“I say there is no darkness but ignorance, in which thou art more puzzled than the Egyptians in their fog.”

The Clown in Shakespeare’s 12th Night (IV.ii.12)

Horoscopes for 9-12-2023

• 6/15/23 Venus at 12° Leo
• 7/23/23 Venus goes retrograde at 28° Leo
• 8/4/23 Mercury at 8° Virgo
• 8/23/23 Mercury goes retrograde at 21° Virgo
• 8/29/23 Uranus turns retrograde at 23° Taurus
• 9/3/23 Venus turns direct at 12° Leo
• 9/4/23 Jupiter turns retrograde at 15° Taurus
• 9/14/23 Mercury turns direct at 8° Virgo

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Virgo

Mercury starts to unwind from his present position and existential turmoil thusly infused in the cosmos. But we’re not out of the woods, and at least one Virgo? You’d think a good Virgo would have the good sense to avoid it.

Libra

I look for an overnight sensation. In the real world, although I have rather limited experience in that realm, but in the real world? There is rarely, if ever, an overnight sensation. “But it’s blowing up on Social (Media)!” Is it?

I’ve noticed that real success comes after many years in relative obscurity, relentlessly pursuing a single goal, a single desire, just one target. Simple as that. Relentlessly pursuing, and the last few weeks have offered a respite from that ceaseless chase. Rest, rest up, and recuperate, as there is more ahead in the near future. We’re going to get Libra back on track with that relentless pursuit of a single goal, and to some, not Libra, but to some this will look like an overnight sensation. Soon. Just not yet.

Scorpio

It was called metafiction. The term derives for the obvious antecedent “meta,” and that term derives from Latin and even earlier, Greek. Before it was a corporate name, though, it was also quickly subsumed into the vernacular of everyday speech, referring to some of its true origins. “Something about something that it’s about.” Complicated? Sure. One online source suggested that the term came into the vernacular at the turn of the millennia (Y2K) but I recall that literary term in use within academic circles easily 20 years earlier. I can’t find the novel, or treatise that covered it, and despite my personal library’s size, can’t find the book, here, either. Not being able to lay my hands upon the actual source means “We don’t know.” I can describe what the paperback’s cover looked like, but that doesn’t help much. As I recall, “metafiction” was, and and still is, a dangerous subject — writing about a writer writing about writing. Quickly tautological and just as easily? Elliptical. Spins Scorpio around in the circle, and therein is the problem. Too much time spent chasing a repetitive idea? Another way to see this week’s unwinding? “Just because you can? Should you?”

Sagittarius

List three items. In the last couple of weeks, there’s been a very informative series of unfortunate events in, and around, dear Sagittarius. Informative — if we are willing to learn from it. Them, learn from them. That’s why, I suggest, it’s a simple exercise, just list three take-away points from the last couple of weeks.

“I won’t be doing that anymore,” listen for that expression, especially, from our Sagittarius selves.

The point to writing them down, or making a list, or just numerically assembling these various, disparate data points in the Life of Sagittarius? The reasoning is that, by the end of the week, with a certain amount of Virgo precision those seemingly unconnected dots and unfortunate experiences? There’s a coherent thread, an underlying principle that ties this all together. Seeing that list? It helps make sense of where we’ve been, our Sagittarius selves, and what we can avoid this coming week. Make the list. Three things.

Capricorn

I was listening to a buddy, not named “Bubba,” talk about food and his version of food preparation. He mentioned a condiment that included “Grim Reaper” in the title. That excites me. It indicates a condiment that is rather spicy. Eventually, as the tale unfolded, he discovered that his girlfriend really couldn’t abide the spicy content, and he had to reduce the amount of “Grim Reaper” in his recipes. Decimated his recipe, in this example, as in, he had to reduce the mount of spice by one-tenth. Trial, error, trial, adjust, add just a smidgen of the spice, then taste-test, then adjust as need be, and recall, Capricorn, there are those who have a more delicate sense of taste than we do. I can tell that I like the “so hot I cry” settings for my food. I like food that has a Scoville Rating that goes to 11. Listening to his trial, tribulations, and almost fateful error with mixing it too hot? I can imagine his delicate girlfriend, turning her nose up, “Nope. Too Hot,” with a number of implied negatives thereafter? Matter of using a little bit of balance, and maybe, try making it milder. Or skip the ingredient that has “Grim Reaper” in its title. (Carolina Ghost Peppers.)

Aquarius

There are a couple of authors I follow on social media. Some are funny. Some are political. Some are apolitical. None of them are too serious, which, in turn is why I follow. Yes, we need to be serious about what is going on, but we don’t need to take ourselves too serious. That’s why I enjoy what I follow, more as a way to stay engaged from a distance. Sounds like a good Aquarius notion, too, “Stay engaged from a distance.”

Part of what this is about, and part of this is about the correct directions for gentle Aquarius as the planets unwind just a bit. Not quite so tightly bound up, and yet, the best way to enjoy the next few days? Stay engaged, but from a distance. Like me following some authors on the social media feeds, and yet, not getting too involved with their individual battles. Makes it more fun, and any good Aquarius like to sit off to one side, and nod our heads, “See?”

