“Things without all remedy
Should be without regard: what’s done, is done.”

• — Lady Macbeth

Act 3, Scene 2

Horoscopes for 9.10.2020

Virgo

While I do have some paper journals, I also have digital ink that spans close to three decades. Makes this easier, as the digital version is imminently more searchable. I can think about something I wrote a day, week, month, or even decades back, and a quick search will render up that document. Often times, the piece in question, that older stuff? It is rife with common typographical mistakes, and the older formatting doesn’t always translate as seamless as the advertising would have us believe.

Still, most of the material I have is digitized — is much as a convenience for me as it is for any other reason. Indexed, collated, and sorted. Sordid, too, but that’s not the Virgo question. Life — especially Virgo life — needs to be digitized, collated, sorted, indexed, and all kept in place. Preferably, this would a safe, dry place. The move to digital? Despite the allure of analog formats for Virgo? The point of digital is it makes this material, the important Virgo material, quicker and easier to access. Think along those lines, not what’s easier to see, but what’s easier to find.

Libra

For the next two months, and that includes the Libra birthday times, Mars is retrograde in Aries, the sign that is opposite from Libra. While Aries tends to be rash, harsh, and quick to fight (or flight), Libra, by comparison, is more measured, gentle, and willing to re-examine a situation in order to find the good that’s hidden within. These are archetypes, and generalities, but as guidelines, easy enough to see. However, for this next few weeks, stretching into months? For normally, nominally, gentle Libra?

Mars will excite and energize while also irritating the bejeebers out of you. Doesn’t happen all at once, but the middle finger salute when stuck in a line of cars? That’s not the Libra way, and while it’s not typical? It’s a good bet that something just like occurs in the next few days. Before you raise that single digit salute, though, think it through. Operating in malice and anger? Not always the best place to make a decision or tell someone what you really think.

In a fashion, just like this, the other evening, I cautioned a certain Libra about reacting in haste, and she told me to bloody well buzz off — in so many like-sounding words. I can take it, but can the other people?

“If you don’t argue with me? Then you’re just wrong. And stupid.”

Scorpio

Some days, I really don’t believe some of the work I do. There are days when I doubt the efficacy of the “stars above.” I was having a doubting day, and I ran into a half-dozen, maybe more, Scorpio flavored people. In one case it was a Scorpio Sun, and in another, she was Scorpio Moon, along with a host of other Scorpio planetary flavors.

Each one was struggling with a set of similar issues. Typically, and I’ll take the big-picture view; this issue was marked as an item that could not be changed, and therefore, it needed to be worked around. No Scorpio likes being told that the pathway is one where one must navigate around a fixed object. No, that means we must attack, in good Scorpio fashion, and that’s how we will beat, best, and overcome the problem.

What amused me the most? These were all problems that clearly, not of Scorpio making and not of Scorpio origin? Clearly these problems needed to be sidestepped, avoided, or in other words, not attacked.

“Didn’t cause it;
can’t fix it;
best left alone.”

Half a dozen in the last 24 hours — six or more Scorpio flavored individuals — all trying to change something that can’t be changed. Here’s a big hint from me: don’t. Stop. “Stop?” Yes, stop wasting good Scorpio energy on a situation that doesn’t want to change. “But I have to try!” No, no you don’t. Save yourself, as of now, no need to make yourself miserable.

Sagittarius

My “army” buddy — retired US Army officer — likes everything squared away. He doesn’t like anything that’s not in its proper place. I used the term, “Ship-shape,” and he scowled at me. “Ship-shape” is a naval term whereas “squared away” is from the land-based military departments. Department of deportment is what this next few days is all about.

We have to watch our words, perhaps a little more carefully, and in such a way as to not ruffle the feathers of those around us. As a good Sagittarius, I take great pride in occasionally being a bother to those in charge. It’s a skill-set I have and I enjoy. I can nibble at the hand that feeds me. Nibble, playfully bite, toy with, but never intentionally harm. This next few days, as Mars gets underway going backwards? When I see that army buddy, I will insure that my slovenly self is squared-away, and I will refrain from the nautical terms, like “ship-shape.” It’s a small courtesy, but this helps prevent small interactions becoming larger altercation. What I’m about for a our good Sagittarius selves, next few days. Get it “squared away,” not “ship shape,” in this case. It’s a small favor for us, and yet? Helps promote peace elsewhere.

