ARIES (March 21-April 19): Bad habits are liable to dominate you today and, worse yet, you seek to justify them. It's very important not to take the first step that locks you into bad patterns. Struggle to make positive changes in yourself.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You forge ahead with projects and you have great confidence that you're right. You can overcome old problems now and get associates moving. You may find that you can work best alone because you don't have to wait for people to catch up.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You have trouble taking proper advantage of opportunities. You are be held back by self-doubt or distractions. It's important to strengthen your will-power to bring projects to completion.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You need formal or professional training to accomplish what you want. You tend to dream the day away or else try to accomplish something without the practical knowledge or skills you need.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You're fortunate in almost everything you do but you accomplish less than you could because you are indecisive. You're prone to half-hearted measures and changing goals. You can make a big difference if you could decide and focus.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You avoid hard work. Strange interests are a form of escapism from real responsibility. Make a strong effort to stop fantasizing and engage the real world and real people in order to live your ideals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pay careful attention to your health today. You're prone to catch a minor illness that robs you of vitality. Symptoms are distracting. You need to cut down on stress and high-energy activities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You need clearly defined goals to put your energy to effective use. A partner can help but be sure you're both already in agreement. You feel fulfilled when you overcome challenges.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You need someone with your best interests at heart to take care of your business today. You are prone to make bad decisions, especially in relationships. Left to yourself, it's hard to make up your mind.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There is an opportunity for advancing your professional status. Take every avenue you can find. You know or feel what really makes you feel fulfilled in a career, so pursue this without hesitation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Make no financial purchases today, especially if you're being sold on it. Buy only what you need. Save what you can. Someone can play on your needs or inadequacies, the effect of which is a waste of your money.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Chances for doing well and being happy are all around you, but you have trouble accessing them. You need to look at the ways you sabotage yourself and resolve not to keep repeating them.

Creator, teach me to pray

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your thinking is very confused and theoretical today. You have trouble engaging reality now and can be caught unprepared by very simple, very practical events and explanations. You try too hard to make explanations.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You take a direct approach in situations that tend to be more subtle or convoluted than you expect. You have trouble dealing with bureaucracies or other centers of power than can override your intentions.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You thrive in a large group today as you are skilled at coordinating ideas and opinions into consensus. Without a lot of input it is hard to work with the variety you crave.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You may have to make up for the failings of others. This can be a good skill when success of a project is essential and teamwork is valuable: That is your role. In other cases, you could be pulled from your true contributions.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your attention is on professional success today. Some are obsessed with the ethical failings of others, while others can disregard ethical issues for their own prosperity. Your actions should always be according to the rules.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your intuition is strong and your ability to understand these impressions is good. You can be talkative but it's more advantageous to listen. You must try to put together pieces of information so that they fit and make sense.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You like to promote yourself better than you want to take action today. This is a good time to seek a job or get your name out. Any kind of self-promotion is favored, just be prepared to demonstrate what you can do.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your reputation is on the line today. There is the suggestion of scandal, which may or may not be true. You're challenged to meet it head-on and make the best of a tempestuous situation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're apt to feel that you are relatively powerless in any real physical sense. Many can resort to prayer or other forms of subtle influence. It's important to prepare and strengthen your mind and will-power.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You feel that there is little time to waste. You act almost without regard to how people will react, as long as you get your way. You act so callously because you don't feel strong enough to get your way through negotiation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This is a good day for an honest conversation with close family members. There is something you need to do and you must fill them in. You must deal with various levels of disapproval.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): This is a good time to reassess your finances in ways that could potentially change its structure. Take no action today but design scenarios and models to improve income, savings, investments and your financial portfolio generally.

Great Spirit, today, give me the knowledge to know this mystery

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You're very self-assured today. A direction having been decided, you can take charge and administer others into the program. It is hard for you to question the decisions of authorities.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're in a work crunch today. Time is of the essence as a deadline becomes obvious. You must get down to business, keep to a schedule and leave out personal pleasures so everything gets done perfectly and on time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A new adventure gets you attention and you may try to get others to follow you into it. You can shift between being emotional and being cautious and calculating. At best your impulses are risky but your actions on them are sensible.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You take a strong interest in a matter that is of little concern to others. You find that you have to do all the work yourself so don't rely on anyone else to help or go along with you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your stay in contact with a small set of important friends today. There is a narrow range of vital interests today and you give full attention to them. You have little patience for distractions or trivia.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're extremely reliable today. Being aware of incompleteness, you pursue inquiries until you have all the answers that allow a situation to make sense. You can cover all the angles if you remain inquisitive.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You learn through difficulties and hardships today. You get valuable hands-on experience now and what happens today leaves valuable lessons that stay with you for a long time.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are very introspective today. Your efforts at reform are best applied to yourself now. Don't try to change others or society except insofar as you impact people by your example and behavior.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You can bring calm to a changing situation. You can show people how to deal with change instead of being flustered or frightened. You value orderly procedures and seek to impose them whenever necessary.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are all work and no play today. While you're liable to have a strong wish to be adventurous and romantic, this is easily buried under the press of obligations that must be taken care of.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Recognizing that undisciplined effort is unproductive, you seek to understand what has already been discovered to be true. You must research prior findings from reliable and reputable investigators.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You face up to certain personal faults that are holding you back. Many can benefit from self-directed change through affirmations or hypnosis. Focus on issues of procrastination, bad self-image or guilt.

