I cry you mercy, ’tis but quid for quo.

• Margaret in Henry 6 pt. 1 (5.iii.109)

Horoscopes for 12-3-2020

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

Sagittarius

Last month, just prior to Sagittarius, I had BBQ brisket from Black’s in New Braunfels. “This is some of the best brisket I ever had.” I was hungry, and we were on a return trip from Austin. I’d been eating mostly plant-based food for the prior weeks, so it was tasty. Remarkable. Then, a few days later, I had to meet my friends at a favorite BBQ spot in San Antonio, The Brickyard. “This is some of the best brisket I ever had!” Advance the clock a few more days, and a buddy swung through the drive-thru to pick up some brisket from a local grocery store chain. Warm brisket, fresh from their pit, wrapped in butcher paper, grease starting to soak through? “This is some of the best brisket I ever had.” In the period before the Sagittarius birthdays, I had brisket maybe three times. Each time it was a product of the smoker’s craft, each was brisket was rubbed with salt and pepper, no other spices, and then, smoked low’n’slow — to a near perfection. By the time I got the third one, I realized I was suggesting each one was the best ever. At the time, each one was. There are subtle differences, cut of meat, source of beef, woods, temperature, the smoker itself, time and temperature, all matters. As a Sagittarius myself, each day unfolds and has the chance to be the best ever. Have to approach it like that.

“No, this really is the best I ever had!”

Capricorn

There’s a very basic and easy to understand way to see the set of conditions that work for Capricorn. Simple way of looking at this. Easy way to understand what is the most correct course of action is to look at it through a set of very Caprciron tools. It’s like a pair of glasses, but this is specific for the Saturn and Jupiter-infused flavor floating freely in Capricorn.

Look at this as numbers on a spreadsheet. A simple, balance and loss statement. A simple sheet, a simple spreadsheet, I can do this on a phone, it’s that easy, but the simplest way to see this? Numbers on a spreadsheet. Profit. Loss. Win. Lose. Red ink and black ink, and I like to keep Capricorn in the black, which is the old-school term for running with a positive cash-flow. Not everything in life can be reduced to numbers on a spreadsheet, but as an analytical tool, now that the holidays are on the fast approaching pattern? Look at this with a jaundiced very Capricorn set of eyes, and think about this with respect to bottom line, data analytics, and putting it on a spreadsheet to see how it looks.

Aquarius

Always upsetting when this happens, and always upsetting when this happens this close to the holidays. It is the merry-making season, isn’t it? The pandemic problem being, this is when a previous Aquarius decision comes back to haunt us. A simple decision, like what happened one time when my sister undertook a simple kind of routine maintenance on her car. She changed the oil. What she really did was drain the transmission oil then overfill the engine oil. Old car, rugged, and to a certain extent, idiot-proof, but the transmission didn’t run far with no fluid and the engine started to puke excess lubricant. Because she knows a guy who knows a guy, she got it al fixed, relatively inexpensive, but a new transmission, and engine would’ve been costly. Car runs, and she’s decided not to do her own work now. That’s an example of decision that came back to haunt my sister. What I look forward to hearing from Aquarius, next few days, “Damn. Bad decisions back haunt me.”

Pisces

Good week to “avoid the real world.” As a Pisces compliant individual, yes, I understand that the real world isn’t a place we like to be, but as an idea, and way to navigate the next couple of days? Just avoid the real world. There are any number of escapes, and any number of way to get around the ugliness of the real world, and that’s the key. See some real world issues approaching? Duck. Turn and walk away. Get caught in a conversation about the real world? Talk about something else. How about them (insert sports team here). The sports thing usually works. After landing in San Antonio, I had to rethink my sporting allegiance, and “Go Spurs Go” is the local mantra. Like religion, only more important to some. I got stuck in a conversation with a buddy, and I mentioned the Spurs, and that unleashed a long conversation (one sided) about his team, and trades, and new rules, new season, old season, pandemic pricing, failed championship run, and I lost track. But it wasn’t the real world, and that’s as good a way as any to avoid the real word. Actual example of what worked for me. If there isn’t a fishing pole, then I don’t know much. But I do know how to avoid the real world, and following me, is a good example for the Pisces week ahead.

