Olivia: Are you a comedian?
Viola: No, my profound heart; and yet (by the very fangs of malice I swear) I am not that I play. Are you the lady of the house?

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (I.v.81-2)

Horoscopes for 2-13-2024

Sun enters Pisces 2/18 10:14 PM
Venus enters Aquarius 2/16

Books by Kramer Wetzel: astrofish.net/books… Some books are available at Nature’s Treasures in Austin.

Aquarius

I’m supposed to write something about Valentine’s Day, but after doing this for so many years, I get a little burnt. Tired of the kerfuffle, tired the marketing crap, and worst of all, exhausted from my own jokes. Not sure if it matters, though. Instead of recycling any out-of-date humor, though, I was thinking about something different. Totally different from the way it is, was, or will be? Yeah, nice try. I’m experimenting and the holiday season is the wrong time to play with this, but there’s a huge pressure, and I can’t fix that, but I can warn you about it, and make sure your good Aquarius self understands the pressure, its sources and likely what it points to. Mars, Venus, Pluto, two love planets, and then, the Lord of the Underworld in some mythology, and I tend to think of this as a triple-Mars effect. It’s a flash, a bang, and then? Just some dust left over. The problem? Like a red film, or a pink-tinged filter for the current Aquarius set? Everything looks hot — at the moment.

Pisces

The reality is that I’ve got a few books that I reference heavily. Texts that I refer back to, time and again. Anymore, most of these are online, but there are some that I consider “sacred” to me. Marcus Aurelius, in various formats, and Shakespeare, of course, but there are few others. A half-beaten King James version of the Bible, just to make sure I’ve got all bases covered (all biases covered, too).

I got this one buddy, and she refuses to buy any more books that are physical. I grabbed her Kindle Reader, and looked, there were hundreds, maybe thousands of titles — some of mine in the mix — but she wasn’t about to purchase physical books anymore. That’s her reality. My reality is a little different, as I have a several rooms full of bookshelves lined with a variety of books. Some high-brow lit-crit, Shakespeare studies and so forth. Grammar guides, which, in reality are kind of — never mind (word porn). Real books, and then, there’s the collections I’ve read, and I only have digital versions, or just borrow from the public library. Where is the right answer? I don’t know, but I know what works for me is a little from both worlds, some real, especially for the heavily used material and some just digital, possibly not of the real world. Little bit of both, and happy whatever day is up and coming, gentle Pisces.

Aries

Chiron, in Aries? It opposes the South Node of the Moon. Wonder what that means? Means that Chiron is conjunct the North Node of the Moon. Wonder what that means? Means this is time to do right things, not the comfortable thing. “Do the right thing? But I don’t want to!” Yeah, neither do I. Learn from my long years of bad experiences, and mistakes, learn from the way I’ve hit my head, and continued to stumble forward, learn from mistakes. There are two options this next few days. You know which one is the correct choice for yourself. Might not be easiest, or it might not seem like the most fun — at the time — but it will pay off, I promise. Do the right thing, not the most comfortable.

Taurus

One the many fallacies to emerge in the last decade or two of electronic communications? “LOL,” as an excuse. It was snarky, possible sarcastic, and probably hurtful on some level of a comment, but chasing it with a smiley face, or just a simple, LOL? Does that make it all better? I quit moaning about the loss of context in modern methods of communication, all definitely first world issues, but the idea, it’s simple, and for this week’s Taurus? If you are about to say, or text, a message that needs context? Maybe don’t. “It was meant as a joke!” Yeah, I get that. I am but one person in many, and most, if not everyone else? They don’t get it. Part of this is apparent tone, part of this lacking context, and most of this merely the planets in Aquarius, pushing, pulling and essentially hammering on usually circumspect Taurus with a kind of pressure that doesn’t help a damn thing. Yelling at someone, “I meant that as a joke!” Again, easy to see how this goes astray, rather quickly. I blame text protocol, but it depends.

Gemini

There’s a tendency? A trend in gentle Gemini? A pattern that seems to repeat itself, and I’m wondering, do we really need to go down that road again? OK, tired metaphor. But as a good Gemini, ask yourself if. You want to repeat the same process as before — and you know how that turned out — it wasn’t good. Heartbroken, bereft of even the simplest of human companionship, and then? “Uphill, in the snow, barefoot,” and I right? Let’s not get stuck on that downward spiral because once the loop gets initiated, there’s no easy way to stop the process from just burrowing downward further and further. I’m in favor of breaking this trend, and to do so? Employ that very Gemini characteristic that annoys some, but I find totally adorable. Be a little more flighty, be a little flakey, and be a little tender because you are light, flighty, and flakey.

Cancer

Between the Borderlands, West Texas, and South Texas? The predominate “faith” is “Catholic.” In other venues, I’ve treated this topic with reverences and observed phenomena, the human need for community and ritual, and how that plays out with some of the faith. It’s a matter of recognizing that there is an intrinsic need for that ritual, in one form or another. This high holiday season requires some kind of ritual observation. This can take many forms. Some are obsequious, on the proverbial bended knee. Others are outlandish and over-top with graphic displays of affection. From the single rose, to the bouquet of dozens, it varies greatly. But there is ritual, and ritual can’t be forgotten, although sometimes the roots themselves are shrouded in antiquity. Observe whatever ritual is required. For me? I light candle to a saint, and I carry a small piece of rose quartz. Your choices may vary but the idea is sound and rooted in religious ritual, in one form or another.

