The Aesthete

Smarty Pants

If you can fight off the crippling insecurity and keep your eye on the intellectual prize this week, calmer heads are sure to prevail

by Shelley L. Ackerman

Recently, a number of friends have talked about Monarch butterfly sightings in the city, and have wondered what it means.

For the spiritual/symbolic set, animal, bird and insect sightings all convey specific messages. In general, butterflies are symbolic of transformation. When Monarch butterflies appear, they supposedly bring good luck and financial gain.

But butterflies are also a metaphor for nervousness (as in “butterflies in my stomach”) and for fluttering around from place to place, connecting only on the surface, much like the sign of Gemini which often gets a bad rap for being too shallow and heady. The truth is, Gemini may very well be the smartest sign of the zodiac and in fact, denies his/her own depth.

The week ahead is both intense and people seem to be that much more frenetic and unfocused. It’s as if we’re trying to squeeze everything in before the June 4th lunar eclipse, the Neptune station and the Venus transit of the Sun which all take place on the 4th and 5th of June. However, the mojo is perfect for sharing ideas and for intellectual pursuits of all kinds.

As you read this, more than 300 cosmically-minded New Yorkers are in New Orleans for UAC2012: The United Astrology Conference. With 1,500 people in attendance, the conference features 175 of the world’s finest astrologers (from over 30 countries) who are presenting 300 workshops, classes, and events, and who will share their insights on the economy (national and global), the Mayan Prophecies of December 2012, the extreme weather, and the US presidential election in November.

So during this intellectually edgy, jittery, and trying week, the challenge is to remain focused, strive for balance, and to channel curiosity productively while you catch up with connections and gather as much information as you can comfortably work with. These are transformational times.

 

HOROSCOPES FOR JULY 2ND TO JULY 8TH

ARIES: It will be so tempting to give in to your tempestuous self (especially on Wednesday May 30th) but those damn tea pots are getting smaller and smaller these days. So contain yourself, order up Analyze This and Anger Management from Netflix and laugh your angst away lest it gets you in deeper (You know what I mean). Frustration levels are on high for at least another 10 days before subsiding. When all else fails, head to the gym.

ARIES DOS/DON'TS: On one hand, you’d so dig a Memorial Day-into-night go around with free-bike Mondays (check out bikeandroll.com), but a row boat ride in Central Park may also calm you down. And there’s always music: Aries Jacques Brel magically transformed universal angst into some of the finest songs ever. On May 30th, hear some of them at The Triad performed by Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli and company. Avoid upsetting people and situations on the 30th,  listening to Brel’s powerful music being the exception.

TAURUS: Conversations regarding financials feel thwarted on the 30th, so keep those expectations managed and work on refining strategies and goals. Work issues get a work out (rigorous but productive) on the 31st: Hold off on getting your message across until Friday June 1st, it’s when you’ll be most effective and it's your day to charm the masses. Pre-lunar eclipse jitters is getting to everyone — it’s not just you.

TAURUS DOS/DON'TS: When all else fails, Serendipity’s famous frozen hot chocolate always satisfies. For some musical satisfaction, this week it's jazz-singer Dee Dee Bridgewater’s birthday and she’s singin’ up a storm at The Blue Note in the Village. If someone from your romantic past checks in, keep it “friendly” for now (i.e. stay out of the sack).

GEMINI: An "unquiet" mind is a terrible thing to waste. During this tremulous week with a twilight-y feel, it’s as if you’re waiting for some other shoe to drop, and in a way, that’s true. And whether that "shoe" is a metaphor, real, or imagined, the sense of not being on terra-firma is undeniable. Sure, it’s easy to say “calm down” or “meditate, my friend”, but it’s hard when you’re agitated. Get into the excitement of your changing world, use the energy to create, and know that divine providence is at work. You WILL see the evidence and feel better by the 2nd week of June.

GEMINI DOS/DON'TS: Ah, to excite or comfort? That’s the question. There is such a thing as over-stimulation you know, and you’re pretty much there. Feels like you need a soothing stroll through Monet’s Gardens at New York’s Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. PLEASE leave your cell phone at home lest you collapse from TMI.

CANCER: All great actors and actresses have mastered the fine art of being private in public. It’s very cool, once you get the hang of it and it sure could come in handy this week. You’ve got so much going on in those inner planes of yours and yet, you’re required to remain somewhat present and effective in the outer world. Your best strategy is economy: Put forth only what you must and when you think of it — only half of that. You’d be surprised at how others compensate when needed.

CANCER DOS/DON'TS: Whoever thought that OCD, Asperger’s, and Bi-Polar Disorder could be the stuff of an engaging flick? Know that your bag of troubles are easily dwarfed by much larger ones that are aced entirely in OC87, a documentary of filmmaker Bud Clayman's struggles to curb his OCD, playing at Village East Cinema. Don’t set a goal of resolving your biggest issues this week, just stick to the small and manageable ones.

LEO: Mid-week is not the time for a communal pow-wow on your deepest financial concerns. Though totally well-meaning, the “group” could inadvertently end up clashing and confusing the issues. However, Thursday does offer up some better communication options. Keep in mind that many are on edge right now until after the first week in June and while you’re pretty much okay, others are not at their best. On Sunday, you can accomplish a lot on your own or by working the phones.

