Song: "Blood And Thunder"
Artist: Mastodon
Album: Leviathan (2004)

Whatever it was, I feel better now.

I find it intellectually awkward that I have the transit Venus conjunct Venus in a matter of minutes, and my song post for now is this fucking loud and heavy.

I have Venus in the 8th house... what can I say... "I think that someone is trying to kill me".

"What remorseless emperor commands me
I no longer govern my soul
I am completely immersed in darkness
As I turn my body away from the sun"

Song: "In This Room"
Artist: GG Allin
Album: Doctrine of Mayhem (1990)

"It makes me.. sick."

I found another song I'm going to listen to the rest of my life...

Song: "Message" (aka. "メッセージ")
Artist: Boris
Album: Smile (2008)

This song sounds like a late night drive.

Artist: Autolux
Album: Future Perfect (2004)

I didn't know what to think when I first heard Autolux. At the time I wasn't listening to anything particularly heavy or loud, so their material wasn't hard to hear for any reason, but... it's just different. It's very dreamy, soft, calm, stream-of-consciousness. They don't really have "hooks" or super catchy beats. Their work floats in, and on, and out. This is definitely chill-out music.

Some notable moments in this album:

- The layered "shake, shake, shake" in "Turnstile Blues".

- "Robots In The Garden".

- "Plantlife".

Overall, this is a sleepy album. If you like arty, indie stuff, you probably already have this.

Autolux is about to release their second album, Transit Transit. You can listen to the first single on their myspace.

Song: "Echoplex"
Artist: Nine Inch Nails
Album: ?

First Impression: LOL WTF. I mean, really?

After a Day: No idea how, but it does have some lasting potential.

It's strange how artists who continue to release material over the years usually become drawn to simpler styles.

One more day...

Song: "Track 1"
Artist: Tarantula Hawk
Album: Album 2 (2002)

This is both appealing to those that like psychedelic and those than prefer heavier, metal style sounds. Because it's both. It's kind of creepy, as their name might suggest.

I've started with this song because you can sample it very easily on their myspace, and it seems to be an adequate originating picture of what they're like as a whole. This, however, is new to me... so I'm not sure if it's really called Untitled/Track 1 or what.

I originally found this semi-randomly online, so I'm sure their other material is out there somewhere.

Artist: Nine Inch Nails
Album: The Slip (2008)

As predicted, Nine Inch Nails released an album today - apparently exactly at midnight PST. It's still sinking in for me, so I don't have much to say about it - but it starts off heavy (meaning heavy for NIN), hits a few consumer-friendly tracks, and ends in gentle (for industrial) instrumental tracks. First impression is that it's an extremely truncated version of The Fragile.

Oh yeah, and not to forget this: it's entirely free.

Clearly I'm in awe. I can't wait to see where they take things after this.

Song: "Saturnine"
Artist: Electric Wizard
Album: Witchcult Today (2007)

It was bound to happen eventually.

I've been using the name saturnine for myself for several years - hell, it's in my astrology. I have Saturn rising. The strange part is that my actual name is a synonym for one of the gods... making me my own dad when I apply such a nickname to myself. Oh well, at least I'm at the top of the food chain.

Perhaps not one of their most striking, influential songs... but still very good.

Lyrics:
A black sun rises every day
Shadows cross my path as if to say
"Change your life, change your ways, look up to the sky"
Tomorrow'll soon be here, then time to die

I hear a death bell tolling out my life
Every strike another plunging of the knife
Mistakes I've made lead me to an early grave
I know it's too late, I can't be saved
I can't be saved

Saturnine for all time, the only way I've ever been
Saturnine in my mind, high I sail the astral sea
Saturnine for all time, I'll never find a way to be free
Saturnine in my mind, load another hit of weed

As I invoke these words from blackened page
Through the black arts I will find a way
To bring you back through space and time to me
My priestess of Mars, set me free

Saturnine for all time, the only way I've ever been
Saturnine in my mind, high I sail the astral sea
Saturnine for all time, I'll never find a way to be free
Saturnine in my mind, load another hit of weed

Saturnine, in my mind...
Saturnine, for all time...
Saturnine...

