“My lord, wise men ne’er sit and wail their woes,
But presently prevent the ways to wail;
To fear the foe, since fear oppresseth strength,
Gives in your weakness strength unto your foe,
And so your follies fight against yourself.”

Bishop of Carlisle in Shakespeare’s Richard II (III.ii.178-82)

Horoscopes for 4-29-2025

• New Moon 7°46’ Tau. 4/27
• Venus into Ari. 4/30

Horoscopes for 4-29-2025

Taurus

I think the text just listed him as “Carl.” Part of his passage? “My lord, wise men ne’er sit and wail their woes,/But presently prevent the ways to wail…” Breaking that one down? Don’t sit and bemoan one’s fate, one’s woes, but do figure out a way to not cry over the problem. In other words? Fix it. You can piss and moan, later, but first? Fix the damn problem, and that’s what this week is all about: fix it, first. Then? Only then can you wail about your woe, the typically Taurus troubles, the obstacles, the recalcitrant and obdurate people in your way, causing this kind of problem, this source of woe. But first? Fix it. Then whine. It’s in that order, fix it, first, then complain. Makes you look so much better, in that order, and with birthdays and all that falderal? “Wise men never sit and wail…” (Sounds a little like a bit of tough Taurus love, but that only demonstrates my high esteem for your Taurus self.)

Gemini

I’m not one who likes to grow crap in a garden. While one side of my family is from the gardening set, really just not my thing. However, in the dollar store a few weeks back? I found packets of non-GMO, free-range, ergonomic seeds. Peppers, perennials, and peonies. Not really sure about the flower mix, but the peppers grew well last year, so I got another package. Then I read the instructions on those packages.

I’m pretty “Darwinian” about anything that grows in my yards. If it makes it? It makes it. If it doesn’t survive? I figure — natural selection in action — wasn’t meant to be. Those flowers, though, I just tossed the whole seed packet into a small pot, covered with a tiny layer of fresh compost, and already, there are sprouts showing. Year before, similar setting, I had flowers all summer and even after a winter’s freeze, they grew back. In part, though, and this is what Gemini should pay attention to, in part, this was super-cheap, four packets for a dollar, that’s 25¢ for the package itself, and then, I just tossed them out to see what would grow. No care, no feeding, and haphazard watering schedule. Now is the time to reap what’s been sown, at the risk of being biblical. (Paul 6:7, &c.)

Cancer

Shakespeare’s “history” play, Richard II, really deserves more attention than it gets. Lots of poetry, lots of political intrigue, and lots of subtle languages at play. There are several delicious monologues, and history of the play’s production itself is a telling tale. This is a lot of teasing information buried in my opening statements, and the questions that surround the play’s history. The New Moon is weird, but fresh, but strange, but opportunistic opening for the sign of the crab, Cancer, to take a step in the forward direction. Take a shot, swing for the fences, give it a go, or insert an happy, uplifting, and motivating phrase here. The suggestion is that you take a shot. Might be wrong. Might not work. Might fail miserably, but even in failure? You are winning. Sounds a little too conundrum-like? Give “it” a chance. Varies from person to person as to what “it” is, but whatever that works out to be for your Moon Children, Cancer self? Give is a shot. Give it a chance. Give it try.

The Leo

There’s an old adage, comes back in times like this. “Never kick a fresh cow pie on a hot day.” I would amend that a little, with an offering of never kicking a fresh cow pie. I tend to even stay away from the old, dried out cow pies, too, but that might be a personal aversion. As a source of rich, biodegradable, nutrient-rich fertilizer? Sure, it’s a good source, but not one that I want to have come in contact with my own self. Besides, I tend to wear sandals when it is this warm, and I really wouldn’t want to be kicking a fresh cow pie with my sandals, ever. The adage stands, in one form or another, perhaps as allegory or maybe as metaphor, and for one buddy? I mean it, literally, cowboy. The suggestion for The Leo? “Don’t kick a fresh cow pie today.” Or any day.

Virgo

I got hooked on some streaming shows, and then I got to wondering, some of them seemed to drag on too long. Like, the limited series could well have been a movie instead of 6 or 8 individual chapters. Too much backstory, too much character development, and too little action. Didn’t need all that. The essence and the echos, the subtle shading, and the drawn-out textures? In a book? I’m fine with that. On the screen? Move it along, already. Couple of times, the streaming version of the show was 6 or 8 hours while the story was only two hours, like a movie. That means an extra 4 or 6 hours of filler. The stated Virgo goal is to edit the material down to a more usable format. Shorter is better. At least one good Virgo will remark about my material be long-winded. Yeah, I know, and if I had more time, this would be shorter, too.

Libra

The cyclical nature of my own work, and the various avenues I’ve traveled down? I don’t have a traditional setting to enjoy the idea of hanging out with co-workers, there is no break room, and I don’t have that kind of arrangement. But I did, the other afternoon, had a chance to hang out, shoot the breeze, and laugh with cohorts and “co-workers.” More like people who work alongside me, and mostly just telling jokes, laughing at the stars, and whatever else comes along. It was a lull in the afternoon’s activity. We sat around and told jokes. One missing member of our clan, I told his joke, and that brought out gales of laughter from all. Kind of an off-color joke, I won’t repeat it here, but the results were amazing. This was a few weeks back, and it was kind of chilly in the hotel’s lobby, so my friends’ guffaws and howling was seemed to raise the temperature of the room, and that seemed to bring more customers towards us. The cyclical nature of Libra means it’s joke time to get the show on the road, to get the ball rolling, or just to warm the immediate surroundings.

