Seeing a woman walk by the café with a T-shirt with the word “spinster” reminded me of the words we don’t hear anymore and social roles that don’t exist anymore, at least in the US.

Spinster is a negative image of a woman unmarried sitting at a loom, shriveled and devoid of any sort of passion. She missed her opportunity or was not lovely enough to attract attention. The T-shirt was announcing, with irony, that unmarried female life is a choice.

Bachelor, in contrast, is the male version, without such a negative image. In youth a bachelor is ripe fruit for the picking by women. Later he’s simply an unmarried man, never been married.

Years ago, I recall reading of a British journalist who commented on an American male colleague of middle age who was unmarried. The journalist said that in England there would be a role for him. In the US, we don’t have the lifelong bachelor role, one chosen and enjoyed, not one of default through lack of opportunity.

According to Pew research, the percent of adults never married after the age of 40 used to be 20 percent and is now climbing to 25 percent.

The bachelors and spinsters are increasing.

Eccentrics

Another role not traveling across the Atlantic is the British Eccentric. This character can be found in many a novel such as those of the late Muriel Spark who happened to write a novel called The Bachelors.

I was pondering this lack of spinsters, bachelors, and eccentrics with my cat. I asked if he knew anyone that was eccentric.

He gave me an odd look and mentioned a friend. And then another friend. And then another.

Seems like I might be hanging out with a lot of eccentrics.

How did I not see this?

Aquarius and Virgo

When I first began studying astrology, I noticed that Virgo and Aquarius friends were often quite alike. Later I realized that my generation of Virgos had Uranus (which rules Aquarius) conjunct sun with the great Pluto/Uranus in Virgo conjunction that was in the late 1950’s through 1960’s or thereabouts.

Virgo and Aquarius I’ve also lumped together as perfectionists – Virgo due to anxiety and fear of disapproval and Aquarius due to fixed idealistic thinking.

Likewise, these two signs have a sense of purity. Virgo is not a “virgin” in the sense of sexuality but in the sense of idealistic purity. We all say we want to eat healthy while munching on chili cheese Fritos (just an example) but Virgos truly do eat the nettles and aren’t hiding caramel cream candy (just an example) in the bottom cupboard behind the pile of plastic bags.

Aquarius purity is the “perfect universe” and the idea that a logical plan will appeal to everyone regardless of their emotional, physical, or spiritual desires. Aquarius might build the geodesic dome and live inside truly enjoying the geometric purity. Others may spend a few nights in the dome during and then head back to the soft bed with down comforter at the first sniffle or discomfort.

Eccentricity is borne of purity, of idealistic routines, of courage to act counter to social mandate by a true belief in a better way. A colon cleanse may sound like a good idea, but it takes the eccentric purity of spirit to, you know, buy the kit and consume laxative herbs.

Talk about your colon cleanse at dinner and experience the reaction to eccentricity! Or talk about astrology, that works too.

Uranus

Ruling Aquarius, Uranus is associated with uniqueness, genius, and going against the grain. Aquarius is fixed so it takes a bit of stubbornness to be eccentric amid social pressure. To be eccentric, one must be completely confident that the best choices are being made.

Traditionally those ruled by Aquarius are seen as odd within their times but later their ideas are understood. They are the Teslas that are not treated well as they insist that energy can be free. There are many reasons, obviously, that Aquarian ideals are rejected. Greed and envy are the top two ideal snuffers.

Childless Cat Ladies

In a 2021 interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, then-Senate-candidate Vance complained that the U.S. was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs and “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

When I told the cat that the Vice President didn’t like us, he was quite offended. Male cats have big egos. I assured him, as I often do, that he is the most special being that ever lived. That calmed him down.

“Spinsters”, I said, “especially spinsters with cats don’t have a place in US society, although the Vice President seems to think we’re running the country.”

“Of course,” sniggered the cat. “Married men with kids and dogs are often eccentric with strange, fantastical, ideas.”