Song: "Come To Daddy"
Artist: Aphex Twin
Album: Come To Daddy EP (1997)

I WILL EAT YOUR SOUL!

... See song for explanation if you don't understand this outburst. I can't believe it's taken me six months of posts to get around to this song.

Song: "Nothing to Gein"
Artist: Mudvayne
Album: L.D. 50 (2000)

...WITH SKIN UPON MY FACE.

I used to love Mudvayne, and this was one of the reasons. Holy fuck. Seeing this song performed live, even swimming in a sea of shit this band has put out since this album and familiar corporate bands' material, was amazing and epic. Singer Chad really put his heart into the performance... to say the least.

Song: "The Mouth Licking What You've Bled"
Artist: Meshuggah
Album: Chaosphere (1998)

This song sounds nothing like the decade it came out of, at least according to what I lived. The lyrics are familiar to most heavier and darker metal, however, assuming you care to look them up. Reading this song, I was reminded of Mudvayne and Slipknot... which is a jump from what Meshuggah actually does, musically.

That said, if you're not familiar with the style or otherwise open to this, this is going to just sound like noise to you.

"I'm common". For being such a metal masturbation fest, it sounds more like "I'm coming" to me.

This is a pointless waste of some of your time(s), but it's... what you get, eh?

This is my top tracks list for the last three months at last.fm. The latter number is the number of times the song has been played at least halfway through in the last 90 days (since about February 1st). I've included the top 60.

1 Hot Chip – Out At The Pictures 47
2 Black Cobra – Sugar Water 40
3 Black Cobra – Swords For Teeth 30
3 Black Cobra – Omniscient 30
5 Black Cobra – Below The Cusp 29
6 Black Cobra – El Equis 25
7 Meshuggah – Perpetual Black Second 24
8 Meshuggah – Combustion 23
9 Queens of the Stone Age – Avon 22
10 Melvins – The Bit 21
10 Black Cobra – Red Tide 21
10 Meshuggah – Bleed 21
13 Black Cobra – Dragon & Phoenix 20
14 Floor – Scimitar 19
14 Probot – Centuries Of Sin 19
14 Queens of the Stone Age – Goin' Out West 19
17 Floor – Namaste 18
17 Ministry – Warp city 18
17 Queens of the Stone Age – Suture Up Your Future 18
20 Electric Wizard – We Hate You 17
20 The Sword – Barael's Blade 17
22 Witchcraft – Schyssta Logner 16
22 Floating Goat – In The Night 16
22 Black Cobra – The Cry Of Melora 16
22 Black Elk – Toss You To The Wolves 16
26 Raccoo-oo-oon – Fangs and Arrows 15
26 Melvins – Sterilized 15
26 mexicola oil company – dust & dawn 15
26 The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – Mister Mental 15
26 El Gordo – Do It! 15
26 Queens of the Stone Age – River in the Road 15
26 Ghostland Observatory – piano man 15
26 TU – Untamed Chicken 15
26 Probot – Shake Your Blood 15
26 zZz – O.F.G 15
36 ADULT. – Good Deeds 14
36 Muse – Ashamed 14
36 Red Fang – Bird on fire 14
36 Electric Wizard – Dunwich 14
36 Witch – Soul Of Fire 14
41 Queens of the Stone Age – Battery Acid 13
41 Black Cobra – Ascension 13
41 Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor 13
41 Boys Noize – & Down 13
41 Melvins – the smiling cobra 13
41 Electric Wizard – Dopethrone 13
41 Red Fang – Reverse Thunder 13
41 Queens of the Stone Age – Running Joke 13
41 Fu Manchu – Evil Eye 13
41 Porcupine Tree – Drown With Me 13
41 Mastodon – Naked Burn 13
41 The Trucks – Shattered 13
53 Mastodon – Aqua Dementia 12
53 Queens of the Stone Age – Misfit Love 12
53 Faith No More – Pills for Breakfast 12
53 Tomahawk – Sir Yes Sir 12
53 Men of Porn – Mastadon Entrèe 12
53 Red Fang – Suicide 12
53 Red Sparowes – Like The Howling Glory Of The Darkest Winds, This Voice Was Thunderous, And The Words Holy 12
53 zZz – Ecstacy 12

I've written about or linked 40 of these 60 tracks. Clearly, I post mostly what I like...