Pisces

I’ve grown accustomed to thinking of this as a function of “Packaging and Marketing.” It’s about the presentation of what is there, the adornments, the way the eyes are highlighted with eyeliner and similar make-up, rather than purely a function of the inherent beauty. Some clothing accentuates curves and shapes, or highlights the cut of the chest, a slim waist, or allows room for an ample backside.

This can all be done in a flattering manner, and that’s what this week is all about for gentle Pisces — “packaging and marketing.” It doesn’t have to be expensive, either, as it is more about how you display what you’ve got rather than how much you’ve spent. Simply put? All about “packaging and marketing.” Really doesn’t matter what it is that you’re trying to push, it’s not the product itself, it’s the way you wrap it up.

Aries

Leaf blowers are noisy, disruptive, and the gasoline-powered ones? Unregulated, higher-polluting, noisy, noisome 2-stroke motor. The one I use? It’s electric so it’s a little quieter, and, in theory, less environmentally harmful. Aries: don’t do the math on the last statement.

As a method for cleaning, though, the ubiquitous leaf-blower has merit. One, quick blast of air? Front porch swept clean. Front stoop, whatever. One, quick blast of air? Back porch, back patio, clear. The sheer simplicity of the system works best. Kind of an “All or nothing” approach, but as we try and dig out from the Mercurial Machinations as of late? Real, or metaphorical, that leaf-blower might be the easiest way to clean up after an Aries.

Taurus

Passing through a Catholic Gift Shop, I picked up a small vial of “Holy Water.” I’m unsure of provenance, I’m unsure of blessings, and I’m not really sure that it has the purported magical powers that it is reputed to have. Didn’t cure anything, but then I didn’t deploy any of the water itself. There was some reason I got the water, for use in ritual or ceremony, or, maybe just to say I’ve got some. I don’t recall why.

Bit of a personal indulgence own my part. If I ever do use the content of the small vial, I would probably just fill it up from the tap, with regular water, and suggest it was the same. The vial itself is kind of cute, there’s an icon in silver-sheen medallion, looks like a holy figure with the heart of thorns, giving a blessing with one hand raised. Looks like sun’s rays, spilling outward. Not sure how this stuff works, either. I got it for reason, and I’m great collector of odd spiritual gifts, never knowing which one matters. That’s the point to this most recent Mercury is Retrograde exercise, for Taurus, collecting the gifts, and unsure of their destinations. “File that away, you’ll know when to use it.”

Gemini

“The House always takes a cut.” I’ve heard the expression, in various form, over the years, but the implied meaning is the same. Doesn’t matter where, or how, the transaction is occurring, the governing body, the host, the “house,” in its original form? The house always takes a cut. There’s a percentage at work, and the overseeing, the home base, the originating position? Someone always gets a percentage. Might be a tiny percentage, but a penny here, and a penny there? It adds up, over time. My original credit card processing gateway is an example. At first? I paid a rather usurious percentage, upwards of 20% to handle credit cards. Mostly that was fees and surcharges, as my business was deemed disreputable.

Over time, that’s changed, both in the accepting of my business, as a consultant, and way the credit cards are handled. I kept toying with various payment gateways until I hit upon one that was super low, like only takes a little less than 2%. That’s a deal, for me as a merchant, and that’s a far cry from the original 20%, back in the day. Mercury Retrograde reminds us to look where we’ve been, where we’re going in Gemini-land, and never forget, the house always takes a cut.

Cancer

The single dollar price point has always been a favorite of mine. Old Austin roots, and wait long enough, it all comes around. The funny, to me, realization that this all came full circle. 99 cents is an even better price point, but with tax, title, license, deal freight, and prep? Call it a dollar. A jewelry outlet advertised a handful items on close-out for $1.00, and I got excited. I clicked through to the site, and looked around, cool stuff, but at a single dollar? Dubious quality, style, fit, and finish? The added question, do I need any more jewelry? Metal, or otherwise? Nope. No. Not at all. But they did have a skull ring, and for a dollar? Back to the incipient stages of this career for me, a long time ago, in a place far away, I found a similar ring in a dollar store. Great gift for an un-girlfriend. Worked like a champ, but that was then, and this is now. Do you really want, or need, more cheap costume jewelry?

The Leo

One year, remember I’m notoriously cheap, I bought three individual sprouts of basil for my patio garden, such as it is. The basil is supposed to be anti-insect, good as a spice herb, and easy to cultivate. One of the sprouts was “Thai Basil,” rather normal looking, another was an exotic with light green leafs, and delicate outlines, and the final was “ornamental” basil. Big, broad leafs tinged with purple. According to the sticker, not as fragrant as regular basil, but looks good. Properly cultivated, good sunlight, plenty of water, it grows the best. With a little experimentation? I found it was easiest to cook with or as a garnish. This means, despite what the tag suggested, as an ornamental bush, I found the “Ornamental Basil” worked as a herb and spice, with the bonus that it was easier to grow, out of those three. It’s a time, for Majestic Leo, to trust what you know, what you’ve felt, and what you’ve observed — empirical evidence — rather than what someone else tells you.

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