“The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have sav’d my life.”
— Falstaff, Henry 4, Part 1 — Act 5, Scene 4
Horoscopes for 7.2.2020
Happy 4th of July. Ready for astrological fireworks?
Cancer
We’ve long bemoaned the loss of ‘Ye Olde Austin,’ the land of myth and lore. Subsumed by mid-rise developers’ dreams, burgeoning growths like unchecked and self-replicating cells? Just when the old Austin is gone, I was, where the pawn shop was? Across from the old police substation? All gone, now, but just when I get around to bemoaning the relative death, the plight of devilish developments, along comes a sign that the substrate is still solid. Riding down the street? It was a lad on a mismatched bicycle, and strapped — proudly — across the handlebars? It was a set of longhorn horns, the kind that belongs on the front of a truck or the Cadillac limo service. Bicycle. On a bicycle, old South Austin, just pedaling away in the summer’s heat. Just when I was sure all vestiges of the past were gone? As a Cancer, Moon Child compliant person? Just when you think it’s, just when there seems to be no respite, along comes a sign, just pedaling down the street.
The Leo
Compounding the current imbroglio loosed in Leo? There’s a hot mess of planets just trying harder and harder to maximize The Leo’s problems. It was, as if, a secret force from outside of our good, Leo selves was trying to pick apart our most secret fears.
The trick is to realize that some these are merely untethered, unattached thoughts, as they pop up from lord only knows where? They are from the Leo’s subconscious and are not entirely worthy of The Leo’s attention.
Virgo
There are always echoes at time like this. It’s an image, or similar image, not quite the same, but I kept wondering why I was so drawn to this one particular image. What it was? An echo. A similar image from my own, distant past, and I kept thinking, “This looks really familiar, but I don’t know why I like it so much.” It’s because it’s that distant memory, an echo from something past. While the exact details vary greatly, as this is material that is transported over time and space, the essential framework is the same. The details of the packaging might change, but the basic, underlying structure is the identical. Look beneath the surface. In order to make it through the holiday weekend and what lies beyond? Look beneath the surface for similarities.
Libra
Two steps forward, two steps back. Looks like a Texas Two-Step? I know I’ve danced around this one before, and I’m pretty sure that’s a tired allusion, the “Two steps forward, two steps backward,” but the shuffling motion? It’s what this week’s all about in Libra, just a gentle shuffle. Sway a little. Swing the Libra hips a bit from side to side. Maybe not really moving the feet, but swaying in time to an imaginary tune in your head? Pick some musical referent that makes sense to your Libra self. Pick music that you like, that you can sway to, and if need be, dance. Personally, I never mastered the Texas Two-Step because — suffice it to be — just wasn’t “my thang.” But that’s merely an example. I loved sitting in old honky-tonks on warm summers’ eves, watching the country and western dancers shuffle around the dance floor, the gentle scuff of cowboy boots and hippie chicks in vegan sandals, all mixing together. Not new stuff. That shuffle, though, for Libra and this week’s planets? Two steps forward. Two steps backwards. Two steps forward. Repeat as need be. Looks like a shuffle.
“Everyday I’m shufflin’.”
Scorpio
I kept a sparsely written set of journals, over the years, sort of an “on again,” then, “off again” task. Self-imposed, though, it was a way to record in detail what was happening, without too much interference or editing. I didn’t want minutiae, just a few graphic, over-arching themes. I dug back into those old notebooks, because I wanted to organize them while Mercury was still retrograde, and get some semblance of order to the older files. Pretty interesting stuff, in there. I mean, nothing earth shattering, but some interesting snippets. Therein is the gold — therein is the Scorpio gold. Nuggets of data, long-buried, just trying to get a few items in order before the crush of the high-summer holidays?
Sagittarius
While originally imagined as a crest, it turned into an escutcheon. The original idea was from a buddy, “You should have a crest, and underneath it? In Latin, “We would gladly feast on those who would subdue us.” Which gave way to the current iterations, adorning book covers and elsewhere on my sites, the idea of me, talking on a mobile phone, with a dead cow skull and crossed fishing poles.
Therein is the source file for this idea, as we move through the holiday week. After growing close with extended family, though, the idea of family motto, a more suitable term — in Latin still — I came up with a different line. “Never the easy way!” It’s been reiterated, time and again, by my immediate family, with solid proof that I’m the only one who is lazy enough to try and handle matters in the easiest way possible.
The lesson to take from this? Try the easiest way, first. Full Moon, in Sagittarius, yes, the easy way is better. Unless, of course, one bears that family crest, “Nunquam Securas Via,” or, never easy way. It’s a choice, Sagittarius, it’s a choice.
Capricorn
I got stuck looking for one book, a favorite author’s book. I have the book in paperback, but I wanted to add this one as a hardback, preferably first edition, to the shelf. The problem being, yes, I know, “go online, it’s easily available,” &c. The challenge with that? The online version, a “pristine, first edition” commands a big price. I’d like one with a dust jacket, preferably intact, but scuffs and wear isn’t a problem for me.
