Horoscopes for 8-19-2021

No, no, my dream was lengthen’d after life.
O then began the tempest to my soul!
I pass’d (methought) the melancholy flood,
With that sour ferryman which poets write of,
Unto the kingdom of perpetual night.
The first that there did greet my stranger soul
Was my great father-in-law, renowned Warwick,
Who spake aloud, “What scourge for perjury
Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?”

George, Duke of Clarence in Shakespeare’s Richard 3 1.4.43-51

We start this astrological time with Mercury and Mars conjunct at 12° of Virgo. What it means? Especially with Uranus at 14° of Taurus? The Sun moves out of Leo August 22, at 4:42 PM (local).

Leo

Last the of the majestic Leo birthdays, and then we move onto lesser signs. I know, seems like it was just so much shorter this year, and in a way, it was. I do my best to stretch out the holiday atmosphere for The Leo, but there’s only so much I can do. The attention you’ve been receiving will wander off towards other signs by next week. Not always bad, but this should give you a chance to pause and reflect on what’s at home, and what can be done to make this all fit your Royal Self a little better. I like the idea of clearing clutter, and then cleaning. Not a birthday wish, but there’s a harsh analytical side brought about by other influences in your chart, and this might be the time to start planning on what you’re going to do. Clearing clutter then cleaning. One buddy, I would watch as he would carefully empty out his tackle box, wipe it out, and then carefully replace everything he just dumped out. But it was ordered, no longer a mess, so, you know, it made sense. That would work just as well.

Virgo

You caught that one, huh. I thought it was funny, and happy birthday to that one special Virgo. Mars and Mercury are a little hotter than we like. It warms the mind, but then, that could be like “fried brains,” and while that might be delicacy among certain groups, my typical Vigo wrinkles her nose at such a thought, “Eww.” Then there’s a PSA that has inserted itself into the greater subconscious, the old “this is your brain on drugs,” and the image of an egg frying. It’s almost a trope, and been parodied over and over. But that image?

That catches the feeling, as there’s an incessant urge to do more, and yet, there’s the inherent Virgo caution not to do more, you know, so you won’t and up like that egg — as an example. Mars. Mercury. It’s quite all right to over-analyze this. Wait, is that a mew of discord?

Libra

Venus makes nice, but as the Sun moves over into Virgo, there’s that little warning I have for Libra: caution. Started with objects in the mirror are closer than they appear, and that was some time ago. But the objects in the Libra rearview of life may, in fact, be a little closer than they appear. While Venus makes nice, the rest of the host in Virgo makes for unsettling, unstable, and potentially worrisome times. Is it bad? Only as bad as you make it out to be. I, for one, wouldn’t make it out to be bad, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the energies are all over the place, and mostly, in the subconscious, lining up a number of embattled and embittered memories. How this plays out? Up to your Libra self, but my simple suggestion is to go easy on the expectations of beauteous outcomes. Yeah, Venus does that, ratchets up that expectation that it will be pretty, and then? Can’t say I didn’t try to rein you in a little.

Scorpio

I’m still wondering, who dreamed this up. Take the beans from a plant, just a cherry red bean, then roast that bean, then grind it up, and then pour hot water into the mix. I mean who would think of all that, just to extract delicious, life-affirming coffee. Who thinks this stuff up? “Those cherry-red beans look good, but they are too bitter to eat, however, I wonder if I roast them, does that make a difference?” I have no idea. The myth of the discovery of coffee as a magical elixir is well-documented, but how much of that is factual? I think the best of the origin stories are factual, or, as it seems too common these days? “Based on a real story.” As soon as the Sun pops on over into Virgo, that means Scorpio needs to pull on the filter, and start digging for the truth. Separate fact from myth, and see where they are the same, or similar, but not always the same thing. Fact and myth.

“That’s not really what happened, but it sounds good.”

Sagittarius

There’s an instance with the Full Moon that suggests Sagittarius “hurry up.” Hurry what up? Good question, see the idea is that we’re missing something when, maybe we are, maybe we’re not. What feels like we might be missing something doesn’t mean we are missing anything at all, or what we might think we’re missing? Maybe we need to miss it. Bit of wordplay and bit of a riddle, but then, that’s what happens when the Sun enters the Tropical Zodiac sign of Virgo, and there’s that notion that our Sagittarius selves have been left out of some portion of the deal. I’m not even sure what the deal is, but we’re left out, cut out, or tossed aside. We are missing some aspect of what is going on, and maybe, this is one of those times, we should embrace being left out. “But, I mean, over there?” No, best thing for us to do is nothing. Let it go, dear Sagittarius, let it go.

Capricorn

Used this before, and I’ll use it again. Buddy’s kid, he’ a little Capricorn. Perfect example of what a tiny, redneck Capricorn looks like. To be true to his inner most child-like Capricorn self, that 6 year-old kid looked at a downed limb in my yard, and he asked if he could take it home for firewood. Wasn’t something he was going to need now. Wasn’t something he was going to need until much later, like, next November, maybe December, maybe not even until his birthday in January. That’s, literally, a year away. Most 6 year-old kids are concerned with the next few minutes, and this one is worried about firewood for next winter. This is not a typical kid concern. However, as I’ve noted before, he is a Capricorn, and as such, he’s thinking along very adult lines. It’s too bad more adults can’t think along the same lines as that kid. it’s about the future, and what can be done — what can be done now — for the Capricorn future, which doesn’t come until later. Just a notion. Lay in firewood now, as that kid thinks it will be a cold winter ahead. As my buddy observed, “Kid doesn’t ever want to be that cold again.”

