specious advice

ASTROLIQUOR for September 2013—What the stars say you should drink!

My Fellow Inebriates,

My little summer companions are back to school today. Let’s hope this means my typists will resuscitate the blog, but they’ve gotten pretty random lately, so who knows? For now, we need some celestial drinking guidance. I shudder to think what you’ve all been drinking without a booze horoscope. Budd Light? Say it ain’t so, my fellow inebriates.

The stars told me they were getting tired of weekly horoscopes, and that they could do a better job if I appealed to them only once a month. “Okay,” I said. “I am going to spend the rest of the month ripped out of my head on whatever you suggest.” We made a deal, and here it is.

Aries, it’s time to get a job, and September is your month. Don’t say you have no skills, and even if you really don’t, you can fake your way through any interview with a carefully crafted cocktail of Rockstar energy drinks, vodka, triple sec, and cranberry juice (for that urinary tract infection the stars say you have). Make sure, as you vibrate your way through the interview, that you drop all the classic key words: you’re a team-playing, multi-tasking, out-of-the-box thinker, right? Hellz, yes, how could you not be with every brain cell buzzing? You won’t be able to sit still, but at least try to be organized. Arrange your files logically. Save a desk drawer for a flask. Your make-or-break period starts September 5, so load up. Maintain your knife-edge buzz and you’ll be saying yes to a promotion in January. Just remember: it all starts with vodka.

Taurus, you’re sniffing out autumn, ready to say good-bye to hot weather and stock up on booze brands that will warm your cockles (whatever cockles are). Run to your local booze shop and stock up on white rum, tequila, vodka, gin, and Cointreau. You need these items for a housewrecker party that will kick off your fall season and launch you down a new romantic path. Enjoy it while it lasts; October will bring you a world of horoscopic shit as the planets bang around in your sign. The more inebriated you can remain, the better.

Gemini, the planets are hanging out in your home/family house, hinting at some domestic improvements. Depending on what sort of Gemini you are, this could entail painting or recarpeting. It might just mean running the vacuum cleaner around occasionally. Or maybe the stars think you should pick up those dirty skid-marked ginchies in the corner or scrub that barf stain off the side of the toilet. Whatever the hell kind of Gemini you are, don’t tackle anything so ambitious without a healthy glass of tequila and grapefruit juice. You need the vitamins.

Cancer, you’ll be ready for fall once you exorcise the last of your summer travel itches. Too bad you don’t have any money. Solution? Get blasted on gin and creme de cassis, then ride the subway. You’ll meet lots of exotic people and maybe even have what we vagrant types call a “transit romance.” On September 5 the new moon lands in your “home” house, thus ending your urge to roam and setting off a lengthy agoraphobic phase. Make sure you buy some lottery tickets online because you are sure to win, and then you’ll never have to leave the house.

Leo, this is a fantastic month to be you. Mars brings its warlike energy into your sign, filling you with piss, vinegar, and Captain Morgan’s spiced rum with a peach schnapps chaser. This is an excellent time to start new projects as long as they don’t involve power tools or driving a motor vehicle. Your best days are September 12/13, when Mars and Uranus will combine their energies somehow to get you a raise at work. Enjoy, because October’s gonna suck.

Virgo, you’ll finally get the out-of-control birthday party you’ve always felt so deprived of. That’s because the new moon is in your sign, bringing positivity and joy (for ten days, then you’re wallowing in vomit). In addition to the new moon, Jupiter helps out by camping in your friendship house, so invite everyone you know, including that sketchy FB friend list of yours. They will arrive at your bash with bourbon and lime wedges, copulate in your spare bedroom, and soil all your towels. Jupiter loves this kind of shit, but Saturn will swing by and reprimand you with a ferocious hangover. It’ll be like listening to muppets screaming Happy Birthday inside your ear canal all day. Sounds good, right?