I'm going to do a quickie style review of all of the songs (that I can find or have a copy of) that have made the top-tracks list for all of last.fm for the week of April 28th to May 4th GMT. Major music things have happened in the last six days, hence the lack of certain tracks that should be up here... but, in any case, you can view the top tracks played at last.fm this week if you care, and continue on reading below.

First off, I haven't cared much for popular music since.. ever. I prefer more original-sounding and heavier songs, while the masses prefer music that allows them to continue sleeping and crying. That seems to be the case at least since I was a teenager. I am also very cynical of what is seen as collectively good. I will try to not have that state of mind take this over. Further, I haven't and don't listen to most of this.

#1 this week is Coldplay's "Violet Hill". Apparently this is a single that hasn't even been released yet. It's a full track listen. What I know of Coldplay is limited but enough to say I wouldn't actively listen to them. This is... a singer-songwriter calm piano-based rock track. Love song? It's okay, it's tolerable, but it sounds like everything else Coldplay has done and what a million other artists do on a regular basis.

#2 is Portishead's "Silence". I haven't given this album a chance yet outside of "Machine Gun", but it's the first track off of their new album. It's... slow and repetitive. And meaningless. And ends abruptly.

#3 is Radiohead's "Nude". It was apparently the first track last week. No idea why Radiohead so often makes these top-whatever lists because they're an awful band. I haven't given this album a chance either, but obviously this is due to my contempt. Anyhow, this song is slow and dull aside from the singing which is mumbled at best.

#4 "Hunter", track number two on Portishead's new album. Weird, same kind of singing as "Nude".

#5-#7 are Radiohead songs.

#8-#9, Portishead.

#10-11, Radiohead.

People like head.

#12 Now we have "Starlight" by Muse. This has been on the top tracks list for at least a year, and it's the best track yet. It's one of those classic songs.

#13 is "Machine Gun". I actually like this song. It's repetitive and therefore annoying, but the end is pretty cool.

#14 is more Portishead. I'm just going to skip the two Head artists henceforth.

#15 Apparently she doesn't want to go to rehab. This is the first time I've listened to it all of the way through... and I'm seriously disappointed.

#19 is Oasis' "Wonderwall", which has been around since 1996. I was listening to the radio when this came out, so I've heard it no less than a billion times in my life. I want to say it's good, but I can't trust my 14 year old brain to adequately filter out the good from crap.

#21 is MGMT's "Time To Pretend". I've seen this band's name floating around lately, but haven't listened to their stuff. Apparently it's indie electronica. It sounds like lighthearted young teenager shit music. No, wait, I hear something about heroin and fucking...

#24 is "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse. I'm going to ignore the Muse tracks henceforth, too.

#25 More Amy Whinehouse.

#26 "Karma Police". Why is anyone still listening to this?

#31. Paramore's "Misery Business". Haven't heard it. I decided to listen to the acoustic version because there apparently isn't a full track of the album song. The singing is okay but is committing some irritating "tough"/rock female singer cliches, where it isn't really singing but just semi-poetic talk.

#36 is Nirvana's "Come As You Are". Infectious as fuck song, but... it's not original. Naturally, Killing Joke won't make the top tracks list because there was never a hit Killing Joke video to brainwash the children into respecting them.

#37 "Paranoid Android". I had a few weeks there where I thought this song was fantastic... way back when.

#38 is a song called "A-Punk" by a band called Vampire Weekend. I've heard their name a lot in the last few months, but have not listened to their material. ... What the fuck. Well, the video is interesting. How drunk do you have to be?

