Horoscopes for 6-24-2021

Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer,
Chok’d with ambition of the meaner sort;
And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerset hath offer’d to my house,
I doubt not but with honor to redress.

Richard Plantagenet in Shakespeare’s Henry 6 pt. 1, 2.5.122-

Cancer

Do it because it feels good? Or do it because it’s good for you? Eternal dichotomy of life. Faced off against that existential angst-like question? Do the right thing or do the thing that’s right?

The preponderance of previous Gemini influences, metered between the burgeoning Leo materials, even now? Most correct or the action that corrects the most? Weighing in, just a little, I’d offer a quick hint, do what feels good but offers, in the longer term, to do better for everyone involved. So, to bounce back to the original questions, as I framed it near the top? Do it because it feels good? Or do it because it is good for you? The correct answer — look at Mars and Venus — the correct answer? Do it because it is good for you. Happy birthdays, &c.

The Leo

I was looking around the other evening, and I feel into an Internet Hole that was nothing but motorcycles. “Cafe racers,” to be precise, and in my time, that was my preferred mechanical toy. Take a large street bike, and then strip away the material that was unnecessary — in the good, old system, that would include some fenders, turn signals, useless dashboard components, and so forth. However, into the rabbit’s warren of newer and more stylized versions I found?

The current crop of cafe racers, stripped-down, lean riding machines? They were starting to grow excessive appendages, like fenders, and headlights, luggage racks, and more. The stylistic renderings were exercises based on the stripped and bare style, with more material added. As The Leo, pause, think about what I discovered in that hour spent looking at current offerings of cafe racers, and think back, to my good, old days when we stripped the motorcycles down to the frame, then assembled only the most important parts, usually with numerous mechanical refinement to make the motors spin faster — and often times — louder, theoretically quicker. Less crap hanging on the frame, big, biting tires, loud pipes, low-slung handlebars for leaning into the curves, and quicker gear sets. Starts with stripping it all down to nothing, then adding back only the parts that are required, like headlight, taillight, but let the mechanical beast within shine brightest with as little help as possible — kind of far away from those images I was looking at the other evening.

Virgo

Roughly, 4 out of every 5 Virgo-themed characters I know, approximately 80%? By next week, when Mercury is officially no longer retrograde? By then, as if there was single, cosmic light switch that had been flipped, that large majority of Virgo heaves up a collective sigh, and assumes that everything will be all right. That is so not the case. The planets, and their influences, this isn’t like a magic line in the sand, step over that line and everything is better, you know it doesn’t work like that in the real world, so yes, no, and the approximately 80% of ya’ll? Technically, it is better. Technically, life is being set back on its correct path. Technically, no longer Mercury in Retrograde, but as far as real interpretations? I would think about treating the current instability here, and elsewhere, I would think about treating it like it was Mercury in Retrograde until the holiday passes — wait until after July 4th.

But that’s just me.

Libra

Tea Time is a quaint, rather British tradition. At least, I think it started in the UK. My experience has always been with the British-styled version of High Tea. To me, it is a meal unto itself, too, but the notion of tea? In my overly coffee-caffeinated ways, tea is an anomaly. However, in an effort to break with my American traditions of coffee, I switched it up for tea, for a while. Just different, and essentially, it was nothing more than a black tea, me being American, in a tea bag, none of the artfulness, or pomp and circumstances, just some hot water and tea bag. However, bowing to convention, I started using a timer. I realize, for me, this flies in the face of some conventions, but it worked. I could easily get two cups of tea from one tea bag, as well, three minutes the first time and five minutes the second time. British ancestors are roiling. But, for me, this worked. For Libra, this means, look at some traditional aspect, and then modify that, but only modify it a little. Like, I used an exact timer. Boiling water, three minutes. Less bitterness, better flavor, and a little up-lifting. What more could a Libra ask for?

Scorpio

There is always one, and I’m thinking of one of my friends, and at this point in our lives, you would think we are beyond getting firecrackers, and blowing stuff up. But we’re not, not entirely. He makes a perfect example of what not to do for Scorpio. My buddy, standing there with a pile firecrackers of various forms, and lit cigar in his hand, that cigar? He touches the glowing cherry to the firecracker’s fuse, then launches the explosive. Sometime, though, not saying that he had been drinking a lot of beer or anything, but sometimes? The fuse appears to be shorter than one would guess, or he held on longer than one should, or any number of arcane combinations of similar factors, notwithstanding the empty cans of beer. Yes, it’s pretty easy to see how this could result in permanent damage to the Scorpio body politic. The funniest — to me — he lit the fuse, cracked his arm back for an epic launch, and dropped the firecracker. Went off behind him. Did a little dance. Laughed and lit another. I think that’s the message, he’s already hard of hearing, so the aural damage is minimal, but laughing in spite of his mistakes? Of course, this is all dangerous and should never be done without adult supervision. The warning? C’mon, don’t drink that much and play with fireworks. If you do? Make sure you got a buddy close by who’s sober enough to drive to the emergency room.

“No, man, I don’t need a doctor.”

Scorpio, are you sure about that?

