Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war

• Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar 3.1.272-3

“The one who surrenders doesn’t get to make the terms —“

• -Vern

Vern was an old fishing buddy from back in the day. Another buddy reminded me of the statement, I thought I’d post it along. Vern was Sagittarius — seems germane.

New Moon in Sagittarius, Dec. 14, 2020 around 10:50 AM, local. Saturn slips into Aquarius, Dec. 16, 2020 around 10:59 PM. As always, astrological calculations are deemed reliable but not absolute. Your mileage may vary.

Horoscopes for 12.10.2020

Wishing you a happy whatever doesn’t offend you season.

Sagittarius

Been several decades now, but I switched out to a front pocket wallet to carry my cash and cards because. Because? There are a couple of reasons. On a busy city street, or place where I clearly look like a tourist, which is most of the time, I figure I’m an easy-looking target. Front pocket carry makes sense from a security point of view. Then there’s the ergonomics, of it, too. Buddy who is a massage therapist, he suggested that the big, fat wallets were a major source of pain and mis-aligned backs. Which suited him, but he carried his minimal wallet in his front pocket. He also pointed out that a front pocket carry wallet, no matter the size, didn’t have to come out every time he sat down. Security. Comfort. Both of these are Sagittarius concerns. Happy birthday, and now? Think about a simple change that helps immediately and has long-lasting effects. In my example, it was simply moving my wallet from a back pocket to a front pocket. Simple change. Made all the difference. Birthday, new moon, holiday madness, and how about, just for Sagittarius, a single, simple change that results in better posture, less lost wages, and fewer incidents of theft?

Capricorn

Psychology of the line. That’s what this is about. I was relating, to a fishing buddy, the story about how, when running marginally successful nightclub, “back in the day,” the trick was to start a line, out in front, the velvet ropes, the surly doormen? Start a line and cite “crowded limits due to fire capacity” or some such lame excuse. Whatever works, right? I guess, these days, limited seating to due to current conditions? That was the idea. In more strategic marketing, this is considered creating a false sense of scarcity, think that’s the term. “Limited time offer,” only a few remaining, act now. Yes, same thing. What Capricorn can watch for, even now?

Don’t fall for that ruse. Old marketing trick. I tried it, once, with “Supplies are limited to what’s on hand,” and I was referring to digital copies of my books — which, in digital format? The limiting factor is bandwidth, not storage, but available bandwidth to download the books themselves. At that, even the digital storage isn’t that much. However, be careful because, what’s going on, even now? There’s that false sense of scarcity, an old trick, a little fear-mongering helps, too, but this is a limited time offer, you know? Watch for it.

Aquarius

Expression, I have no idea where I picked this one up, but the expression? “Learn the macro from the micro.” In other words, focus on a tiny task, a simple solution to a complex problem. I’ve already used Occam’s Razor in other places, so, no, that wasn’t it. However, the idea is eerily similar, now that I look at it for Aquarius — lean into it, and “learn the macro from the micro.” I need to find a source. Footnotes to a horoscope? Whatever. The idea is that performance of a simple task, an easy solution to an obvious challenge, then taking that same set of skills and applying it to the larger, analogous problem? Learning how to solve the macro with learning first how to solve the micro. Easy to see, like that? Applies to this week’s Aquarius elements, you know, solving it in small format, first, before taking on the bigger challenges.

Pisces

There is always that tug on a fishing line, the fragile tip of a lightweight pole, the way a fish nibbles then chomps the bait. The light touch, the errant feel of a fish pulling back. This example? I was on the dock, bayside, late November. That cool sea breeze ruffling the top of the water, and some fish, oblivious to the approach of winter’s fury. Texas Gulf, Devil’s Elbow, the Texas Gulf Coast, and I wish, sort of, it was a second home. However, remembering the fury of the summer storms and their devastation, and playing snowbird some weeks? Not really something I’m all that interested in. Sometimes, sure. However, the light touch of the fish as the they nibble, the speckled trout are notorious for being ferocious but light eaters. Takes a special kind of feel, a delicate touch, and, to me, an almost intuitive feel for when to set the hook. It’s a gentle, winter sport. Delicate. More delicate than hauling in big fish in the middle of the summer fun. So this week? Like that fall — late November for me — fishing? Requires a subtle, almost intuitive touch. Same for Pisces, rely on that gut instinct when to haul in the big fish.