LEO DOS/DON'TS: Depending on how patriotic you feel (or not), you usually do love a parade so check out Monday’s Memorial Day Marchers that gather both in Manhattan and Queens. Or, save your energy for the evening and take in (be still my heart) actor Christopher Plummer’s 6pm lecture on the 29th at The Paley Center for Media. Stay put, or at the very least avoid getting behind the wheel, on the 30th.

VIRGO: There’s no doubt that you’re being tested across the board to remain calm and centered in the face of multiple requests, no, make that DEMANDS, on your time, energy, and knowledge. As is often the case with these sequences, the challenge is for you to not feel as if you must respond to it all in real and record time. When your nerves are frayed, you become useless and barely effective. Like your Mercury-ruled counterpart (Gemini), these are trying times with no rest for the weary until the second week in June. Plan accordingly.

VIRGO DOS/DON'TS: Honor your inner worker-bee by catching Love Goes to Press at the Mint Theater on West 43rd Street. The romantic play centers on two tough, wise-cracking war correspondent dames from the ‘40s. Don’t over-extend yourself this week — there’ll be hell to pay.

LIBRA: These days are pre-cursors to one of the biggest game-changing sequences of your life. The line-up of mutable planets in your cadent houses speak of mini-incremental completions which must take place in order to make room for the new energies, people, and situations that are poised to populate your world. Whether male or female, part of you is “pregnant” now and you therefore need time to reflect and prepare. If you’re a 300 lb. football player (into astrology, why not?), a better metaphor might be that you’re in training. Either way, treasure these days.

LIBRA DOS/DON'TS: Your appreciation of beauty deserves a little candy. Gustav Klimt would have been 150 years old in July and he’s being celebrated at The Neue Galerie on 86th Street near 5th Avenue. Extra perk: It’s free and Central Park is just across the street. You’re briefly down on the 31st at night; postpone decisions till the mood passes.

SCORPIO: Most observing you are clueless as to how much you’re secretly enjoying the foibles and frayed nerves of nearly everyone around you. Though you’re better than the rest of us at keeping it together under duress, try not to gloat. If you’re in the mood to rack up some extra good karma points, you could be very helpful this week as a mediator or referee as the case may be.

SCORPIO DOS/DON'TS: Feeling morally superior? It’s as good a reason as any to get to Union Hall in Brooklyn on the 30th and take in Two Truth’s and a Lie’s live storytelling event of Thou Shalt Not: A Modern Revival of the Ten Commandments. Listen carefully to the six stories as you’ll be tested to decipher which is true. Resist the temptation to stalk and punish the poor actor playing the fibber.

SAGITTARIUS: Let’s be honest: you’re always a flight risk, even on the best of days. But now that the waters are so choppy out there, it’s gonna take every last ounce of restraint for you to stay put, finish what you started (and/or face the music that’s just starting to come in over the speakers). The days before a lunar eclipse (in your sign) are unsettling. The question is: will bolting solve anything? The surprise though, could be that the days following the heightened activity of early June will be more of a treat than you imagined.

SAGITTARIUS DOS/DON'TS: If you’ve been good (and you probably have) treat yourself to the Ambassador Luggage sale on Madison Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets. It’s candy for your weary eyes. Don’t bring your stash back to work with you — your boss still thinks you’ve gotten the travel bug out of your system (hah!).

CAPRICORN: A clash (May 30th) either between co-workers and a cleric type or a underlings and a politically -oriented visitor (from abroad?) is but a momentary blip that need not be amplified into more than it is. And even though the static is in your energy field, it’s got nothing to do with you. Bottom line: it gets resolved much quicker without your input AND said co-worker or underling(s) will thank and reward you for sitting on the sidelines.

CAPRICORN DOS/DON'TS: After acing a lesson in healthy boundaries, why not test your physical limits at Push It. Real. Good. The Movement Research Festival 2012’s celebration of dance and movement-based forms at West Park Presbyterian Church on West 86th Street (May 29th to June 3rd). Go for your personal best — it’s not a competitive sport.

AQUARIUS: In a week of jitters for most concerned, you should easily sail above the whole mess relatively untouched and unscathed. (Have some compassion for us less fortunate schnooks). And on Thursday night the stars align for inspired conversations and/or romantic exchanges with clever and attractive women... what could be better? Put pen to paper on Sunday night and conjure the best possible outcome for the upcoming lunar eclipse.

AQUARIUS DOS/DON'TS: Check out “The Great Journey Into Space" female Pop-art artist Evelyn Axell's first solo New York exhibition at Broadway 1602 Gallery. The work explores female space travel. What a concept! Too feminine? Then consider seeing a performance of Icarus at the Edge of Time at the United Palace Theater on May 30th. The show is a multi-media adaptation of a children's book about a boy who challenges the power of a black hole. Don't buy expensive art or high-ticket items right now; if you're meant to have it, it'll keep for a few weeks.

PISCES: As your ruling planet (Neptune) prepares to station retro, you’re well within your rights to slow down, pace yourself, and honor your inner mystic by being gentle with numero uno. The pre-eclipse may zap you some, so take stock and try to zero in on what and who needs to go or deserves a longer stay at the proverbial table. Female relatives may be especially supportive and don’t be shy about allowing one or two of them to help in some way.

PISCES DOS/DON'TS: You and your feet deserve a little treat. Might Missoni for Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Sneakers do it for ya? If shoes could fly, these would be them. On May 30th, skip the family dinner, or if you must attend, don’t bring the wife or husband,  unless a scuffle turns you on.