Aries

The term I heard? “Reframe that answer.” I’ll admit, I didn’t understand, not the first time, nor the second time. But about the third time an old fishing buddy pitched that answer at me, I started to understand. “This isn’t a loss; reframe that answer.” So it looked like a temporary setback? “No, reframe that answer.” At one point, I was thinking this was a failure, but it isn’t about failure, or about wins and loses. It’s about what works, what doesn’t work, and what might be working better, if we tried a different way. To me, and I’m not Aries, it looked like a loss. A setback. A time to pause, adjust my attire, and leave. “Ain’t working out, and no reason to be a damn fool about it, let’s just cut our losses and leave.” No, that’s that not the correct answer; it’s about reframing that answer. “Ain’t working out this way; let’s try something similar, but different.” See how my version provides a way to seek a solution? Therein is our goal. Our Aries goal. The way through? Reframe that answer. “Total loss.” No, an opportunity to try a different approach. Reframe the answer. “So it’s not a total loss?” Exactly, we’re just finding out what doesn’t work to our Aries benefit.

Taurus

I was watching one of my fishing buddies. He’s got a backpack with a laptop, same brands, same brand backpack, same brand — same size — laptop I last used. He manages his business from a coffee shop, most afternoons, eschewing conventional office settings, calling on clients and running his various revenue streams from a mobile location, even during the pandemic. In years past, that’s exactly what I did. I wondered what I looked like, and it was glimpse at my own past. Eerily similar, down to brands, casual attitude, and less hair on top than before. It’s a way of seeing what was, with a glance backwards to plot our Taurus ways forward. Really should only be a single pathway that is clear, but I’d like to suggest, just think a little out of the box here, that there might be more than one way forward. Our Taurus way forward includes a few moments’ time to reflect on where we’ve all been. In my case, it was a simple visual of one of my buddies, sitting there in a coffee shop, poking at something on his computer. Same brand. Same size. Same brand of backpack. Weird.

Gemini

There’s a confusing scenario I see play out. It’s where a person tries to finish my sentence, only, gets it wrong. Know what I’m talking about? See? The Gemini was trying to finish the last sentence with “know what I mean,” which wasn’t my choice. That a good guess, and Gemini tends to be good at guessing, but guessing and being correct don’t add up this week. Not in Gemini land. It’s where one person is trying to second-guess, placate, participate, and out-think the other person. Usually, a Gemini can think circles round me. Usually. This isn’t one of those times. There’s a hint that second-guessing winds up close, but not always right. Close is fine in some situations, but when accuracy is required? Might be a problem for the Gemini peoples. You know I love Gemini, right? You knew I was going to say something like that, too, but you guessed it wrong. Therein is our problem and there is no easy solution other than to listen a little longer before opening the Gemini mouth. Maybe less time trying to finish our sentences? See what we really are saying?

Cancer

I thought I always wanted a Rosemary Bush Xmas Tree. I’ve seen them, each year, grocery stores, big box stores, hardware places, Coastal Texas to the harsh Northern Plains. There was a family heirloom rosemary, chronicled elsewhere, that moved around and some of the original plants made it as far south as Austin, a certain trailer park, but like all good things, the line died there. I’m only thinking about those stupid, Rosemary Xmas Tree bushes because they are on sale again. I currently have rosemary aplenty growing in my garden — at least two different strains, short leaf and regular. It’s been one of those “Darwinian” type of plants as I can’t kill it, and the plants thrive under a certain benign neglect, hence the title. My gardening style is best referred to as the survival of the fittest. So the rosemary bushes are on sale again, this isn’t the best time for planting an evergreen, and there’s one other elements to consider. Think about, starting in a month? Starting then, for Cancer, the illustrious and industrious Moon Children, starting in about 33 days? Just after the New Year, &c? Think about starting those rosemary bushes for next year. This is seriously long-term planning — just planting an idea.