Aries

I had a shot at going to the gulf coast this last week. It’s gorgeous at this time of the year, depending. I passed because I’ve got a few odds and ends the need to be fixed here, and a potential lock-down situation. Then there’s the weather. I used to enjoy fishing some days in December, as it was amusing, and properly fortified, quite enjoyable. But I’m no longer a fan of remotely cool weather, and the way the wind blows — along the gulf coast? Not worth the trip. There are some very pleasant days, and cuddling up with the right person, huddled under a warm blanket in a fishing camp? That’s good, too. Just the part where, on the water it’s cold. Cold wind, cold water, cold fish. I turned it down because I’ve suffered enough for fishing, and while the idea is wonderful? The execution leaves much to be desired. If I had a warm place to stay, and warm place to fish, and a guarantee that weather was going to stay nice and balmy, even a little breezy, but not too much? I would be all in. No guarantee. Looking at a weather app, I’ve been there when the wind turns to the north and the temperature plummets by 30 degrees, so yes, no. For Aries? Follow me on this, holidays and seasonal variation and so forth? The correct answer is, “Yes, no.”

“Yes I would love to, but no,
cold weather doesn’t suit me.”

Taurus

Thinking through the Aries horoscope, about fishing in cold weather? I recall, I used to have pair of “high school football receiver” gloves. Thin gloves with an extra row of protection in the back, while the palm and fingers were made from what felt like an almost sticky substance. Really thin, artificial material that allowed for the most delicate sense of touch. These are gloves that were, according to the marketing material, made for high school football receivers. This week? For Taurus? This isn’t really about fishing and gloves, or even high school football, this is about a device, a tool, an item that is designed — and marketed — for a single purpose and discovering the device, tool, or item can be quite useful for other tasks.

Gemini

She asked, “Are you even listening to me?” My first thought? That’s a strange way to start a conversation. Does this even sound familiar? Started as a joke, but seriously, that ability to space out? More a Mercury-inspired influence, but also a problem for Gemini as the planets make motions in weird ways. The bigger part of the challenge comes from understanding this next few days is about listening a little closer and keeping the Gemini mouth more tightly closed.

“Are you even listening to me?”

Cancer

What started in a seedy strip mall, resplendent in all the glory of gradual urban decay? What started in a single storefront, some years back? It grew into a giant behemoth of retail juggernaut, with tentacles stretching across the US. It’s a used bookstore. Used Books, for sale, along with some steeply discounted current new books, but mostly? Just used books. I love the stores because each location, Austin, Dallas, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio, each store has a different vibe. I write about it frequently because it’s a place worth prowling. I’m constantly stalking new books to read, or used versions of books I think I would like to have, but I’ve also gotten to the point that I’m careful about what I really buy and take home. That means I’m more of a shopper than a consumer. There was a series of novels based on Shakespeare’s works, and each novel centered around one play, a possible re-interpretation, or alternative re-telling of the story. Perfect to find in Half-Price Books. Part of this is the hunt for the books themselves, stalking the shelves at the used bookstore. Part of this is the thrill of unearthing a new-pristine first edition of some novel, for a mere few dollars. Some of this is hunting and gathering, some of this narrow world view academic literature, and in part, this is about small things that bring great joy. Perhaps that’s the real secret to the Moon Children’s success in the next few days. New Moon? Saturn? Simple, little joys in tiny treasures.

