God himself is up in arms,
When violence is offered to the church.

Archbishop of Canterbury in Marlowe's Edward II 1.2.40-1

Venus enters the tropical zodiac sign of Taurus Mar. 4, 2020 at 9:07 PM. Mercury retrograde back into Aquarius Mar. 4 at 5:45 AM.

Horoscopes for 2.27.2020

Pisces

“Rub some dirt on it.” First time I encountered that kind of advice was, indeed, in a book, a timeless American classic. Wasn’t the exact terms used, but the sentiment was what I recalled. As we make our way along through this week’s heinous mess of a weekly look at what those wacky stars are doing?

Astrologically speaking, for Pisces? “Rub some dirt on it.”

I know that wasn’t the birthday message you wanted, and I seriously hope that this isn’t a life-threatening situation, but to a gentle Pisces, even a minor flesh wound can seem pretty traumatic. So? So “Rub some dirt on it.” In my years on the various roads as a journeyman astrology reader, I encountered a number of military places. El Paso and Southern New Mexico’s Ft. Bliss, Killeen’s Ft. Hood, San Anglo’s Air Force thing, and even the base in Austin, plus joint base, San Antonio. Lots of army guys. The military missive? “Rub some dirt on it.” Most of these are rough and tumble, battle-ready, harden men, a far cry from my understanding of Pisces, but for the time being? This week, all alone after your birthday thing? “Rub some dirt on it.”

Aries

Interestingly enough, the way I heard this? The quote is attributed to the great Wayne Gretzky — ice hockey. Ice hockey, in and of itself? That’s a topic I know precious little about. Guys, usually, big guys on razor sharp ice skates, fighting with long sticks, and apparently, no rules. Supposed to knock the puck into the goal, but that seems almost secondary to gratuitous violence on the ice. Anyway, the quote? And as it applies to this week’s Aries?
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“O powerful love, that in some respects makes a beast a man; in some other, a man a beast.”

Falstaff in Merry Wives (V.v.4)

Horoscopes for 2.20.2020

Pisces

I ran across that quote, totally out of context, and popped it up for this week’s horoscopes because, well, it carries a message. Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor is sometimes regarded as an inferior play because it doesn’t fit the overarching themes. Then, too, there is the apocryphal evidence that the play was requested by Queen Elizabeth — I just think of Dame Judi Dench in that role — so that the popular character Falstaff would get his just rewards. The quotation does play to the duality of the times, and the duality of the nature of the recent events, on both a larger, grander scale, and then, even in my own experience, here on a local level.

Does Pisces have any experience with love, or one of its analogs, that tamed a beast, or turned a man into beast? The holidays are over, at least, for some, and here, we’re gearing up for either spring break, the bass spawning, some coastal fishing, or other holidays. I just work with what I like. As the Pisces birthday months start, ask, “Is this man or beast?” Then, I guess, which one would you prefer, Pisces?

Aries

As long as Mercury is Retrograde in Pisces, you know what that spells, right? Just one annoying delay after another. Just once more item that interferes with moving forward in a rational way. I rather liked stumbling into that opening bit from Shakespeare — The Merry Wives of Windsor is, best guess, a topical attempt at an Elizabethan era romantic comedy, and those never end well. Or do they? For Aries, this next few days?
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Why, these balls bound, there’s noise in it. ’Tis hard!
A young man married is a man that’s marr’d;

• Paroles in All's Well That Ends Well 2.3.223-4

Can’t say Paroles didn’t try and warn us all.

The Sun moves into the tropical zodiac sign of Pisces on Feb. 18, 2020, around 10:46 PM. Your mileage may vary.

Horoscopes for 2.13.2020

Aquarius

Every year I bemoan the notion that the romance holiday was dumped into Aquarius. Have to admit, it is kind of amusing, in a darkly comic way. Who puts romance, cherubs, little heart-shaped arrows, who would put that in the wonderfully arcane, eccentric, and obviously brilliant but odd Aquarius? Why? Makes no rational sense to me. On some level, I would suppose, like a greeting card company, sure it would make sense to them. Far enough from Xmas and New Year, and not yet Spring Festival time, sure, I guess I can see the rationale when the data is thusly structured. But as an emotional question, why? Makes no sense, at least, not to me. However, it does depend on the way the data is sculpted. What the Aquarius birthday season is about, this week, is about how that data is supplied, shaped, and delivered. Sources? That helps. Multiple sources? Good idea, but not part of my narrative. For Aquarius, I echo back to one of the reasons why I like Shakespeare's works so much: there’s always a good quote and using Shakespeare instead of a holy text is far less likely to offend anyone. Just makes it better. It’s a week for shaping the Aquarius news narrative to fit what you want it to fit — romantic or otherwise.

Pisces

On a purely intellectual level, I can understand some Latin. What I started out to suggest for Pisces, was the only good language was a dead language, then I went looking for where I had that written down. Like here — really old blog. But reading that particular entry, down below, with some older Marcus Aurelius meditations, I realized that I had inadvertent caught the real crux of the Pisces issue with a single notation from Marcus Aurelius, you know, “Let others’ problems rest with the others,” in so many worlds. What I was going to suggest, I can, on a purely intellectual level, understand and grasp the basics of Latin. Not well, and not always correct, but I can guess, recall some grammar structure, and pretend I understand it pretty well. I have, over the years collected several quotes, in both the original Latin, and then in translation. I really do have to have the translated works, as I’m too old and too tired to really translate the material. Intellectually, I can fake it pretty well. But in that Pisces heart of hearts?
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Men’s vows are women’s traitors.

