By heaven, Poins, I feel me much to blame
So idly to profane the precious time,
When tempest of commotion, like the south
Borne with black vapor, doth begin to melt
And drop upon our bare unarmed heads.

Prince Hal in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, pt. 2 (2.4.158-62)

Horoscopes for Taurus 2023

The Sun enters the tropical zodiac sign of Taurus on April 20, 2023. At 3:14 AM (local). 4/20. Get over it.

• Mercury is retrograde from April 21 to May 14
• Pluto turns Retrograde April 30 at 0° Aquarius
• Mercury enters Gemini May 3
• Full Moon May 5 at 15° Taurus/Scorpio (eclipse)
• Venus enters Gemini May 9
• Jupiter enters Taurus May 17
• New Moon May 19 at 29° Taurus
• Mars enters Leo May 21

The Sun enters the tropical zodiac sign of Gemini on May 21, 2023 at 2:12 AM (local).

Taurus

As I’ve aged, I got to a point where I can make statements based upon years of my own collected mistakes. A quick example that explains, hopefully helps Taurus exploit this up and coming tense situations? It’s about how to approach change, and what it means. Change is inevitable, but in order to make it a conscious decision with as many facts at my command, which, in some situations, includes the opposing point of view? Old trick, but still a viable option? Look at the opposition, and figure what the strong — and possibly valid — opposing stance is all about. There is a great day of reckoning coming along, and the way a decent Taurus can face this? A wonderful attitude that starts with the simple expression, “I certainly can see your point of view…” Which, a clever person will notice, isn’t even a tacit agreement, just an acknowledgement of a position that might — probably isn’t in our minds — but might be a valid position to some, and this how to handle the next month of birthdays, trials, travails, and what I would hope leads to a Taurus triumph over implausible odds — all because you understand the position of the other people, maybe not embrace it, but understanding helps.

Gemini

I’m older now. A lot older. Occasionally, my brain thinks I can do something that I could do, as a much younger person. That’s proven near-fatal, at times, as my reactions, perceptions, and abilities to bounce are not nearly as good as they once were. Age may bring wisdom, but at what price? As I watched, first, mostly the Aries flavor then that Taurus heat? What I watched, one buddy, my age, started to puff out his chest and strut like a peacock, or bantam rooster, and? I flinched. It was a much younger person’s sport. I know my limits. I have no more mountains to climb, no outlandish, and impossible goals that are clearly not for a person of my age and station. I can dream, and I do pursue certain activities that challenge me, albeit in a safer fashion than before. There is great stuff, just up and around the next corner, for Gemini — if you can make it. I would suggest that you never do something stupid, but I still remember one buddy — not named Bubba — preparing to trim trees at his house with a chainsaw he mounted on the end of an aluminum pole. Suffice it to suggest, yeah, didn’t end well, and his exact quote?

“I didn’t know aluminum was metal enough to conduct that much electricity!”

Cancer

“Both the money and the ashes were gone.” The ashes referred to dearly departed, and the crematorium urn that held the dearly departed. The money? Inferred, implied, maybe, but not exactly spelled out? Some sort of leftover inheritance, possibly ill-gotten gains, judging the book by its cover. Or judging by the opening line? Know what novel I’m using as an example? Never mind, not important. This is about judging a book by its opening line, or its cover, what that hook is? That’s our caution in the Land of the Moon Children in the next — in the coming months. There are some famous opening lines, down through history, and by studying those openers, or the lurid art on the book’s cover? It’s possible to see where this is going. Late stages Jupiter makes it possible to come up with that lurid cover, or opening line hooks the reader, so fetching that grabs the attention — of whatever your Cancer target might be, reader, writer, potential (something). The caution, as Jupiter gets situated in Taurus, is all about being careful you’re not falling the old trick of judging a book by its cover. Read the first line, at least, see if it works.