#39 The Killers' "When You Were Young". Just looking at the title, I think I know this. ...And I do not. Terrible singing. *shoots myself*

#40 is RHCP's "Californication". Uh, I suppose.

#41 "Fix You" by Coldplay. I'm bored.

#43 We finally find "Creep".

#44 The Kooks' "Always Where I Need To Be". Starts off okay. Hyper infectious pop. He sounds like he's choking.

#45 Foo Fighters' "The Pretender". That took forever. Is this the first original rock song on this list?

#47 This is the Killers song that I thought I knew, "Somebody Told Me". I think it really sucks that the kids growing up these days are force-fed "safe" rock music.

#48 LOL. Remember when rock musicians used to jump around, acting crazy and screwing with the system, and subsequently stop putting out music because they fucking died? Me neither.

#49 is a song called "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. I've never heard this in any respect, but I wouldn't have because it's pop. The little preview reminds me of a cross between Whitney Houston and Jennifer Lopez.

#50 "Stairway to Heaven". Finally something released before 1990. What a bunch of fucking tools.

#51 The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights". Fairly interesting, particularly in comparison to most of these tracks. Still corporate bullshit.

#52 Coldplay's "Yellow". Yep.

#53 Kayne West's "Stronger". Speaking of original music.....

#54 Duffy's "Mercy". Duffy sounds like it might be slang for pussy. This girl sounds like a frog.

#57 Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You into the Dark". All I have to say is that I have mace.

#58 "What I've Done" by Linkin Park. I'm surprised this nu metal shit isn't higher up. ... LOL, oh wait, it's not even nu metal. It sounds like Death Cab. LOL. That's pretty bad. They were crappy before, but geez...

#59 30 Seconds to Mars, "The Kill". All of this time I've heard that they sound like APC, and this is the first song where I've heard the connection as obvious. Still shit, though.

#62 The first metallica song is "Nothing Else Matters"?! Clearly girls and sappy boys control this list, but geez-US people.

#65 "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. More sappy shit.

#66 I had my Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" phase, too, so I can't say much for this.

#67 SAY YOUR PRAYERS IT'S THE ONE DON'T FORGET MY SON TO INCLUDE EVERY ONE-UHNNN. ... You know, it's kind of ironic that they've made this list at all.

#68 "Give It 2 Me" by Madonna. She released a new album, and I haven't heard this yet. ... And it's pretty stereotypical.

#70 "Candy Shop" by Madonna. This.. is boring. Madonna, your last album was fine. What's up with this shit?

#74 "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes. Apparently this is still stuck in children's heads.

#75 M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes". Okay, this is fucking infectious. The "chorus" made me L.O.L.

#76 "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". Oh shit, a track I participated in.

#79 "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand. I don't know whether to hate this or not.

#81 "Let It Be" by The Beatles. Considering the consciousness levels of the listeners at last.fm, I'm surprised this isn't "I Am The Walrus".

#85 "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. Old.

#87 "Under the Bridge". Considering how popular this song has been in history, I'm surprised it isn't higher.

#88 Opeth's "Coil". This is our first non-rock, non-dance, non-emo band (metallica being a possible exception)... and this song is light and sappy as fuck.

#89 "Piece of Me" by Britney Spears. I haven't heard it, so... Hm, more whining. Sucks as expected.

#90 "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division. For a sec there, I thought I wouldn't know this, but it's immediately apparent that I've heard this a million times before... and it still sucks.

#92 "Foundations" by Kate Nash. Another British artist. Ergh with the singing-talking.

#93 Bloc Party's "Banquet". I don't care.

#94 Artic Monkeys "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor". I recall trying to listen to these guys before and failing. There's a live video on last.fm where he introduces the song and says "Don't believe the hype". Don't worry, I won't.

#97 Opeth's "The Lotus Eater". I participated in this one. I should be ashamed. It's death metal emo.