Sagittarius

I’m sure there are studies that can prove this, but the flow information has much to do with where we land. As a Sagittarius myself, one of the casually (non-academic) systems I’ve liked? Runes. Nordic runes, with their basic alphabet and some of it is not understood, and some is supposition, and some is mere guesswork. Meanings handed down, or “interpreted” can be unreliable. Still, I’m fascinated by the systems. Then, too, I found that runes could be combined, several symbols to make one. The story of the English Language and its ampersand is the closest, and possibly only viable parallel, &c. As Venus moves into fiery Leo, joining Mars, and the recent upset of other celestial bodies? Look towards the way information flows from one person to another, and then, look at the systems used to convey that information. There anecdotal evidence that Vikings or their ilk made landfall in US/Canada long before any other Northern European explorers. Watch how expansion like that falls a flow of information.

Capricorn

Ceramic or glass is the best container for coffee. The glass or ceramic is hard, and therefore, inert, impervious to adding or subtracting from the coffee’s inherent flavor. Problem being, the containers themselves are subject to breakage. I broke a glass coffee pot. No big deal, accidents happen? It’s just this was a time when I wanted that coffee — needed the coffee — and I didn’t want to be inconvenienced in an attempt to replace the broken kitchen container. One fishing buddy swears I’ll just chew on roasted coffee beans, if nothing else, but that’s not exactly true. Can’t say we didn’t think about that one, huh, Capricorn? So this current crop of Capricorn crap? Seems like the quickest, maybe not most convenient, but most expeditious plan? If it breaks? Hurry out and get a replacement, right now. Don’t do like I did and put it off, wherein the angst and agony just got worse for no reason, other than, you now, I was being a typical Sagitarrius and delaying the inevitable. Yeah, do as I say, not as I do, and get after it sooner.

Aquarius

On one of the image sharing sites, something from social media? There was a blank chart wheel with the usual 12 signs then, the degrees, then the decants, were further shaded. For Aquarius, despite my years of study, I had never quite seen the connection displayed like that, each of the ten degrees of Aquarius was assigned, Venus, Mercury, Moon. It tripped me up because, I know, someplace, that data must’ve been presented, each decant having subsidiary planet association. Information I’ve learned, forgotten, and then, in our post-modern, hyper-connected world? Old data resurfaces. The data in the simple graphic turned out to be a well-spring of “old” new information, and help in delineating what’s up ahead. The message? Aquarius? Old data that seems new. Run with that.

Pisces

Image I’ve employed over the years? Too numerous to mention, but yeah, probably overused? Rock, middle of a flowing stream. Stream flows around the rock. Couple of creek beds, I used to see this in, but our South Texas creeks tend to swell with angry rain water, and then subside to near soporific, miasmic messes. So we don’t often see “The water flowing around the rock,” as I’ve suggested. However, we can easily imagine it, right? As a Pisces, that imagination is the well-spring of success and dreams, often intertwined. There’s a very fixed problem, the rock in the middle of the stream, and the swift-like-a-gazelle Pisces needs to flow around the problem, not stopping to address, cajole, attempt to coerce, or otherwise attempt any action towards changing the fixed problems — that other people have.

Aries

Less here, and more from childhood memories? Portions of my formative summers were spent in the old, Red Dirt neighborhood. Not a neighborhood, really, as this term, “red dirt” refers to the slash of visible soil that runs along the Texas-Oklahoma border, not quite sandstone, and not quite sand. At the wrong season, or wrong time of the year, it’s part of the “Tornado Alley,” stretches up and down the heartland. That summer-time, red-dirt connection, it’s hot, it’s dry, there’s a sense that the earth will open up and show an inferno below, and yet, with that reckless abandon of youth? There’s the running, excitement, and aimless days filled with activity of our own devising. Just because Aries is running free, at this time? Others are less fortunate. Have to make allowances for other signs not enjoying new-found freedom.

Taurus

I do know my way around a kitchen. I can cook. Not always a favorite activity, but one that I am accomplished enough to understand efficiency, and what should go where. However, I also know that the old saw, “Too many cooks spoil the beans,” so I know when to stay out of the way. A sharp knife slicing vegetables? I ask, “You want help with that?” The single glower indicates that I am a nuisance, indicating I should back away slowly, bringing in questions of my familial lineage, my possible heritage, and besmirching my gender. I get it — not wanted as an accessory on this dish. Understanding that too many, in this example, merely two, is too much? That is the energy floating freely in Taurus, two might be too many for now. In the kitchens I’m used to working in, the spaces tended to be small and cramped, so it was obvious that it was a one-person job.

Might be less obvious, now, but this is one of those weeks, “No, I got this.”

You sure you don’t need any help?

“No, I got this.”

Gemini

“Seriously, Mercury was retrograde, so I’m not responsible for my actions!” Not how this works, Gemini dear, but you get points for making an effort along those lines, blaming the planet when events haven’t turned out the way one wants them to. Sorry about that, but blaming the planets falls in my turf — not yours. You can observe, kvetch, and complain, but blaming is strictly not allowed. Looking for excuses, and yes, Mercury was retrograde, but by the end of this, Mr. Mercury is no longer in arrears, and that means, cosmically, that we can all start getting our Gemini back on. Means talk about it. Post, talk, text, email, whatever form suits you best. One Gemini fishing buddy will be talking to me, and then texting me at the same time, sort like a live audio-visual experience, and doubled-up, at that, which, if you’ll note, is a perfect Gemini Twins representation. Which is what this all about. Open up those communication floodgates, all bets are off, now. You’re good to go. It might take twice as much to get there, but that’s not a typical problem for your twin selves.

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