TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Writing in the *San Francisco Chronicle,* columnist Jon Carroll told the story of educational activist Diane Mintz. When she began tutoring elementary school kids in the Bay Area’s poorest neighborhoods, she was shocked to realize how thoroughly poverty had shrunken their horizons. Many had never glimpsed the Golden Gate Bridge, a wonder of the world that’s a few miles from their homes. Some didn’t even know this marvel existed. “Their mental map of their larger community was pinched and drab,” wrote Carroll. On occasion, those of us who aren’t so destitute suffer from a similar diminishment. For example, I suspect that many of you Tauruses are in danger of letting your vistas dwindle right now. As a pre-emptive antidote, I suggest you make pilgrimages to beautiful people and intriguing sights and exhilarating places that blow your mind in the best ways.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Has a baby ever been born with two umbilical cords? If so, he or she would be a good symbol for you in the coming weeks. Why? Because you should be extremely aggressive about getting the nurturing you need–even to the point of double-dipping from a primal source. In my astrological opinion, it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re flooded with blessings. Trust your unprecedented hunger.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Surveys show that two out of every ten people have bought stuff they found out about through e-mail spam. While you’re no doubt too sophisticated to be among that number, you might want to open your mind a bit to the possibility. That’s because the astrological omens suggest you may soon receive useful information and out-of-the-blue inspiration from sources you’ve ignored in the past–even chattering gossipers and questionable teachers and TV news shows. Don’t be too sure you already know where your juiciest clues will be coming from.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): *Once you open a can of worms, the only way to re-can the buggers is to use a larger can.* So says Zymurgy’s First Law of Evolving Systems Dynamics. I urge you to keep that in mind during the coming week, Taurus. You or someone close to you may suffer from a blissful mania or temporary insanity that leads them to think that liberating the canned worms is a wise idea. Maybe it will ultimately prove to be the right thing to do, but it could cause a ruckus in the short run. In any case, make it your job to have a barrel-size can on hand for the re-containment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the game known as Rock Paper Scissors, each player pumps a fist twice and then displays his or her hand in one of three different shapes: flat to indicate a piece of paper, a fist to symbolize rock, or index finger and middle finger extended for scissors. Each of the three can beat just one of the other two. Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, and rock smashes scissors. For centuries in many cultures, this game has been used by pairs of people to settle small decisions, such as who will wash the dishes this time or who will run to the store to get beer. Though it’s not usually invoked to determine matters of great importance, you might consider bucking tradition this week. It may be impossible to solve knotty questions through common sense and negotiation. Why not try the Rock Paper Scissors approach?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to a study done by sociologist Werner Habermehl at the Hamburg Medical Research Institute, sex makes you smarter. His test subjects showed greater skill at performing certain mental tasks after they made love. Habermehl attributes the results to the increased levels of adrenaline and cortisol that are released in the body. I encourage you to do some experiments of your own, Taurus. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to engage in all manner of experiences that might boost your intelligence, including (though not limited to) regular erotic adventures.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Before you can do something you must first be something,” wrote Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. That’s advice we can all profit from. Most of us have been guilty of trying to skips steps in reaching our goals, hoping to pull off feats we have not yet developed sufficient strength of character to master. For example, there’s no way I could have been a good writer at age 19, since I had so little life experience to draw on, hadn’t learned how to cultivate my perceptiveness, and didn’t have the discipline to sit down and write every day. In the coming week, Taurus, think about whether there’s a dream you cherish but have not yet earned the right to achieve. Then decide what you’ll have to do to become more worthy.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Surveys show that 21 percent of the population say they’re “regularly bored out of their minds.” If those surveys included astrological data in their research, I bet they’d find that among Tauruses who suffer bouts of boredom, 85 percent are most susceptible to that state during the end of May and the first half of June. That’s why I encourage you to make dramatic efforts to keep yourself stimulated and amused in the coming days. Don’t fall prey to the lowest common denominator of plain old ordinary fate. Use your imagination to fill your schedule with novelty, intrigue, learning experiences, and high adventure.