Horoscopes for 10-7-2021

To Richard.

“When I was mortal, my anointed body
By thee was punched full of deadly holes.
Think on the Tower and me. Despair and die!
Harry the Sixth bids thee despair and die.”

Henry 6 Ghost in Shakespeare’s Richard 3 5.3.128-

Hundreds of years later, turn up under a car park? King Richard the Third aside? Anyway, Venus enters Sagittarius 10.7.2020 around 7 AM.

99-cent bookstore — including the Portable Mercury Retrograde…

Libra

There was a raccoon in my attic. Getting rid of the pesky critter was an ordeal. Part of what I discovered, though, was that raccoons like marshmallows while foxes love them. Set a live trap, cruelty-free, and the first round of bait was gone, but the raccoon wasn’t caught. Smart little fellers, so it seems. The second time, I wound up with a tiny grey fox. Near dawn, or shortly thereafter, I’ve seen the foxes, there are at least two pair, one red, one grey, and they cross fence lines with relative aplomb. Opened up the trap, and let the first fox go, and she shot across the backyard, up and over the fence to disappear into a neighbor’s jungle of a backyard. Caught the raccoon, or one of them, released into the wilds next county over, then, one more try? Caught another fox. She ate almost a whole bag of marshmallows. With this Mercury and so forth, moon phase and onward? Reminded me of that second, adolescent grey fox. I opened up the cage, fox growled at me, unsure of what to do. She’d been caged for almost eight hours, so sleepy? Hungover from too much sugar? That fox, despite the snarling, and apparent aggressive behavior, sauntered off, first in one direction, then sort of caromed about the backyard until finally picking a destination, up and over the fence line. Libra: “Let me out, let me out, set me free!” The door swings open, now what do you do? What was that plan?

Scorpio

Face it: everybody has a different sense of humor. I learned, it wasn’t easy, but I eventually learned when a joke didn’t go over? Time for me to shut up. Everybody has a different sense of humor. Most of my traditionally male friends prefer broad, uncouth, maybe even slapstick humor. Someone gets hurt. I know one female who enjoys that bawdy humor, as well, but most of them aren’t as fond of the physical humor like that.

Face it, Scorpio: not everyone has the same macabre sense of humor that you have. Not everyone “gets it.” Me? I’ve been around enough humanity, I think it’s very, very funny, but that last joke was a little dark, don’t you think? Still, I cracked a smile. Here’s the hint: I am not your audience. While I’m bemused by such humor, yeah, you have to remember, not everyone like the jokes. Sometimes satire veers in dark comedy, which, falling on the wrong ears, gets taken as an attack. You know you meant it as humor; I laughed. Everyone else? Seems like all the non-Scorpio people are missing out. Their loss, but your Scorpio self might want to keep it in for now. Not everyone gets it.

Sagittarius

Venus enters mighty Sagittarius, and that should “Make nice.” There’s an ease and grace that comes with Miss Venus, usually. “Usually?” The real fear, it isn’t the benign or even benevolent influence of Venus at the moment, it’s other influences that might be a little stronger. Weigh that against the Venus Effect in Sagittarius? There’s a flippant arrogance that comes across. I wouldn’t do this, not intentionally, but to others, when we think we’re being all smooth, and kind, and nice, and sort of flirty, but not really? There’s a point where my own, half-Southern manners kick in, “Yes ma’am, no sir,” and the most common? “Darlin’.” Although in recent years , I’ve tried to reign that one in, as it seems that it gets misinterpreted pretty quickly. I was raised to be polite. That’s my version of polite, and as a typical Sagittarius, that’s exactly what causes trouble — or it can. “I was just being nice, that wasn’t an advance or an affront to your dignity” (manhood, womanhood, personhood, whatever). “That wasn’t intended as an affront,” is the intended message, and with Venus, obviously weighted against by other factors? It’s real easy to see how this can go wrong, quickly. Best thing to do? Nothing. Saggitarius: best thing to do? Shut up for a moment.

