But touch the ground for us no longer time
Than a dove’s motion when the head’s pluck’d off;
Tell him, if he i’ th’ blood-siz’d field lay swoll’n,
Showing the sun his teeth, grinning at the moon,
What you would do.

Queen 2 in Shakespeare’s The Two Noble Kinsmen (1.1.97-101)

Horoscopes for 9-5-2023

• 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
• 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

Virgo

There are no straight ways to handle this. It is a circuitous route, at best. Dangerous curves ahead, and that can be applied in a number of situations.

Libra

Buddy, not named “Bubba,” but thanks for asking, calls me up. “Let me run something passed you; I think it’s funny, but I’m not sure I should post it.” Which then gets us sidetracked into a recent exploit, a fishing trip, girlfriend woes, and the usual male banter amongst old friends. Hadn’t talked to him in a month of Sundays, but we fell right back into that adolescent chatter, almost at once. The only serious adult question, “Was it funny?”

It was funny to me. I had a reply and an example of it, in action, and we both laughed. However, I should point out, and I made the point clear to my buddy, that me finding it funny, maybe in poor taste, but funny nonetheless? Just because I thought it was funny, and he thought it was funny, that didn’t mean it was truly funny unless one shares our unique brand of humor, or what passes for humor. In that less than random sampling of two, him and me? That’s not a good metric to use to judge whether or not it was funny. Funny enough, with the emphasis on puerile jokes? Yeah, as I looked at the Libra slice of the heavens, ask for some help, but not just a buddy who you know will agree with you. That’s not the best judge. I thought it was funny.

“You’re sick, you know?”

Scorpio

This is an homage to a certain Scorpio. It’s about structure, the Nature of Reality, and the way things are, or the way things aren’t, at the the moment. I had a definite destination in mind, to make sure dear Scorpio was offered a good grasp on the situations at hand. What’s happening, though, is more confusing, and less making sense, for gentle Scorpio. Or not so gentle Scorpio, as moods vary. There’s a certain level of confusion that no amount of force, coercion, gentle Scorpio nudging, none of that works. Best thing to do? Probably nothing, but since you won’t follow my advice? Be forewarned that forcing it usually breaks it, and if that’s your intent, cool. If that’s not your intent? “Nothing” is still an option.

Sagittarius

I’ve used this example before, the single-serving size of Super-Glue, or a super-glue-like cyanoacrylates in a variety of forms. I used to buy expired packages of the single-serving size at the cheap-o deluxe (dollar) store. I found that the stuff didn’t really expire and the price was good, a cardboard, plastic-wrapped with three or four of the single use size tubes of the stuff. Works great. I’ve used it in a variety of high-tech repairs when just a little spot of glue will cure expensive problems, and no one will be any the wiser. OK, so our Sagittarius selves are onboard with the idea of the universal fix-all Super-glue? Especially in the single use size, I mean how much trouble can one get in with just a little dab of the super-adhesive?

As soon as I ask, “How much trouble can we get into with just a little dab of the adhesive?” Super-glue and its cousins? That stuff gets everywhere. That’s a problem. For one, it’s why I prefer the cheap, single use version, so there’s no messy extra stuff around that can cause sticky messes. The second problem, “How much trouble can we get into?” I’d get some of the Super-glue or its analog, sure can pick some up now. Using it? How much trouble can it cause? Maybe our Sagittarius selves don’t want to explore that question — not now.

Capricorn

There was a local subculture I was never fully aware of, just in passing, the Korean Nail Salon. Typically these were an adjunct to certain grocery chains, as a small storefront, smelling of incense and nail lacquer. There are two or three dotted in most of the lower-rent strip malls that surround the giant grocery chains. I am unsure of the exact Pacific Rim ethnic situation nor will I ever figure it out because I’m not qualified, and somehow, I’ll piss off someone. This is merely the name and purported business model as observed. In one, there was a little shrine facing the window, and it had the usual accoutrements, red tassels on various bells and gongs, Chinese coins, 7-day candles, incense, and one time, for about a week, a couple of packages of Slim-Jims, the dried beef-like snack stick. That intrigued me. I was unsure of the religion or deity as it looked familiar, but not one that I was acquainted with. Most places favor the fat buddha (the happy monk) with gold-colored coins, facing the entrance. Again, I have no intention to offend or rile up any group, just observations. I liked the way the one altar-like shrine had the beef sticks. Obviously an offering. To make it through? Consider whatever offering you figure is correct to whatever it is that you believe in.

Aquarius

I favor this example often. It’s about being willing to experiment, and being willing to fail. Not every experiment is a success. It’s through my own failures that I learn what does, and what doesn’t, work correctly. One mantra? “Fail often. Fail better.” While I drag up examples, and language used mostly in software development, apps, iterations, and so forth? The idea translates across a large swath of Aquarius in the foreseeable future. Experiment. Toy with it. Try a permutation that you haven’t tried before. The longer form of the mantra? “This probably won’t work, but I’ll give it a spin anyway.” Be willing to experiment, and realize, an untested hypothesis, an untested hypothetical? Those are mistakes that might lead you just where you want to go. “Fail often. Fail better.”

