To: astro list
from: kramer@astrofish.net
subject: 1/2001

"Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,
And vice sometimes by action dignified."
from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet [II.ii.21]

Astrological overview:Lunar echo as there's a small eclipse just around the King's birthday, a most holy of days. Then, late in the month, Mr. Saturn and Mr. Jupiter change their relative positions in the heavens, and we all see some of the promise of the new year start to develop.

Mars spends the month in Scorpio, his home, and Venus brings love and light to the Pisces portion of the sky -- shortly after the beginning of the year. So how's this going to work out, just for this month? Personally, I'm looking forward to the guys in Abilene who all go water skiing on the first -- such typical Texas behavior is the perhaps the best way to see the year off to a good start.

Aries [3. 21 - 4. 19]: A wise person once admonished me, "Good things come to those who wait." Sure, sounds nice. Works for some people. But as a fishing analogy, if the fish just ain't biting where you're at, then it is time to move. "Are you sure about that?" is the frequent question. Yes. It's a definitive answer. What works really well in one pond, just doesn't seem to apply in others. One day, a little plastic worm -- not a normal, natural color -- one day, that sort of bait works great. The next day, you need to use a little bit of stink bait. See, being ready to try something different is good. Being ready to forgo what just isn't working, especially at this time of the year, see, that's the right idea. Follow your instincts on this one, and I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results. Now, following instincts, and following desires, those are two different things. I'm tending to believe your gut instinct on this one. Make sure it's the feeling in your heart, though, and not the feeling a little lower. That's where the trouble starts.

Taurus [4. 19 - 5.20]: There should be a little bit of welcome relief in the coming weeks. I'll promise that. You've still got some old stuff which you've been avoiding, but then, I could probably suggest that for anyone. And rather than deal with bland generalizations, let's look at some specific instances right now. Yes, you should be wealthy. Odds are, it won't be a lottery type win, not this month. But a little bit of concentrated effort, a little bit of looking at the what you can do to take full advantage of the situation (you know which one I'm talking about), a little bit of extra effort right now, during this month, will pay off big. In fact, before the end of the month, you should be seeing some rewards for this hard work. I'm a little dubious about the hard work thing myself. I would suppose that it is a little hard for me to preach what I don't know about myself, but I do know charts, and that's what is suggested in yours. Hard work includes looking for a chance to plan a vacation, if you get the hint.

Gemini [5.21- 6. 21]: One of the words which most of the Gemini's I know really don't like, one of the words which seems to carry a little extra weight, perhaps even an evil connotation, one of the words which is not always met with a universal display of profound happiness, one of those words is "work." So what's up with work this month? Aren't you glad you asked? You're too busy, covering too much ground, and trying to be in three places at once, which, given your basic Gemini sentiment, shouldn't be too much of a problem. But it is. It's not you, see, it's that mean old Mr. Johnson (or Smith or Jones, or whatever his or her name is) and that person seems to have some very high expectations of you. Abnormally high. This isn't a problem, as long as you don't need to worry about everyday stuff like doing laundry, going on a date, seeing movie, or reading a book. Or even reading your horoscope occasionally. If you don't mind being all consumed with one thing like work, then it's okay. But if you attempt to have a life, you might have to draw on some of those extra special Gemini powers, and you might wind up having to be two places at once. Even three. The cause of your consternation? Jupiter, that lucky star.

Cancer [6. 22 - 7. 22]: At the beginning of a new year, it's not always the best time for a sensitive Cancer type. There's the odd influence of the sun, making his way through Capricorn, and that always serves to drown out and obscure some of the better feelings which should be floating around. But if you can avoid the influence of the sun himself, then there's still a some of the odd stuff going on which looks good for you. It's not like it's a major influence, but paying attention to some spurious details at times like this -- looking at the details really helps. It's just a matter of the sorting out process which is important. What details really do require attention? What details are best left for other signs? And as long as Venus is in Pisces, you'll find that you have a somewhat flippant way of dealing with other peoples' emergencies. Try my phrase: "Just because it's an emergency for you -- doesn't make it my emergency, too." Or something like. You get the general drift, I hope.

Leo [7. 23 - 8. 23]: The new year, for the delightful sign of the Leo, is going to get off to a rocky start. Not necessarily rocky in a bad way, just a lot more loose ends scattered across your road. Perhaps there are a few things left unsaid, or comments you would like to edit out, and maybe a certain Scorpio is back to haunt you, or worse, back to taunt you. It's time to cash in on your wonderful, magnanimous nature. I've always subscribed to the notion that every Leo has a strong strain of noble blood, coursing through his or her veins. Cash in on this inherent Leo nobility. Do the right thing. Do what is the best possible action, especially given the circumstances. It's not always in the noble Leo blood to quietly acquiesce to the whims of others, but shouldering some responsibility would helpful. And try doing so quietly. I realize this isn't in your nature, but to suffer in a noble way might actually pay off, just not yet. Concentrate on being the solid rock which you are. Concentrate on matters at hand. And if your work load doubles, accept it with Leo grace. If you're like me, then we both could use the increase.

Virgo [8. 24 - 9. 22]: Welcome to the new year! There's just one, little, minor, not so very important detail which some astrology forecasts seem to be overlooking this month, and it has to do with the relative position of Venus, for most of the month, in the sign which is opposite you. This is by no means death defying, earthshaking, or even that troublesome. But Venus in opposition to your sign points out little problems. The course of true love never, ever seems to run very smooth, and that's something you want to remember. So when small events start hitting a rocky road, like in the first week of the new year, don't let these minor troubles escalate into bigger problems. There's really nothing to worry about, and there's not a lot you can do about Venus, other than take some of the vague promises of joy, and temper all those promises with a degree of reality. Sure, reality is ugly word around here at the office, but being a Virgo, you like to think that you are grounded and very realistic. So with this month, you might want to go back and look at some of those outlandish New Year's resolutions you made. Did you really want to give up that particular vice? Or were you being more hopeful and less realistic?