Libra, life has been tough this summer, but September brings a little hiatus. The sun, moon, and Mercury usher in a creative phase, so take any holidays you have outstanding and get to work on your screenplay. Too bad Mercury moves so quickly; this phase will be short. It will speed the hell out of your creative house and into your medical house—next thing you know some doctor will be kneading your gonads. All of which makes you feel that your life lacks…a plan. By the end of September life will be tough again and you’ll be on the psychiatrist’s couch—maybe even in a straitjacket. Here’s a special “soothing” drink for Libras who are on the verge of losing their shit:

  • 1/2 cup creme de cacao
  • 1/2 cup triple sec
  • 1/2 cup Bailey’s
  • 1/2 cup Kahlua
  • 2 cups milk

Scorpio, last month was good for your career, but you didn’t have any tequila in the house then. September is very different, with Mars bringing its special bar-fight energy into your tenth house (fame). You will probably end up on YouTube clocking someone on the subway (see Cancer for potential victims). Worst-case scenario, you end up incarcerated; best-case scenario, you end up with lots of free time, as your under-appreciative boss cuts you loose so you can write your novel. And by all means do that. Apply for welfare and write your heart out; the stars say you will definitely secure a publisher as long as you keep fueling your writing with Hell Marys (Bloody Marys made with tequila). Ahhhh! Success will be yours.

Sagittarius, you will love September as it is extra-friendly this year, and your charisma will accelerate your career forward. The moment the new moon hits, great stuff will happen. Did you know there is an astrological house of other people’s money? Well, there totally is, and that’s where Jupiter is for you this month. And since Jupiter is so big and has such amazing gravity, this means that it will suck money from other people toward you. We’re talking venture capital, bonuses, investment payouts, pyramid schemes—you name it, if it constitutes some kind of illegitimate or shady earnings, you’re getting a windfall. And that means more Bacardi for you.

September looks good for you, Capricorn, especially after the new moon on the 5th, heralding a debauched vacation and/or an all-expenses-paid business trip. Academics feature strongly, as do publishing and screenwriting, so make time during your vacation to brush up any pitches you’ve been working on. Vodka will help with this, especially during the actual pitches, so stock up and load up. Your brain cells can take it because there is a planetary confluence in a highly intellectual part of your chart. Capricorns are intelligent to begin with, so please take the stars seriously and dumb yourself down with lashings of vodka and Blue Curacao before you become annoying.

Aquarius, you’re not usually money-oriented, but your chart is this month, which makes for a bit of a disconnect. The new moon will bring you career success and a probable bonus. Now, even though Aquarians don’t know shit about money and are constantly giving it away, think carefully about stocking your bar first. The stars told me you have some crappy beer and boxed wine but no nuts-and-bolts liquor items such as brandy, bitters, and vermouth. You need these ingredients to have a kick-ass bar, AND you need to keep some money just in case the stars crap on you in October (they are planning to). OMG, you might not have any cash flow until February. Also, there are some planets milling around in your eighth house, which all good astrologers know means hemorrhoids are coming.

Synergy is your key word for September, Pisces. Whatever you think you can do alone, you can do ten times as well with a partner. And whatever you think you can do sober, you can do ten times as well after consuming a great big vat of gin, vodka, and white wine*. Collaboration is highlighted both personally and professionally, making September 6/7 great days for hook-ups and or PowerPoint presentations. Enjoy, because September will move fast, giving way to a financially shaky October. Remember to charge your cell phone; lots of your friends think you’re a douchebag because you never pick up.

 

*No driving! No power tools!

ASTROLIQUOR for March 22 to 28, already in progress—What the stars say you should drink!

My Fellow Inebriates,

Your booze horoscope is still a mess. I have to admit, dry weekdays are totally getting me down. I can’t even get up in the mornings, never mind figure out what the stars have to say. But finally—the weekend having officially been kicked off—I have a glass of wine in my paw, and the stars are forecasting. (But they are still full of shit.)

Aries, be careful with first impressions this week. It’s fine to be nude at home, but it’s no way to greet new acquaintances. You can stay in touch with your spiritual side without swinging your thing(s) around in public. In fact, you can change mentally. People are starting to recognize depth in you that wasn’t visible before. Could it be that you’re lucid this week? You got it, Aries, you’re this week’s Designated Driver.

Taurus, we all have responsibilities, and lately you’ve been keeping tabs on everybody else’s. Let go of the urge to compare, Taurus—you know other people are often douchebags and they will get away with whatever they can. It doesn’t have anything to do with you and your own objectives. Once you stop monitoring other people, you’ll feel free to go after what you want in life—i.e., Smirnoff with triple sec and Mountain Dew.