Great Spirit, today, let no words come from my lips that would hurt another.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A safe a secure place can seem confining. You want to explore and be on your own. It's important to remember that you need a place you can reliably return to so don't ruin people's attitudes toward you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): There is an edgy quality disrupting your desire for tranquility. You have to defend your ability to retain quietude and studiousness. Deal with disruptions firmly but non-aggressively.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You have ingenious but controversial ideas today. Expect to have a lot of disputes and discussions over how to proceed. Finances are a source of worry, as you try to find the best way to handle investments and earnings.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You start out thinking you have all the answers but you are quickly challenged by everyone's human realities. There are many unexpected twists and turns so your policies need major revisions to cope.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Everything you do should be above board today. Underhanded methods and secret alliances only set you up for continued hiding. If you can't put it in public and be proud of it, then don't do it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You feel that it's hard to assert yourself now. Women, particularly, feel oppressed by men and must find ways to oppose domination or otherwise find ways to go around the forces that offend them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are seeking a different way today. The standard, canned choices manufactured for you are now clearly seen to be false. There are true alternatives out there and you go on the lookout for them.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This is a good day to listen and learn. Everyone needs to understanding with each other. However, women generally will find men difficult to deal with, as the latter are prone to behave harshly.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There is a lot of confusion and discontent today. You have to deal with a lot of different and conflicting desires and opinions. It's hard to pin anyone down on anything definite. Minds change -- a lot.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You want a lot of leeway for yourself. Perhaps this is spurred by someone who is over-controlling. Someone isn't being nice to you so you may begin looking for more congenial companionship.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There is tension in the air today. A situation isn't to your liking and you may be looking for the right time to bolt. If you have doubts, consider you have the perfect right to seek a congenial environment.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You have a hard time convincing people of your abilities or sincerity. You're blocked by others' doubts or hostility. You're challenged to find the right strategy so that you can be taken seriously.

Apr 27, 4977 B.C.:
Universe is created, according to Kepler

On this day in 4977 B.C., the universe is created, according to German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler, considered a founder of modern science. Kepler is best known for his theories explaining the motion of planets.

Kepler was born on December 27, 1571, in Weil der Stadt, Germany. As a university student, he studied the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus' theories of planetary ordering. Copernicus (1473-1543) believed that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the solar system, a theory that contradicted the prevailing view of the era that the sun revolved around the earth.

In 1600, Kepler went to Prague to work for Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, the imperial mathematician to Rudolf II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Kepler's main project was to investigate the orbit of Mars. When Brahe died the following year, Kepler took over his job and inherited Brahe's extensive collection of astronomy data, which had been painstakingly observed by the naked eye. Over the next decade, Kepler learned about the work of Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), who had invented a telescope with which he discovered lunar mountains and craters, the largest four satellites of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, among other things. Kepler corresponded with Galileo and eventually obtained a telescope of his own and improved upon the design. In 1609, Kepler published the first two of his three laws of planetary motion, which held that planets move around the sun in ellipses, not circles (as had been widely believed up to that time), and that planets speed up as they approach the sun and slow down as they move away. In 1619, he produced his third law, which used mathematic principles to relate the time a planet takes to orbit the sun to the average distance of the planet from the sun.

Kepler's research was slow to gain widespread traction during his lifetime, but it later served as a key influence on the English mathematician Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) and his law of gravitational force. Additionally, Kepler did important work in the fields of optics, including demonstrating how the human eye works, and math. He died on November 15, 1630, in Regensberg, Germany. As for Kepler's calculation about the universe's birthday, scientists in the 20th century developed the Big Bang theory, which showed that his calculations were off by about 13.7 billion years.

Apr 27, 1521:
Magellan killed in the Philippines

After traveling three-quarters of the way around the globe, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan is killed during a tribal skirmish on Mactan Island in the Philippines. Earlier in the month, his ships had dropped anchor at the Philippine island of Cebu, and Magellan met with the local chief, who after converting to Christianity persuaded the Europeans to assist him in conquering a rival tribe on the neighboring island of Mactan. In the subsequent fighting, Magellan was hit by a poisoned arrow and left to die by his retreating comrades.

