Give me leave
To tell you once again that at my birth
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds
Were strangely clamorous to the frighted fields.
These signs have mark’d me extraordinary,
And all the courses of my life do show
I am not in the roll of common men.

Owen Glendower to Hotspur
Shakespeare’s Henry IV, part 1 (3.1.35-42)

Horoscopes for 10-7-2022

• The Full Moon is 10/10 at 17° Libra/Aries.
• Mercury enters Libra 10/10.
• Jupiter retrogrades back to 0° Aries 10/18.

Libra

Prelude, kick off, culmination. One of those. The Libra (Aries) Full moon is at once a starting point, and the incipient action, as well as the culmination of what has gone before. “Beginning, middle, end?” Certainly an easier way to see it. The two “inner” planets, Venus and Mercury are essentially in Libra this whole birthday time. Adds a certain flavor to all the events, and a happy birthday to that one, while we move forward? The timing of the full moon, and Mercury’s “Re-entry” is all about beginnings, middles, and ends. Prelude, kick-off, culmination. While it would be nice to make it all three, what it looks like, pick one, and then don’t be surprised if it is the other. One out of three still isn’t too bad, not given what’s going on otherwise.

Scorpio

I fear, in astrological conditions such as these, that it’s Hotspur from Shakespeare’s Henry 4 that shows up for good Scorpio. I see the character as one of the original “Chip on the shoulder” people in historical fiction. One performance I saw, years ago, forever changed my understanding of the role and position young Hotspur plays, exemplifies in the tides and times of a person’s life. He’s a character full of justified rage, and enough martial training to carry that properly. As an accomplished warrior, full of indignant anger, that’s what gentle Scorpio must guard against.

Righteous indignation is valid. Your Scorpio feelings of hurt and injustice are valid. Your ill-timed response is what must be more measured. Yes, you’d like to unsheath a Scorpio broadsword, and hack those enemies to pieces. Now might not be the best time to act on that impulse. For starters, wait for about three days after that Full Moon. Might find a better solution, then. You still win, but might be less bloody.

Sagittarius

I favor a more gentle approach, but our Sagittarius selves are going to have a hard time pulling that one off. Aim for a gentle approach? Shoot for a gentle approach? It’s mostly two air elements, I mean two air signs, I mean two sets of influences resting in air signs that form an unholy alliance and feels like whatever situation deserves a full-frontal, maximum-effort assault to fix. A more gentle form of correction would be ever so much better. Mars, in airy Gemini, and the Sun (full moon, Mercury, and Venus) in Libra all compound and add a kind of mental fuel to the Sagittarius Fire (and ire.) as I’ve suggested, a more measured and gentler approach might be more appealing to the other signs. Sagittarius, fueled by that air, and air feeds fire, gives way to a more abrupt answer. Might want to take a big step back, and observe before taking action.

Capricorn

There are a couple of authors I’ve read deeply. I mean, besides Shakespeare, which, to be honest, I’ve only read part of the complete works, and just dabble with current scholarship and theory. But other other authors come to mind, and “Author Blogs” are a current favorite. Not all writers do this, or, not all of us do this in public. In historical references, most authors did keep a journal, and in some cases, Pepys Diary, that record became valuable literature in its own right. I have a couple of publications like that, as well, see astrofish.net/books. However, this is a situation, and this plays out with the full moon, and preponderance of planets in Libra, this plays out against Capricorn’s staid position. The author-blogs, the ones I enjoy? They are less about marketing upcoming releases, and more an expression of what is going on within the author’s mind and milieu. Likewise, Capricorn will thrive on anecdotal, ancillary, or similar supporting works. Dig around; it can be entertaining and informative.

Aquarius

I switched to Yeti-style tumblers for coffee, some time back. Working in Austin, I discovered that some of the insulated containers could keep coffee hot for up to four or five hours, or so it seemed. The problem? Coffee stains. The burnished stainless steel of the one tumbler I’ve had the longest? It got horrifically stained with my coffee. I scrubbed, let it soak overnight, used harsh chemicals, and nothing was getting it clean until I happened upon “1 hack to clean your coffee mugs!” You know what worked? Denture tablets. Off-brand, cheap, grocery-store “denture tablets.” The tablets fizz, and left for an evening? The one hack actually worked for cleaning out that Yeti-style tumbler. I thought about trying it on some aging coffee mugs, but I was resistant, the sentimental value of the mugs outweighed the coffee stains. But for those stainless steel tumblers I sometimes favor on cool mornings in South Texas? Seems to work. Hate the lede, “1 Hack to Clean Coffee Stains,” but if it works? Aquarius solutions are easy to find. Might be a little weird, but who cares?

Pisces

If you stop telling people what to do? If that Pisces person would stop lecturing, heckling, and ordering people around? If you stop telling other people what to do? You’ll be amazed at how a number of them start to follow your instructions, as if it were of their very own volition, when, in fact, it’s just what your Pisces self was going to order them to do. Stop telling them. There are two easy ways this happens. The first is obvious, right, the people figure out that what you were ordering is, in fact, the best option. The most correct, the way that aligns with their karma, or whatever. It’s the easiest way: let them figure it out. The other option is the lead by example. Me? I’m fine example of how not to do this: do as I say, not as I do. But that’s a negative example, a more positive example would be the old Libra trick, “Hey, we’re all in this together, let’s all pull together….” The royal “we” to some (see The Leo). Lead by example, or let them figure it out on their own. Telling them, ordering them, bossing them with no authority? Tends to not work well in times like these. Even if you’re right.