Scorpio

Like a puff of incense? Like a mystical cloud of airy firmament that follows you around? Or like cartoon thought bubbles, for all to see what you’re thinking? Scorpio is supposed to be in touch with the intuitive, spectral, divinatory arts. Yeah, I get it — for some of you — that’s my job, predict the future. I can’t really do that, but I can read the portents for good ship Scorpio, awash in the miasmic sea of unknown. A blustery, chilly winter’s day, along the Gulf Coast, me and buddy went motoring along the beach, watching the gray surf break, and looking for birds. Not really a bird watcher kind of thing, but several sea birds were diving on what appeared to be a ball of bait fish, just passed the bar and the surf. Stop the cart, get the poles out, wade out in the frigid winter water, and cast some heavy weighted dead bait out. Pictures are on the web, I guess, from our little surf fishing morning. Wasn’t great, but he did land one good-sized red fish. The signs, in the example were the sea birds feeding. Read the signs, Scorpio, read the obvious signs in the air.

Sagittarius

While this is about me, it applies across the board to a number of my Sagittarius brethren (and sisteren). I will, on certain occasions, have a perfect recall. Other details? Not so much. I was thinking along the lines of analysis as I was looking at a chart, what the signs and symbols stand for, and the over-arching themes on which we can hang a meaningful bit of dialogue. It’s about reading the signs, understanding the ways the mystical and mysterious can communicate. It’s not about the overt, in-your-face, typical Sagittarius grandstanding, those big gestures we’re sometimes known for? This is about recall. Experience, time, errors, and the occasional nudge from the mystical, that’s what works. The biggest challenge? Have to discern what it is that we want, as opposed to what is best. That faded memory pops back up. When that memory comes unstuck in our minds, is it a warning, or an inspiration?

Capricorn

It’s dangerous decisions, the way I look at gear. I’ve got a fair amount of unused fishing tackle that had a purpose, at one time, but over the years, styles, techniques, and locations have changed. What I needed in a small bass boat no longer applies. What I wanted, then, and what I need, now, the two are not mutually exclusive, but there’s less overlap than one would suspect. New toys are always appreciated, but as I was sorting through some gear for the weekends ahead? I got to thinking about what I really might need. I’m guessing two poles, and I can use poles I’ve already got. Line weight, and approximate hook sets, yes, got them. Sometimes an assortment of weights and floats helps, but then, other times, that’s not required, and I won’t know until I’m on the water. Some of my very best fishing experiences have always been with just a simple set-up, pole, reel, line, hook, bait. Artificial or live, doesn’t matter, although, to some purists, that’s a line in the sand. I’m not fishing from the shore this next couple of trips so that line in the sand is less important. Capricorn? Check for basics. All that’s required, just the basics. The details we can sort out when we get there.

Aquarius

The other day I got nasty note from a former client. Upset with me, upset with life, upset with consequences of choices made. Other than I did mini-readings, some years back? Haven’t had much contact. I’m not sure how the current selection of bad choices was my fault, but I listened, briefly. Look: for enough cash, I’ll accept some responsibility for someone else’s bad choices, but this is governed by a graph, value, headed up on the X axis, and grievance headed down on the Y axis. Where those two lines cross? That’s where I am. Where those two lines cross, for Aquarius? That’s where you’re at. Or what you’re looking for, anyway. It’s that spot where two sets of conditions, each represented by a single straight line on either the X or Y axis. Where those two meet? Cross? That’s the Aquarius sweet spot. Getting there? Well, I’m not sure but it can be done. Sweet spot, where x and y cross; aim for it, Aquarius.

Pisces

At this point, I have a generalized knowledge of most, if not all, of Shakespeare’s plays. Got my favorites, and then there are fan favorites, and I like a few of the oddball ones, as well. I might have favorite passages or points in the play, all sort of depends. What I do recommend, though, for anyone going, seeing, viewing, or even as a first exposure to this kind of work? Go in blind. Just take it all in, and follow as much of the text, the plot, the story line as possible without getting bogged down in details. The details, the academic analysis, the way emotional content is removed from the plays by overthinking? It’s been — at least — two decades since I’ve seen a play cold, without any preparation, play I didn’t know, and I didn’t really do any review work. It’s now a favorite play because I let the first experience be that, a first experience. Just a chance to experience the play the way it was written, in the setting it was written for: the stage. Later, I got in the academic, historical, and so on — crap — about the play, but that first time? Pisces — there is no advance work required. Sure, you’ll miss some of the stuff, the language can be hard, but follow along with the emotional content. Cheer for the hero and boo the villain!

Aries

I’m kind of particular about my charities. Part of this reticence about which charities I give my time to has to do with my own background, and discovering that some charities are less charitable and more about serving the officers of the company. These days, it’s so much easier to do a quick search — dig below the surface — to find out if an organization is legitimate charity, or more of a front to profit from a charity-like business model. The obvious clue is (American) 501(c)3 corporate designation. Not always, but most of the time, that means it is a reasonably legitimate charity. Even so, I’m still rather picky, myself, as I don’t just hand over cash or goods to any entity that purports to be a charity. I’m a big believer in the concept of tithing, figuring maybe a one-tenth of my income should be directed back to the community in various charitable organizations. But picking which ones are deserving? Aries is best served looking before blindly donating.