Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra Act 3, Scene 13

Horoscopes for 4-9-2024

• Mercury RX 4/2 27° Aries
• Eclipse 4/8 19° Ari.
• Mars/Saturn conjunct 4/10 14°40’ Pisces

Aries

Someplace, buried on the various archives of my astrological writing? Someplace there is an “evergreen” piece of text about when it is best to file taxes. I would get questioned, every year, and every year, I had the same response. Depends on several factors, but the question, “When is the best time to file taxes?” It depends. But if Mercury is Retrograde, that means it is also retrograde for the taxing agency. In one version of the text, the best time to file is when the Moon is Void of Course (Moon Void), and Mercury is retrograde. This is a situation wherein there is no one, definitive answer. What’s best for one Aries? That might work against the next Aries. Never can tell, as this is a question tuned to an individual’s birth chart and the specifics of the heavens at the time of the question. It’s complicated. However, in true Aries fashion? Sooner rather than later.

Taurus

We all like to have a foot in reality. For many, many years, I would suggest a symbolic hematite anklet. Hematite is a metal-looking stone, and the suggestion of an anklet, simple enough, keep one foot anchored in reality — the way I like it. I went through a half-dozen of these type of jewelry, not admitting that I might be a little too unhinged for it to work. But I tried. It was merely a simple grounding principle that I would employ, and over time, an omen that I came to recommend, based upon what might be in someone’s various charts.

What would happen to me? I would wear that kind of anklet, just semi-precious minerals, a trinket worth a few dollars at the most, and eventually, it would break. In part, from an active lifestyle, and in part, from me being tough on equipment, and on a more metaphorical, metaphysical level? In part because I refused to stay grounded. Some Taurus folks will rush out and buy a hematite anklet. Some will buy raw hematite to carry in a purse or pocket. Some of us will mutter, “Huh?” Others will think I can very well just go piss up a rope. This particular iteration, the current conditions, the current astrological conditions? All of that points to some kind of over-the-top grounding exercise to help keep one Taurus foot in reality.

Gemini

This Mercury Retrograde period of time, where it occurs, how it occurs, and the lunar phase with it all? Creates a time a when nominally gentle Gemini is a bit unhinged. “A bit?” Other signs look over and wonder about the state of the Gemini condtion, because, patently, you’re starting to worry other people who don’t get it. This is a industrial grade kind of bat crap crazy. Knowing that there is an added level of insanity, or just plain irrational behavior, marked by increased lunatic behaviors? Knowing all of this helps. No permanent decisions, as anything, and everything, can be renegotiated at a later date — when the planets settle down and cooler heads prevail. When? In a couple of weeks. What to do until then? Understand that this isn’t normal, but a special kind of industrial-grade bat crap crazy. There’s a tiny following problem, though, if everyone you come in contact with, if everyone is nuts?

Cancer

One favorite Hawaiian shirt, it was silk, a faded black background with intertwined figures of pink flamingoes and Bird of Paradise flowers. Garish colors, kind of clashing, and that’s what made it a favorite for me. Never in style, so I never had to worry about it being out of style. Over the years, it faded a little, but as an essential piece of my wardrobe, it never changed. I think it shrunk a little, though, after years of repeated laundromat visits. Never can tell. It seemed to get a little tighter across the chest and belly — and it was an old shirt. It eventually went into the “quilt” box, and from there? Disappeared, maybe to be never seen again. It was featured in some images, still online decades later, but that’s about it. Goes to show a couple of points. 1. Those online images might never die. 2. Let it go. Faded memories? Sometimes those are best left as old pictures and faded memories.

The Leo

The problem is understanding the difference between a wish, a hope, a dream, a desire, and what the the usually good native Leo intuition reveals. Look: this happens to me. Listen: I’ve gotten much better, but it still occurs, when a desire, or what I want to see in my mind’s eye is so strong that it blots out what my intuition suggests is really there. That’s a problem. That’s a big Leo problem. What you want to believe, and what is true? There’s a difference, and understanding that difference, the ability to discern the difference? That’s what this is about. Just because you’ve been manifesting, and wishing, hoping, dreaming, it’s almost so real you can almost taste it? That doesn’t mean that it is real. I get this; happens to me — like — a lot. But I’ve learned to tell myself what’s real, and what’s just an idea that hasn’t come to fruition — yet. That’s how I would spin this, “Hasn’t happened, yet.” Might not happen; we don’t know. But learn to discern the difference between what you want, and what is really here. We can’t all be selective about reality.

Virgo

Fishing, the other afternoon, I had to relearn an old technique I’d forgotten about. Been many years since I lived on the water in Austin, so I haven’t used this particular method of flipping bait, or slingshotting, in a matter of years. Maybe longer. Decades? Has it been that long? Maybe. But as a technique, swing the lure back, grab it or its leader, then pull back a little, helps to have relatively stiff fishing pole, and get just a little bit of arc to the tip, then let the bait swing out, under, and with that arc, as described? Let that land as gentle as possible, sometimes, when done right? The bait will bounce or skip into place. It’s great for landing up right up next to a dock or under some low-hanging willows. My fishing buddy was using a craw-monster, and I was just using a stick bait, wiggly bit of plastic, that has some heft without weighing too much. It was fun, and there are some pictures on the site someplace. With what’s happening in Pisces? Don’t be afraid to go back and dust off old techniques that used to work.