Aries

Middle of last summer, I caught an image of big, furry, dun-colored spider. It was a tarantula. Mostly harmless. When I posted the image online, I got a wide variety of responses, from dangerous, warning me of possible fatal venom to the real notation that the local tarantula, like the one I posted? It’s mostly harmless, and certainly way more afraid of me than I am of him. Or her. I didn’t get close enough to figure out a gender, not that I care. Purely apocryphal, local lore suggests that the big, hairy tarantula is not poisonous, but the bite, because it can extract a chuck of flesh? It can be painful — but the guy looks way more dangerous than he really is. More dangerous than she is. Didn’t bother to ascertain the gender. Point is, they are relatively harmless, give them a little bit of distance, and they eat bugs. The bugs I don’t like? Mosquitoes and roaches, ugly beetle-like critters? Great source of tarantula protein. So, this is local, despite looking ominous. Relatively harmless, but I still give them a bit of distance. That’s what the planets, especially the Full Moon and slowing Mars suggest. Not dangerous, but give it all a bit of distance. Like I do with my buddy the tarantula.

Taurus

I was using my tired analogy about “Thinking outside of the box,” and how, some of us ask, “did you see that box he was talking about? I didn’t see aforementioned box.” It’s that notion of one step more removed from whatever the current constraints might be. While a lovely notion, in and of itself, I think the relative motion of Mars adds a new level of circumspection to an already “most curious” time in Taurus. But this is about being removed from the sources of the questions, and looking at the times, trials, and tribulations from a slightly askew sense of humor. Benign and bemused would be a couple of words I would suggest. There’s gradually slowing down of material flowing in — and around — gentle Taurus. Just means we need to step back, if only for a nano-second, just long enough to let one more (something) go flying past. No need to jump in its way, and become a recipient — for no good reason. Slow down the headlong rush into Taurus troubles, and see if there is more equitable — and gentler — solution if you are willing to look for it.

Gemini

While I’ve often extolled the virtues of trying something different in order to achieve a goal? I’m thinking of fishing as an example, how using a different tactic in familiar waters yields amazing results — see the pictures on the web someplace — with Mars and other influences? I’m thinking the traditional set-up for gentle Gemini is the answer. Instead of a half-cocked, weird hybrid collection of strange material, the straight-ahead, tried and true, formal, conservative, standard approach works wonders. I’m all in favor of experimentation, and I tend to favor a number of hybrid solutions, but there comes a time when a single hook, maybe a split-shot weight, and that number 2 hook with dead shrimp on it? Comes a time when that works best. It’s not fancy. It doesn’t let that wondrous Gemini mind wander into the experimental stages, and it works. Keep it simple. Resist that urge to experiment.

Cancer

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Xmas. They are all ahead, and get that plan in place. What’s going where, who gets what, and how this looks for the Cancer, Moon Children’s desires. How stuff lines up. Or how it doesn’t line up. This is the time, that Full Moon cements this in place, this is a time to get those ideas, who goes where, when, and how. Why. Ask the questions, and formulate the plans, now. Gets the ideas in place, the direction, the goals, the hopes, the desires, and how to track all of this, and for that matter, keep it all on track. There’s much madness ahead. Plan now, maybe no execution of this plan, but plan now. Sketch what you want this to look like, sketch that out on a chalkboard, whiteboard, dry-erase board, or just like me, in pencil on scrap paper. Sketch it out, see what needs to be shifted around, and don’t forget, allowances for the holiday confusion that’s up ahead.

The Leo

I have an ugly pocketknife that I’ve carried for several years. It’s a single, lock-blade design, kind of dated, and this one, my favorite? Looks beat up but mostly just from riding around in my pocket, being mostly used to open bills and the occasional package. It’s not a stainless steel blade, but it is a high-carbon blade, which means it gets “stained” easily. However, I’ll trade that lack of shine for a blade that stays sharp, longer and better. The other trick with this blade, it takes a few short swipes on a whetstone to stay super-sharp. Easy to hone. Easy to use. Doesn’t look great but it isn’t a display piece. It’s not a show-piece, it’s just a useful tool. Pare my nails, open packages, slice through that obnoxious security plastic around most products, and slip open letters. Cuts fishing line, trim the end of the braided lines that are otherwise hard to cut? That knife? Ugly but useful, and in its distressed appearance, there’s an inherent function. We’re getting ready for a season of changes, and the best way you can be ready? Leo, mighty Leo can sharpen his — or her — tools. Be ready. Just a quick pass over a whetstone works wonders. Can be as simple as that.

Virgo

Just stop.

Virgo says: “I can’t stop.”

If you would, just stop, that pressure from Mars, Mercury, everything? Stopping makes the pressure subside. Doesn’t make everything better, but it makes it easier to see clearly. So the suggestion?

Just stop.

Virgo says: “I can’t stop.”

Won’t know unless you try.

Just stop.

astrofish.net/travel for appearances