Magellan, a Portuguese noble, fought for his country against the Muslim domination of the Indian Ocean and Morocco. He participated in a number of key battles and in 1514 asked Portugal's King Manuel for an increase in his pension. The king refused, having heard unfounded rumors of improper conduct on Magellan's part after a siege in Morocco. In 1516, Magellan again made the request and the king again refused, so Magellan went to Spain in 1517 to offer his services to King Charles I, later Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

In 1494, Portugal and Spain, at the prompting of Pope Alexander VI, settled disputes over newly discovered lands in America and elsewhere by dividing the world into two spheres of influence. A line of demarcation was agreed to in the Atlantic Ocean--all new discoveries west of the line were to be Spanish, and all to the east Portuguese. Thus, South and Central America became dominated by the Spanish, with the exception of Brazil, which was discovered by the Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500 and was somewhat east of the demarcation line. Other Portuguese discoveries in the early 16th century, such as the Moluccas Islands--the Spice Islands of Indonesia--made the Spanish jealous.

To King Charles, Magellan proposed sailing west, finding a strait through the Americas, and then continuing west to the Moluccas, which would prove that the Spice Islands lay west of the demarcation line and thus in the Spanish sphere. Magellan knew that the world was round but underestimated its size, thinking that the Moluccas must be situated just west of the American continent, not on the other side of a great uncharted ocean. The king accepted the plan, and on September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain in command of five ships and 270 men.

Magellan sailed to West Africa and then to Brazil, where he searched the South American coast for a strait that would take him to the Pacific. He searched the Rio de la Plata, a large estuary south of Brazil, for a way through; failing, he continued south along the coast of Patagonia. At the end of March 1520, the expedition set up winter quarter at Port St. Julian. On Easter day at midnight, the Spanish captains mutinied against their Portuguese captain, but Magellan crushed the revolt, executing one of the captains and leaving another ashore when his ship left St. Julian in August.

On October 21, he finally discovered the strait he had been seeking. The Strait of Magellan, as it became known, is located near the tip of South America, separating Tierra del Fuego and the continental mainland. Only three ships entered the passage; one had been wrecked and another deserted. It took 38 days to navigate the treacherous strait, and when ocean was sighted at the other end Magellan wept with joy. He was the first European explorer to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic. His fleet accomplished the westward crossing of the ocean in 99 days, crossing waters so strangely calm that the ocean was named "Pacific," from the Latin word pacificus, meaning "tranquil." By the end, the men were out of food and chewed the leather parts of their gear to keep themselves alive. On March 6, 1521, the expedition landed at the island of Guam. Ten days later, they reached the Philippines--they were only about 400 miles from the Spice Islands.

My Creator, teach me inter-generational responsibility

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You need variety today. You can't be tied down to just one friend today. You can accommodate many people and many types of personalities. In fact, you need them in order to stay interested and motivated.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You seek approval but it's probable you don't really need it. Follow your own path now. Expect that you won't be included in some clique but you can eventually find the companions you really fit in with.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are very intent on your own goals. You want the cooperation of others but may be blind to how much they need you. You need to reach a balance between self-empowerment and cooperation.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You enjoy wide acceptance and friendship today. People are inclined to do you favors and if so it's your responsibility to make good on them and to be grateful. In turn, provide opportunities for others -- and not just your friends.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You dislike having set solutions and procedures today. You want to be free to explore what else is available, what else you can do. Something may not have worked for somebody else but maybe it's just right for you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You take an imaginative view of things. You can see past how things are and think to what may be possible, whether or not you can see how this might actually be done. You save that step for later or for others to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It's important to stay enthusiastic and engaged. Some may become jaded or too intellectually objective to become emotionally involved. Advance your own interests instead of becoming detached.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You feel a strong interest in others' stories and predicaments. You should stay engaged if you can provide active help or can provide useful leads. Otherwise, don't get pulled into the drama to no purpose.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): People and their personal dramas seem like the best part of life now. You have a personal touchy that lets people open up and tell all. It's important that you can provide referrals of your own bit of wisdom.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Business partners are valuable for success today. There is a good chance of successful conclusions of deals at this end of the week. You are left with a generally optimistic outlook now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You feel creative if you can engage in banter and joking. You're not feeling sufficient emotions in depth to be able to give or take a serious insult. You enjoy a free exchange of emotions and excitement.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It's very important that you be honest to a fault today and look for signs of deception in others. If someone is trying to convince you, then be suspicious. Insist on time to get information independently.