Capricorn

I was looking at a client, female client, and I realized, she’s struggled with bit parts and occasional forays into acting, but I realized, she was perfect for that role as Lady MacBeth. The audio version I’ve been listening to, it’s great. The various shows I’ve seen, though, on stage, the Lady McB lacks the proper evil intent, not enough gravitas, and they usually don’t have that — I don’t know what it is — just an element of manipulation, meanness, and ornery outlook, all wrapped up in a silken package, and delivered like a sharp blow to a tender spot. Frankly, the actresses never seemed to capture the subtle manipulation marked with evil intent that I hear in that role. Part of this is a failing of my own making, an expectation that I have, and my own interpretation of the play, based, no doubt, on my gender, my station in life, and my world views. Part of this is something I’m looking for, but can’t seem to find. And part of this is about Capricorn, as there’s a perfect position, perhaps a role you can play, some ideal scenario — only it’s not happening now. Doesn’t mean that we don’t now have a solid idea of what we’re looking for, but while Mars is in his deshabille condition? Doubt that offer will come through, this week. Doesn’t mean that we haven’t finally figured out the role that Caprcorn is perfect to play.

Aquarius

The public domain is an interesting place to cruise around and look for material. One list I was on showed the most recent materials as they were released into the public domain. Legally, as I understand it, and I’m not lawyer, so don’t hold me to this, but as I understand it, stealing from a web page, copying then pasting elsewhere is taking copyrighted material. Just because some text or an image is on the web, that doesn’t mean that it is free to copy, pastes, steal, and use elsewhere.

No, not exactly legal as I understand it. Practically? That’s a another question, now isn’t it? I was going to mention some public domain texts that I found as they were perfect examples of how an Aquarius can pick up where we left off, and keep pursing, old material, review and renewing an intellectual pursuit. The current out-of-date copyright rules and laws, and those don’t apply world-wide, but as I understand it, any text more than a hundred years old is free to copy, mutate and sell again, as its copyright has expired. There will be notable exceptions, but I was looking through a couple of old texts, books that were scanned and uploaded as public domain material. Great from a historical perspective and that’s what this is all about, getting that historical perspective and getting it cheaply.

Pisces

I know one guy who started making his own plastic lures. Not really lures, just wiggly plastic worms, or worm-like baits. He was mixing up some kind of latex or plastic, and he infused it with some kind of scent, and to hear others talk? Those were some mighty magic worms, as they tended to catch fish, black bass, and Florida Bass, when nothing else worked. The problem with his little garage enterprise? The plastic, melting them down, at first over an open flame with a butane burner, then in a kitchen with an electric stove-top? That plastic makes a horrific aroma. Then the scent he layers in? I’m unsure of the legalities, or the if the HazMat people need to be called. Not my thing. I buy stuff like that at the store, already made up, just so I don’t have to make a hazardous waste dump out of a garage, or worse, the kitchen. Still, fisherman will pursue certain ideals to the ragged ends. “Like, you cooking meth in here?” No, it’s worse. The idea is sound, and the results, he was popular with a certain select few fishing buddies. He never shared all of his recipe, either. Some days, some nights, maybe, but during this next week? Keep it secret. Keep the recipe to yourself. “What’s in this?” Just some stuff I had in the garage.

Aries

The last week has laid open a great variety of choices. Problems, puzzles, people, places. One, or more, of those needs fixing. There’s also a difference between “fixing” and “fixating.” The single, biggest obstacle, now that Mars is firmly retrograde in Aries? The difference between “fixing” and “fixating.” Fixing implies action taken to correct an existing problem.

Best example? Fixing a leak. A hole, a simple patch, doesn’t have to be elaborate, and given that Mr. Mars is backwards? Maybe think of this a temporary patch, rather than a full-on repair and replace. But that’s just a simple example, patching a situation, a place, a person, a thing that needs to be helped. Corrected, made serviceable again, even if the patch is only temporary. Or only if the aim to make it a temporary patch. I had a roadside place fix a flat, one time up in Austin, and that patch is still holding. That’s an example, and that must’ve been two years ago, like the last Mars was in Retrograde. Learn from our lesson, Aries, and this is about fixing, not about fixating.

