Horoscopes for 2-25-2021

K. Edw. (Kneeling.) By earth, the common mother of us all,
By Heaven, and all the moving orbs thereof,
By this right hand, and by my father’s sword,
And all the honours ’longing to my crown,
I will have heads, and lives for him, as many
As I have manors, castles, towns, and towers!— (Rises.)

Marlowe’s Edward 2 3.2.132

Mars is headed into Gemini, arriving 3.3.2021, around 10:09 PM (you mileage may vary), Venus moves into Pisces, and there are the ongoing waning aspects of Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius. But what do the horoscopes say?

Pisces

Happy birthday. As Venus enters Pisces, and the Sun heads towards its annual Neptune alignment, I was toiling at a good way to explain how this works. It’s like a game show, like a studio game show on old-time broadcast TV. I never watched those shows, and I never paid much attention, but the games — despite appearances — aren’t really rigged. They are chopped up into bite-sized segments so there’s a sense of urgency, triumph, tragedy, and failure, with at least one obvious victor.

This all gets about 20 minutes of screen time, so it has to be fast-paced, relatively speaking. There’s dramatic action, and at least one family member spends a portion of her afternoons yelling at some contestants on a show, but that’s not what I was thinking about. (Hi Mom) I was more along the lines of the questions, and how each question has a right answer, a wrong answer, and then, there’s always the option to guess. As an avowed Pisces fan, I know that you know the best answer to the game-show-like questions this week, and the best answer? For all the money on the board, or all the points, or however that is scored? The best answer is a very Pisces intuitive guess. It’s really a guess based on a surprising accumulation of facts, but it is that, “It just came to me” kind of answer. Win big? I want 1%.

Aries

Inspiration is a tricky, fickle experience. Sometimes, it hits like a freight train rolling through the night, nothing that can be avoided. Other times, it takes a ticklish touch to tease out the tempting morsels and suggestions that the muse might offer up. Inspiration isn’t necessarily in short supply with Aries, but the up and coming shift in Mars will have some strange effects on the Aries affect. See how I worked that in?

One writer I respect? He claimed that a person had enough experience as a person, by age 7, to have worlds of data to write about. No more inspiration required, according to that one guy. Can’t say I entirely agree, but as an Aries-compliant person, there’s been enough experiences in your life so that inspiration and experiences can dictate choices. Right after the full moon, though, there’s a little window of time where some decisions might be better left undecided. Not a typical trait, and not really good, but think of this as a time for a pausing, passing moment, rather than a more direct call to (Aries) action.

Taurus

Mars is on his way out, but he hasn’t left yet. As such, there’s still a lingering “Mar Effect” in Taurus. When I look at Mars in Taurus, in a natal chart, I like it as it speaks, to me, as an overtly sensual expression of that Mars drive. However, in transit, like now? It looks more like a little too much fuel on the fireplace of The Bull’s lifestyle and choices. Too much energy, too much push and pull, too much drive, and oftentimes? That drive lacks a coherent direction.

“But we have to do something!?!” The punctuation, not grammatically correct, but it carries a certain message, an exclamation point followed by a question mark, again, followed by an exclamation point. There’s the hint that there’s a question here, as to whether this course of action is good, but that’s weighed against more push (or pull) towards any kind of an action, and less concern about the direction that the action takes. More drive, less direction, which, as inferred, results in a curious, grammatically incorrect emphasis wherein the poor Taurus is stuck acting first then thinking about the outcome. Hint: look before you leap. Or any other approbate metaphor that conveys the idea that not all Mars-infused action is correct.

Gemini

Little stuff gets under the Gemini skin. Little stuff. Minor irritants. Peoples. Pea gravel. Winter leaves that weren’t entirely raked up and composted or hauled off? Not even whole leaf, just fragments of brown, dead leafs, from the sidewalk getting tracked into the house. See what I mean about how this is little stuff?

Not even a big deal, a little deal, just annoying. Only, now there’s more of it, everywhere. Next week, week after, as Mars arrives then gets comfy in Gemini? You’l have adequate energy to deal with each and every one of those minor annoyances.

Until then?

“Well, ahem. Good luck with that.”