Gemini, your week promises to be free of f#ck-ups. If you play a sport, you’ll excel in it. If you go trawling the bars for a hook-up, you’ll find it. You might even get a job this week—but only if you book your interviews for the morning (assuming you can hold off till afternoon to pound that vodka-tequila shot). Life is good.

Cancer, crappy times are finally ending and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. As you transition to a happier, saner life phase, people will seem more warm and colorful, and sleep will come more easily than it has in months. But life won’t be perfect! Something in your house will break (the stars don’t know what; they are just stupid balls of gas so they can’t be specific). And an Aquarius will be skulking around—maybe even stalking you. Do NOT share your Captain Morgan Tattoo with this person. Pour some Dr. Pepper into it and slam it back alone.

Leo, you’ll espy something beautiful and be overcome with desire. Whether an objet d’art or a pricey Champagne, you’ll insist on having it immediately, with no regard for financial consequences. But you should save some money this week, Leo, because something in your house will go on the fritz. Maybe an appliance, maybe your computer. That’s the thing about the stars; they like to be unspecific so they can say they were right—especially if you take their prediction as license to go apeshit-drunk in your house and wreck something.

You’ll encounter a stranger this week, Virgo, but a combination of peach schnapps, amaretto, Southern Comfort, and apple schnapps will ensure the two of you do not remain strangers. And the plot will thicken as you discover mutual acquaintances, enmeshing you in a prematurely complicated relationship. Who knows—maybe the two of you are even long-lost siblings? (Ew.) Your new involvement will keep your thoughts occupied all week, and maybe that’s a good thing.

Libra, you’ve got nuthin’ going on this week. The stars have literally nothing to say about your chart—nothing out of whack, no nutjob stalkers, no strangers stepping into your steamy shower. For some people a boring calm week is a comfort. For you…? Oh, for crying out loud, at least mix yourself a bizarre cocktail. Blend this up with two cups of ice:

  • 3 oz creme de menthe
  • 3 oz cinnamon schnapps
  • 2 oz cream
  • 20 of those little cinnamon hearts that hurt your tongue

Memory lane reaches out this week, Scorpio, especially if you are over 40 years old. Whatever age you felt best at, you’ll behave accordingly. And if you’re a young Scorpio with no drunken good times yet racked up, why not bust out this week? Either way, a lot of Scorpios will get involved in feats of immaturity this week. Mellow out afterwards with equal parts Kahlua, Bailey’s, and Frangelico (unless your drunken activities land you in jail, in which case…I once saw this movie in which a character made Merlot in the toilet, so you probably can too).

Sagittarius, negotiations look excellent this week, especially for big-ticket loans like mortgages. Don’t be afraid! You can make the payments, although you may have to settle for cheaper gin and whiskey. The stars see you sitting on your new porch drinking a Bud and telling yourself you like it. That’s awesome! It’s the North American dream. And you’ll have lots of friends too, but you must remember to phone them.

If you’re having a tough week, Capricorn, you should consider telling a stranger about it. There’s no sense laying all your shit on a friend or relative; find somebody on the subway and tell them all about your hemorrhoids. Then again, you could see a doctor, but a medical professional might tell you to lay off the Scotch. And for a final piece of astrological randomness…buy someone some flowers.

Aquarius, a nagging problem has started to seem insurmountable. Even when you read about global misfortunes in the newspaper, you still feel whiny and sorry for yourself. Perhaps you need a bizarre sexual adventure; these can be great distractions, and they tend to dovetail nicely with Cointreau and triple sec. Post the pics on FB.

Pisces, you’ll realize suddenly that you have been pretending—who knows for how long? Check yourself out in the mirror and look at all the things that have happened to you. OMG, was that bit there before? What about that pendulous thing? What is it exactly? Realizations such as these are the bane of the sober mind. The antidote is a tub of Sangria, so find some crappy Cab and throw a bunch of brandy and fruit into it. Or hell, just drink the wine.

ASTROLIQUOR for May 3-6—What the stars say you should drink!

My Fellow Inebriates,

I won’t be able to sleep if the horoscope is late one more time. Just thinking of you all embarking on your weekends without astrological booze guidance…OMG.