Taurus

Last June, I was working at a show in a hotel convention area. These are typically “ballrooms” converted to metaphysical fair venues. Been doing this for more than quarter of a century, I’m used to it. The hotel, this was the in midst of the summer heat, the hotel, new venue for me, had a pool. I thought about ducking out, between readings, then peeling out of my shirts, taking a quick lap then coming back in to work. Problem: wet skin, wet hair, hits that frigid Air Conditioned canned air? I would catch my “death a cold.” Worse than a pandemic?

This is an example of thinking it all the way through. The temporary relief, the gentle pool water, the faint antiseptic smell of pool chlorine, padding back into the show, dripping, grinning, and barefoot? Makes a bit of a splash, so to speak. But is it really a good idea? While it satisfies my childish energies in a rewarding manner, in the long run, sitting under that AC vent, first getting chilled, then a bone-numbing cold, as the AC continues to blow, cool, dry air over a wet body? Yes, easy to see how this might be a temporary fun, but the lasting implications are less fulfilling. The message, for this week’s Taurus energies? Given where things are, planet-wise, is that really a good idea?

Gemini

One of my fishing buddies contacted me a few weeks back. He wanted me to do a chart reading for a client of his. “No, dude, she’s like, way into astrology, and this would be like a birthday gift for her, how much would you charge me?” Look at the top of these horoscopes, and make a guess that it was a Virgo person who was going to get the reading. Here’s the problem, the reading wasn’t a problem, but collecting from my Gemini buddy?

We’re not set to fish until next month, and although he keeps telling me he’ll swing by with the cash, yeah, I haven’t seen him. “The check is in the mail,” and “I’ll pay on payday,” and many other lies we’ve all heard? At least some of us? Now, I wouldn’t be writing about this but it’s such a perfect way to explain what’s happening in and around Gemini.

There’s the promise, the deal is good, the prognostications are great, and the whole package looks complete, ready to roll. The problem? Gemini delivery. Here’s the deal: I knew, ahead of time, that this was going to take some time to collect on the debt. Not like this is new information. So I didn’t count on my buddy, not named “bubba,” coming through with the cash in a timely fashion. Then, too, there’s the “Friends and family” discount, which is, as I’ve learned over the years, I have to tuck in an extra surcharge, like double the rate so I can discount it by a quarter. $100 X 2 = $200, with a $50 discount. “So I owe $150? Sounds right. I’ll get that to you next week.” As a Gemini, this next week? Feel free to borrow my mathematical styling and equations for billing purposes.

Cancer

Cruising around online, I was looking at a review of a certain product. Think: new fishing gear. The part that amused me the most? The reviewer, a credentialed and acknowledged leader in the field, his opinion has great value for sure, his review was somewhat damning. Didn’t like the product as it “Didn’t work for him.” What I found most useful, the review itself went through and enumerated a number of issues relating to fit and finish, which, in my mind’s eye, I could easily see was exactly as advertised.

What the product was designed to do, it did. Performed exactly as advertised, worked like it was supposed to, and in the example? The reviewer wanted something else. This week, for the Moon Children, there are no magical elixir products that will cure everything. There are no products that fix stuff that isn’t really broken. Soon as I read that review? I knew what the product would do, that it would perform as I wanted it to, and it would catch fish — if there were fish in that lake. Simple enough. As long as I was putting that in front of fish, they would bite.

The Leo

Word for the week? “Obfuscation.” I could cheat, and just run out the dictionary definition of the word, but that would fill up too much space and wouldn’t do justice to the sense and sensibility that I’m driving towards for The Leo. There is a sense, though, that a certain amount of dissembling, disambiguation, and otherwise dithering serves the greater Leo good better than anything else. It’s not that there is any real message herein, it’s just that ambling about, mumbling, not being clear, and, in short, obfuscating the answers? That’s the best way to deal with this week. No answers, or mumbled answers, or indistinct questions with no apparent direction serve much better than the usual, good Leo “Charge straight ahead! Follow me!” What might be the answer to this week’s Leo question? Obfuscation. I think I was pretty clear, right?

Obfuscation is the obscuring of the intended meaning of communication by making the message difficult to understand, usually with confusing and ambiguous language. The obfuscation might be either unintentional or intentional (although intent usually is connoted), and is accomplished with circumlocution (talking around the subject), the use of jargon (technical language of a profession), and the use of an argot (ingroup language) of limited communicative value to outsiders. (via Wikipedia)

astrofish.net/travel for appearances

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