From: Shady Acres Trailer Park
Subject: July Astrofish News

"The course of true love never did run smooth; But either it was different in bloodÑ"
Lysander in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [I.i.134-5l]

Monthly Overview of Astrological conditions: It's something that is really worth talking about. The way I understand it, July 4th is not an international celebration. It's the American Independence Celebration, and in a typically American fashion, we break out many low yield explosives devices in order to party down with the biggest bang possible. As one of Bubba's friends suggested, "Let's go blow stuff up." This is a truly American kind of party.

Mars is the big news as he moves from Libra into Scorpio, again, and Mars starts to pick up speed a little. Things are getting back to normal. Venus, however, is starting to slow down, crawling to a near stop at the early degrees of Virgo. In fact, she's going to be in apparent rear guard motion by the end of the month. So will Mercury. Jupiter is a hitting Taurus, about four degrees of Taurus, this month, too. That's good but there is a little warning because Jupiter will square Neptune during this time. It could make for some interesting midsummer confusion.

Aries: You've had a long string of irregular luck for the past few months. It's been good, it's been bad, it's been different. Fortunately, you're used to just such things. This is a month to take it easy. Chill out. Now, the appeal of fireworks, either real or imaginary, is quite strong, and there's just something about the chance, the opportunity to go out blow things up this month. I realize that it's a national holiday, and here in Texas, we take this form of recreation really serious. Or real seriously. With Mars moving in a much more orderly direction, you've got a chance to pull all of this together. I know it's a long, hot and dry month for you, but there's something sitting there, in your proverbial back yard that could use some attention. I wonder if you shouldn't stay away from the firecrackers and stick to another time honored tradition, barbecue. You might have better results.

Taurus: Jupiter is a funny old planet. It's named for the major deity in a certain Mediterranean region, and it's sometimes considered the major mover and shaker in astrology terms. This is just brief glimpse of what the future, as in the next year, holds. Jupiter comes to a screeching halt, more like a slow grind than a screeching halt, but you get the idea. Have you ever watched a cheesy television serial show where car wheels screech on gravel, as if the wheels were on pavement? This little Jupiter interlude is like that. You might miss the excitement if you spend too much time paying close attention to glaring inconsistencies. However, if you just suspend the judgment for a little while, the sound track isn't too bad. And, really, this is merely a hint about what the future holds, it's a quick shot at the next year. Look at this month as getting you ready for the future.

Gemini: It might be an obvious trick to some Gemini's, but ask yourself, "Self, what IS my first memory?" What's the first thing that remember from growing up? What's that salient thought that came first, as a child? I should warn you, some people think Gemini's are all children, all the time, but here at HQ, that is not the prevalent attitude. Gemini's have a wondrous, changeable nature. Now, back to that first memory, see, it has a lot to do with the way you approach this month. There's a sense that something from your past is about to visit you. It could be a parental thing, or it could be something more esoteric in nature. In any way, shape or form, however, this is an important event. So what is that first memory? I remember the muddy waters of lake, and the big old carp on stringer, myself.

Cancer: There's a fine round of Cancer birthdays this month. Then, as the sun moves on its prescribed path, late in the month, we get on into the Leo birthdays as well. While other signs are having a degree of trouble with this month, the world according to Cancer is doing all right. There's a middle ground that seems to be a little more than difficult to find right now, it's that happy spot for fishing, or, for that matter, just about any leisure time activity. You just can't quite get as relaxed as you would like. And the other horoscope stuff always says that "Today is a good day!" Yeah, right. This is a good month all right, then why the growing sense of unease? It's the idea that you might be better off some place else? Is that it? Between the unsettled thoughts and the birthday stuff, you're going to be a little distracted. Pay close attention to what matters this month. It can be a good time for Cancer, if you're willing to let it happen. And those disturbing thoughts? Worry about them next month.

Leo: There's this one school of astrology lore, perhaps it's the stuff that's been handed down from days long past, but this lore would suggest that you're in for a good month. From what I have been able to observe myself, however, I wonder if saying that you're in for a good month is really doing you a good deed. Indeed, it looks like it's an okay month, and I know you want it to be good month, but there are several contributing factor which make it less than a great month. The good news is that this is a month for things to look bright to you. Unfortunately, bright and shiny doesn't always mean that it's good. Just because an object attracts your attention, that doesn't mean you need to put yourself in hock up to your armpits for that new toy or bauble. In fishing terms, it's called a "spoon" and it's a flashy piece of metal that seems to attract fish. You don't want to get hooked this month by something like one of my lures.

Virgo: Venus is a planet that is often misunderstood. Virgo is a sign that is often misunderstood, too. Retrogrades are also often misinterpreted. These three elements of misunderstanding go a long way in explaining how this month is going to stack up. It's at times like this when I receive numerous complaints about "Mercury Retrograde." While that does happen, it's all a part of natural cycle. The best thing to do is take it all with a giant grain of salt. Some one is going to pitch you something this month that you're really not interested in; however, whatever "it" is (the thing that gets pitched to you) -- it can use another bit of examination. You've got a developing situation which is worthy of looking at. Or, since this is the end of July we're all looking at, you've got a thing (place, person, project) which deserves some second thoughts. Maybe even third Virgo thoughts. It could work out, you know. It just takes a larger degree of patience than you're feeling this month.