Capricorn

“You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to grab him by his scrawny little neck and I’m going to wring it tight! Ew! I am so mad at him!” While I applaud the vim and vigor in the commentary, and promises of applied violence, I can’t say I approve. Like the idea, “Wring his scrawny little neck,” and I’ve found that certain moral superiority comes from being the physically larger — and therefore more imposing — body. It’s easy to be the aggrieved big dog when the little dogs are afraid of you. Puff that chest out and the guy with the scrawny neck cowers, afraid. Motivation is a funny thing, and that sense that you’ve been wronged, and you can set this right by bluster, bullying, or otherwise appearing in a menacing fashion? That bluster only goes so far, and remember, I use the analogy of Mercury in apparent retrograde motion, and what you’re mad about at this moment? That might be misplaced anger, and instead of looking for justice, you might just be looking to get your clock cleaned. None of this has a good outcome, unless you let cooler, think Cool Capricorn, let cooler heads prevail.

Aquarius

There’s great clarity that comes with these long-term influences, but that clarity might come at a short-run price. In other words, the long term looks great, but this next few days is kind, well, not bad, just “not good.” Time to chill. Time to hang close to the house.

Time to not get involved in other peoples’ businesses.

“But you saw what that darn fool was doing? I had to try and stop him!” No, no you didn’t have to try and stop him. If he’s a damned fool? Let him act a fool. You only lower yourself to his level of foolishness when you try to interrupt it. It’s like arguing politics with some of my friends, doesn’t matter what my political view might be, I’m just wrong, and they will yell until I cave in. Not worth it. This is a week fraught with idiots, and arguing with those idiots just makes Aqarius appear as stupid as those idiots. Stop arguing with someone who just wants to argue. It gets neither of us anywhere fast.

Pisces

One of my friends, and the expression itself will show how dated the material is, but one of my friends? She used to admonish me, “Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.” It’s a thinly veiled threat, wrapped in humor, but as a reminder? Pretty good way to go. There’s a chance to antagonize an opponent. Unnecessarily antagonize an opponent. I’d cover this with the fineprint, but I think you get the idea. I prefer my friend’s gentle, loquacious terms, myself. Probably a leftover Ren-Fair bumper sticker, for all I know. Still, as a reminder, this week, looking at the planets, especially the location of Mars and malicious Mercury? “Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.” Just because the other person, the dragon, presents you with a target? No reason to take the shot, not now.

Aries

You know this isn’t new. Can’t say it snuck, up, either, as I’ve warned you repeatedly, over the years. That surprised look on the Aries visage? Sort of tells the whole story, doesn’t it? Between you and me, this isn’t really a big problem, but it might seem like one. “I just, you know, sort of forgot.” In my world? Way I see this most often? It’s comic staple, “Forget her birthday, forgot her anniversary?” Forgot some important date that makes everything work? A large number of essentially heterosexual males I’ve worked with over the years? “Three dates, dude, three dates. 1. Her birthday. 2. The ANNIVERSARY. 3. Valentine’s. Three days out of the whole year, and you’re GOLDEN.” Failure results in that, well, the levels of discomfort vary, but I lived in a trailer park, and watched, it can get quite bad, like a “tenth circle of hell” bad. The anniversary can refer to a number of different dates, but make sure it’s marked on an Aries perpetual calendar. However, it looks like, bereft of cosmic help, Aries did the unthinkable, and forgot the date. Dante had, what, 9 circles of hell? “Abandon all hope ye who enter within,” and here I am trying to keep you from that tenth circle of hell. The secret is to figure this out before it happens. “What are those dates again?”

Taurus

There is always more than one way to fly in the face of convention. Whatever some people refer to as “normal,” is merely an agreed upon standard, and it might not be that “normal” to other people. What is conventional here, might not be so conventional there. I like the way things are. I don’t like to see too much change, just for the sake of change. So, toying with that idea, with all that is currently transpiring? This is about how to fly in the face of convention, affect change, and have a good outcome for Taurus. Instead of erring on the side of radical change, though? I was thinking, to do this different? Try toeing the party line. Try to be as conventional as possible. Try to be that “One size fits all” standard. One way to do this? Next couple of days while everything boils over? Try to remain calm, and make an effort to look absolutely “Normal.” In a world dominated by bright colors? Shoot for the drab look. Want to really fly in the face of convention? Be “normal,” like I really know what that even looks like. But try it.

