“I’ll give thee a wind.”

2nd Witch in Shakespeare’s Scottish Play (I.iii.11)

• Sun enters Cancer 6/21

Gemini

For several years, I developed, then perfected, a method of working, a way I can achieve results — even when there were dire astrological events. Not really “dire astrological events,” but as a Gemini-compliant person myself? As a compatible — and mutable — sign? Try this style. I have three items I want to accomplish today, simple list, numbered, lettered, on a whiteboard, blackboard, calendar entry, or even just the back of a used envelope. Three items. Three simple goals. Maybe just three items I want to remember to pick up at the grocery store. Never can tell. Got that list? Gemini goals for the day? Before you even get out the door, one, or more of those goals falls into the category of “Not being able to accomplish that today because of outside influences over which there is no Gemini control.” Not your fault, and out of your hands, got that? In single digits, there is room for three more goals, three more options, three more daily targets, under those first three that fall apart. Then, under those second three? Room for three more, and we’re still in single digits. Move to the next item on the list. Just keep ticking off what can — and can’t — be done. “UntilI get a reply, I can’t move on this, so what’s next on the list?”

Cancer

There’s a kind of relief that we’re all seeking, but I’ve found this strongest in this week’s Moon Children, the Cancer Crab people. Simplest form of this is usually the ubiquitous “comfort food,” and that’s basically a simple trope as an extended metaphor consistently on display for Crab-like Cancer Moon Children. Which leads to a question about efficacy, redundancy, and this gets circular, but the one most ask, mustn’t one?

It’s an appropriate question, and weighs — individually — on each quarter of the Moon Child’s Cancer chart. “Is it a bad habit if I enjoy it?”

The Leo

There is much “idea energy” floating freely in The Majestic Leo. “We’re going to the (lake, river, beach, ocean, bay), and we’re going to fish, water ski, swim!” Idea energy. Full of great ideas, and yet, there’s a little problem with implementation of those ideas. The mighty Leo mind charges straight ahead, consumed with those hopes and dreams for a better day, taught, tan skin in the summer’s sun, frolicking at the water’s edge in one form or another, and splashing, playfully in the liminal zones where the water, sky, and land all meet. In my idealized world when I lived in old Austin, I would just walk out the back door of a trailer and there was Town Lake. Fishing, right under my feet. Varies from mighty Leo to majestic Leo as to exactly what those idealized plans might be. Personally, a deep lake and solid motor, or more perfect? A shallow-draft bay boat along the edges of the marshes and the back side of the bars, in the gulf. Depends. The point is this is the time to sketch out the ideas, banters questions about, look up what is the best place to be, for what you want, lakes, rivers, bays, oceans? I’m not picking one because all The Leo that I know? Each one has a slightly different, idealized, version of what is best. But now? Now is the time to start kicking those ideas around.

Virgo

“Let’s build something together!” It was, might still be, similar to an ad tag line for a warehouse store. Not sure. Any number of places can fit the bill, about building crap together and the DIY industry has never been stronger. I am not building something together. What I am in favor of? Not repeating the same mistake. I was face-to-face with a situation that was eerily reminiscent of my own childhood, and what I chose to do? Might be wrong, might be ill-advised, but my actions were counter to what I was taught, through actions, as a child. “You broke it, you buy it, suck it up and deal with it.” That’s the message I was taught, through pain, angst, and grief. In this situation? For a few dollars, and a few minutes of my time, I was able to create a new answer to a problem while solving a young child’s issues, and hopefully, keep this from ever happening again. Simple: do what is most correct, not what our parents taught us. It’s that simple. The stars dictate a new Virgo answer.

Libra

There are circles and cycles, and the two operate within each other. I was wrapping up a weekend of work, and I was tired. I felt like I did a disservice to the last reading, like, there was no feedback, and no acknowledgement that I hit anything at all. Left an empty sense of dread at the conclusion. Hint: it happens. There are times when there is no feedback, good, bad, or otherwise. I took it to heart. Sad moment. The next afternoon, I was doing a phone consultation, and I was reiterating a message about not taking little setbacks to heart. The lack of accolades didn’t mean I did a bad job, just suggested I was dealing with a better poker face than my own. The circles and cycles are almost too self-evident in gentle Libra. It’s there, in your face, the same message you were sending out, being sent right back to you. It’s about taking something to heart when there is no factual data to support the notion that this was a deliberate attack on the Libra psyche, soul, heart, feelings, whatever. It’s not personal. Might feel like it, but in the bigger picture, in life’s grand Libra scheme, it’s not a big deal.

