And trust no agent; for beauty is a witch
Against whose charms faith melteth into blood.

Much Ado (II.i.83-4)

Horoscopes for 7.28.2022

Mars aligns with Uranus August 2, 2022 around 18° Taurus (North Node, too).

The Leo

From me, this is apocryphal data. The story I was told, the great Southern writer, William Faulkner, he was working on a new and improved version of his critically acclaimed novel, The Sound and the Fury, up until his death. He wanted a version that showed each character’s voice in a different shade of ink. With no close examination, I seem to recall there were four voices, essentially, four long, dense chapters, as Faulkner’s works were known for being difficult to navigate. I understand the appeal of that notion, so much that I want to constantly go back and rewrite a specific horoscope of a certain time, to make it reflect what I feel about that, now. Then? It was accurate at the time of its authorship. Applies to me and Faulkner, not that I could ever hope to be compared to him. I’m not The Leo — I’m not that great. But there’s sense that we want to be constantly going back and correcting material that is already in place. Pause, stop. Go slowly. Are you sure you want to go back and try to rewrite whole passages of The Life of Leo (the great)? “If I could just typeset it differently, it would be so much easier to understand.” My suggestion? You can dig around in the past, or keep moving forward.

Virgo

One of the sites I read with some regularity? It’s about technology, the backend of what it is that I do. The nuts and bolts, the underpinning, the pieces that make the magic available. Following along, as I understand it, current values suggest that a mechanical, wired, Bluetooth keyboard is best. I tried one. Wasn’t the best. Wasn’t the worst. Worked, but the constant clatter of the mechanical switches, best according to some, just don’t “do it” for me. It varies, individually.

Still, let us make note, I tried that. As the good Virgo, the message I’m suggesting is that we try. “This should be the optimal arrangement for you.” More important, “This is what I like and why,” is the data we are reaching for. Virgo is reaching towards. Instead of saying, “This is the best,” what I like is, “this is optimal for me.” What works for me? It’s changed. No one ever thinks about that simple keyboard, or mouse, whatever, pointing device one uses, this is a device I handle almost daily. What works, and what the critics say is best? Have to ask, what’s best for our Virgo selves.

Libra

“What ever you do? Don’t read the ingredients!” I wonder if that could be applied to me, or more importantly, the horoscopes I write? Don’t check the ingredients, the finished product is polished and sanitary, having been boiled, x-rayed, and microwaved for health reasons. Facts aren’t always checked, but it is safe to ingest, as is. But that’s a single example. One of my favorite cooking tools is “not so secret” ingredient, chorizo. Started on a beach in Mexico, years back, but then, while in school in Arizona, I learned that the ‘Mexican’ sausage makes the best filler for chili. It’s the missing “something.” So I tend to keep a tube of cheap chorizo on hand, mixes with eggs, stews, chilis, or any other food that requires a tiny bit of mystery ingredient that adds flavor, that piquant “je ne sais quoi.” The really tastiest of chorizo? Tends to be the cheapest, and this is not a new admonishment, don’t read the list of ingredients. For Libra, obviously, this about enjoying whatever you enjoy, but don’t look at what goes into it.

Libra:
“What ever you do? Don’t read the ingredients!”

Scorpio

“Habit is habit,” is how the quote starts, and I leave the rest of that to a particular Scorpio who wants to look up the rest of it, cf., Pink Cake. As Mars grinds ever forward in Taurus, opposite from good Scorpio? There is a pervasive sense that ‘something’ needs to change. What that is? I’m inclined to suggest we look at Scorpio habits, patterns of behavior that have served well for these many long years, but now? Moving forward? Do these habits, behavior patterns, does these still serve your best Scorpio interest? Therein is the question of the time, and what can be done? The simplest answer is to do it differently. There’s no coded message, nothing hidden, a simple idea that the way you’ve always done it might not be working, and if it’s not serving your best Scorpio interest? Try doing it differently. “But we always do it this way!” Out of habit?

Sagittarius

I was mildly disappointed the other afternoon. I was sitting at work, and I opened up a supposedly handmade, Made-in-America cover, and the tiny tag, in the back, tucked into a pocket where it was clearly hidden? “Made in …” Not much of a guess, but it wasn’t made here. “Designed in the USA,” but not made here, as implied. Not quite advertised that way, but it was the implication. So much for shady advertising practices, and playing loose with the rules. Strictly speaking, legal. But certainly a good deal of misleading information. I’m not complaining; I’m Sagittarius, too. Still, I fell for the old “bait and switch,” and while the fine print absolved the merchant of any misleading data, the implied truth and actual truth were very different. As we cruise through the Leo section of the sky, consider my mistake. Honest mistake, too, not like the material was advertised otherwise, but the implication was it handcrafted on our soil, and the factual bit was that the company is located here, but the actual product was made elsewhere, but certainly, designed here. Which means? In the coming week, weeks ahead? Look for that clause, the warning label, the actual production pieces, see what really lines up. See what’s what, and don’t just go with a cursory glance.

Capricorn

The economics of scale. What works. What doesn’t work. As an attempt to get myself out the door early one morning, last week? I took my recipe for morning coffee, and halved it. Part of this might be the beans, part of this might be the grinder, but part of it made me think about economics of scale, as it applies to Capricorn. What works. What doesn’t work. What looks like a good idea, but in practice? It doesn’t translate. Just taking a recipe and cutting all the portions in half? That didn’t work out the way I wanted it to work out. Coffee was weak, and this was just an 8-ounce cup, not the usual quart. My one-half attempt resulted in a one-third cup of coffee, and barely serviceable at that. Not a good idea, but in the pre-dawn twilight, I needed to try something. As we move through the following weeks, and as Capricorn deals with Leo-like energies? Think about the economics of scale, and how, just cutting the whole recipe in half, that didn’t work out for me. Be prepared to make adjustments, as need be.