Gemini

Against the odds, there is some technology that I’m willing to purchase while Mercury is in its current Retrograde condition. I’ll buy cheap cables, cords, inexpensive chargers, replacement batteries, that sort of gear. By carefully following prices online and off? I can make an informed, and cheap, purchase. Then there’s the expectation, if I bought a charger when Mercury was Retrograde, or, better yet, perfect example, now that I think about it, I bought a super-cheap spare phone/tablet battery. Supposedly a Lithium-whatever super-charger, but I didn’t get more than a few dozen charge cycles from it.

1. I bought it when Mercury was, indeed, retrograde: lower expectations.

2. I used it when Mercury was Retrograde as a last-ditch, emergency power source, just a trickle charge to keep the tablet alive for another hour. Hours.

3. It was super-cheap, and when it quit holding a charge? I had no financial investment — or intellectual investment — in keeping the battery.

This is a perfect example of what to do, what not to do, and how to handle what’s going on — for Gemini. Some tasks are not good, while some trivial technology that can make life a little easier as a stop-gap measure? Besides, the price? Steeply discounted. Not all Mercury Retrograde is bad, not if you play correctly.

Cancer

Every challenge does not require a response. Simple message for The Moon Children, the Cancer astrological sign. Every challenge does not require a response. “He just called you a momma’s boy!” Well, then, I’d let your mom duke it out with him. “He said your Mom dresses you funny!” This is an epithet I’m rather familiar with, and I have a quick riposte, “No, I dress myself.” Besides, I’m pretty sure, my own mother would rather me dress more formally. Probably not going to happen, I’m just suggesting. So what do you do when the Cancer elements, the less than judicious Moon children pieces feel attacked? In this situation, given where Mars/Mercury, the Sun, and so forth, given where every thing is? I would enforce a course of no action. Or, as I stated at the beginning, every challenge doesn’t require a response. Or, modified a bit for that one Cancer with a touch of mercenary Scorpio, “Every challenge does not require an immediate response.”

Leo

My great secret for this kind of a time? The ubiquitous “post-it” note. Little bit of lame adhesive on one end, paper itself used to be only yellow in color, but now there’s a rainbow palette available, so pick and choose whatever works. Doesn’t even have to be a sticky note, but that’s the source of the idea. What I’ll do, this is a particularly uncomfortable Mercury Retrograde, and The Leo tip? Those little scraps of paper. Notes, reminders, an emergency “to-do” item? All of that can be committed to the little scraps of paper. I’ll start out with a single note, somewhat cryptic, with a single goal. That gives rise to another idea, and then, there’s a person I have to call, plus get an e-mail back to a fishing buddy, and there’s a text to return, but not too early. Suddenly, a single idea explodes into half-dozen items that we (royal “We” for The Leo) want to do, want to get done, and how to remind ourselves? Ubiquitous “post-it” notes. Then, as each task gets accompanied? Peel that note off the wall, and throw it away. Anything that doesn’t get done today? The ephemeral nature of the note? Start again fresh on the next day. Remember: Mercury is still very retrograde.

Virgo

Little secret for Virgo? I keep a long list of “Mercury is Retrograde” projects on hand. Miscellaneous goals, half-finished, some doomed never to be completed? Still, a list of those “I’ll get back to this at a later date” kind of projects. Some of this is as simple as digital house-keeping, cleaning out old files, consolidating material — getting rid of a back-up of a back-up, from ten years ago? None of this is, at first glance, “mission-critical.” None of this is that important, but there’s that attention to detail, and Mars/Mercury demand some good Virgo attention be drawn towards some this kind of material. The two “M” planets sort of demand, as there’s an inexorable energy, a drum machine in the back of the Virgo head suggesting we not waste a single moment of time. Pick-up and drop-off. Don’t get caught up in the linear process of having to do this in a specific order — that’s not liable to happen. Pick-up and drop-off as need be, with a circuitous route, which is much better suited. “It’s not a straight line!” Yeah, probably no straight lines this week.

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