Pisces

I’ve used this example before, but I was prowling, with a fishing buddy, some used car lots. Not the best side of town, not that it matters. My people? He was looking for an inexpensive chassis for a project car. This one lot, tucked away off a busy street, it had a fine selection of used cop cars. Maybe a half-dozen, but less than a baker’s dozen. Each was the Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Marquis chassis with the minimal backseat, and and small block, high-performance V-8 motors, allegedly Mustang 289 power trains. Each car had at least 100K miles on the clock. Various antenna holes, with missing piece of electronics ripped out of the dash, but otherwise, serviced and serviceable vehicles. “Cop shocks, cop tires, cop battery…” (“fix the lighter.”) While they all looked good enough to me, none met with my buddy’s requirements. Previously, I’ve mentioned that one of these would be the basis for for a dream car, for me, but on that afternoon, I never did find a car that could work without too much effort required. Therein is the problem, and while it is nice to dream about cars that go fast, and cars that look cool, while that’s a nice fantasy? Is now a time you really want to embark on yet another half-hearted Pisces project? The desire is strong, the allure is there, but do you really want to sink money, time, and delicate Pisces energies into a yet another backyard project?

Aries

Itasca, TX (High School) football, the name? Wampus Cats. It’s a bit of rather useless trivia, popped across my feeds for some reason, and I looked. Here’s the Aries suggestion: don’t take my word for it. Found out of there really is a place called Itasca, in Texas, then try to figure out what the high school’s football’s team name is.

Don’t take my word for it — while I think I am reliable?

That hasn’t always proven to be the case. So check it out for yourself. I’d say look at it on a map, but I don’t think many people still know how to operate or access data on a map-map, like a paper map. Still, the town is there, but don’t trust me. Might not be me making the suggestion, giving the advice, or suggesting directions, either. First source doesn’t count, not this week, not for Aries. Multiple sources, and it helps if they are not using the same data point. But there really is a team called the Itasca Wampus Cats. In retrospect, I guess it would help to know just what a Wampus Cat is, in the first place. Again, best left to others with more than one primary source.

Taurus

In short: “It’s not about the tools we use, but about how we use the tools.”

It’s not a dearth of creative tools, it’s a limited number of pieces of equipment. I’ve watched as one family member collects and then collates, a huge number of creative tools. Always looking for the perfect tool to get the correct texture. If only I had a piece that did this, then I would be able to complete the great work. Canvas really doesn’t matter that much. I’ve seen some pretty fair depiction and ideas fleshed out on the back of an old, used envelope. Paper is paper, or, in other terms, “canvas.” For several years, I favored generic sharpie-type pens. Still do, usually, although, they do leave me a bit ink-stained, and that stuff doesn’t just wash off easily. Not that it matters, it’s just a tool. The problem is, if all you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail. But this isn’t about the tools, the almost obscene selection of varieties available, it’s about picking up a pencil, maybe sharpening it a little, then setting that one to paper, see what happens. Ideas, rough sketches, half-baked terms, fragments, and other creative bits pop up. It’s not about the tools we use, but about how we use the tools. Just getting a new, better, more cool, more hip, newer, older, whatever isn’t the secret. The success lies in using what is readily at hand at the time for Taurus.

Gemini

In the old “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip, there was a recurrent theme called “Calvin ball,” an apparent game with highly undefined rules. Years ago, helping with child care, I discovered a variation and the rules, were just like Calvinball. At the time it was a volleyball game in a pool, but my out-of-bonds volleys were her point, and her out of bonds volleys were also her point. I noticed a lopsided set of rules. Fortune favors the cute? Fortune favors youth? I conceded, and lost game after game, and why am I reliving this for gentle Gemini? The game isn’t so much as rigged against you as you just don’t understand the vagaries of that particular game, and it does seem to favor your Gemini opponent. Once I understood that the game was just like Calvinball, or whatever we want to call it? Once we grasp that Mercury is retrograde in Virgo, the shifting set of rules that are clearly not in our favor? Once you figure that out, it’s a lot easier to lose with some semblance of pride and integrity, shreds of self-esteem, all left intact. Maybe tattered, but those are the rules.

Cancer

One of the Sisters lives in a state of total confusion, all day long, all night long, and in perpetuity. It’s a mess. The family line? “Next: on Hoarders…” as there’s an expectation that a reality show about the hoarding, the apparent filth, and the ensuing chaos would be the stuff of legends. I’m not sure. I’ve seen it and I refuse to participate. Not my deal. Not “family” enough to volunteer to clean; besides, she likes it like that, and it works for her. Which is the message, out the chaos, the turmoil, the apparent lack of concern? Out of the disorganized, think: a virtual Virgo hellscape? Out of that is borne the Moon Children, Cancer goodness. The chaos, confusion, and utterly defeating disorganization is where we find the solutions. The answers are in the mess. I can’t make it more plain, and sometimes, to my untrained eye, I don’t see it, but it’s not for me to see. I can see that you can see it. That’s the little point. Not everyone gets it, but you’ll see a way to make this work, a solution to perceived problem, and orderly flow from sheer chaos.

The Leo

“Can you believe it? I’ve lived here almost ten years, and I’ve never been to Austin.” Ain’t missed much. The Austin of myth, the land of the weird, the live music capital of the world? That place, more a pipe dream than a reality, that place was subsumed by rampant consumerism, unchecked greedy growth, and soulless developments. The part of Austin that made it Austin is gone. While, to this day, I still find pockets and hold-outs for the days of yore? Mostly gone, and it’s been replaced with traffic, bodies piled up on each other, and a new building every time I turn around. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its moments, but those are few and far between for me. So ten years isn’t too long to wait for a trip to the land of myth and mystery. The spirit lives on. In the Sign of the Majestic Leo? Separate myth and legend from reality, if only a little bit. Have you really missed that much?