Aquarius

I fell in love with a way to explain energies, and I can reuse the imagery, over and over. It’s a simple graph. Two-dimensional, which doesn’t do 3-D Aquarius much good, but you have to deal with us, and this is the way it works. One line curves upwards, represents the Aquarius goals, directions, and hopes. The other line curves downward, represents the obstacles that show up to prevent that rapid ascent. The obstacles can be people, non-Aquarius individuals who might seem like they are trying to help but just get in the way. Could be real enemies, but I doubt that. This about that Aquarius point of intersection, where it all comes together, or where it all falls apart, but I tend to see this as a point where, with patient Aquarius guidance, sometimes called people skills or management? With some patient babysitting, you might be able to push through this mess.

Pisces

I have a little term, I keep to myself most days. I think, “packaging and marketing,” instead of what is really there. A good example, drawn from the sea food industry? Chilean Sea Bass is really Patagonian Toothfish. The term, “Patagonian Toothfish” doesn’t look appetizing on a menu, not nearly as inviting as “Chilean Sea Bass.” In my mind, I do a quick substitution, mumble, “Packaging and marketing.” This split neatly down the middle of Pisces as to which side this falls into, either being on the receiving end of a plate full of delightful prepared “Chilean Sea Bass,” which, as we now know, is really just old “Patagonian Tooth Fish.” The other end of this possible weekly interpretation, for gentle Pisces? You could be the one serving that gnarly sounding “Patagonian Tooth Fish,” and really? On the menu, it looks so much better as the smoother, cooler sounding “Chilean Sea Bass.” It’s packaging and marketing, and either watch for it, gentle Pisces, or use it.

Aries

The worst expression, what I really don’t want to hear from Aries? “I can handle this alone.” There are variations, “I got this, no problem.” And “Nothing to worry about it, I can make it.” All three are examples of a certain kind of Aries assuredness that sounds about right, but doesn’t really work. I must amend that statement, that typical Aries ability to handle this kind of situation? Yeah, normally, it wouldn’t be a problem, and normally? Yeah, you got this. It’s just, this is a week when there’s a little too much Aries confidence, and that’s the challenge. Reel that in a bit. Tone it down. I know you got this, but don’t brag about it, and if some offers unsolicited advice, recommendations, and assistance? Take it. Never hurts to enlist others to do your bidding. But? “I can handle this alone.” Normally, you could. Are these normal times?

Taurus

These days, and times being what they are? I tend to read digital, more than anything. It’s easier, and battery life isn’t the problem it used to be. However, there’s something to be said in favor of real books, dead trees to some, massive, epic tomes, or slim volumes of poetry. What I can do, leave a bookmark in a book, then days, weeks, months, even years later, I can return to that page, and start where I left off. In some texts, I still have margin notes from the last two or three dozen years. A book can still transport me across space and time, and these days, being able to glimpse into the past? That’s the key for the Taurus Future. My familiar expression, “Glance over your shoulder to see where you’ve been, but don’t dwell there?” There are variations on a theme, but the idea is that we want an anchor in the past so we have starting point to move forward. I prefer books, ink on paper pages, as that forms an immutable, permanent data point, that anchor in the past. The Taurus book of life needs a solid referent to understand how we will navigate forward.

Gemini

Ever find yourself trailing along behind a woman, a couple of packages in hand? “Oh,” and a slight squeal, “I could use one of these!” In these times, adjust gender and setting as need be, but it’s shopping with a partner. Judging from the time stamp? I was following a blond. I can’t recall the setting, but I would guess some kind of summer sale. Here’s the odd piece of this puzzle. In the last years, that post, Pink Flamingo Plate, is the most linked by the spam bots. This is a recent development, and not a metric I pay much attention to, but I did find it strikingly strange. Not really a great image, just a slice-of-life picture, phone image, then posted. Not sure what that’s about. What is going on in Gemini is the usual, odd, uncollated data points that make no sense. We can expend a great deal of energy, analysis, and thought, all a form of Gemini mental horsepower trying to learn why that image is linked. Or? Move on. I delete the spam, and don’t think about it until the next time there are hundreds of blocked messages advertising goods and services that have nothing to do with a Pink Flamingo Plate.

Cancer

“What goes around comes around?” To some, it fits the very definition of ‘karma,’ loathe as I am to invoke such a term. But this is reminder that previous actions, past actions, and what your future holds? Those are all intertwined. But there’s another way of looking at this, as well. Just as reminder, while the wheels of justice turn, they do turn slowly. And the cosmic wheels of justice turn even more slowly, or so it seems. But if you’re patient enough, justice is served. That can be cosmic, legal, quasi-legal, or just a good slap in the face. This can also be for the gentle Moon Children, much as a Cancer quadrant would like to enjoy, a situation where we get to witness that justice being served. The wheels turn. Some days, it would be nice of that “wheel of fortune” ran over its intended target, just to prove that there is balance and harmony in the worlds as we know them. Patience, it might be a virtue but it is in short supply. That being noted? What goes around is bound to come around. And maybe even this week.

Wait for it.

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