Scorpio

This one is back, and I couldn’t help but think of the circular references, sort of a visual tautology. Commercial address, in a warehouse district, formerly light manufacturing, converted to quasi-retail (art) space. The door on the front of the building? “Please use doors at side of building.” Doesn’t take much, but it’s easily enough to guess what the door on the side of the building said, what the sign said? “Please use doors at front of building.” One Scorpio person I know, she will try the front door, then go to the side door, and try it, and when both of those are locked? Only when there seems to be no way into the place? Only when all avenues are cut off from any form of ingress? She’ll look at the sign that says “Closed,” with hours and days listed. Might try the various doors when they are supposed to be unlocked, like the listed open times. When I suggest we pay attention to signs, like “Front door only,” or “Side door, please?” There’s the added bit of useful Scorpio-data, like when the doors are really supposed to be unlocked. Scorpio: all the signs.

Sagittarius

In my life? “Better coffee means better work.” I recall the exact moment, I was attempting to explain to a fishing buddy the way to appreciate the joy of a single shot of espresso, let the first sip alert the palate and coat the tongue with hot, oily flavorful goodness, then a the second sip should be most of it, in a single, coffee-infused swig, and then? The final taste, just shy of the fine espresso grinds themselves, to round out the experience. Only three sips per shot of espresso. I tried, vainly, to explain it, and he missed the mark. Or played dumb, which happened a lot, back then. I was wired, we fished, and the rest is history — buried in archives and time. But this was a haunting refrain, as “Better coffee means better work,” and while I don’t require top-shelf, deluxe-grade coffee, I like the good stuff. Not sweetened, not fractured with milk or milk-like products, no dilution, just bitter roast. Better coffee means better work. There are two important Sagittarius corollaries: 1. Better pay means better work, 2. Better work means better work. Keep it challenging, and pay us well, you’ll be surprised, as better coffee means better work.

Capricorn

Nodded to one of my neighbors while I was out. He mentioned a new hardware store, buying tools. I called it a toy store, and I think that was slight affront to impinge on his manhood. That was how I understood that he took it, anyway. Seemed upset. Might just be, typically, disgusted with me and my errant ways, but I took this as my neighbor taking that as some kind of a dig at him. First off, I don’t really need any more tools. I have hammer, a trowel, and rake, not that I would every use any of that, and I am firmly in the camp of, “If I can’t fix it with a simple screwdriver or Leatherman, then I need to find a guy who can.” Simple, expedient. No mess, no fuss. I like to self-reliant, and to a large degree, I am, but there is a point, and if I can’t fix with what I have, then I won’t be buying anymore toys. Tools. Damn, I did it again. A lot f this, though, is less about tools and toys, and more about how I approach work, with a playful attitude. Not everyone is as serious as Capricorn, no, are we? Is that a personal affront?

Aquarius

There’s a functional incompatibility among certain planets. This spills out into the Aquarius orbs although, technically, it’s less of an impact, but the problem being? At its heart, this is a series of energies that don’t function well together. Why I liked the term, “functional incompatibility” among the planets. Symbolic of this, I’m sure there are numerous examples, but the idea is that two pieces don’t fit well together, and getting a hammer to fix it?

That won’t work.

This is a time when a steady hand, a small blade, like a razor? That works much more effectively than wholesale hammering, beating, and banging on the misshapen parts. What to be extra Aquarius-careful about? That razor, it’s sharp, and it can cut deeper than you intend with this process. Worse? You can cut yourself as you try to shave that piece down, just a little, in order to make it all fit. Why I carry band-aids for times when I cut too close, and I’m sure you know what I mean. “I didn’t even feel it and suddenly, there’s blood everywhere!”

Pisces

Making it “Foolproof?” Does genuine disservice to the increasingly clever nature of fools. Enough said.

Aries

As an Aries, you’ve got this notion in your noggin that that “life is supposed to be fair.” The good guys and the bad guys all start from the exact same place, and each gets the tools required to accomplish whatever the goal is. To borrow that sports metaphor, much bantered about?

“We start with a level playing field.”

But we don’t. The deck is stacked, maybe in your favor, maybe not in your favor. The playing field is not level. I recall watching a pick-up soccer game among, presumably mostly Latin males, and the playing field, such as it was, the shores of the lake in Austin, was decidedly not level. One guy figured out how to kick the ball up that hill, and then watch as the ball would arc back down the hill, a way to use that playing field that was clearly not level. What’s the biggest lie? “Life is supposed to be fair.” Play off that curve.

Taurus

Think about it, you only use one third of a traffic light. The typical, and I think this is a strictly American construct, but the usual traffic light? It has a Red Light, a Yellow Light, and a Green Light. At any given moment, only one of those lights is lit. Conclusion? We use one-third of a traffic light, and no more. “This is silly. You’re silly. All of this is stupid. What’s your point?” Mars is heating up Taurus, right and good. That makes you snappy. Makes you quick to find fault, and makes you hasty, and we all know, Taurus hasty isn’t tasty. There’s another one, but I only use one-third of my brain, and I can’t think of it. Maybe a good Taurus can come up with that answer. But remember? Mars tends to push you faster than you should go. No jumping to conclusions. Another local idea? “The light was pink, not really red.”

• 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