Great Spirit, today, let me walk the Red Road

ARIES (March 21-April 19): This is an excellent day for being in social situations, meeting people, networking and communicating. Keep records of the people you meet so that you can contact them later as the need or desire arises.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You stay quiet so you can listen, observe and learn. There is a lot going on that you either don't understand or disapprove of. You need time to gather your thoughts and choose the right words.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your attention is on ensuring you have access to important resources. This can be materials, information or money. Create or expand on whatever store of assets you can get.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your reputation is on the line today. It's important to behave with dignity and not get rattled. Unexpected events demand the right mix of adaptability and the ability take command of the situation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You are forced to consider the right relationship between success and ethics. Unethical behavior could get short-term gain but eventual ruin. Playing fair puts you behind for now but allows you to build a sound reputation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are dissatisfied with conventional wisdom. You are willing to go off the beaten track to find alternatives. You're interested in systems of thought that encompass more then what's been established. You like what's strange.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You dislike contradicting people today. People may think that you're agreeing with them when you're really not expressing your true thoughts. You need to introduce new and challenging ideas into the conversation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You can provide work and service for some extra cash today. Don't turn down offers to be paid for your expertise. Some may be in the position to advertise themselves to get customers.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You want meaningful relationships today. Some may find themselves interpreting intentions from one person to another. You promote good feelings, communication and understanding.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You aren't loyal to anyone or anything except your ideas. You can go off in your own world now. As long as you genuinely produce an original work or move forward on a discovery, it is time well spent.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You may have the wrong ideas about what people expect of you. You may be trying to live up to expectations that don't really exist except in your imagination. Instead, live up to your own intentions and standards.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You make a substantial change in your approach to personal success. If you've been cautious, you take a daring leap. If you've been trying various approaches, then you take a more careful, considered approach.

Apr 29, 1429:
Joan of Arc relieves Orleans

During the Hundred Years' War, the 17-year-old French peasant Joan of Arc leads a French force in relieving the city of Orleans, besieged by the English since October.

At the age of 16, "voices" of Christian saints told Joan to aid Charles, the French dauphin, in gaining the French throne and expelling the English from France. Convinced of the validity of her divine mission, Charles furnished Joan with a small force of troops. She led her troops to Orleans, and on April 29, as a French sortie distracted the English troops on the west side of the city, Joan entered unopposed by its eastern gate. Bringing needed supplies and troops into the besieged city, she also inspired the French to a passionate resistance and through the next week led the charge during a number of skirmishes and battles. On one occasion, she was even hit by an arrow, but after dressing her wounds she returned to the battle. On May 8, the siege of Orleans was broken, and the English retreated.

During the next five weeks, Joan led French forces into a number of stunning victories over the English, and Reims, the traditional city of coronation, was captured in July. Later that month, Charles VII was crowned king of France, with Joan of Arc kneeling at his feet.

In May 1430, while leading another military expedition against the English occupiers of France, Bourguignon soldiers captured Joan and sold her to the English, who tried her for heresy. She was tried as a heretic and witch, convicted, and on May 30, 1431, burned at the stake at Rouen. In 1920, Joan of Arc, already one of the great heroes of French history, was recognized as a Christian saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get involved and get started. One project quickly spins off into many. You need to choose which paths to follow and let others participate in the other options. There is a lot of bustle today.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You make changes that are intended to get rid of negative influences. For some, a change in diet or environment is helpful. For a few, getting far away may the only option for a fresh start.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You need to have a proper appreciation of your strengths and weaknesses. You're liable to hold back when you should proceed and push ahead when you should be cautious. Seek compatible but challenging situations.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You must stay focused on making positive changes today. If you lose sight of your goals, you can lapse into destructive behavior. Take setbacks or disagreements in stride, instead of becoming angry.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): One insight can be the key to reaching others. Study or introspection helps to discover a lead that keeps you going. It's important to stay in contact with others in your intellectual community.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some are attracted to political pursuits today in the broad sense of trying to influence public policy. Others can spend time investigating investment options, since some risks seem potentially worth taking.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Keep projects under control today. One thing leads to another and you could get very far from your original goals and intentions. Stay close to what you start out to accomplish and be sure your finish it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You like to dominate conversations, especially when there's someone else trying to do so. You feel you have something more worthwhile to contribute or that there's someone less worthy who needs to be shut out.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In many ways, you like starting over. Many things seem like a game to you and you have little loyalty to precedents. More ominously, you may also have little loyalty to your promises, also.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are capable of great achievements today. You may believe that controlled negativity, such as anger of jealousy, are keys to motivation but the catharsis of releasing it forever is even better in the long term.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Conversations can get out of control unless you try hard to keep them on topic. This is a day when free-flowing, unstructured conversations are easy and enjoyable but those that need to stay focused are hard to manage.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are trying to find ways to please people while retaining independence of thought and action. Be alert for developments that start taking you away from your intentions instead of fulfilling them.