Life, like a book, should be worn and dog-eared in places.
What I prefer is haunting used book stores, casually looking for a replacement, just a way to round out the shelves. Makes a complete set, and I find that reassuring. Besides, while I don’t recall all of the series, I do have vivid recall from that one book, passages and settings were quite effectively wrought. So I’m still looking but just going online and looking doesn’t really work, as what I like are slightly dusty, kind of moldy bookstores with a strange array of material — besides — never know what else might be there. As the holidays unfold, this weekend, and as Mars marches through Aries, the Capricorn cure is to look for something where no one else might be looking.
Aquarius
There’s a certain quality, almost historical, wherein this week has a palimpsest-like quality. We’ve been here before, and we erased something, but — as an Aquarius — we can make out the faint outlines of what was written before it was erased. Therein is our clue to move forward, that faint outline of what was written, then erased, and covered up with something else. To some, this might look like recycling, and while I’m a big fan of recycling in general, this message, the missive, the note to move us forward in the holiday weekend ahead? It was erased and covered up but with a little diligent application of Aquarius effort, it might be possible to make out what that previous message was. That’s the secret, trying to uncover the previous missive as it contain the real material we need to move forward.
Pisces
Only happens on certain occasions, but I’m happy — as a customer — when I find this. It was a situation where a retail store had a July 4th Sale and by comparing prices? It was the same, if not less, than online. It was about the same price as the cheapest alternative online, and I was thrilled when I realized this. I did a quick search, shopping and comparing, and looked a second time. No, a local pick-up option was still less. Cost less, is immediately available, and I would suspect, in retail terms, it was a “Loss leader,” but their loss?
My gain.
Helps to be able to do simple arithmetic in my head — one old girlfriend called it “Shopping math,” claiming it wasn’t the same thing as regular math that always left her befuddled. So a little simple shopping math found a deal. I like that. As a symbol for Pisces moving into this holiday weekend? Shopping math yields good results, but make sure to check all the angles, before buying.
Aries
A total failure on my part, as a web writer of some tenure? I never fully embraced the art of the headline. My horoscopes would read much better if I included a stronger, more intriguing introduction. As it is, digging through the archives, I started using a quote from pop culture, and that evolved, by the third week, to using a quote from Shakespeare’s canon because there weren’t going to be any more plays. While that was a working model, back in the days of yore, the attention market feeds on headlines. So writing a good headline is almost — maybe more so — more important than the content itself. In this holiday week, what is required from Aries? A good headline summary. While I prefer depth and prose-like prosody, to poetical and rhetorical, a good headline summary is all any Aries needs for this week’s news. Figure a way to condense any Aries narrative into a headline. Easiest way to get everyone to understand.
“End of the world? Ask an Aries!”
Taurus
The planets have wandered into an evil disorder. Taurus is stuck trying to figure a way out of this mess, all while muttering imprecations to Mercury in apparent deshabille — and none of this adds up to happy holiday, if you let them win. Therein is my simple solution for Taurus: don’t let “them” win. Most of this is about an attitude. Less about real, tangible problems right in front of your face, and yes, mostly about attitude. What Taurus can do is adjust that attitude, and understand that the planets are conspiring to make a muddled mess of just about anything — anyone — Taurus touches. Muddled mess. I suppose, if one were to be making a certain cocktail, that “muddled” would be good. That might work for some. I’m not much of a drinking man these days, so it doesn’t really convey to me, but your mileage may vary. There’s a simple solution, on case-by-case basis, of adjust an attitude.
“It is what it is.”
Or?
“Been there. Done that already.”
Gemini
At one point, I was part of long series of texts, back and forth, and I was the token male. Me and I’m guessing seven women. Passing in front of a sporting goods store, I paused, as that store had sidewalk chalkboard, “Shopping: cheaper than therapy.” I tagged that into the electronic text circle. I thought the board was funny, and I didn’t think anything else. When I looked again, that one message thread had “blown up,” with variants of responses, mostly negative, about whether shopping was cheaper than therapy and, which one might be better for the soul, with more of the other people arguing for therapy rather than shopping, then, as one might expect, at least a couple of sexists digs at me, suggesting that I was a male pig because I thought all women wanted to shop. None of that was the case. First off, it was a sporting goods department store. Not sexist on my part, and more important, I didn’t say anything, no commentary from me, I wasn’t passing judgement about shopping or therapy. All I did was snap an image of a sign in front of a store. Personally, Gemini to astrologer, I mean me, to Gemini, I think the real message should be “Coffee: because therapy is expensive.” Simpler, less inclined to make my phone blow up, and apparently, less likely to irritate a number of friends. Gemini: tread with a little extra care this week.
astrofish.net/travel for appearances
“Nothing runs on automatic.” – L.W. “Bud” Shipley, Jr.