The Leo

There are, according to the lore, three ways to learn. One is by observation, one is by doing it yourself, and then, there are those who “Have to pee on the electric fence themselves.” (Attributed to Will Rogers.) Figured, the holiday and all? I’d mention that one again, as it is a favorite quip, and how this applies to The Good Leo? Observation. Send back, for real or just in idea, stand back, and more important? Observe. Watch. Assess. Think, consider, pause, ruminate, but most important? Observe. Watch what others are doing. Watch what the other signs are up to, watch how they handle these energies, both real — and imagined. I tend to think about The Good Leo as an action-oriented energy, a personality willing to take steps to resolve the problems. However, with the recent motions, and especially with Pluto Punctuation? My simple suggestion, learn by observation. Saves the pain of, well, you know.

Virgo

The “ball cap” is largely symbolic. However, as an emblematic element? Works perfectly well for this Pluto/Mars/Venus (essentially in Aquarius) energies. Getting ready to blast off in a bay boat, shallow draft and make a run across the inter-coastal, well, I haven’t done this since last fall, but the idea, it stuck with me. Grinning in the morning light, hats on backwards to keep hair out of my face while we motor in the morning’s zephyrs. Here’s what works for Virgo: coast to a stop, lower a Scorpio-like “stinger,” just a power pole that serves as a temporary anchor, I rotate the cap’s bill around to the front. Shaded, hooded, and ready to fish. Virgo? Spin the cap around front-wise, then pull it low so that the wan morning light doesn’t get in your eyes, and thusly fortified, you’re ready for action. It’s the part about spinning the hat around, real or allegorical, in life or just as a metaphor, but that’s the hint. Spin it around and pull it down low. Pretend you have beady little eyes.

“You look suspicious.”

Libra

I can’t seem to find the link, now, but the other afternoon, online, I was studiously avoiding work when I happened across an ad, hot-link, quick social media piece, “Become an authorized, certified Life Coach for $7.” I think that’s what it was. I was tempted to click through, just to laugh at it. I’ve been at this for years, hit triple X last year, and still, at the very best, I’m only going to be able to pass along basics. I have much to learn. I doubt that a quick video tutorial can really train someone to be “authorized and certified” with a mere application fee. Me, I would question agency behind it all. In a similar vein, one hardware reseller clearly states that the resold materials are covered by a warranty, and names the warranty carrier — the corporation responsible. These are two extremes, one is suggestion of propriety with no lineage or proof, and the other is clearly delineated. Price point might have something to do with this, and I didn’t investigate any further. Good deals are everywhere, but when an item looks almost too good to be true? Think this through, or, at the very least, dig around and found out if there really is value to the low-low price.

See also: KramerWetzel.com

Scorpio

Cold, bitterly cold by my standards, winter morning. I was experimenting with a recipe, part of this is just leftovers and part of this is “found in the grocery” crap. For years, I’ve joked about “Soy Chorizo,” me oblivious to the intent of such an item. “Chorizo” itself is weird kind of sausage, I’ve been exposed to most of life, as result of where I live. It’s a “Mexican” influence, and frankly, one that I do enjoy. It’s mostly animal parts scraped out of the abattoir floor, finely ground and seasoned, and usually, quite greasy. Really tasty as long you don’t read the ingredients. However, the “soy chorizo” had no animal by-products, just seasoning and some kind of textured vegetable protein, so using it was a nod towards a plant-based healthier diet. I squeezed that whole tube of fake sausage into my recipe, and it was OK. It lacked the distinct zing that the regular stuff has, I suspect that’s the combination of salts, spice, and animal by-products. However, the aroma of the fake sausage was correct, the color was correct, and the flavor was close to what I expected, if a little bland. Close. Not entirely vegan, I’m sure, but close enough. All of this was to warm up with a healthy alternative on the upcoming holiday. For Scorpio? Same. Look for a healthier alternative to keep warm on these cold, winter mornings.

Sagittarius

One of my friends was asking for a reading recommendation. As a typical Sagittarius book-lover myself? I have wide and varied tastes, and not always good. I know this. My buddy, she knows this. Still, I had a skillful recommendation for the first book in series, and the suggestion, as I tend to do these days, “Get the digital library book, see if you like the author.” For that one series, I liked it best because there was a both tight plotting, a sense of place, a reverence for the locations, and a thoroughly captivating protagonist that has that deep inner turmoil. At the very end of my recommendation, I tagged it with YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). I’ve discovered that my odd-ball Sagittarius sensibilities don’t always align with others. I’ve learned that what I like doesn’t always work for other people. I’ve learned that my standards don’t apply across a broad cross-section. I also know that my one little buddy, she might not like the style, content, or presentation of such. Recommendations that go to our non–Sagittarius friends, families, and cohorts? Remember to include the refrain that this was suitable for our tastes, and that’s entirely (Sagittarius) subjective.

• See fineprint for details.

Capricorn

Be wary of the Capricorn Loss-Leader. Know what that is? It’s a sales gimmick, a retail trick, something leftover from the bad old days when retail was more magical and less quantified down to the last penny. A Loss-Leader, my understanding, it’s a sales item that the store takes a hit on, like, the product is priced under the actual wholesale cost so the low cost drags in customers. While buying a single item at the reduced price, there’s plenty of products that are profitable, and that’s how the deal works. Come for one item, leave with a grocery cart full of crap you might — or might not — need. One year before Xmas, we were looking for a big TV, and found one, on sale, Black Friday deal. Only, when we got the store, that item was conveniently sold out, but there were others, not quite the same deep discount. Or no discount at all. The deal I shopped? It would’ve been a great deal. Leaving empty-handed because I wasn’t going to fall for the same trick, again? Same thing I’m warning my Capricorn buddies about, watch for that Capricorn Loss-Leader, especial in respect to the current holiday season — holiday chocolates and flowers are less expensive the day after VD.

• Aperture: ƒ/1.8
• Camera: iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation)
• Taken: 22 January, 2023
• Flash fired: no
• Focal length: 3mm
• ISO: 160
• Shutter speed: 1/60s