Great Spirit, today, let me touch the Earth so the Earth can touch me

Grandfather, we pray for your help in a pitiful way

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You become aware of certain limits in your ability to relate to people. Generally, this is a good thing since you know when to back away. By making adjustments based on respect, you can forestall future problems.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You encounter problems because you try too hard to influence people, perhaps even trying bribery. You need to let go of outcomes and learn instead to strengthen relationships and to put yourself on a correct moral course.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are an inventive thinker today. Not only are you intent on achieving a goal, you prefer your assumptions to be based on known facts. You are not concerned with theories, only on how to actually get it to work.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): This is a good day to review your moral debts to people close to you. It's important to tie up loose ends and pay back just debts. Where you have gained advantages, slow down a bit and consolidate your holdings.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): This is a good day for applying the lessons learned from past mistakes. You pay close attention to details because you want no more errors. You already have the end goals defined.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Personal misunderstandings can interfere with work. There can be too much personal interaction and not enough business. It's important to be mindful of feelings while still placing emphasis on the goals of your job.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You feel as though the rug could be pulled out from under you at any moment. You ensure that you're not only making progress but that it's safe to do so. There are people in charge who could change their minds without notice.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You can get hints of changes in your life. Something is in danger of disintegrating but your awareness of this today can allow you to make plans for after the inevitable occurs.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You should be mindful, more than usual, of the goals of your place of business. Try harder to make your actions at work promote those goals instead of simply coasting along.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are at a pinnacle of success now. It's a good day for saving an advantage or an excess for the future. You may desire something now but a hedge against the future is even more worthwhile.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Some relationships can get a bit touchy today. The important thing is that you learn how to deal with people. Instead of trying to change them, work with them so that the interaction is productive.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You may take family member for granted now. It's important to maintain good will instead of simply relying on it. It may be that someone close to you is undergoing emotional difficulties and needs sympathy.

My Creator, give me the wisdom to live in harmony with all things

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You want to stabilize relationships and you also want to be generous. You learn to balance how to make people happy without having to exhaust your resources. You are building emotional trust now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're feeling very protective today and may, through elaborate procedures, work to ensure that your children or other charges are safe. You generally like being creative in practical ways.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can feel a strong sense of regret today. This can be a hidden motivation for action. There is a strong sense that something needs to be preserved as there is a distinct possibility of losing it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are involved in important tasks at work. Communicating with peers or writing business documents is likely for some. This is a good day for getting perspective on the kind of career path you really want.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You look out for the people at work and you expect them to look after you as well. You are looking for ways to improve your skills and other qualities that make you a good hiring prospect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're generally motivated to succeed but you tend to wait for others to offer you the chance. You have to take more responsibility and initiative and show that you are worthy of an important offer.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are feeling under par today. Some may have a nagging illness that doesn't incapacitate but degrades functioning. It's important not to be careless with your resources of health or savings.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You need friendships more than usual today. Working collaboratively is favored. You need reliable associates and practical results. Don't leave out some fun as a component to make things interesting and relieve tension.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You pay careful attention to getting things right at work. You pay attention to detail and to procedures. You want everything done within schedule and budget, and you do what it takes to ensure it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You want to be useful in a small group but you also want to have fun doing it. You like playful situations. It may be that some game you play today will develop skills you'll need later in life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Pay careful attention to the basics of your profession. You may have reached a point where complexities have arisen and you have to pay attention to many nuances. But for today, basic principles are the best place to start.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): This is a good day for expressing your thoughts and opinions. Brainstorming in a group is productive but expect some ideas to be rejected and others to be simply the start of a discussion, not the end of it.

May 2, 1670:
Hudson's Bay Company chartered

King Charles II of England grants a permanent charter to the Hudson's Bay Company, made up of the group of French explorers who opened the lucrative North American fur trade to London merchants. The charter conferred on them not only a trading monopoly but also effective control over the vast region surrounding North America's Hudson Bay.

Although contested by other English traders and the French in the region, the Hudson's Bay Company was highly successful in exploiting what would become eastern Canada. During the 18th century, the company gained an advantage over the French in the area but was also strongly criticized in Britain for its repeated failures to find a northwest passage out of Hudson Bay. After France's loss of Canada at the end of the French and Indian Wars, new competition developed with the establishment of the North West Company by Montreal merchants and Scottish traders. As both companies attempted to dominate fur potentials in central and western Canada, violence sometimes erupted, and in 1821 the two companies were amalgamated under the name of the Hudson's Bay Company. The united company ruled a vast territory extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and under the governorship of Sir George Simpson from 1821 to 1856, reached the peak of its fortunes.

After Canada was granted dominion status in 1867, the company lost its monopoly on the fur trade, but it had diversified its business ventures and remained Canada's largest corporation through the 1920s.