The Leo

Looking through the little list of what the planets are going to do in the coming weeks? For the Mighty Leo, I kept thinking about a book I started reading. Highly recommended, critically acclaimed, former best-seller? I got less than hundred pages into the novel, and set it aside. Really, it was a digital library book, but still, the notion holds, as I set it aside, in a metaphorical “To be read at a later date,” with the addendum, “time to be arranged at a later date, as well.” I like those digital library books as they check themselves back in, no late fees. Know what? I never picked that book back up. I have, bedside, a short stack of books that I aim to read one day, and at least one book has been there for over a decade. Might never get to it. But more important? At least, more important for The Leo? It is quite all right, a-okay, just fine to pause a project, like a book you might be reading but holds no interest for you? It is a perfect time to put that up on the shelf, or just let it go, whatever the action is that no longer holds that divine Leo interest? Stop. Or pause, or like me, “I’ll get back to this — some day.”

Virgo

When I use the term, “Foundation?” What I mean is that I want to impose structure so that I can build towards a future plan. There’s an addendum, “Nothing goes according to the plan,” but as a good Virgo? You knew that already. Still, the “foundation elements” are the most important parts, and what to do? Secure, immobilize, restrain, and build upon what is there. In some cases, this is as simple as throwing a tarp over the crap in the back of a pickup truck, and using something as simple as twine to hold that cover in place. It can be really simple. That extra step, that extra effort, that little bit of good Virgo forbearance? It’s all about foundations and the foundation elements we can bring into play. I was searching my own experience to explain about the term “foundation,” and introduce that as a thematic element for the days, weeks in the immediate future. This plays out as a time to build. Some of this is taking an existing idea and merely shoring up its supports, like braces holding up that temporary mould. We’re making progress in Virgo-land, probably making perfect progress, but no one can see it — yet. Keep working with those foundational elementals.

Libra

There’s the twin horns of the dilemma, stuck between two points and neither one feels quite right? The best way out? Dither. “So you’re saying I should just avoid making a decision?” Right. Or not, but I would like to think that it is a viable option, with healthy side-helping of “avoidance.” When we’re in a situation where there appears to be no correct answer? Go one way, and everyone is pissed off, and go the other way, and the other people are also highly agitated since neither way seemed to make everyone happy, stuck like this? Best decision is to not render a decision. “Crappy Kramer says, I should just say, ‘maybe,’ like that works for me?” Maybe? For the Libra slice, these days, and the tough Taurus times being what they are? Yes, simply, put. Or maybe, but the idea is that permanent decisions, at the moment? They avail us nothing, and then we’re stuck with what looked like a good decision at the time, but turned out to be a less than wonderful way to go. It’s about the stubborn nature of the problems, and what happens is that decisions are made, based upon available data, and then, everything changes, and holding to that original position becomes untenable.

Scorpio

Obsession is a dangerous playground for this Taurus season — Scorpio. At least one good Scorpio will nod her head appreciatively, “Yeah, I get that.” Most will ignore my warning, and down the rabbit hole you go, chasing some ideal that is not realistic, or worse, not based in any kind of reality that the rest of us see, hear, and feel. While dreams and desires, what you can see in that curious Scorpio brain? While that is worth pursuing? The single-mindedness and utter devotion that looks like an obsession to the rest of us? That’s the caution. You’ve seen it before, in other characters, and now, this is upon your good Scorpio self, that fine line between “devotion” and “obsession.” Me, personally, this is a familiar refrain, but I’m not Scorpio, and I get easily dislodged from that obsessive streak, or bounce out of the rut with relative ease. It’s that Sagittarius short attention span thing, you know. Perhaps adopting — just temporary — but perhaps adopting that Sagittarius “lack of backbone” will help in the next few days.

Sagittarius

Move the pieces around on the playing board. Loathe as I am to resort to chess as an example, some days, we do what we got to do. I was facing a client with a rather typical question, not what was going to happen, but when. Timing is usually something astrology is good for, as the celestial events that dictate possible human interactions, the events themselves are easily timed. What the astrology charts suggest, even now, for Sagittarius? The charts suggest this week, this month, within the next few day. The portents are excellent, especially for that window at the end of April. That’s a special, Sagittarius time-frame, good for getting with it. I can’t “make it happen” for each individual, but I can easily suggest that the time is here. Now, to make it happen? Remember, we have to take some kind of Sagittarius action to make the most of this time. Forward action, symbolic action, or even just chasing up old loose ends, that counts, too. It will happen, but not without a nudge, gentle or otherwise, from our Sagittarius selves, first.

