6 Book Questions

The last question is a ringer, guilty pleasure — that’s half the shelf space in my office.

astrofish.net/shop

Pink Cake: The Quote Collection – Kramer Wetzel

Pink Cake: A Commonplace Book

• ISBN-10: 1434805751
• ISBN-13: 978-1434805751

Joe County

Joe Country – Mick Herron

From a long reading — read most of a whole series in a few week, ok, maybe in a few months, during the first of the pandemic and shut-in existence, but a character in a book introduced me to this author, and being smarter, now, I started at the beginning with this series.

It is mostly set in a London that I remember, a little grimy, gritty, with an essence that a very Dickens-like street urchin would pop up at any minute, “Sweep your chimney, guv?” Done, of course, in perfect Cockney accent. Halfway through the last book, London Rules, the whole series finally fell into place, in my mind, other than absurdly clever plotting, it is either satire, black comedy, espionage-thriller, or a commentary on the current state of politics, especially in the UK.

I’m not sure.

“For it has secrets: like every building in every city, Slough House is a neuron in an urban hippocampus, and retains the echo of all it’s seen and heard.” Page 9.

Just part of setting that British tone, and why I suspect satire. At what point does a volume of work subsume itself?

“That, and a bone-bred pessimism: if you expected things to get worse, history would prove you right.” Page 39.

Time and again. Hashtag “justsayin’.”

Watching the weirdly addictive “Killing Eve,” from the venerable beeb (BBC)? At one point, one of the characters (played by the remarkable Fiona Shaw) suggests, with a shrug, “London Rules,“ and I don’t recall the rest of the interaction. Still, the show’s noir essence, and the way the Slough House novels all run together? It fits. Whether this is a construct of a fictive universe, or a thing, I’ll never know. The plotting and pacing is deftly different from an American counterpart, as novels go.

Curious, as an aside, about the language. A “biro” in England is a “bic” — short for “bic pen” in American. A name’s trademark name that comes into commonplace usage. The pervasive nature of English Literature, though, the terms? Texas is 260,000 square miles, maybe more. England is 50,000 square miles (source: Wikipedia). I consume enough British material, I understand, and yet, throughout most of the world, it would seem, “biro” is more common. Unsure of my direction, it does explain one reason this material seems so sharp yet defies a typical taxonomy — in my mind.

As number six In the series, is that a connection?

By the end there seemed like a few series pieces left in place, but the body count is getting higher.

Weirdly engaging, for me, a version and descriptions of land, I knew, part myth, part fact, all very British in its imagery.

The overarching story is interesting, layered between plain, old fashioned European politics, espionage, double and triple crosses, and then?

Joe Country – Mick Herron

Joe Country (Slough House)

Previously

1. Slow Horses
2. Dead Lions
3. Real Tigers
4. Spook Street
5. London Rules

It is what it is.

Yeah, anything said in Latin sounds better?

“Est quod est.”

astrofish.net/shop

Pink Cake: The Quote Collection – Kramer Wetzel

Pink Cake: A Commonplace Book

• ISBN-10: 1434805751
• ISBN-13: 978-1434805751

San Pedro Creek (temporarily free e-book)

Studies have conclusively proven

Studies have conclusively proven that swearing releases endorphins, and promotes lower stress less levels.

Studies have conclusively proven

Studies have conclusively proven that anything that helps when Mercury is Retrograde? Helps.

Swearing helps. Clears that throat chakra.

astrofish.net/travel

If only there was a manual.

The Portable Mercury Retrograde

The Portable Mercury Retrograde – Kramer Wetzel

Water Signs and Mercury Retrograde

Water Signs and Mercury Retrograde — start by defining the Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. For some , that kind of review isn’t always necessary, but it never hurts. Especially when Mercury is Retrograde —

Water, symbolically, is about feelings and the unknown. Mostly the emotionally swelling of tides, the heaving of breaths, and the way a person can get swept away in those kinds of sensations.