Great Spirit, today, empty my mind and let me experience what it would be like to think about what is holy

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You have a change of heart and mind today. You can see how restricted your attitude has been. You want to open up to new possibilities. An inner change lets you create outer change.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You feel fulfilled by making others realize that there is more to life than what they realize, especially their own lives. You can change opinions and attitudes. You can be leader in promoting reforms, directly or indirectly.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It's hard to be assertive today. You want everyone to get along but you can't enforce even this desire. You may let yourself be overwhelmed by circumstances and if it gets unpleasant, it may teach you not to be so wishy-washy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You can take the lead in pushing for reforms. You can be in the public view now so you need to act with gravity. If political opponents can make fool out of you, they will.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You want success but on your own terms. You should follow the urge to learn about what really interests you; considerations about fitting it into your career path can come later.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Be extremely careful in relationships now. It's very possible that you could be tempted to into an entanglement that isn't in your best interests. It's more important to think about loyalty and your proper status at work.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is a tumultuous day. You have to deal with various crises and encourage others to cope with them also. You need to be aware of ways you can direct outcomes to your advantage instead of trying to return to how they were before.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be aware of incidents and situations that are causing tensions in you. These are areas that need to be changed, perhaps drastically. You don't have to up and leave, just start making plans for how to do it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You prefer relationships to be untroubled today but this can also make you passive in the face of problems. Monitor unpleasantness carefully; is it a one-time incident or is it likely to continue and build?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You need to be active socially but you can't sit for just one person. You have a bigger view that includes everyone. Romance seems out of the question when many people need special attention from you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There are changes brewing in your personal life. The people around you are unavailable so you get a chance to exercise more autonomy and self-reliance. Trust decisions based on lots of prior knowledge.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You're feeling unsatisfied with social norms today but being unwilling to publicly challenge them, you keep to your privacy at home. You're in the process of defining yourself through what appeals to you.

Great Spirit, Nature is my teacher. Today, let me be the student

May 3, 1469:
Niccolo Machiavelli born

On this day in 1469, the Italian philosopher and writer Niccolo Machiavelli is born. A lifelong patriot and diehard proponent of a unified Italy, Machiavelli became one of the fathers of modern political theory.

Machiavelli entered the political service of his native Florence by the time he was 29. As defense secretary, he distinguished himself by executing policies that strengthened Florence politically. He soon found himself assigned diplomatic missions for his principality, through which he met such luminaries as Louis XII of France, Pope Julius II, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and perhaps most importantly for Machiavelli, a prince of the Papal States named Cesare Borgia. The shrewd and cunning Borgia later inspired the title character in Machiavelli's famous and influential political treatise The Prince (1532).

Machiavelli's political life took a downward turn after 1512, when he fell out of favor with the powerful Medici family. He was accused of conspiracy, imprisoned, tortured and temporarily exiled. It was an attempt to regain a political post and the Medici family's good favor that Machiavelli penned The Prince, which was to become his most well-known work.

Though released in book form posthumously in 1532, The Prince was first published as a pamphlet in 1513. In it, Machiavelli outlined his vision of an ideal leader: an amoral, calculating tyrant for whom the end justifies the means. The Prince not only failed to win the Medici family's favor, it also alienated him from the Florentine people. Machiavelli was never truly welcomed back into politics, and when the Florentine Republic was reestablished in 1527, Machiavelli was an object of great suspicion. He died later that year, embittered and shut out from the Florentine society to which he had devoted his life.

Though Machiavelli has long been associated with the practice of diabolical expediency in the realm of politics that was made famous in The Prince, his actual views were not so extreme. In fact, in such longer and more detailed writings as Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy (1517) and History of Florence (1525), he shows himself to be a more principled political moralist. Still, even today, the term "Machiavellian" is used to describe an action undertaken for gain without regard for right or wrong.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A tempestuous relationship is disturbing but it should make you look at yourself more carefully. What is your contribution to the problem? Change that in a positive direction, without insisting on changes in others.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You take a strong interest in religious or spiritual topics now. Some are very inwardly drawn and are absorbed in study; others get into correspondence about them. It's important that you communicate openly and unambiguously.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You gain a fresh perspective from friends today, especially those who are younger in age or spirit. Heed those who are less bound to tradition who ask why things couldn't be different and better.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You become aware of greater avenues of success now. Some will need to change opinions about what constitutes success, however. You are very centered and you get validation from feeling fulfilled, not from social praise.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It's important to reach out to experts and professionals in fields that interest you. Take advice on how to achieve the same career path or pick their brains for information you need. You need excitement to stay motivated.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You expand your social network today. It's likely somebody will be very useful and helpful, either today or later. You can appear superficial but there's a lot of calculation going on inside.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You become aware of issues in relationships that tear you apart rather than bring you together. Personal prejudices become more pronounced and it's necessary to distinguish these from true incompatibility.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You want to be helpful and useful today. Let your availability be known, as well as the special expertise you're offering. This is a profitable for business ventures, whether formal or informal.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are light-hearted in your relationships today. You can introduce tension-breaking levity now. On the other hand, you may not realize that a serious situation requires unbroken attention, so be sensitive to this.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It may be that you have reached some height of success but it's very fragile. You can be concerned that professional success could be undermined by a family crisis. It's important to tread carefully because of uncertainty.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can exercise the ability to make unexpected connections between facts today. You can be inventive in a practical or in a verbal way. Your jokes play on absurdities or double-meanings; you can see non-obvious consequences.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): This is a good day to beautify your home and make general esthetic improvements. For those whose income allows, this is a good day for such expense as is within your budget.

