Bonos dies, Sir Toby: for as the old hermit of Prague, that never saw pen and ink, very wittily said to a niece of King Gorboduc, “That that is is”; so I, being Master Parson, am Master Parson; for what is “that” but “that,” and “is” but “is”?
The Clown in Shakespeare’s 12th Night (IV.ii.4)
Out of context? Had to be the first appearance of “It is what it is.”
“for what is “that” but “that,” and “is” but “is”?
In context, might be even funnier as that’s the Clown in 12th Night trying to talk with a madman.
Running gags, in print form are also difficult, at best. Last week’s throwback wasn’t as successful as I thought it should be. Moving forward, I started the notes for this week during baseball season, and it shows I was more interested in looking at the window dressings than the game itself. Not sure what that means.
Horoscopes for 11-7-2023
- 11/8 4:31 AM Venus enters Libra
- 11/10 1:25 AM Mercury enters Sagittarius
- 11/13 4:26 AM Moon/Sun conjunct 23 43’ Scorpio
Scorpio
The logo for the Seattle Mariners, I’ve never examined it closely, but it looks like a giant “S” superimposed on a nautical star. Highlights the cardinal points of the compass, and in lore? That nautical star has a great number of meanings. The obvious one is that it is for directions, and one fishing buddy has it worked into his artwork. The nautical star also has some gang affiliations, but I am not conversant in that usage. But as the Seattle Mariner’s logo? Without any other adornment, it’s clear, complex, and yet offers a solid study in design and execution of that design. For my tastes, I would favor a simpler design for the ball caps, but as logo and for recognition? Short of having a Seattle Space Needle worked into it? The symbolism is as effective as any. What this has to do with Scorpio? Simple, effective, and unlike the baseball team, using that nautical star to keep from losing your way.
Sagittarius
I’m not really a baseball fan. After watching, idly for a few seasons, and getting to see a few games in person? I understand the appeal, but I’m not a season ticket holder nor will I be. However, the visual arts, the designs, and the logos and the displays of merchandise fascinated me. I spent as much time looking at the various logos, then icons, and then, the history of the logos and then, the histories of the teams, as that was equally intriguing. The story behind the story, and so forth. In person, the crack of a home run in major league game? There’s nothing quite like that sound. “The crowd goes wild!” The longer I paid attention, though, the more I learned that it is a game of chance. There are statistics, numbers, facts, and mind-numbingly precise details that would upset even a Virgo with the amount of details. Still, at the start of the game? It all comes down to luck. As a Sagittarius myself, luck is something I know about. Like a baseball game, the superior team with all the better numbers on paper? Never can tell what will happen when we all step up the plate, and is Dame Fortuna really on our side this week?
“Luck is defined as preparation and hard work meet opportunity.”
Capricorn
I think I owe the comment to the author Stephen King, but as I recall, he suggested that true emotional resilience is only evident in Boston Red Sox fans. It’s the only logo hat I’ve got, just a stylized letter “B”, and the actual logo, dated-looking is just two red socks, owing a heritage to the original title of the Boston Red Stockings. It’s clean, it’s simple, and whenever I see that “B” with its archaic serifs, I think of that author’s comment about emotional resilience. I don’t follow the game closely, but a true bucket list item would have to be seeing a game in Fenway Park and enjoying the Boston fans. I like the “new” old Red Socks logo, as it makes it clear. That “B” alone doesn’t cut it, but close enough. Besides, the Red Sox aren’t all baseball — they are also about a certain kind of emotional resilience. Now, doesn’t that sound like it fits Capricorn?
Aquarius
The Orioles Logo — First off, I was never a baseball person. Or any organized sport like that — short of lingering F-1 and Formula Moto notions. Have high hopes for the future, though. Might have to include Houston for a game, who knows. The Baltimore Orioles, though? The hats are black, and there’s a cartoon bird face, I suppose he has a name, just the logo itself. It’s a cartoon of a bird, eerily reminiscent of early Disney animations, in my mind’s eye. Smiling, happy bird. Cartoon glee and joy? But as a logo, one of my favorites. That I saw an Orioles game where the first pitch, an Oriole hit a home run? Kind of fun, but I’m not any kind of serious fan. It’s a memory, dredged up from years past, and then, thinking about the smiling bird above the bill of the cap. The Scorpio influence exerts a pressure, and then, we have to stop and wonder if it is politically expedient, or just a throwback?