Aquarius

As a gift from my father’s father, to me, I’ve carried pocketknives. In these days of heightened security protocols, this less common. A number of my more rural, less urban buddies all carry large folding knives. Some carry the portable, folding thing, pliers, tweezers, screw drivers, files, and so forth, all in a convenient package, typically, made from tool steel. I prefer a high carbon steel, as — for me — the blade tends to retain an edge longer. It stains quicker, and easier, looking tarnished when it’s merely the effect of repeated use. The high-carbon steel seems better suited, and it harkens back to those original pocket knives from when I was a child. Part of this is deep-seated memories. Part of this is current practical application. As a final note, that carbon steel? While it retains an edge better, and longer? I’ve found that it helps to run it over a whetstone, just a few licks, as often as I think about it. Never hurts, while it keeps that edge shiny and bright. It’s about sharpening your tools, whatever those Aquarius tools are, sharpened them, or just running them over the whetstone for a quick lick, just to be make sure everything is as good as it can be. Ready. Prepared.

Pisces

I’ve been accused of being lazy. I prefer a different description, “Kramer? He’s not afraid of work. He’ll curl up right next to it and go to sleep.” Sounds about right. As far as Pisces goes, next few days, looking at a holiday weekend in the distance? Think about that comment about me, and how I relate to work. Recall, too, this is an outsider’s view, and to them it looks like I’m resting. Resting on laurels, resting on my fundament, or just supine and “napping.” To an outsider, it might look like Pisces is just avoiding a strenuous job at hand. The little secret? Cogitation, Cogitation and meditation. A bit of both, and it might look like you’re just shutting your eyes and drifting off, but a little bit of pointed effort towards a single answer to a perpetual conundrum in your own life will yield results.

“Looks like you’re sleeping.”

I’m meditating.

Aries

I’m not a fan of the “talking cure.” However, I’ve found that the “talking to myself” cure works pretty well. It’s about how we choose to address whatever it is that is going on, and how honest we can be, within our own mind, with the circumstances. Venus is opposite from you, while the scope starts with Mars and Mercury in a quincunx to Chiron in Aries. It was one of the early psychologist who weren’t much more than voodoo doctors, but one of them Freud? Jung? Skinner? One of them termed it “the talking cure.” Find someone. Find confidante, a trusted soul, a buddy, there is exactly one Aries, go to confession. Any combination, dress how you want, but the simple answer is talking this through with someone you trust. I’m no fan of “the talking cure,” but as I see it, the stars suggest it.

Taurus

I go with trends, and for some time, I was preparing almost every meal in a cast iron skillet. The secret ingredient? Bacon grease. While that is universal throughout most of the regional cooking I was raised with, the idea is that bacon grease has a relatively high flash point, tastes like, well, bacon, and it works. I’m sure I’ve used this as an example before, but the simple fact is, the bacon grease does what no other grease can do with that frying pan and food. It’s flavor. It’s seasoning. Some days, it’s a source of sodium. Other days, it’s merely the last of the finishing touches when I clean up after cooking. The skillet does heat evenly, if a little slow to warm up, and the grease helps. The cure for all Taurus ills? You guessed it, “bacon grease.” This can show up in variety of guises, coconut oil, palm oil, whatever is this week’s favorite food replacement oil. Butter, yes, plain old butter works, too. My heritage includes some Southern Roots, so, yeah, we’re going with bacon grease. Something to help move everything along, tastes great, and smells like, well, bacon, in the pan.

Gemini

This gets easier as the days stretch out, but this next cycle starts with a bit of a bang. Kind of an understatement, isn’t it? “Bit of a bang?” Mars agitates and illuminates, while Mercury analyzes and thinks about action. One is action — the other is acerbic. Both are required, and because this is essentially an uncomfortable transit, the tension angle causes rash, impetuous decisions that might not be in your enlightened best Gemini interest. Realize that there’s a loud start, but a soft finish — a big buzz then a gentle finish. Goes big, then goes home. When you hear that big bang, or the loud report, or the jarring start? Understand that less action is required on the part of the Gemini. Less action, more thinking.

Cancer

The best co-pilot for the sensitive Moon Children, Cancer Moon-influenced Sign? Native intelligence and intuition. There’s also a strong hint, Venus trine Saturn, with that Venus also squaring certain Cancer elements in a chart? Indicates that wisdom and guidance comes from an unlikely place. Usually, I would suggest one “Listen to their betters,” but that has an aging tone to it, and doesn’t convey the correct emphasis. Besides, as I’ve learned, instructors and instructions can originate in the most unlikely of places. That’s really the clue, or part of this puzzle. Not a lot of other parts, but listening to your own intuition, your own, internal guidance while being aware that the stars might show guidance from unlikely teachers.