#98 The Beatles "Come Together". Yes.

#99 "Heir Apparent" by Opeth. Unfortunately, I actually like this.

And, finally (sort of), #100 is "Lithium" by Nirvana. I'm so happy 'cause I'm done with this.

That was a huge waste of a couple of hours.

Song: "Stress"
Artist: Justice
Album: Cross (2007)

I heard of Justice a while back, but my one sampling of them was with the song "DANCE", which sucks by default of popularity. They were compared to MSTRKRFT and Daft Punk. I didn't "get" it, and after "DANCE" decided not to bother further.

Recently I sampled more of their Cross album, and I was surprised by this track. It has a creepy element of suspense. Like all dance music, it's an aesthetic jack-off session, but the dark intensity makes it far more tolerable.

Because some people prefer visual representation, video format of "Stress" is here.

Song: "Stripped Away"
Artist: Ashes Divide
Album: Keep Telling Myself It's Alright (2007)

This song starts off Billy Howerdel's solo album after the apparent break-up of A Perfect Circle. Naturally, this song sounds very familiar to APC. This album as a whole comes across as mediocre, run-of-the-mill progressive radio rock, however, so I don't recommend it to actual fans of A Perfect Circle or their member-related bands.

I've been cynical of Howerdel for years, but after the disappointing release of eMotive - an album containing no real structure outside of the theme, merely a mix of covers, and containing too much of Billy's shitty Maynard impressions - and then hearing this? I believe I was correct in not caring for him to begin with.

In any case, "Stripped Away" is an okay song, if merely for its familiarity.

Song: "Prosethics"
Artist: Slipknot
Album: Slipknot (1999)

Another creepy song for you.

I was in a shitty state of mind around the time that this album came out, and thus it became a favorite. This song was especially striking to me at the time, and therefore I have pretty fond memories of it.

And that reminds me of another album from mid 1999...

Song: "Where Is Everybody?"
Artist: Nine Inch Nails
Album: The Fragile (1999)

Trent Reznor made a comment in an interview once about how he wasn't satisfied with this album... and I find that ridiculous. It's one of my all-time favorites.

As for this particular song... it's tough to chose a single song out of this album. It makes more sense in context, at least to me. In any case, it's very lyrically focused. I'd listened to this album a hundred times before I realized that I could nearly verbatim quote it from beginning to end, which seems odd considering my poor literal memory. So, it must be catchy...

Song: "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck"
Artist: Prong
Album: Cleansing (1994)

Here's another band I missed because I was too young when they came out / put out most of their material. I didn't do any research whatsoever before listening, however, and they sounded "new" to me... which is odd, because this song is 14 years old. I'm really surprised at how fresh it sounds.

Song: "Third Alternative"
Artist: Monster Magnet
Album: Dopes to Infinity (1995)

"Well I sense a slight recoil... Was it something that I said?"

It's about time to post this song.

"Third Alternative" is amazing.

Any time I post about one of these tracks where I love the band and I think the songs they put out are all, if nothing more, good, I feel a little awkward in discussing them. There isn't really a way to explain music. Genres are limited. It seems strange to describe the overall feeling when the same music strikes people in different ways for different reasons even if they agree the music is above-par.

What I can say is this is one of my favorite songs, ever. The lyrics are great (though a matter of darker taste), the way this song carries emotion is great, and it's fucking Monster Magnet. If you don't like this, I.. don't know what to tell you... What's wrong with you?

This is self explanatory if you visit the site:

soundsofsagittarius.muxtape.com

My intention was to get a few tracks I couldn't find online up there, but a lot of the attempts I made to upload these failed for some reason. So, essentially, it's just a small piece of Sounds for you.


UPDATE 5/22: muxtape had some sort of website problem and their last back-up was before my account existed, so my songs were deleted. I'll re-upload them soon...