The Leo

Going to be a long couple of years with this stuff. I warned you last time, and you didn’t seem to heed my warnings. It’s about other people. It’s about events, locations, items that are beyond the control of The Leo. None of this is bad, just problematic because this is about material that The Leo will have no control over, whatsoever. Frequently, that is punctuated with an expletive between the “whatso,” and the “ever.” Got an image in your head? Good. Hold not that image as it will serve well in the immediate future, like, the rest of the holiday season, for starters, and for the next week, just to make sure. Check the astrology headlines, so to speak, Saturn. New Moon. Saturn. Saturn moves opposite The Leo, and that suggests? Other people. Other places. Other things. None of which, you can control. Stop trying to get them to do your biding. Look: I know your way is the best way. I know you’re right. I know, you’re 100% correct. Look: I know it but I am the only one, besides, obviously, your majestic Leo self. So? So stop trying to coerce, cajole, or cuddle your way into working for them. Stop. We’ll get a chance to prove that the Leo is correct, but that takes time, and this isn’t a week to push on others.

“So? People are stupid?”

Sums it up nicely.

Virgo

Repeatedly working with various Shakespeare plays warps me a little. However, despite all the academic material I’ve collected over a lifetime, the most important part of any of Shakespeare’s plays? Performance. These are plays, live theater, best interpreted on stage. It wasn’t until some years after my university eduction that I figured out that the plays need to be seen live (on stage) to be understood. Movie versions are a close second, depending. Admittedly, some are better than others. There are always the amateur performances that lack certain refinements but more often, make up the lack with sheer drive and determination. All varies, too. One play, I saw twice, same actors, same stage, the second time was way more smooth, but not as high energy. Each show varies. The key to understanding the stage version of the Shakespeare plays? Listen to the words, but try not to get caught up in the majesty of the poetry. Just listen, watch, and feel. Going back and looking up passages, I know I felt something around Act (something), so I’ll go back to the words that spell it out more clearly but at the moment, I was swept along with the emotion on the stage, the arc of the story or whatever. I’m not debating authorship, scholarship, or various other refinements to the store of knowledge. What I’m saying, listen to the words and see how those words dictate the actions. The Virgo stage directions are in this week’s words. It’s part of the script, just follow along. You’ve got it.

Libra

Pretty simple — holiday-like — image for this week’s Libra influences. “Lend a hand, here?” This isn’t complicated. As a child, I can recall wrapping Xmas gifts, as my parents tried to tutor me in the art of fancy gift wrapping. Worked after a fashion, but I never cottoned to the idea entirely. It’s like a dance, I know the steps, but without practice, I’m not very good. However, the image for Libra? “Lend a hand here, please?” It’s the simple act of tying up a bow on package, and one of those pretty knots, with a ribbon, possibly just twine, but I’d like to think a pretty little bow. In order to pull it tight, the other person looks at a Libra, and asks, “Lend a hand, here? Please?” All that’s required of Libra is a simple finger on the first half of the knot for the bow. As the holidays march forth, as the world heads towards a new year, and as Saturn moves towards a new position, changing signs? All that’s required, this is the simplest of gestures, and “Can you lend a hand?” What it really means, can you just help by putting your Libra finger on the knot, long enough to close the bow. So, listen for it, “Lend a hand, please?”

Scorpio

It’s a season for “valuable lessons.” In some examples, these are egregious errors I made in my misspent youth. Really, it wasn’t misspent, I just tended to learn some lessons the hardest way possible. “Don’t do that,” was a challenge, not a command. Headstrong youth, exuberance, and an unhealthy disregard for authority figures, yeah, guess that’s more about me than the Scorpio sky at the moment, but think: Venus leaves Scorpio, and then, there’s a situation, you’ve been warned not to do that, not to try that, or not to buy that, whatever the individual situation is? You’ve been warned, right? That healthy disregard for authority? While I’ll quietly applaud that? Might not work out the way you want it to. The authorities we face in modern life? Frequently, those authority figures are there for a reason. Behooves our Scorpio selves to pay attention to the directions.

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