That I’ve been writing horoscopes and related material for a while? Sure. That I get to spend a portion of my time in consultation with actual people? That helps. The almost random appearance of certain types, that shows up frequently? OK. Patterns emerge. The most recent? Four Degrees. Drilling down on that idea? Four Degrees of Aries.

Four Degrees

There was an eclipse, the Lunar New Year — Fire Horse — started, and Saturn closely followed Neptune entering the tropical zodiac sign of Aries. Mercury is in a watery retrograde cycle, just to add an element of confusion, already prefigured with Neptune and its influence.

Horoscopes for 2-17-2026… Horoscopes for 3-3-2026…

What showed up, repeatedly in recent weeks?

Four Degrees

Perhaps a dozen years past? I had a procedure for carpal tunnel on my left hand. An in-office procedure, nip and tuck, a handful of pain pills, plus a new fishing rod/reel and an alternative mouse arrangement — trackpad, no more mouse? No more problem. Last doctor check-up, the capable PA answered a question about a sore elbow: repetitive stress injury, similar to that old carpal tunnel. Simple enough, I adjust my working position, and it goes away. Still? That sore elbow? That’s what the Saturn/Neptune, looking around and gesturing at everything, that’s what this is about and the place where this hits hardest? 4°. Four degrees. It’s that sore spot that a simple adjustment can fix.

Four Degrees

Grabbing an ephemeris, Saturn hits 4° of Aries around 3/20 moving to 5° around 3/29, rough numbers, as an approximation. Slower moving Neptune hits 4° Aries in late May, turning stationary and then backwards in July, staying in retrograde motion until December, arriving back at that 1° Aries.

The American Ephemeris for the 21st Century

Realistically, the first four degrees of Aries, and by extension, all the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) will feel its influence. Realistically, though, the sensitive points for this time is that first Four Degrees, and more pointedly, as with Saturn, it’s that first few degrees of Aries. Digging around, I found that I did post about this, a while back, about two transits. At the end of the post, there’s the long form of my (dated) assessment of Saturn conjunct the Sun, and Neptune conjunct the Sun. That applies, over this next three-four months, to the first few degrees of all cardinal signs, in varying stages, but more so? For the first Four Degrees of Aries. As noted.

Kramer Wetzel’s little book of transits

More as an aside, rather than as a hard-and-fast rule, but as a sidebar item? The fire signs, Aries, The Leo, Sagittarius? Especially the flaky Sagittarius and stalwart Leo? The Leo? The fire signs gain clarity through this as it is a trine. Aries? Good thing ya’ll like hard work.

Field Notes Brand

I pick up interesting prompts from other “web writers.” Strictly bloggers, in the purest sense of the term, material written for online consumption only, and styled as such, frequently with pointers and hints. That’s how I first stumbled on the Field Notes Brand, and later, as I determined, its style, size, and shape fits me best. The notebooks themselves? I’m less impressed. The cover artwork is frequently outstanding, but I sheath my notebooks, stuff them inside a canvas carry-all cover, so the artwork is then lost. The quality of the paper? I don’t know — it’s notebook paper? To their credit, the little notebooks, first grabbed me, and helped shape the way I work, to this day. The actual notebooks themselves? While I was attracted to the size, shape, and feel? The paper is only OK, and the number of pages is limiting. In a recent late-night search, I discovered both Field Notes Brand and the revitalized Moleskine brand offered newly released “reporter’s notebook” size. Funny regret, and one I’ll just have to live with, but the “reporter’s notebook” size of journal was my favorite. It was about half a steno pad, lined, but the lines were mere guidelines, as I would just write quick notes to prompt recall. I looked for those notebooks for years, only to switch to the more manageable A6 (?) size, 5 x 3&1/2 inches. The bullet journals, usually larger format for most, I found a methodology that works for me, in the smaller size, and I much prefer the dotted-grid style over regular lines or plain pages. Recently, what I read online, the paper quality of the Field Notes brand isn’t that good; I don’t know; I never tested it. I did find cheaper, knock-off, bulk blank books in my preferred dot-grid, thank you Field Notes brand for that, and I have stack of them. What kind of notes gets transcribed?

“They told me to ‘pick my battles,’ I think I want to put some these back.”

Just an odd inscription with a date. Useful for a future horoscope, I’m sure. Diagrams, notes, snippets, what I had for lunch, if it was of interest, quick iconic images for myself. A record of the day, and maybe, if there was an interesting interaction, the symbol for the sign. Some ays I’ll inscribe the position and element father various planets in their orbits, just an inward notation. At one point, I had a couple of clients’ credit card numbers written down. Crisis astrology: it’s a thing.

Moleskine brand itself was an interesting tale. Almost dead, the brand was revitalized and delivered unto the mass market, available at the Costco. I don’t know if the quality is the same as legends suggest. I have few older notebooks, mostly half full with data that I didn’t manage to correctly collate.

The reporters’ notebooks led me to the Moleskine, which then led me to Field Notes Brand, and that got me where I am. I think I still buy the occasional Field Notes Brand, if nothing else, for the brevity, fine art cover, and the pretty package.

Field Notes Brand

It’s analog in a digital world. My happy place. • A Daytimer

the Portable Mercury Retrograde