Methinks King Richard and myself should meet
With no less terror than the elements
Of fire and water, when their thund’ring shock
At meeting tears the cloudy cheeks of heaven.

Shakespeare’s Richard II (3.3.54-7)

Horoscopes for 5-2-2023

5/5/23 Full Moon 15° Taurus/Scorpio (eclipse)
5/7/23 9:25 AM Venus enters Leo

Taurus

I have a pretty firm standard, these days. If I can’t fix it with a pocketknife, or a pocket tool, like, if I can’t fix it with a Leatherman, a beat-up screwdriver, or a simple blade? Then it is not for me to fix. I used to be a lot more self-reliant, but part of this, as a function of age, location, and gradual loss of ability? While I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself, if it doesn’t involve a keyboard or trackpad, I’m not sure it’s mine to fix. Buddy does home repairs for me, and he has a deal, a price based upon what the condition of the repair is. “I called right away,” is a low price. “I called when I had the money,” also a low price. “I tried to fix it because the online video made it look so easy,” that’s complicated, more arduous task because, first, he has to fix what the client messed up, and then, fix the original problem. I use a similar billing structure, but I charge for my time, not for my predictions; it’s simpler that way. We all have to accept our limitations. In my buddy’s example, he charges a fair price and what has to be fixed? Depends on the call, the client. I’d call him first, but that’s me. If there’s not an easy Taurus answer? Make the call. Fixing it yourself is noble, but also, problematic, at best.

Gemini

In the original manuscript template I used to make a copy of that first book? There are a couple of early printed copies floating around without a Taurus in the table of contents. Long since corrected, using a publisher who doesn’t know much about the signs? Budget copy editors? Or a hurried kind of blindness I might develop as I try to hustle a project out the door without checking it twice. Thrice?

I’m not sure what the secret is, but the example is a perfect reminder for gentle Gemini — avoid my singular mistake, check everything twice. I’m sure I looked at that Table of Contents a hundred times or more, but I would just glance down, then sign off, as it starts with Aries and ended at Pisces, and I saw Sagittarius. What else do I need? This mistake, seen this kind of errata before, mostly in literary circles, and the original versions — the uncorrected versions — are collectible items. Which might be what this is about, as well, the Mercury in Retrograde? Build on the mistakes, the cosmic laughter behind the curtain instead of getting whipped into a frenzy because something isn’t working out the way you want it. Maybe check it twice, too. Thrice?

Cancer

Maybe every six months or so, Mars and Pluto make some kind of tension angle, a square, a conjunction, or an opposition. Usually, this is marked by a few days of heightened tension, and that exacerbated situation tends to be most noted in the affected signs. That’s up and coming, in gentle Moon Children, the Sign of the Crab, Cancer. This is about a reckoning, a time when one must pay up on karmic, or fiduciary, debts. With the prep time confused by Mercury’s rearguard action, or Mercury’s inaction, kind of depends, the immediate Cancer plan might be unclear. To borrow a rather used analogy, you shake the old 8-Ball, turn it over again, and it says, “Situation unclear, ask again.” That means, the perception of the correct direction might change, again, in the near future. Helps to be prepared, but from which direction? We’re still not sure, but a reckoning is coming.

The Leo

There’s an avenue of intellectual discourse that suggests “Everything happens for a reason.” Then there’s, “Expect the unexpected.” Personally, I detest that last one, how can I expect what I can’t expect? Stupid bumper sticker mantras. However, looking at the planets, and their influence on The Leo? Combine those elements, expect something for no reason? Or everything is not what you expect it to be. Couple of different ways to spin this, but the idea is the nothing seems to go in the order that your good Leo self thinks it should go, but then, it does go in an order that works. Just not the way you thought it would work. It does work out, just not in the way you thought it would, but if it is better? Call it a win.

I mean, it works, right?

Virgo

Old trick, nothing new, I tend to shake a tiny portion of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamon into my morning coffee. Just a tad. The alleged healing potential is probably not present in such a small sampling, but the idea holds merit, and it has been with me for many years. Health and well-being are focal points for Virgo. My little kitchen-witch spice-rack trick, while sometimes viable, I’m unsure of the real efficacy of such low doses. That being noted? If it makes me feel better, does that count? Health is closely tied to well-being, and the simple trick with the spices? Adds that needed touch of something that makes it feel special, which, in turn, makes me feel special, and that’s what matters. So a tiny shake of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamon in the morning coffee will ameliorate all that is wrong with the Virgo world? Probably not, but might help. However, Mercury in retrograde? Remember, this is just a dash: carefully you don’t upend the whole bottle into the coffee.

Libra

Do the tools shape the works, or do the works define the best tools used? I don’t have a short example, more an exploration, and while I’ve looked at this in other media, I was thinking about this in terms of gentle Libra, about what shapes the art form. In my example, I used Microsoft Word as the backbone writing tool for several years, but I got tired of “Microsoft English,” not always grammatically correct, and from there? I switched to an Apple word processor, but eventually, I replaced that with an online text-based web-interface thing, currently called Ulysses. What I want is something that has a universal format, but that software uploads a column or post, and it can export in a variety of formats that are near-universal. But how does this shape what I do? The original idea was that I kept the 12-signs, when I was selling the weekly horoscopes, each sign was an individual entry, but as I discovered, that made for an unwieldy mess to try and wrangle for myself. Again, this is how the tools shape the work, rather than the work defining what tools are best.