The Leo

There’s a couple of planets at “critical degrees” for The Leo. It’s about choices. It’s about decisions. It’s about pushing forward through the apparent pain to arrive, victorious, on the other side. Glorious, victorious, and out on top again. In order to get The Leo into that position? Have to push forward. Now, this requires a slightly gentler touch. When I fish in the middle of the summer? I can set a hook by yanking back on the line, with a sharp pull. But with winter fishing, like the few warm days in December in South Texas, middle of the day, middle of the lake? There’s a more gentle approach I favor. A gentler pull, let the fish nibble at the bait, assure him or herself that he is hungry and the bait looks good. Yes, has to nibble lightly. Then set the hook. Lighter bite in the winter, in Texas. Now, what this means for The Leo? Stuff at critical degrees. Think of me, in the back of the boat, waiting, feeling a slightly motion on the end of the fishing line, and waiting just about a half a beat longer. This stuff at a “critical degree” for The Leo? Requires a lighter touch. Wait for it.

Virgo

There is a forever-image I have of Virgo, one where the Virgo energy is best represented by “prim and proper.” With Xmas hard on our heels ahead? The images of a mythic Victorian Xmas start to pop up and those make for a Virgo-perfect Xmas scenario. The prim, proper, buttoned to the top button, buried under half an acre of cloth? Little hats and probably a proper umbrella as well? All of that. Excess. Images of light snow falling on the streets of London, a faint white dusting to everything, and the notion of joyful Xmas carols, wafting in on the evening’s chilly breeze? That’s the forever-image I have for Virgo. Straight out of a Victorian picture-book. Hint: it’s not real, and having spent a couple of Xmas holidays in London? There’s a gritty, seamy, grime-soaked version that is more accurate. Dirty snow, cold water dripping from the roofs. Soot everywhere. Pause long enough to reconcile the image of the prim and proper with what is really there. That’s how to start the holiday season, in earnest. Take stock of what lies underneath that buttoned-up, lace-fringed, prim, and proper-appearing exterior.

Libra

Some years back, an old friend dropped off a couple of boxes of astrology books. Some were greats, at least two or three were textbooks I recommended, and some was out-of-date and out-of-print materials with the reason they were out of print? Yeah, not applicable scholarship. But there were some gems, too, amongst the boxes of rough-hewn texts, a few worthwhile. One was about a certain astrology theory, and while I don’t really agree with the author entirely, it was worthy of note, and then, the introductory passages struck a chord with me. It was a different phrasing, but essentially about confirmation bias. You ask me a question, and I am predisposed to answer in manner that is what you want to hear, rather than what is the absolute true version. Happens all the time. I do tend to see certain situations as “challenges” and see that there will be solutions, rather than merely terminal endings. This week, for Libra? It’s got one of those as we deal with Saturn, where he is, and that pressure applied to the Libra’s psyche. The correct answer? “No, but …” In other words? Not at this time, but there is a way through this. In part, the author was correct that there is a lack of objectivity, but then, in my body of work? I never claimed to be objective.

Scorpio

Let’s split this into hardware and software. I don’t really need anymore fishing hardware. Would like to have one of those new reels, but no, it’s not a need. However, I can always use more fishing software. Hardware, as defined herein, as the rods, reels, lures, fishing line I use. Plus the assorted trinkets that go along with the process. No, I don’t need anymore hardware. Think I’ve got more than enough. But software? The “intangibles” that go towards fishing? Like the gas I buy for my buddy to tow his boat to the lake? The BBQ I buy after fishing all day, to celebrate a great day on the water, those are the “intangibles,” the software that makes up the experience. Makes a complete experience. So splitting this week into hardware and software to approach whatever the Scorpio question is? That’s what this is about. Tangible versus intangible, or, like I was suggesting, “hardware and software.” Think we’re going to need more Scorpio software.

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