Cancer

One of my sage elders, a gentleman I look up to, professionally? His advice about our business, as readers and seers? Fakirs, and that ilk? My buddy’s advice was to work at every event in my neighborhood, and that’s a loose definition, but his suggestion was to work at every event — and venue — possible. While I would pass that along to younger professionals, my juniors and such, I’m not sure that the advice applies to me, not any more. I can’t, or I won’t, work at just any pop-up event that is just in my area.

I’ve learned to be more judicious with expenditures of my time. What’s good, what’s not good, what sends the wrong message, and what is an offer that seems too good to be true, so it just might be? Then, too, there’s the ethical considerations, and some of the places that have asked for my presence are less than “pure” with the obvious intent. It’s about reading what is on the surface, and then looking at what might be underneath that thin veneer. In my list of places I’ve worked, I tend to stick with tried, true, and karmically correct places (and people). Makes my life easier, and better. So the advice that this week’s stars spell out? Be more circumspect, more judicious with how, and where, one spends one’s time. Not every offer is a good offer.

The Leo

“Waiting in the wings” is theatre talk. It means, waiting off-stage, out of sight, off to one side, while the host, hostess, master of ceremonies, or other actors get ready with the introduction. You’re waiting in the wings at this moment. This next couple of days. Rehearse those Majestic Leo lines in your head. Glance at your talking points as a note.

One speaker I know, he used to pencil in short reminder phrases on his shirt’s cuffs, so he wouldn’t forget. He rarely forgot his lines, but having a visible clue worked for him. I think the act of writing down the high points helped him recall. As The Mighty Leo, let me remind you: you got this. You can do this. It’s easy.

Just as Mars shifts signs, this all gets a lot easier. Just as Mars shifts, you can almost time this with Leo stage entrance, as Mars moves, the spot light swings over to the side you’re at, and the announcer suggest, “And now, with no further ado, here’s a our guest, the star….” Or whatever preamble prattle they have lined up. This is about waiting in the wings and waiting until it is time to jump out on stage and do your thing (whatever that is.)

Virgo

One of my favorite sports, these days, is making fun of the Valentine’s Day crap. I live in South Texas now, and the notion of a fat little baby boy, armed with a crossbow and shooting for the heart? Kind of brings about a different interpretation to what is considered “normal” Valentine’s crap. The next, two, three weeks for Virgo is redolent in the effervescent aromatic blend of “romance oil.”

Grease to some of us, essential oils to others. Magical, spell-casting material to some. The notion of romance, though, and this is in its idealized format, so the Valentine’s reference isn’t out of place, that romanticized, heart-string yanking, cloying scented crap-fest? Yeah, that catches the essential Virgo-ness for the next few days. Maybe weeks, if you’re not attentive. Is this bad? Not really, just, be aware. Be aware those are rose-tinted glasses, and be aware that the rose tint is also a romantic rose scent that might affect the usual good judgement you’ve got. It’s not bad, just be aware that Valentine’s Day has finally caught up, and don’t confuse romance with reality — they are wee different beasties.

Libra

The face of the public libraries has changed. Used to be a stodgy old building full of dusty books. For me, it’s a lot different as my county had one of the first major book-less digital libraries, and then, the local libraries got on board with similar tech. The curmudgeon-like spinster lording over her stash of books, the old lady with a permanent frown? Yeah, that’s gone.

The current crop of both libraries and librarians is quite different. It’s about access to information. In my own mind, there are three kinds of books. One, is a book that I buy, cherish and lovingly care for on a bookshelf at home. I aim for pristine first-editions in that realm. Hardback. Two, is a book that I use, often, irreverently, for data storage and retrieval, think: textbook, stuffed with marks, dog-eared pages, and margin notes. Three, is what I think of as a Library book, something that is popular fiction, or romantic trash, but a book that I would read once, then discard, and those books, that third category, those are best as borrowed library books since I have no intention of marking in the book, or even retaining the title after I’m done. While most Libra will like to collect certain novels and books by certain authors, this is a week for library books — books that are fun, books that are entertaining, but titles that might not be part of the Libra permanent collection. It’s like renting a movie instead of buying one? Same thing?