Libra

One guy built a career by sketching on the back of business cards. Eventually, the little doodles became high-art, then fine art, and eventually, he made a career out of his tiny doodle drawings. Rather remarkable. Likewise, I tried sketching rough notes, ideas, and diagrams on the back of business cards. One endeavor, all I had are business cards leftover, and the blank backside looked like a good canvas. I stretched my “artistic” muscles that way. Didn’t work. There are few extant examples buried in the web journal someplace online, but other than that? Didn’t work for me. In turn, that made me appreciate the art form more. I just laid bare one of my own failures as post-modern conceptualist. In doing so, it’s quite all right for gentle Libra to take a run at an art form, an endeavor, a way to approach an issue, and it is OK to fail. It is only though failure that we all learn what doesn’t work. Instead of thinking of it as a failure, though, think of it is either rough draft, or an early sketch, as of yet unrefined — in trueLibra fashion.

Scorpio

I would be remiss in my duties to gentle Scorpio if I didn’t warn you about what’s about ten days out. This is less about this week, but you can see this coming, on down the pike, and it is on a fast collision course, headed straight for Scorpio. In a few days, more than a week, Jupiter and Uranus will be conjunct in Taurus (4/20, 21°50’ Taurus). You’ve got a few days, a week, maybe, to get ready. Is it bad? Hardly. Is it unsettling? For sure. Is it weird, strange, and outside of the normal realm of Scorpio experiences? That’s the problem, and to be best prepared? Takes a special kind of Scorpio. Fluid, dynamic, and adaptable. “But I’m very adaptable,” suggests one. Yeah, very flexible as long as it all goes your way. With Jupiter in on the mix, this is good, and preparation? Have a go-bag ready, and when the conditions present themselves, be ready to handle the situation. “No one saw that coming!” Can’t say I didn’t warn you, weeks in advance. Don’t forget, Mercury is still retrograde.

Sagittarius

In its simplest form, this is an example of misplaced passions. Because I lived in a tiny South Austin trailer, in an infamous trailer park, I was extra careful about the books I would collect. Had to be certain authors that I liked. I got rid of a couple of pristine first editions, because I didn’t think I really had room for the novels, and then, after moving around so much, I had to go and get those first editions, one less than pristine, because, as it turned out, I did reread those novels, over and over. The misplaced passion is about being overly energetic, like, “I’ve got to get rid of everything,” instead of a cooler mind, “I might want this later.” Misplaced passions. The aftermath of the eclipse, the current wrath of Mercury retrograde in Aries, and the way this plays out against our usually benign Sagittarius intellect? It adds up to misplaced passions. As demonstrated by either throwing away something we might want later, or getting something that, as it turns out, we don’t really want.

Capricorn

In the most direct terminology I can muster? Planet behaviors like this is like exacerbated manic mood swings. Draw a circle. Draw a smily face in that circle. Draw another circle, and draw a frowny face in that one. In my own life, I’ve always been haunted by a number of pencil and pen sketches, pencil and ink ideas, roughly drawn out on paper. In the simplest terms possible, there’s a happy face and sad face. Not very “artistic,” but the twin images do convey what is happening in Capricorn. Up, down, left, right, forward, backward, and then, all over again. It’s good, it’s bad, it’s horrible, and suddenly, it’s wonderful. The pens, pencils, and sheets of paper? I suggest you record those wonderful moments in one form or another and then, as the crap unfolds, you can leaf back through and find those corresponding high points to help balance the Capricorn load.

Aquarius

We never know what comments, commentary, images, and imagery will have lasting impact. A former mentor and companion gifted me my first Thoth Deck, and that unlocked a series of images, a school of metaphysics, and a deeper understanding of planetary dynamics. All from a buddy passing on a set of cards he didn’t like because they were too dark. Think I still have that original deck, all beat up and essentially retired. With Mercury in his current condition, I flipped through the set I have on my desk, and thought about images. There is a correspondence between the images, the numbers, the suits, the elements, the planets, and the signs. What it means? There is an ever-shifting interpretation of the exact meaning. As a learning tool, this is invaluable. As an idea that this is stuck with just a single meaning? That I can’t support, as there’s conditions, locations, motions, movement, and varying influences. So it’s about images, and while the various interpretations can shift, there’s still a general sense to the way this will go. Follow that lead, but realize, the imagery may change.

Pisces

There’s a subtle trick I employ, sometimes it works, sometimes I’m less successful, but as a suggestion? It is less of big deal than you think it is. Oh, it matters, but does it really matter that much? There’s an urgent sense of an emergency, and looking at it a little later? You’ll realize it wasn’t that big of deal, and blowing it out of proportion? That avails you nothing. Getting yourself — or others — riled up over nothing? Or excited, agitated, and disturbed over some perception of a problem that might not really be that big of a deal? The rallying cry, and I’ve used this before, and it applies in other situation, but for now? “It’s the principle!” That doesn’t really matter. Or matters less than the actual circumstances surrounding the Pisces perception of the problem.

• Aperture: ƒ/1.8
• Camera: iPad Pro (11-inch)
• Taken: 29 November, 2022
• Flash fired: no
• Focal length: 3mm
• ISO: 64
• Shutter speed: 1/60s