Song: "Rebel Girl"
Artist: Bikini Kill
Album: Pussy Whipped (1993)

I intended to post this artist earlier, but I had trouble finding a decent recording or video of their songs. So, while they have a version of this song posted on their fan-created myspace, it sucks in comparison to my naturally immaculate version on muxtape. Presently, "Rebel Girl" is the last song.

This is another one of those "best songs ever" tracks. If you've avoided Bikini Kill due to their so-called "riot girl" image, you're a moron. This song and "Resist Psychic Death" ought to change your feelings (though they won't do much for logic).

Edit: Rock Band 2.

Song: "The Wanderer"
Artist: Dion
Album: ask wikipedia

Because I have tact and timing in my sense of humor.

People I've known well would be amused if I said I relate to the general idea from this song. After all, my love is vast.

Dion has Venus square Jupiter. heh.

Song: "Supertramp"
Artist: The Jesus and Mary Chain
Album: Munki (1998)

Run, Forrest, run!

Song: "Too Much Time on My Hands"
Artist: Styx
Album: Paradise Theater (1981)

This song is a cliche at this point, but there was a time that I felt like this pretty much constantly.

Song: "Tom Sawyer"
Artist: Rush
Album: Moving Pictures (1981)

One of the most obnoxious singing voices and most cliche songs in the world (falling just short of "Stairway to Heaven" and "Freebird"). And yet, it is good.

Song: "Mr. Brownstone"
Artist: Guns N' Roses
Album: Appetite for Destruction (1987)

One of the best songs ever. Also a cliche drug song and depressing like the former.

Song: "Five Seconds"
Artist: Peeping Tom
Album: Peeping Tom (2006)

I heard about Peeping Tom and decided to check them out. I downloaded their recently released album, and started from the beginning.

I have issues with liking new music. Most music, at first, sounds like nothing more than noise. I usually have to come back to artists and albums several times over a long period before I really "get" it or even want to listen.

"Five Seconds" began, and I braced myself for the usual amount of disgust and disappointment - moreso because I hadn't researched the "band". Instead, I was instantly impressed. There aren't many artists who can do that.

Song: "Cyclops Revolution"
Artist: Monster Magnet
Album: Superjudge (1993)

Most artists attempt to sell their albums by putting their perceived best/easiest songs at the front of their albums - or that's how it used to work before digital sharing. Either way, a lot of first songs from albums are meant to draw in the listener. This album is no exception...

It starts off tense but quiet, and then moves right into the pseudo-metal fucked & fucked up theme of the album. Aside from perhaps a couple of albums that I've had much longer than this, this is one of my most often listened to albums. Naturally, I think it's great throughout. I'd say it's rather "artistic", and this song is a ...wonderful? starting point.

I had trouble finding real lyrics for this album and have yet to find an agreement about this, so maybe someone will help me out, here. Is it "I ain't got no revolution, but I can fucking H.L." (as in half-life)? Because I'm not hearing "kill" and killing himself has nothing to do with the song.

Song: "Electric Head, Part 1 (The Agony)"
Artist: White Zombie
Album: Astro-Creep: 2000 (1995)

What?! I haven't posted any White Zombie yet?!

Song: "Let's Run"
Artist: Le Tigre
Album: Le Tigre (1999)

Here's an extremely annoying song about being a needy slag. When I first heard it, I was annoyed, but like with "Take Me To The Hospital" by The Faint, it's one of those songs whose lyrics get stuck in your head entirely without your permission. We could try, like super hard, to prevent this from happening... but like the song says, it needs attention every day and every niiiiight.

Song: "Beyond And Into The Ultimate"
Artist: Grey Daturas
Album: Return to Disruption (2008)

Since I don't have a link to the song specifically, you can find this album online in various places if you look.

All I know about GD is that they're Australian and they're familiar to bands like Wolf Eyes and Subarachnoid Space (at least with this song). If you don't know them, you will likely find them worthwhile if you listen to anything on the post-whatever to stoner-psychedelic spectrum of rock/metal.

As for this song? Pretty fucking great. All tense, no release.

Song: "Youngblood"
Artist: Russian Circles
Album: Station (2008)

You want this in your life.