Scorpio

A “trope” is figurative or metaphorical use of an expression, a term I borrow from the poetry camp. The expression I played with, too many times? “A tall, dark, handsome stranger from a foreign land,” as a way to properly evoke the sense of this energy. The trope itself goes back further than the normal reach of my material, as I’ve heard that expression bantered about in popular fiction over a hundred years.

Nothing new, promising that a person who fits the bill of “tall, dark, and handsome” will ride in to save the Scorpio day. Yeah, probably not going to happen like that. But this subtle — or not so subtle — shift of Mars, up and coming? That lets the attention fall back to just Uranus, and in his position, opposite from Scorpio? That promises a solution that comes in from someplace that would seem rather unexpected, at least, unusual on the surface. Dig deeper with the symbolism, and it’s obvious that the source of succor and Scorpio success isn’t really that unexpected. Perhaps unusual, but not unexpected, but to the average eye? “Wow, I did not see that coming.” Sure you did. It’s that old trope, you know.

Sagittarius

What was advertised was a fully-automated drip-coffee coffee-maker. Images on amazon showed three perfect espresso-style cups of coffee with a nice layer of crema on top, like a hand-poured espresso. What I wound up with and it’s now been re-gifted? It was a Mr. Coffee knock-off, with a cheap, built-in electronic watch and timer that worked, sometimes, to make drip coffee. The ad copy suggested that the machine would wake up, grind up some fresh-roasted beans, make a delicious and steaming cup of coffee, and serve it bedside. It was a rather inexpensive deal, and there’s a reason it was so cheap: it works, as suggested, only under ideal conditions. Means the stars have to align perfectly, and even then, it was nothing more than horrible mash-up of bad alarm clock and Mr. Coffee. Bastard child technology and that’s not a compliment. What’s with the scathing one-star review? As Mars moves, shifts into a forward manner, across from Sagittarius, this means we get unrealistic expectations. Looking at the images, like, just on the packaging of that coffee-maker? I was for sure that nubile nymphets would be serving me coffee in bed, at the appointed hour, and the domicile would be filled with the aromatic blend of sweet coffee, and floral overtones that join at the notion of work getting accomplished. When it doesn’t live up to the hype? Can’t say I didn’t try and warn us.

Capricorn

“Yeah, better start a fresh pot of coffee for this.” Heard it before, will hear again, and as the week starts to unfold? “Yeah, better start a fresh pot of coffee for this (something).” For me, the correct temperature for February Coffee is someplace between boiling hot, and tepid. It’s best served well-above room-temperature. Various automated drip coffee makers have a warming plate, but sometimes, that’s almost too warm. There is a perfect temperature that preserves the flavor, and keeps the chemical structure of coffee intact. Fortunately, at this last place I found the warmer setting on the electric stove-top that was perfect for keeping a large pot of coffee at the perfect temperature. What this week’s Capricorn energy is seeking? That perfect balance point between “hot enough that it tastes and feels like hot coffee,” but also “cool enough so that is doesn’t lose any potency or flavor in the next three hours.” As a Capricorn — look — this might not really be about coffee, but it is a week when that balance point between too much, too little, too strong, too weak, all off that plays into this. For me, I was just happy to finally arrive at the perfect setting for morning coffee.

Aquarius

There’s a 50 to 70-year flashback I like for this time. It’s about looking back, or looking way-back, to see where we’re all headed. It has to do with early “Mid-Century Modern,” and I was going to couch that around furniture design. It’s a “retro” space-agey look that was shaped with lines that flowed, and the cars hinted at jet fins with tail lights that looked like a rocket’s fire. That gave way to a more minimalist styling that eventually got us to where we are now. But that original intent, the Mid-Century Modern is where this week starts. Might be where it finishes, too, but the idea, the concepts, the ideas behind the ideas, that material, and here’s where dredging libraries and history texts helps, looking up what was, so we can more easily plot a course forward. As an Aquarius, plotting a forward course is most important, and picking the way forward is dependent upon where we’ve all been. Start by looking back, a lot of this is 50 or even 70 years old now. Look backwards, then pick and choose what is most aesthetically pleasing to the innate Aquarius sense of place. That strange, to some taste that you’ve got. Pick something that you like then use Saturn’s ability to gradually pare away, chip away at what’s there to get to real essence of the week’s material. Think: Rocket Ships.

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