• Imogen in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline 3.4.44

There is that. Gearing up for the holiday madness?

Just a reminder, “Men’s vows are women’s traitors.”

“Oh baby, I love you the most.”

Horoscopes for 2.6.2020

Aquarius

This was supposed to be such a good year, and now, this? Seriously. Here’s the deal: happy birthday &c. It’s all going to work out, but the confusion of the moment renders this all rather hard to see clearly. Instead of trying to make this more clear? It’s all going to become more “indistinct.” Less clear. Obfuscation rules the day. Not all bad, but not all wonderful, either. Look: birthdays, emotionally, are supposed to be good times. Astrologically, there’s always a catch and we got one of those, this next couple of days, so, to work this out? Maybe lower the expectations? Or rein in the high hopes? I’m not saying bad, not at all, but that wishing upon a star crap? C’mon, be a little more realistic. If you are? Good events will come to pass for Aquarius, but to make that happen? Let’s lose some of the fluffy cloud dreams. You know what I’m talking about, right? And yes, it does see marked improvement, in the next five to seven days.

Pisces

When Venus motivates onward into yonder Aries? Matters smooth over in Pisces. “They do?” Yes, I’m sure about that, as the presence of a loving and kind Venus makes Pisces a bit too indolent. Too easy to sway your opinion towards something that I want, and maybe not always in the best interest of Pisces.
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“Love no god, that would not extend his might only where qualities were level”

Rinaldo in Shakespeare’s Alls Well that Ends Well (I.iii.47)

Horoscopes for 1.30.2020

Aquarius

My preferred attire is simple. If I must, I’ll pull on a formal T-shirt, good jeans, and wrap a sport coat around that. Looks about as formal as I can get. Boots. Yes, I’ll wear boots. Otherwise? I tend towards comfort rather than fanciful appearance. I’ve always wanted, or, thought it would look good, to get a long wizard robe, a tall pointy hat, and make sure both were covered in gold lettering, showing signs, constellations, and stars. The archetype of a wizard-type? Yes? Now? Over the years, writing as “The Fishing Guide to the Stars,” I’ve received various gifts that reflect the title, or reflect the wizard approach I’m frequently envisioned as. While I patently deny it all? It’s like the guitar player image left over from old Austin. Doesn’t really matter that I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. No, images and appearances are still what are often the source of that first judgement. Happy Aquarius birthday. Thinking about that appearance? And more pointedly, me wrapped in a long robe festooned with symbols for planets and signs? Great idea, be useful once or twice, and then, no one cares. Stick with simple. Stick with comfortable. Strike a balance point as you sally forth into the new days, happy birthday and all, with a different attitude about appearance. Comfort, style, fit, and function. Those make up this week’s Aquarius goals. Style, comfort, fit, and function.

Pisces

Cold snap, few days ago. Really cold by my standards, kind of lame to my friends from the frozen north, but it was bitterly cold — to me. Here’s my little trick. I have a scarf, a long, I think it’s some kind of artificial lamb’s wool, fake silk stuff. Not entirely sure what it is made of, not entirely sure I want to know. It’s dark, almost black, but really a shimmery shade of blue, deep blue. Deep, dark, mysterious blue. Not quite black. Kind of a satin-like finish to it, as well as the wooly warmth it envelopes. What I did with this scarf, cold snap and all?
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“Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.”

• Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well (4.1.25)

Horoscopes for 1.23.2020

Aquarius

I had an overnight guest and I didn’t want to wake her. She was sleeping so peacefully, looked angelic, and I just wanted some coffee. Cold, cold winter’s morning. I got up and staggered to the kitchen, pleasant memories triggered by the various aromas left over. I have a hand grinder for coffee beans. I rarely use it, but the usual way to grind the beans makes far too much noise, so I was patiently grinding away while I waited on water to boil. How easily we forget? That process of grinding by hand? I recall why I never do it. Too much work for too little reward. Instead of a pot of coffee? After a few minutes, I had enough coarse-ground coffee for a single serving French-Press. For years, I used a four-cup French-Press style of coffee maker. As a coffee toy, I have a single-serve French-Press, too. I tapped the grounds into the press-pot, added the boiling water and waited about three minutes. The grounds bloomed, then settled down, and I pressed out one the best cups of coffee I’ve had in a very long time. I forgot how smooth that extraction process works; how good the flavor is; what kind of beans I was using; all of that? Slipped my mind, briefly. That single cup of coffee, hand-ground beans, French-Press extractions, and a cold winter’s morning? The coffee itself out of a fine-china mug? The last of the grounds swirling around in the bottom of the mug itself? But that coffee, the stuff between the mesh filters, the hot water, and the bottom of the mug? Some of the smoothest, most delightful coffee I’ve had in a long while. So it seemed, at the moment.

As the Aquarius times begin to unfold? Bounce back to the old ways. The rewards are great — helps to remember that.

Pisces

For more than decade, maybe two? I’d have to check with the books to know for sure, but for some time now, I’ve used the Roman Stoic, Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his Meditations as a source of solace. I don’t hit it every day, not like a daily meditation, but from time to time, and I have at least three or four different translations that I favor, but from time to time I use the stoic ideals as a source of comfort. Venus, and Neptune, are a source of Pisces comfort. That’s the good news. Good news?
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