TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus philosopher Bertrand Russell gave this testimony about what motivated him: “Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and an unbearable pity for the suffering of humanity.” To be in maximum alignment with cosmic rhythms, Taurus, I suggest that you boil down your desires to a slightly altered version of Russell’s: a longing to both give and receive love, a hunger for knowledge, and a yearning to alleviate the suffering of your fellow humans.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For the last nine years the daffodils in my yard have blossomed in mid-February. This time around, however, their yellow blooms sprouted in the first week of January. Another sign of global warming? I don’t know. So far the flowers’ early arrival hasn’t been a problem. They’re still going strong, showing a hardy resistance to sporadic bursts of cold and rain. According to my astrological analysis, Taurus, you have also ripened a bit prematurely. Ahead of schedule, you’ve accomplished your upgrade and are ready to try your hand at a spicier challenge. Like the daffodils, you will probably do fine. Just one piece of advice, though: Don’t scrimp on your efforts to protect and nurture yourself.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Hundreds of years ago, the Roman Catholic Church conjured up the concept of “Limbo.” It was supposedly a murky realm between heaven and hell that housed the souls of babies who died before they were baptized and righteous people who lived before the time of Christ. Later “limbo” also came to have a non-religious meaning, referring to the state of uncertainty experienced by a person who is waiting for a resolution or decision. Last November, the Church formally retired the concept of Limbo, declaring it to be an outmoded hypothesis that should be hereafter ignored. In the coming weeks, Taurus, you will have an excellent opportunity to escape your own personal version of limbo. It’s time to declare yourself a master of the torturous lessons you were called on to learn while stranded there.

“The task of genius, and humanity is nothing if not genius, is to keep the miracle alive, to live always in the miracle, to make the miracle more and more miraculous, to swear allegiance to nothing, but live only miraculously, think only miraculously, die miraculously.”
-Henry Miller, The Colossus of Maroussi

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “We live in a world with too much music,” writes Joe Nickell at Missoulian.com. He’s bothered by the fact that everywhere he goes, there are tunes pouring from cell phones and mp3 players and TVs and radios and live bands. As far as you’re concerned, though, Nickell is utterly off-base. In 2006, you should take advantage of the profusion; you should immerse yourself in music more than you ever have before. To do so will be instrumental in helping you accomplish your top assignment in the coming months, which is to feel deep, rich, interesting emotions as often as possible.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Happy Holy Daze, Taurus! I’ve been meditating on the perfect holiday gifts for you. What symbolic items might inspire you to take maximum advantage of the cosmic currents in 2006? And the answer is: several full-length mirrors that you can arrange in such a way so as to study what you look like from behind and from the side as well as from the front. What’s my reasoning? I believe you should get to know yourself much, much better in the coming months. You should gaze into your own mysteries far more frequently than you ever have before, and try to see yourself with as much compassionate objectivity as possible.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your self-image is too small, in my opinion. You’ve crammed your identity into a few pigeonholes, and it’s dying to escape. To launch you on the path to expansion, let’s stimulate your imagination with some exercises. Start by visualizing yourself as being the opposite gender. What would your name be? Now picture yourself as being a different race and having an alternate ethnic background. How would that affect your philosophy of life? Imagine yourself working at a job or career other than the one you actually have, and living in a different city, and making $20,000 more a year than you actually do. Now dream up some more fantasies about other selves who might be lurking within you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Sicily, the word “mafia” once meant beauty, charm, excellence, or boldness. In its modern usage, both in Italian and English, none of the old senses of the word have survived. It refers to organized crime, and conveys a sinister mood. I encourage you to identify a comparable thing in your own life, Taurus: a situation, influence, or relationship that was formerly a blessing, but that has now degenerated into a source of darkness. Is there anything you can do to resurrect its original glory? If it’s even remotely possible, now is the time you’re most likely to accomplish it.