Capricorn

“Learn to drink your coffee black.” While not a new observation, it has merit, and holds up well in the coming days. Personally, I’ve been round and round with this one, with coffee showing up in my life with large number of varieties. As a young man, it was the traditional cafe-au-lait, rich, creamy, and sweet. Over time, I switched to a more expedient black but with sugar, eventually winding up at black coffee, only to — the original coffee shop influence — start with the various frothed milks that lead to sugary concoctions that then lead to a new, current favorite, a shot of espresso with a dollop of honey in it. However, the current iteration for what is best for Capricorn? Learning to drink coffee, black, and not the artisanal, vegan, free-range, all-organic material, but whatever swill is available? That helps. There’s an insistent energy, and that kind of push is greatly exacerbated when there’s a delay, like, “Wait, I like my coffee with cream and sugar,” or worse? “I can only have (brand-name, organic sweetener and plant-based creamer) in my coffee.” We’re running into situation where we don’t have time for nonsense. Look: I love a properly frothed, coconut milk, vanilla latte — sure. But we don’t have time to wait for that, not now. We’re in a hurry to get this done. Simple solution? Learn to drink your coffee black.

Aquarius

“Induction,” as a math term? It’s a series, start by proving something works for a set of examples, and then, see how that proof carries forward with similar conditions. What I was looking at, definitions from a quick online search, trying to compare, “deductive” and “inductive” logic. Amusing to me, more than one Shakespeare play has an induction instead of an introduction or prologue. Not the same meaning, from what I gathered, but I could be mistaken. This approaching season requires logic, logic based on observation, then a corollary drawn from the basis of the observed data sets, and then we can reach a possible conclusion. There’s a key element here, too, wherein looking at one set of conditions? Looks like it is the same set of conditions previously seen, and therefore, the same outcome is to be expected, following that inductive logic. OK, fishing example, if the plum-colored with gold flecks jerk bait worked before when we were like this? Then it should work equally well, again. Only way to know for sure? Try it and see. “So I should go fishing?” Someone’s got to try this out.

Pisces

You know, “the older I get, the more I hate stairs and kids.” One of my elder fishing buddies, you know? Not a comment I would make, not that it hasn’t crossed my mind, but not one of my comments, except in jest. However, think about this in terms of planets, placements, and the near future? There are are two, not one but two elements to address in Pisces land. Both of these elements offer a level of frustration with outside Pisces pressures, which seem to come from sources beyond the covert, or even overt control of the good Pisces. Can’t fix it, won’t go away, and the only way to get around the problem? Have to mount those stairs, yourself. Climb the hill, for some of us? Our knees will creak. Some people are annoyed by ill-mannered youth. Personally? I do my best to find joy in the shrieks of a youngster, that shrill sound of pure joy in pre-pubescent (pre) humans. Anything less than 20 or even 30 is kind of a larval state, in my mind. If they are kids? Give them candy. If they are stairs, grab the rail and motor forward, upward, as need be. Take your own, sweet Pisces time, but find the joy therein.

Aries

There’s a common preconception that Aries — as a sign — is headstrong and stubborn. While an interesting proposition, and one that if oft-repeated, ad nauseam, it’s one of those where the other elements are at play in a chart because the raw, Aries-like energy itself is like fire, fast-moving, volatile, and quick to shift according to the whims of the situations as conditions shift. What happens, next few days, next few weeks? What goes on? There is a shifting set of conditions and what was self-evident at one point might later be obscured. What was completely clear at one time might be less distinct through the rheumy eyes of time and history. Shucking the cloak of stubbornness, not really an applicable label in the first place, but shedding that nomenclature and inaccurate description? Doing so makes it easier to adapt to the changes — changes from more information being available. Everything changes. Make the best decisions at the time, based upon the available data; when more information is available, then it’s quite alright to reassess and draw a better conclusion. Use best available data and being willing to adjust as need be.