Cosmic Café 16
Meeting the Moon and Shots with Venus

I smelled something wonderful. What could it be? Cinnamon? No…apple pie? Yes, that was it. I was about to ask Jupiter if he'd introduce me to the Moon, when I saw a tiny, plump lady come out of the kitchen behind the bar, wearing a very frilly apron. Her hair, like Saturn's, was snow-white, and she was wiping her hands on a towel. She smiled maternally at Jupiter, and said, "So this is our girl, hmmm? "

Tears came to my eyes immediately—for the second time that day. Jupiter noticed, pulled out a huge handkerchief, and dabbed at my face, just about poking me in both eyes. I took the hanky from him and finished the job myself. The Big Guy's heart certainly was in the right place, but he's never been known for his grace. The Moon giggled in delight, patting Jupiter's back. "All right, big fella, give the girl some air."

She was obviously in Cancer at the moment, because everything about her was round. She extended one plump little hand to me, then apparently thought better of it, and put out her arms. I went to her without a second thought, enjoying the pleasant fragrance of cinnamon—and was that roses, too?—that surrounded her. She gave me a hug I'll never forget, then reached up to smooth my hair. "Oh, I do like that red on you, dear. It suits you."

I smiled and thanked her. She held my face in her hand, and said, "And such big, brown eyes!"

Jupiter just couldn't resist piping in. "Yeah, my girl's got some serious peepers, huh?"

At that, everyone laughed—even Venus. The Moon turned to Jupiter and said, "Let's get that back table set for lunch, shall we?" She turned to me and patted my arm. "And I want to hear all about those furry little babies of yours over lunch, too, dear. Do you have pictures?"

I nodded, as Jupiter gathered himself up and made a formal salute. "You got it, Moon. Anything for you, Mama."

He squeezed her face as she turned to disappear back into the kitchen. I offered to help—because I had a feeling he'd need it—but Jupiter refused. "No way, honey. You're company." He leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, "Besides, you should go sit with Venus for a while. She gets a little testy when she's in Aries and nobody pays attention to her, ya know? And with Mars being late and all…" He winked at me as if we were sharing a special secret.

I headed over to the bar and sat down next to Venus, still tapping those long red claws—I mean, nails—on the side of her glass. "Hey, girl—whassup?" She grinned, and seemed to lose her anger immediately. And wasn't that just like an Aries planet? As long as they have a chance to vent, their anger comes and goes quickly. God forbid they keep it bottled up, however, because it certainly can get ugly while they're waiting to explode. I complimented her on the tattoo she had on her ankle, and she noticed mine—the crossed arrow, the symbol for Sagittarius. I'd had it for years now. "Hey, I like yours, too. Got any more?"

"Yep." I pointed to the beauty mark just above my mouth.

Venus leaned towards me, obviously delighted. "No way! That's a tattoo?"

"Yeah, but don't tell anybody. "

"Course not," Venus answered. "But it's way cool. Maybe I'll get one there, too."

"Anything for beauty, you know," I said. She hugged me impulsively.

"I've got one here, too." I pulled my shirt over so she could see the seagull on my right shoulder. She loved it. "I just love a woman with guts, you know, girlfriend? And you sure do have guts, dontcha?"

I blushed a little. My own Venus was in the Twelfth House, a very secret place, and compliments always tended to embarrass me. I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess. Must be the Sag stuff, huh?"

She nodded, and laughed. "I just love Sag energy! Love it. Hey, look at you! Your face is as red as Mars! You gotta get used to people telling you the nice stuff, girl!"

I loved her. But then, how could I not love her? My Sagittarius planets made me a veritable magnet for Aries energy—always had. Even back in high school, when I knew nothing about astrology, all my boyfriends were Aries. I had married an Aries man, and over the course of my life, was lucky enough to call several of these fiery individuals both friends and lovers. But meeting Venus in this sign was something I'd never dreamed of.

"Let's do a shot," she said. "You wanna?"

I sighed, thought about Saturn's instructions earlier that day, and gave in. After all, I'm a Sag, and we're not exactly famous for our willpower. "Okay. But just one. I've got work to do when I get home."

If I got home….

Next Week: Bonding with Venus and Lunch with the Planets