Grandfathers, today, let me look forward to the Spirit World. Bless all my Relations

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You need to take a realistic assessment of an important relationship. You need to take people as they are, not as you want them to be. It may be that a partner has successes while you are denied them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You can make progress today on actualizing your ideals. A long as you remain clear on your objectives and stay undeterred, you can act according to your core principles and become like the person you want to be.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You insist on a level playing field and thus you insist on openness and fairness. You have a rather strict attitude toward playing by the rules. You dislike improvisation and more than that you hate cheaters.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are feeling closed off and perhaps a bit sad. You're challenged to recognize your strengths and pick yourself up again. There are valuable lessons to be learned about what not to do next time.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You are inquisitive today but only about a narrow range of topics and these are what has the most immediate and practical effect on you. You're cautious, sometimes even pessimistic right now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Associates can be confusing and it may be your role to help clarify their dilemmas so their personal space isn't so jumbled. There is little linear logic involved; seek associative links instead for explanations.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're concerned about your needs, both materially and emotionally. You're apt to try to get others to meet them but you must instead learn to fulfill them yourself through your choices of thoughts and actions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be careful if a relationship becomes too intense. There is a strong probability that a lot of projection is going on. Someone is being idealized unrealistically so burst the bubble sooner rather than later.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You want to hold onto the situation you're in now. You feel comfortable with what you know and feel little desire to move out of it. It's important, however, to improve the quality and to test the edges of your skills a little.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): This is a good day to enjoy the consolidation of your achievements. It's important to be gracious and not to take your status for granted.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You have trouble balancing public opinion versus the fact that some things are right or wrong. It may be that you have to be lenient sometimes but try convincing others when their prejudices are wrong.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your interest in spiritual matters is strong today. You put a lot of energy getting into reading and discussing hidden lore and meditative techniques. You're apt to be unfocused because you want to know so much immediately.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You encounter people who resist your efforts, yet by engaging them in discussion (or, more likely, debate) you can refine your opinions, thoughts and arguments. Accept it if you are proven wrong or be gracious when right.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are energetic without discipline and this has the real potential of getting you into trouble. Burn off excess energy or hot emotions with vigorous exercise. It is unproductive to give way to anger.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You create detailed plans for the future now. You need to plan ahead and you can also encompass alternatives and back-up scenarios. You worry over details and whether you've overlooked something important.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're willing to try for a significant achievement today. Many can pass a test or score well on a quiz. Where a spontaneous presentation is concerned, you do less well. You like to rehearse for a known situation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You need to slow down your desire for quick information and fast communication. Think carefully about what you want to say and the right way to phrase it. A good response that's delayed is better than a fast response that's misunderstood.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're very prone to react angrily today. It's probable that you're responding to past events that are similar to what's happening now. This is a big mistake; hear people out completely and respond to them, not to a premature conclusion.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is a good day for reaching out for practical advice. You have been developing important ideas and now it's time to present your thoughts and get feedback -- preferably from an expert. Don't be shy but be willing to accept correction.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are driven to achieve your goals now but you don't work well with others. You are so focused on what you want that you can't accommodate what people want. You're challenged to coordinate your actions, since you work alone.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are best at independent activity or research that you can then take back to a group or organization. Don't let others dominate your thinking; that stifles the individuality you require.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your authority can be questioned now or at least tested. There are younger people wanting to move up the ladder of success. You need to encourage the development of talents, since your own status won't last forever.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You tend to be opinionated and while your certainty doesn't allow you to see this, your inability to answer basic questions should. You need to take the time to research facts and be willing to change your mind if necessary.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are impatient today and put a premium on speed and expediency. You need to slow down and not cut corners. If you feel so overwhelmed, enlist assistance instead of snapping at the people who could help you.