Aries, whatever your ride happens to be, it will need repairs this week. What better reason to fill up on vodka? You’ll be safely out of traffic, so go ahead. Don’t be surprised if none of your emails make sense while you’re pickled, though. You will probably miss an important one from a distant relative with some surprising news, which you’ll read in a drunken haze and not remember. You’ll also pick somebody up on Sunday and not remember that either.

Taurus, get into vacation-planning mode. If you research carefully, you’ll find something cozy and romantic—without blowing your booze budget. Although finances continue to be tight, you can’t afford to put your holiday off; you are a good candidate to go postal. Find a way to calm down before your trip. Cinnamon schnapps tossed into a pint of cider?

Gemini, chores are calling out to you but you’re fantastic at ignoring them. By the end of the week every piece of furniture in your house will be festooned with dirty underwear and dark…brown stains…which are actually chocolate, because this is the week you learn how to make pudding shots. Here’s how you do it:

  • 1 package Jell-O chocolate pudding
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup Kahlua
  • 1/2 cup Bailey’s
  • 1/2 cup Jose Cuervo
  • 1/4 cup vodka
  • 2 cups frozen fake whipped topping

Mix all the liquids and fold in the fake whipped topping. Whisk it up and freeze in little containers (like the ones you put crackers in for the kids’ lunches). Be careful, these cause stains.

Cancer, your persecution complex will intensify this week despite good weather and plenty of supportive friends. One of the root causes is your lack of money. You enjoy spending generously and it kills you that you can’t invite the whole neighborhood over when you mix up a vat of Malibu and Captain Morgan mango rum. Hang in there; you’ll receive a bonus in June. The liquor store staff will be pleased to see you again.

Leo, you are very fortunate but sometimes you can’t see it. Pay attention to others this week and you’ll see how comparatively well-off you are. And while you’re watching these other people, one of them will catch your interest. This will develop into a sordid but lukewarm adventure involving a cocktail known as Rooster Piss. (Stock up on Jack Daniel’s and cinnamon schnapps.)

Virgo, you’re good at finishing projects you set out to do, and this week you’ll tie off many loose ends, impressing your family and colleagues. You’ll even attract romantic interest on Sunday, making this just about your most successful week of 2013. You deserve to get hammered. Equal parts Firewater, Wild Turkey, and Southern Comfort for you. Yeah!

Libra, you’ll have a bar fight with an Aries this week. Luckily it will peter out quickly, leaving you both to reel off in search of another bar, and, finding only one, sitting down together there and bonding. How touching, Libra—don’t you wish all your brawls were so socially productive? Dare your new friend to try a nasty shot: peach schnapps, milk, and grenadine.

Relax this week, Scorpio. If you chill out for a while, you’ll be able to prioritize tasks better and even blow some of them off. No work this weekend, say the stars—in fact, tack Monday on and make it a three-day rest. Find some friends and start pouring creme de menthe with vodka. Before bedtime, this drink is a plausible substitute for brushing your teeth (take the weekend off that too).

Sagittarius, solid foods are overrated, and the stars feel you should divert some grocery money to alcohol. Is your bar equipped with rum and tequila? Stock it up with essentials and take a pass on food. When you bow to the porcelain altar later, you’ll appreciate the lack of chunks. Sunday’s the best day for your love life.

Even though you’re looking and listening, Capricorn, you’re not processing what you see and hear. Don’t beat yourself up—this is inevitable with a headful of Midori Melon, sloe gin, Absolut, Southern Comfort, and Chambord. You may not be able to take notes on a lecture, but you sure know how to mix a drink. And let’s face it, that’s what matters.

Aquarius, you are exceptionally influential this week. Colleagues willingly become your lackeys, and you won’t hear one dissenting voice at work. It’s as though your eyes are spirals… This is a powerful way to operate, and it will last as long as you hang on to some sobriety. As soon as you mix that lovely combination of vodka, amaretto, and butterscotch schnapps in a cocktail shaker with ice, your will to dominate will disappear. Hmmm. Have you mixed it yet?

Someone is watching you, Pisces, but your neurons are marinating in vanilla schnapps; you don’t even notice this interesting new person. You do get the sense that you are being stalked, however—above and beyond your usual levels of paranoia. Try to sober up a bit and pay attention. Your admirer, a Capricorn, is just as permanently drunk as you. Unless you trip over each other, you’ll continue like two ships in the night. Two freaking wasted ships.