Next look at the Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.

The mercurial starting point is hosted in water, water, the spiritual home of the emotions, and the backstop is in air, the seat of the intellect. Feelings, then, eventually, analysis of those feelings, then, I would hope, after Mercury goes direct?

Analysis of the analysis. Check, then check again. Check in about checking in. Then think about an emotional check-in to see how that compares to the cool, rational airy logic.

Water Signs and Mercury Retrograde

Logic and emotion gets confused, especially with this kind of flavor of mercurial times. As a year-long pattern, there is even more involved, as this is repetitive series of situations, each one individual but each event neatly (or maybe not so neatly) tied to previous and future occurrences.

The root, the starting point, is water, and that’s emotions. The conclusion is air, that’s thinking. Intellectual and emotional get confused, and there’s no way to see clearly until the planets clear up their messes.

What this means? And what this does? It kicks loose material that’s been stuck, like emotionally constipated, and then, the thinking part only confuses the issues until it all breaks loose at once.

Water Signs and Mercury Retrograde

The short form, drawn from years of this work, and patient observation? “Don’t drink and dial.”

Funny, the term “dial?” It has no real meaning, anymore. But the missive and inherent message? In that fit of pique, in that moment of weakness, when the guard is down, or up? Maybe reaching out isn’t the best choice.

Think, first, then, think, second, too.

If only there was a guide?

the Portable Mercury Retrograde

Portable Mercury Retrograde – Kramer Wetzel

Mars in Aries

Mars enters Aries on June 28 — goes retrograde at 28° Aries — on September 10. Mars creeps all the way back to 15° Aries on November 13, Friday the 13th, turning direct. Mars leaves Aries January 6, 2021.

Mars typically spends about 6 weeks in a sign, and the extended stay in its home sign of The Tropical Zodiac Sign of Aries — that stay lasting little over 6 months? Means there’s a message therein.

There’s an obvious message, right?

The two cards I started looking at, sort of spelled out a story, for this extended broadcast news.

The original Aries card is The Emperor, the archetype for the king court card. Rams, lambs, and dragons. Badges of office. While it looks more or less orange to me, it is supposed to be red in color, keeping with the Mars-driven affinity.

There’s a certain amount of self-will, determination, and ruling his own realm that one derives from this card and its assigns. Then too, with that one deck, he’s looking at Venus (The Empress), and one source suggests he was her consort. Yeah, that works — she lets him think he’s in charge, correct?

That’s a modern model of the way things work.

The card for Mars in Aries is the Two of Wands, with its suggestion of “Dominion,” again with the notion of being in charge of one’s own space and place.

Exercising one’s will over one’s space: dominion. One way to look at it?

Mars in Aries

The third card, in the display? Three of Wands, Sun in Aries. The Tropical Zodiac sign of Aries starts on the Spring Equinox, and heralds the launch of the spring, and the astrological new year. Aries marks the beginning of our march through the Tropical Zodiac, the 12 signs.

The extended stay Mars has, saw this one time when Mars pulled this stunt in Scorpio, and that prompted, over the course of the half year or so, a major overhaul in the relatively public manner we now all deal with all personal issues: the new-fangled version of transparency.

Someplace between totally transparent, nude for all to see, and righteously hidden from sight, cloaked in secrecy, some place in between is where the answer is. Mars, as he experiments with that super-Aries energy? This is going to test the perceived limits, and perhaps, eventually, it’s a long way to January 2021, help determine what’s for public display — and what’s not.

Mars in Aries

Mars in Aries is a leader, a point person, but sometimes lacks necessary follow-up, or just the usual follow-thru. Not condemnation of any sort, merely an observation. Mars and Aries play important roles in leadership skills.

This year’s pattern changes how that temperament can be expected to perform.

Personally, I look to this as neither condemnation nor endorsement of current leadership. Testing, especially testing perceived limits?

Sure.

• Mars Minute