Libra: Okay! We're done with Mars, as of this month. It's not over until after the big Fourth celebration, but it is over pretty quick like. So much for the good news. After all the dust settles, no, dust isn't the right metaphor. It's more like a clear pond, one with some catfish lurking at the bottom, and these bottom feeders are tricky to wrestle with. Anyway, there's this clear pond which represents this month, and your goal is the fish feeding on the bottom. The problem being, you're inclined to wander into the pond and try to pick these guys up. Doesn't work that way. You've got to be a little more clever than that. See, as soon as you set foot in that pond, the silt on the bottom gets stirred up and the formerly clear water is now a murky mess. What this means is that you've got to be a little more careful than usual with your tactics this month. As much as you want to take a headlong plunge into something, stir up the muck on the bottom, a more stealthy approach might be in order. You have better results. And those catfish sure are good fried.

Scorpio: According to one of the last of the late Latin philosophers, a great favorite among literary types, life is like a wheel. Sometimes it's up and you're on top of the world. Sometimes it's down, and you are busy getting turned under, used for fertilizer. You're at the halfway point this month. It's really on the upswing, you are about to see things in better, more Scorpio-friendly light. But we ain't there yet. It's a time to pull all of this stuff together, though. Mars is busy with you this month, and despite the meanderings of the other planets, Mars is excited to be in picking up speed in Scorpio. You should be excited, too. Don't worry about the little movement of lesser planets right now. You're on the wheel and that wheel is turning upwards, spinning you into a better position. Make plans to put this good fortune to work for you.

Sagittarius: It's that time of the cycle of planetary events to discuss impulse control. In the case of the fine archer, however, this usually shows up as a lack of impulse control. And that can be a problem right now. The planets are falling into minor disarray as this month moves forward, and you're going to feel like your forward momentum has hit a temporary halt. That's why I recommend fishing. Momentum is not always a good thing. You don't want to disturb the lake while you're just sitting there, in the little flat bottomed dingy. It's not really the case, but it's how you're going to feel this month. The trick to getting a good catch is to control that impulse to motor off to some place else. Don't move. Practice being still and letting the little fishes come to you. You'll be amazed at how well this trick woks. Control the impulse and wait.

Capricorn: This month , I mean the first few days, are going to start out just like the proverbial Fourth of July celebration. Lots of rockets going off, lots of explosions. Lots of noise, smoke and fire. If you're like me, and prone to flashbacks about battlefields, then you might want to exercise a little bit of extra caution during the first part of the month. Perhaps a quick and hasty retreat from the activity, running away from the battleground, as it were. This is a month to consider a long vacation in some remote place. The idea that readily pops into my mind is nice alpine lake in Montana, a place far away from the other activities of this month. Perhaps it's a chance to escape the mundane world. Perhaps it's a chance to seek quiet and solitude while everyone else is making so much racket. Perhaps it's a chance for you to regroup and get a new strategy in pace before attacking. That sounds like a plan -- a good Capricorn plan for this month.

Aquarius: The play, "Midsummer night's dream," is about confusion. Obfuscation. And it features a collection of poor rustics who become rude mechanicals. But more important, the play is about mistakes. Don't fall for one of the central problems of the play, in the story line, a love potion gets in the wrong eyes. That could be a quick glimpse at what this month could hold, and that mistaken love potion could wind up in your own eyes. You could fall for a creature that has the ears of a donkey. While this makes for good comedy on stage, life is not really like a stage, and you you will find that you have some sprightly critters wandering around right now, trying to make you see the light, the error of your ways. Listen to your friends, this month, as they try to help you see where you can't seem to see. They are only trying to help, you know.

Pisces: Not so very long ago, I was sitting in a place down on Austin's 6th Street, watching sports on TV and having myself a relaxing time. The sporting event in question was rodeo. I watched as a particular bull named "Boot Hill" make short work of a particular cowboy. The ride wasn't near 8 seconds long. It wasn't near the glamorous event that rodeo promises to be, a delicate ballet between beast and man. Mr. Boot Hill didn't entirely live up to his name because it looked like he only got a rib or two, but that poor cowboy was certainly thinking twice about the event. You can saddle up this month, and you can expect some pretty quick rewards. The question is, can you hang on long enough, and is there an elegant way to exit a particular situation? You might think about that before you get on the bull. Once the gate is open, it's a little late to be making contingency plans.

© Kramer Wetzel, 1998, 1999 Feel free to forward this missive on to you friends, or enemies, we don't much care, but remember to include everything done to the signature to make sure the lawyer is happy.

AOL users only: free readings and much talk about astrology, bait and Austin cuisine on Wednesday nights, 9:00 PM CDT in the AstroNet Conference location. It's a weekly online chat sponsored by AOL's AstroNet.

1999
Jul. 24, New Age Books, 1006 S. Lamar — Austin
Aug. 7-8, El Paso, TX
Aug. 22, Whole Life Books, 1006 S. Lamar — Austin
Sept. 18, New Age Books, 1006 S. Lamar — Austin
Sept. 25-26, Holistic Bazaar, Arlington Convention Center — Arlington, TX
Oct. 2-3, Austin South
Oct. 8-9-10, Whole Life (Austin Palmer Auditorium)
Oct. 16-17, El Paso, TX

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