Scorpio

With knowledge? With knowledge and clarity? With knowledge, clarity and understanding? There’s power. With greater power? There is greater responsibility. That’s the Scorpio burden, and one not to take lightly. Thus saddled with greater knowledge, greater awareness, and greater power? Scorpio is burdened not to use this in a way that is bound to blow back on your sweet Scorpio self. Caution is advised, and given what’s going on these days? Maybe take that cautionary tone and add a second layer of patience, observation, and integration. There’s still much that is left up in the air because of the ongoing Mercury in Retrograde opposite from you. Little trick I’ve used? I write down all of that good stuff that arrives, the knowledge, apparent clarity, and better understanding? I file all that away, and plan on using it later. Right now is not the time. Great time to sit, patiently, off to one side, and observe. Just because you know it all now? That doesn’t mean that you do know it all. Mercury is tricky like that.

Sagittarius

I like coffee. I like the way it smells. I like variation upon themes with coffee, too, like coffee cake. Coffee shops. The way a certain brand of coffee smells when I open a bag of beans. I like dark roast. I like light roast. I like fresh roast. Not a fan of instant or pre-ground coffee, or the coffee pods, but I understand them, and I appreciate that they all have a spot in our coffee universe. Coffee, it’s my Sagittarius adventure.

Here is the deal: I’ll have a cup or two in the morning, and them, depends, maybe a second pot of coffee, or not, maybe just pick something up while I’m out. Can’t tell. Don’t know. But after that second cup of coffee? Is the day going to be focused, on track, and headed in the correct direction? Or will this derail, and do we become a hulking, frightened, scattered mess, burdened with anxiety, and mythical guilt? Can go either way, given the conditions, and the best idea, maybe, for Sagittarius? Stop after that first cup of coffee because, after that, it’s a luck thing, and we’re not sure which way this will go. I’ll slam down a second pot, and hope for the best, eh.

Do as I say? Not as I do, huh.

Capricorn

For the past few weeks, Mr. Mars (in Cancer) has been tenderizing Capricorn. Offset that gentle pounding designed to break down the muscle tissues? There’s been a Retrograde Mercury slipping and sliding in Taurus. While some of this is almost at an end? There’s still the ongoing pressure from an approach, and then, the uniquely Aquarius flavor that stems from the onset of the annual of Sun/Uranus conjunction. This spells out a series of minor inconveniences in Capricorn. The stress is upon the term minor. No single large impediment, and one Capricorn will reach out and suggest it is a big deal. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t as big a deal as some would have us believe, and what to believe? There’s the real question. With the planets on unsure footing at the moment? If you don’t see it with your own Capricorn eyes, then I’m not sure I would believe it.

Aquarius

This is about preparations for a cosmic shift in Aquarius. The cosmic shift, or might not, happen in the next two weeks. The shift might occur, in Aquarius, or might be in other signs, based upon what occurs in Aquarius. The ripple effect? The sum-total effect? Yeah, going to feel the effects of this one. So, as that directional change is obvious? Ask yourself, “Aquarius, dear, what can we do to prepare?” One buddy is a doomsday prepper. Gold bullion, canned foods, bottled water. Doubt he will be so lucky, but that’s a simple example. While I think more in terms of mental training, and a level of physical preparedness — it works out however it is supposed to, and this about looking forward to that cosmic shift, fast approaching. Get prepared however you need to.

Pisces

There is a certain fascination with the implication and implementation of pure thought in our real world. Take it as an incarnation of ideas in a physical space. Some call it manifesting. Some call it psychology. Some of us, me included, think of it as “Who-Doo, Voo-doo.” Occasionally, the term is the “The Dark Arts.” More simply? It’s the magic, the way a decent Pisces can bend time and space to suit him or her self. Might not be actual “magic,” and your Pisces self might not really bend the fabric of reality around you, but there is that assumption, on the part of the observer, Pisces seem to do just that. We’re getting ready to enter a time, a period, maybe a week, perhaps a few days less than a whole week, when your good, Pisces self can extend those powers of turning pure thought into tangible actions. These days are best spent figuring out that individual process, and desire.

Aries

Driven. Or more important? What drives us? It was a family “thing,” and I was wondering, what drives a certain family member to act in a specific way? Genetics? Generational, learned behaviors? The stars? I tend to prefer the “the stars” as a culprit, but that’s only to make sense in an otherwise chaotic world. But what drives a certain action? I was weighing the idea, and weighing the perception of the motivations, and trying arrive at the source, the incipient point from whence it all starts. No answer. But that’s me, and I’m not Aries. What’s the driving force? What’s the underlying motivation? Why are we doing what we’re doing, at this moment? I understand you’re driven. What drives you? Why are you driven towards this action?

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