Mutable T-Square- Kansas City Shuffle

Ok guys, here's what we have going on. Remember the Cardinal Crisis we had in 2010? Well this is the Mutable Meltdown (copyright AstroGeek's Skywatch, LLC) of 2012. We have Neptune in Pisces opposite Mars in Virgo (still Retrograde.....) and both of them are in Square to Venus in Gemini. Considering the fact that we also have Pluto in Capricorn going Retrograde, not to mention Mercury and Mars going Direct, this could easily become a gigantic cluster.

You see, this is a massive confidence game (in keeping with the Neptunian vibe, who is clearly running the show here). Neptune is the Con, and Mars is a shill (accomplice) while Venus is the mark (victim). Unfortunately for our girl, this is a very special type of con that can have disastorous consequences. You see, this is what you call a Kansas City Shuffle.

What is a Kansas City Shuffle, you ask? For that, we turn to Steampunk Opera for a explanation

"So what is a Kansas City Shuffle? Well, it’s basically a con which revolves around someone being tricked by thinking that they’re being tricked. Get it?

See, that’s why it’s so brilliant. It’s a con which requires the mark knowing that he’s being conned. All con-games rely on misdirection to some degree, but normally the conman doesn’t want the mark to know there’s a con going on. In a Kansas City Shuffle, 3 requirements must be met:

1. The victim must suspect that it’s a con-game
2. The victim must think that they’ve figured out how to beat the con
3. The victim must be wrong about what the con is.

All three elements must be present. If the victim doesn’t suspect that they’re being conned, it’s not a Kansas City Shuffle. If the victim doesn’t set themselves up for the real con by doing something to beat the con they think they’ve spotted, it’s not a Kansas City Shuffle. If the victim is right about what the real con is, it’s not a Kansas City Shuffle"

See, what happens is, while you are watching the performance, you catch a slight detail [Mars in Virgo], a tell, that leads you to believe you know whats happening and how it will all play out. The trouble is, that was just a Red Herring, left to throw you off the scent (kind of like How I Met Your Mother). So while all the hullaballo is going on Center Stage, there's a whole other drama playing out Stage Right, taking your eyes off the main event, as it were (not sure where im getting all these theater metaphors from, but im going to go with it). But while you're trying to see everything that's happening over there, you're missing the REAL show, as the actors make their entrances at the back of the house [presumably to pick your pockets].

To combat this, you need a helluva lot of Pluto in Capricorn's street smarts. Like it or not, we are all enrolled in the Master's class in Sniffing out B.S. right now, and this is the Midterm. You need to stay alert, be patient, and above all you cannot give into your arrogance. You need tempered confidence, not cocky bravado. Its not easy, but absolutely do-able.

With this situation, the ante is upped even further by the fact that everybody is conning everybody! The mark is running her own game here, as is the shill. Who comes out on top? Whoever wants it most. Though it dosent hurt to have Lady Luck on your side, and fast feet!!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go stack the deck.

Audentes fortuna iuvat sed timidos relinquit
-The AstroGeek