“The thieves have bound the true men. Now could thou and I rob the thieves and go merrily to London, it would be argument for a week, laughter for a month, and a good jest forever.”

Prince Hal in Shakespeare’s
Henry IV, pt 1 (II.ii.41)

Horoscopes for 12-5-2023

• Venus enters Scorpio 12/4 1:51 PM
• Venus oppose Jupiter 12/9 10:39 PM 5°20’ Scorpio/Taurus
• Moon enters Sagittarius 12/11 6:11 AM
• Mercury Retrograde 12/14/23-1/1/24
• On Sale Now!

Sagittarius

I got suckered on a piece of fiction, no it was off the library list, so the book didn’t cost anything. But I got suckered. The blurb was thriller or murder-mystery, but laced, interwoven within the story, there was a sub-plot item that deals with a situation I used to see almost daily, and the author of that book dealt with it in a surprisingly effective way. It was good. Did not see that coming, but the set-up, set me up as a reader, was perfect. Didn’t end well for the characters in the book, but it did give me hope. As a nominally Sagittarius Sagittarius? I tend to see the best in people, no matter what, but after decades in this business, I can never go wrong guessing that some people just never want to do the correct, or best, or least worst action.

I don’t get it. I liked the book because it ended spectacularly and that whole “Payback/karma” thing was amusing, they evil-doers get their just desserts. Buried in the desert, really. The ways this sucked me in, finding an author dealing with exactly what I deal with only his fictional character — they do react better than most of the people I’ve watched. (#Just saying.) So as we get ready for Mercury, the holidays, great, it’s family time — again? As we get ready, understand that fiction is more real than reality, and don’t confuse the two. Unless, of course you get suckered by a novel like that.

Capricorn

I always wanted one of those sculpted-iron and wood-slat benches. In fact, I had one, it came as a kit, and it was outside a certain trailer in old South Austin. I also left it there when I decamped. Wasn’t very expensive, and I didn’t really want to tote it around with me. Outdoor furniture is best out-of-doors. It was also an example of piece of furniture, lawn ornament really, that I wanted, got, had, then abandoned. Fit with the trailer park’s “decor” such as it was, but that was it. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

What stays and what goes? That’s the question. As we roll through Sagittarius, headed towards Winter Solstice and the beginning of Caprcorn, we’re reminded of what we want, what we’ve got, and that little Mercury thing? It’s influence might suggest we go out and buy something that we’ve already had and want again, only to discover, while it worked there, it might not fit with the way things are — now.

Aquarius

An Aquarius fishing buddy, after looking over a bunch of my Aquarius material, he was convinced he was a robot. “I am a robot.” Do robots bleed? I asked. “No” he answered mechanically. Pricked with a pin, a drop of his blood appeared. “Wow, robots do bleed!” This is about confirmation bias, and how some people get stuck in a belief system that is clearly not supported by facts and hard evidence. I like to think in the terms of the scientific method, although, in my observation, my astrology tends towards that confirmation bias rather than hard facts, but that’s not the question in Aquarius, now is it? My point is about ritual, and what Aquarius believes in, what are the core, and supported, beliefs? It’s the high holidays, in a number of different faiths. Celebrate, or plan to celebrate and sometimes, appreciate the ritual rather than the actual meaning. That might help.

Pisces

Watch the price point. Simple as that, watch the price point. I bought a handful of charging cables, cables for phones, rechargeable earphones, tablets, and other stuff, all at the cheap store. As an example a phone cable that was previously $20 was discounted to $5. Might’ve been a knock-off, might not be as good, but I can buy — and lose — 4 of them at that price. They do have tendency to wander off. I’ve also had the, breaks, or quite working for some, unknown, reason. The trick in Pisces? Watch the price point. Also realize, in some situations, you get what you pay for, quality costs more, usually, but with near-disposable items like the cables? I’ve got one, in a suitcase, used twice in the last year. I don’t care if it was cheap, and if it quits working, or gets left behind? No worries, no big loss. So for Pisces, the trick is to watch the price point. Where does your Pisces pain start — and end?

Aries

It’s odd, to me, how I’ve switched back and forth over the years, sometimes paper and pencil, pen and ink, or just digital devices all for note taking. Ideas, snippets, half-formed thoughts, and ideas. Sometimes, nothing more than two words, maybe a phrase, and at one time, when I was listening to lots of Shakespeare? I would have a short abbreviation for a play’s title then the act and scene, which is a feat unto itself to record that while navigating Austin’s legendary traffic. Which also left me scavenging those notes and wondering what “2.2” meant. No play and I don’t recall what I was listening to when I wrote than one down. Just — good guess — Act 2, Scene 2. What I did was look at the references around it, and I guessed that it was a Henry play, but again, I don’t know. Flipping through that play, I found a quote that I liked, and I liked the scene itself, and all of this because I use such a variety of note-taking devices. Sources. In the coming weeks, lists, note-taking devices, as well as pen and ink? All of those are the Aries friend. “It’s on the list; I’m getting to it soon.”