Libra [9. 23 - 10. 22]: New Years' resolutions are wonderful. A great idea. An excellent start to the get the year off to a nice, uplifting point. Right. Looks good on paper, but as the month begins to unfold, you remember that you gave up Amy's Ice Cream for your New Year resolution, and we get one of those hot days when nothing will satisfy like some cool, delicious premium Texas Ice Cream. Should you fudge on the resolution, and so soon into the new year? Good question. One that you need to ask yourself. It's one of the questions which pops up during this month. Maybe it wasn't something for your sweet tooth which you gave up, maybe it was something else. But no matter what you've decided to give up, it still comes back to haunt you this month. Not much can be done, but it would help if you were a little more willing to adjust your outlook some. Me? I tried to give up work, but you know how that one went. First Mr. Landlord wanted some rent money for this trailer's spot, then the phone bill, then the electric bill. You can see how this is going. Guess I picked the wrong time to give up working.

Scorpio [10. 23 - 11. 22]: Dispense with other forms of wisdom right now. All month long, you play host to Mars. A house guest is sometimes a great pleasure, but I've discovered that the perfect time, the correct amount of exposure to a house pest, is about three days. Like bait which has seen better days, the house guest begins to develop some annoying habits, and sometimes, they smell like that bait after it's had its better days. So you've got a three day window with Mars, and then the rest of time, you're going to be wondering just why you decided to host this sucker in the first place. Relax. Mars is intimately associated with your sign, and he likes being with you. By the end of the month, though, you'll be glad that he's motoring off to other signs, as you will be a little tired of the Martian antics by then. Saddle up, prepare for the visit, Get ready. Do your housecleaning ahead of time because when Mars starts making merry, you'll find yourself effectively out of time for anything else.

Sagittarius [11. 22 - 12. 22]: The beginning of the year is supposed to be a time when one looks back over the last year, pauses, reflects a little, and then makes some judgment calls about what's coming up. What bait works right? What bait is best relegated to the recycling bin? And before making weighty decisions, I'd like to suggest that the Sagittarius in all of us take a little extra time with this pause and reflect idea. There's a problem with the relative position of Jupiter, in the opposite sign -- Gemini -- and that's making for some uncomfortable energy. It's about rash behavior right now, a tendency to toss out things -- like that bait -- which can be put to use a little later. Or in another way. Some live bait which has gone horribly bad actually does a have good use as catfish bait. Likewise, before totally abandoning a project or person, consider that there might be some half life leftover, and make sure you know just what it is that you're really getting rid of. By the end of the month, the planets all begin to march in a more orderly direction, and stuff like that bait you threw out, stuff just like that, might have a use yet.

Capricorn [12. 23 - 1. 18]: In the Northern Hemisphere, the days start getting perceptibly longer at the beginning of the Capricorn cycle. This month is characterized by this gradual warming trend. It's also characterized by a gradual business climate warming trend, as well. Now, this idea of work doesn't apply to every sign, but the Sea Goat gets a good shot at some business stuff right now. It might not happen all at once, like noticing the days are really getting longer, but it does happen, and the location you have on the planet has little to do with the gradual heat applied to your business ventures. Ever cautious, though, you might want to peer with a cynical eye at this gradual increase. What with the way things have been, you might be a bit worried, but you can plot a few of the trends, and you can see that your own, personal Capricorn stock is starting to nudge upwards. There will be, before this month is all over, a sudden increase in your personal worth. Play the hunch, and guard your hand -- there's no reason to share your guarded optimism with everyone, just a select few.

Aquarius [1. 19 - 2. 18]: There is always this one Aquarius who claims I always miss her birthday because it comes so early in the Aquarius cycle, right at the beginning. So? So I'm in a constant state of trouble -- I've gotten used to my lot in life. Why worry about the missed opportunities right now? What's up with this and the month? There's going to be a pervasive sense that there was a missed chanced when Venus was firmly in the Aquarius portion of the sky, and this sense of missed chances is like looking back, and wondering "what if" as in "what if I had actually said 'yes' instead of 'not yet'?" I hope this message is clear -- it's about getting a second chance, a new opportunity, a second chance to make good on the promise. I shuffle through the Austin airport on a regular basis, and one particular airline offers free doughnuts on Saturday morning. Free coffee, too, although their coffee is pretty bad. But the doughnuts are good. I overslept one morning, and missed my early flight. But I got to the airport in time to catch the next plane, and miraculously enough, there was also half a box of free doughnuts left over. That's what this month is like, just when it looks like all is lost, there's a last gasp, second opportunity. Never look a gift doughnut in the mouth.

Pisces [2. 19 - 3. 20]: Venus means love and light, and all that gooey good stuff. The problem being, that when this note first hits the wire, Venus is just passing out of a position where she's been making some trouble with Mr. Mars. Depending on the point of reference, and to mix up mythological systems a little, consider that Venus was a war-like heavenly indication according to some of the Central American societies, back a few thousand years ago. So the mix up from Mars and Venus is going to set a tone of apprehension as the month begins. It's like me telling you -- dear Pisces -- that the troubles are all going away and getting better, and you're going to look at me with one of those lopsided, quizzical, cynical sneers, and say, "Yeah, sure. When?" The answer to your rude question is soon enough. Imagine that the month is divided into thirds. First third is putting pieces back together, everything which fell apart last month. The second third -- middle portion -- is getting better, and the final portion of the month is absolutely great. It's as if all those troubles are nothing more than a distant memory. Look for Venus to heat up the love stuff, one way or another.

(c) Kramer Wetzel, 2000, 2001
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