Song: "Trains"
Artist: Porcupine Tree

There's a pretty good chance that if you've ever been even slightly familiar with astrology, you've heard about Mercury Retrograde. It's known around astrological circles as something of distaste. The more popular astrology gets, the more people seem to fear Mercury going retrograde - particularly those that have no real idea what it is.

Song: "King of the Road"
Artist: Fu Manchu

Astrology is scientifically based on geocentric perspective - what we can see from earth. The sun and the moon circle around us from apparent perspective. However, the planets obviously continue to revolve around the sun, as we, too, revolve around the sun. When a planet reaches a certain point in relationship to the sun from our perspective, it visually seems to slow down in speed, stop, and travel backwards. The planets continue to revolve around their respective paths around the sun at the same speed as ever, but to us on earth they move backwards for a while. This is called a retrograde period.

Song: "Interstate Love Song"
Artist: Stone Temple Pilots

Because Mercury is very close to the sun, and appears close to the sun to us, it retrogrades a lot - three times a year for about three weeks each time. Over two months a year, Mercury's traveling backwards.

Astrologically, Mercury in transit rules over things like communications and travel. Pretty much everyone has some degree of travel in their life, and communication is a dominant feature of humanity, regardless of form. The theory of retrogrades involves things that will need to be looked over, redone, revisited, or delayed. You're told not to sign anything during Mercury retrograde, that your trains will be delayed, and you'll have to make sure everyone you meet for the next three weeks really, actually heard and understood those plans. Ha, plans. You can expect to have no plans during Mercury Retrograde. After all, you're just plain fucked, period, for the next month.

Song: "Passenger"
Artist: Deftones

What pop astrologers so often neglect to mention is that Mercury doesn't just retrograde. The path it follows when it's retrograde is crossed THREE times - once when it's in direct motion, once while retrograde, and again when it comes out of retrograde. Mercury is retrograde, about to retrograde, or coming out of retrograde six months of the year. SIX. MONTHS.

They also fail to say that when most people are excited about Mercury retrograde - just beforehand, when people are trying to scramble to make their plans before the retrograde - is when Mercury is at its slowest, weakest point. If you're thinking about trying to solidify anything in the week beforehand, it's far too late.

As a Gemini, you'll hear a lot more about this "phenomena" because Mercury rules over the sign Gemini, and for some reason that makes a Gemini's life somehow more difficult during Mercury retrograde.

Uh, okay, well... I suppose rulerships have validity, but I don't see the connection between abstract transits and someone's personal life, unless MAYBE if Mercury happens to retrograde IN Gemini, conjunct the Gemini's Sun or otherwise aspecting one of their planets. Maybe then. But otherwise, it's a consumer scare tactic... just like the rest of this bullshit.

Song: "The Metro"
Artist: System of a Down

Mercury went retrograde the other day. To be precise, at 8:48am my time on Monday. In the days beforehand and since, I have had no "issues" with transportation, with writing, with talking to people or getting my point across. My electronic stuff is working (even my mouse and headphones, which I've noticed have a tendency to hate Mercury retrogrades). Mercury's in Gemini. I'm a Gemini, and it'll aspect my Sun. I also have Mercury in Gemini, retrograde. Gee, that sure is odd that I'm not having any crazy communication troubles during this time!

Obviously, I study astrology and have respect for it. I think it works. I see it work. I've even seen Mercury retrograde work in laughable, unexpected ways. My point is that it's important not to live in fear, especially not of anything astrological. Everything astrologically explained happens naturally. Mercury retrograde is just another one of those things people use to justify why things go wrong in their lives instead of taking responsibility for themselves.

Song: "Train Kept A Rollin'"
Artist: Aerosmith

Besides, everyone should be more worried about the Moon going retrograde.

I HAVE A DREAM.

Song: "Devilution"
Artist: High on Fire
Album: Blessed Black Wings (2005)

What an exhilarating, lovely song.

Yes, lovely.