Pisces
Watching an Oakland A’s game? I got fascinated with the patches on the players’ sleeves. One was a logo, apparently, an old school circus elephant balancing on a ball that might be the world, with the baseball bat in that elephant’s trunk’s grip. As far as cartoonish yet historical and emblematic images go? That’s got to be one of the coolest logos with symbolism, history, and just weird cartoon affectation, all wrapped up into baseball, with me not even bothering to look up the material behind the logo. I originally wanted to comment about design and that kind of function, but I think the baseball leagues have me beat. The Scorpio influences, and cycles within the cycles? It’s about combining history, Pisces history, along with some simple foolishness, just a dash whimsy to make something that would work. Like that Oakland logo?
Aries
The San Francisco Giants, another logo I’m split on. The lettering on the front of the cap, a stacked SF? Very cool. The rest of the logo, an homage to the famous bridge? I’m less than thrilled. I mean, I get it? Right? But still, the updated images just don’t do the symbolism justice, however, having spent enough time in the Bay Area, I’ll give them the logo, but don’t ask me to root for the team.
Taurus
I’ve long-since used up my “short attention theatre” analogies. While “short attention span theatre” is perfect for what you’re probably feeling? It’s the wrong answer to this week’s issues, problems, challenges, and Taurus rewards. The easiest trick to get to a truce for yourself — and other around you? Stick to the main point. Instead of driving around and trying to make ancillary supporting points, and instead of trying to illustrate this with weird, long, discursive tales that might or might not support the original destination? While entertaining unto themselves, the best track to keep Taurus on track? Pick one, and stick to it. No “short attention span theatre,” either.
Gemini
Exact dialogue? If I knew how to format this as a movie/TV script, I would.
“Shut up.”
“No, you shut up!”
“Please, don’t say anything else.”
“I’ll quit talking as soon as you do!”
From that short script, which one is my Gemini? Varies, but the idea itself? Ignore the pundits and get to work.
Cancer
I once wrote about flowing around a problem like, that problem is a large boulder in the middle of a stream? Follow the pathway of the water itself and flow around the problem instead of putting that Moon Child, Cancer shoulder up against the rock and trying to move it. The Cancer Crab is stuck between two fixed, immoveable things, represented by astrological objects in Taurus and Scorpio. That creates tension. There is no release, not immediately, for that tension, but there is a very Crab-like way around that source of tension. Look: I’m not one who preaches “avoidance” as a successful coping mechanism, but if it works?
The Leo
Two vertical lines on a button, or button-like structure? That indicates “pause.” To some? It indicates stop. To me, not a Leo, it can indicate slight interruption in forward momentum. Not a full stop, as some would say. The disruption stems from the Scorpio-influence. The best course of action, as The Mighty Leo meanders forward? When that Scorpio-infused “pause” appears? Listen to the directions. Doesn’t mean stop, it means pause. In the old days, with real, analog video tape? After being on pause for set amount of time, the tape would start to creep forward to prevent damage or loss, or maybe just to stretch. So that’s OK at some point a little bit of creep on that Leo pause button.
Virgo
“Read banned boobs.” The woman approached my table, and we laughed at her shirt, what it actually said? “Read Banned Books,” which I do. I don’t read boobs, not anymore, but the way the crossbody purse strap hit her? “Read banned boobs.” It’s a librarian thing, and then, too? I’m a reader, in more than one sense of the word. I read charts, and I read books, although, anymore, most “books” are digital. This is about not seeing a Virgo picture clearly, or not getting the whole image.
Like reading banned boobs.
Libra
I settled on the Thoth Deck (Aleister Crowley was Libra, you know) because its arcane symbolism and corresponding astrological systems with multiple interpretations on each level? It just appeals to me. It was also was the first deck that arrived as a gift. I still carry around a couple of versions of the cards, mostly because the size suits my luggage, with a large card deck for big table-tops, and smaller ones for travel. The Libra card is about balance, and that’s what the Libra energy is about, as well. Balance is all out of whack, at the moment, going to stay “out of whack,” too — however, there is hope, despite the supply chain problems? More whack is on order to balance this out.
