TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Early in his film career, actor Oliver Hardy often played the parts of bad guys. But when he joined with Stan Laurel to collaborate on their series of comedic movies, he became a likable buffoon. I predict you’ll soon be the beneficiary of a comparable conversion, Taurus. Some troubling or adversarial influence in your life will become warmer and fuzzier, maybe even downright helpful and amusing. The psychological term for a conversion this dramatic is enantiodromia. It refers to the process whereby something changes into its opposite. It won’t be as freakish as it might initially appear. The unexpected transformation will be the result of an organic process.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Courage is not the abnormal,” wrote poet Jack Gilbert. “Not the marvelous act. Not Macbeth with fine speeches. It is the thing steady and clear. The marriage, not the month’s rapture. The beauty that is of many days. The normal excellence, of long accomplishment. Not the Prodigal Son, but Penelope.” Gilbert’s words are my gift to you, brave Taurus. Of all the signs, you best express the virtue of steady devotion to the demanding challenges of beauty and truth. In the coming week, I predict that you will dramatically prove how miraculous that quality can be.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Jaws” is the most common name for pet goldfish. Take your cue from this fun fact, Taurus. Identify the mildest, tamest, most passive part of you, then push it in the direction of becoming more daring, assertive, and courageous. If it helps to give that part of you a nickname like “Jaws,” by all means do so. Halloween costume suggestion: a shark, Tyrannosaurus, dragon, or football player.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Buddhist tradition, bodhisattvas are seekers who put their service to others above their personal goals–even above their quest for the supreme peace that comes from enlightenment. In the eight-century prayer “The Bodhisattva Path,” poet Shantideva wrote, “May I be the doctor and the medicine/ for all sick beings in the world/ until everyone is healed.” That’s a high standard to live by. In asking you to try it out for a limited time, I’m not expecting perfection. But my analysis of the astrological omens suggests that the people in your life fervently need you to be a source of strong medicine. More than that, you need to initiate the changes in your life that will ensue if you make yourself into a soothing balm, a potent remedy, a love tonic.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Roy Rivenburg writes in the *L.A. Times* that there has recently been a rash of mannequin assaults. He cites four people who have been struck by falling dummies while shopping in clothes stores. For example, one victim was hit in the head by a mannequin’s arm when a clerk tried to remove its shirt. I mention this for two reasons, Taurus. First, the planets are aligned in such a way as to suggest that you could, if you’re not careful, get in a tangle with a doll, statue, puppet, robot, or scarecrow in the coming week. Second, you should minimize your interactions with anyone whose expression never changes, whose behavior seems mechanical, or whose actions seem controlled by someone else.

I am in PH34R of the robot menace!

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Originally uploaded by Childe.

Each of the tables at the reception had a few disposable cameras on them. As we figured, hilarity ensued. This set is in extremely random order, and has over 150 images, I think.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Dear StarMan: I want to be a famous actress like Scarlett Johansson. I know my natural talent is as good as hers, but I’m not especially beautiful. On one of those ‘am I hot or not?’ websites, I was rated 3.2 out of 10. Can you look into my future and see if I’ll ever make it big in Hollywood? And would it help if I got cosmetic surgery? – Taurus Dreamer.” Dear Taurus: It’s a favorable time for you Tauruses to explore ways you might be kidding yourselves about your destiny. So let me ask you this: Does the dream you articulated express the primal truth about your purpose here on earth? Or is it a fantasy your ego has fabricated out of a deluded longing to pursue inappropriate ambitions that won’t satisfy you in the long run? Instead of saying, “I want to be a famous actress,” try this desire on for size: “I want to be a good actress.”