Taurus

While I can’t really do this, I’d like to think that I can, and I would approach the whole month, or, what’s left of it, from here to the end of the year? I’d approach this like a vacation. One boss I worked under briefly? When he was out-of-town, he would call in and check n us office drones at five minutes to five, just moments before quitting time. Wanted to make sure no one slipped out early. What he didn’t know? One, we got all our work accomplished in less time without his ever-present supervision, and two? Knowing he would call at 4:55 PM each work day? Come in late, have a two-hour lunch, once lunch was three hours, got the image? Knowing what the rules are makes it easier to have stress-free holidays, and understanding what the parameters are, for some, think, for Taurus? This could be like having a mini-vacation, which is the solution.

Gemini

There was a time when I used old newspapers as wrapping paper. I had to return a product one time, and I wrapped it in shredded old newspapers, just nasty stuff, ink-stained wretch that I was. However, as I’ve grown, might be older but not any more adult-like? As I’ve grown? I discovered how easy it is to wrap presents in gift bags. Even better, when I get a gift in a gift bag, I can simply fold, and later reuse that gift bag. Some family members and me? We have a running joke about reusing wrapping paper, leftover, no doubt, from previous generations. But the idea holds merit, and for Gemini? This makes the season much easier to handle. Just drop it in a gift bag, and we’re all good. Better yet? Drop it in a recycled gift bag — just remember to cut off the old tags, first.

Cancer

None of this is cataclysmic — although to some? It might feel that way. Not the end of the world, although, to some, it might feel that way. Way I see it? Look: we’ve all made some mistakes. Some big, some little, some monumentally stupid stuff, wait, that’s me, might not be you. Doesn’t stop us from trying again and again. In the final aspects of the Moon, before she goes new? Recall that you are a Cancer Moon Child? The final shreds of whatever needs to be patched up is now. Simple as that, finishing fixing what this last few days, last few weeks, last few months, finish fixing that which has been rent asunder. However, as a note to myself, as well as Cancer, Moon Children? If it isn’t broke, then make no attempt to fix it.

The Leo

The Leo needs an anchor. This varies from individual to individual and I’ll leave the definition of the term “anchor” open. To me, it means a solid starting point, a home base, a foundation of some sort. But I’m not Leo. I would favor a dependable person, like the literary expression, “He (she) is my rock, my anchor.” That’s an example of an emotional foundation. That works. “As long as I’ve got you, babe, we’ll be OK.” Many songs about that, right? It can be a place, either a home, a house, or a special spot — there’s a Gulf Coast fishing town that is like that, for me. An anchor. It can be solid, metaphysical, or just an idea. Whatever it is, the rest of this month requires my good Leo friends to have some sort of an anchor as a root. The foundation will be shaken, (but not stirred.)

Another example? It was a set of eyebolts in the bed of a truck, used to tie-down motorcycles. Anchor points.

Virgo

Between now and the actual Xmas Day? Not all bad, just the usual, year-end, looking ahead, and planning next year after cleaning up this last year’s mess. All typical and normal Virgo vocations, right? Right. Only this one, this year, it includes a rewind, and looking at the mess leftover from last year before moving forward. What mess? Mercury Retrograde at the beginning of 2023, and ends with it and that Mercury Retrograde starts where it ended last January. Bookends. When I think of bookends, though, I think of my own, long shelves of books with the books butted up against one wall or the edge of the shelf and only a single bookend that allows for more volumes to be added. So the analogy isn’t complete, not for Virgo, and especially not in my own mind. However, the pattern is set, and the phrasing applies, this is a year bracketed by the bookends of Mercury in Retrograde hammering a point about fate, destiny, and inevitable consequences of actions. Little to fatalistic? How about realizing that the someone else swept something under the carpet and it’s back. Won’t quite go away. Look, Virgo, it’s up to someone to fix this. That’s punctuated with either a wink or a shrug, kind of depends on you.

Libra

I dated this one girl — woman — and her rule was to have all major Xmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. That deadline, like many of the self-imposed Libra deadlines has passed us by. However, the almost arbitrary goal of having this done soon? Looking at what Mercury is about to upset? If it’s not done, yet, other than a tiny window of just a few days in the next week or so? Ten days, maybe? Mercury will backslide through Capricorn, finally pausing in Sagittarius (thank you very much) making all of this unwieldy. Not exactly untenable, but not great. You’ve been warned? Plan accordingly.

Scorpio

Due to the cyclical nature of my work? I used to joke about it, but I do consider this my off-season, as much as I can have one. Part of this is merely the cycle of the planets, but mostly, this is the ebb and flow of economies, the question of scale, and who wants to allocate resources for whatever. I deal with the seasonal ennui in a variety of manners, but the easiest? I look forward to writing a year over-view, for next year, as the last horoscope for December. Sometimes this falls in January, but usually, I aim for that extra-long and juicy overview in December. That’s gotten to be a favorite goal, a task that I can look forward to, as way to wrap the past year, and the year ahead in a bookend set of scopes. It’s fun for me. And it’s still weeks away with an ornery Mercury Retrograde on approach. Still, will be fun, I hope. Like me, Scorpio need s year-end goal, a plum, a cherry, a treat of some sort, something above and beyond the pale comforts of winter and annnoying Sagittarius as a goal. Pick one. Might change, but we are looking — at least some of us are looking — a month — or more — down that Scorpio road.