flips up on those TV screens.

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