Creator, let me be willing to have an open mind

Great Spirit, I know you exist inside of myself. Let me awaken to your teachings

ARIES (March 21-April 19): This is a good day for reforming your personal life. Don't try changing others. Clean out your own garbage, physically, emotionally and mentally. You feel freer to act when not loaded down with unnecessary burdens.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The world seems to be opening up to you now and you need to find your place in it. There are people who can guide you but you are probably too full of pride or overconfidence to avail yourself of it. Be humble and start small.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are struggling against failure or irrelevance. You need innovative ways to get yourself heard and noticed. Beware of efforts that would only make you look silly or dangerous, against your intentions.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You can be too helpful today. Instead of doing things for people, take the time to teach them. Encourage independence of thought and action. By being kind, you could be fostering dependence instead.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You're prone to be wasteful today. You must be more prudent about directing your energy efficiently and correctly. This isn't a good time to risk everything on a promotion or a hiring. Have an alternative or two.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are dangerous with just a little knowledge. Don't draw conclusions too quickly. You're prone to generalize from an insufficient sample. You can, however, make people feel welcome with your generous personality.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Something needs to be changed in your life and today someone acts as a pointer in that direction. Does someone get on your nerves? You may need to become less up-tight. People are acting out in ways of significance to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Call on a helpful professional at need today. You're prone to over-reach your abilities now, so you need to get expert assistance. You need to acknowledge your shortcomings while being willing to learn.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You want to break up a routine today. Experiment with something different. Take a different route. Find a new approach. Follow your desire to experiment and see what happens.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're feeling acquisitive today. Some big purchase catches you attention and you're liable to spare no expense to get it. You need to plan carefully and if you can't really afford it, then you must forgo it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're prone to be suspicious of people in a position of power but this is more of a sour grapes attitude, than because of anything they've done. You're challenged to find the right way you can become respectable and important.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You have a wide-ranging curiosity today. You like learning but it can be superficial. Take careful notes so you can go back later and study a topic in greater depth when you're ready.

Great Spirit, today, I will be aware of the Earth. I will be responsible.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You're edgy and impatient today. You want to act on an idea immediately. When people want to slow down and think about it, you quickly see how to make it happen.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're feeling confident about pushing through reforms. You're eager to jump on a bandwagon; success breeds encouragement. Some may prefer to give material support from behind the scenes but never from the sidelines.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Someone you meet can inspire you to your potentials. You can be shaken out of complacency and awaken to how things really are. This should spur you to action. For some the realization is of unpleasant facts.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are willing to take risks related to your career, profession or status. Generally, the results possibly can be outwardly favorable and almost certainly inwardly satisfying.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Follow your curiosity today; you can feel unfulfilled if you stay closed in a narrow intellectual or emotional range. Breaking out of a routine helps keep you vital, interested in life and open to personal growth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You have a strong need to act independently but your winnings are surely brought home. There can be a desire to keep you close but you can't abide that now. If left free to go, you will return.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Someone impresses you today. You like surprises and intellectual stimulation. You can break habits of thought when your assumptions are overturned; then you can see other possibilities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You become involved with a great many people, much to the dismay of people who want personal attention. You need to stay centered and keep promises. Don't be swayed by apparent popularity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You need to make a special effort to exercise creativity. Once you make that breakthrough, the rest will come easily. A period or chaos or pain must come before you see the solution.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A positive but unexpected change can develop in your relationships today. You can see family members differently. A new love interest can arise. The change has been building but reaches a tipping point today.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You have a new sense of what you want to do with yourself in the world. You are liable to go against family expectations, perhaps even against non-family peer pressure. Be true to your inner nature.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You feel energized by challenges today. Don't be alarmed by unexpected turns of events. When you face them, you access your creativity and think of ways to make them into advant

May 8, 1541:
De Soto reaches the Mississippi

On May 8, 1541, south of present-day Memphis, Tennessee, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River, one of the first European explorers to ever do so. After building flatboats, de Soto and his 400 ragged troops crossed the great river under the cover of night, in order to avoid the armed Native Americans who patrolled the river daily in war canoes. From there the conquistadors headed into present-day Arkansas, continuing their fruitless two-year-old search for gold and silver in the American wilderness.

Born in the last years of the 15th century, de Soto first came to the New World in 1514. By then, the Spanish had established bases in the Caribbean and on the coasts of the American mainland. A fine horseman and a daring adventurer, de Soto explored Central America and accumulated considerable wealth through the Indian slave trade. In 1532, he joined Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of Peru. Pizarro, de Soto, and 167 other Spaniards succeeding in conquering the Inca empire, and de Soto became a rich man. He returned to Spain in 1536 but soon grew restless and jealous of Pizarro and Hernando Cortes, whose fame as conquistadors overshadowed his own. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V responded by making de Soto governor of Cuba with a right to conquer Florida, and thus the North American mainland.

In late May 1539, de Soto landed on the west coast of Florida with 600 troops, servants, and staff, 200 horses, and a pack of bloodhounds. From there, the army set about subduing the natives, seizing any valuables they stumbled upon, and preparing the region for eventual Spanish colonization. Traveling through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, across the Appalachians, and back to Alabama, de Soto failed to find the gold and silver he desired, but he did seize a valuable collection of pearls at Cofitachequi, in present-day Georgia. Decisive conquest eluded the Spaniards, as what would become the United States lacked the large, centralized civilizations of Mexico and Peru.

As was the method of Spanish conquest elsewhere in the Americas, de Soto ill-treated and enslaved the natives he encountered. For the most part, the Indian warriors they met were intimidated by the Spanish horsemen and kept their distance. In October 1540, however, the tables were turned when a confederation of Indians attacked the Spaniards at the fortified Indian town of Mabila, near present-day Mobile, Alabama. All the Indians were killed along with 20 of de Soto's men. Several hundred Spaniards were wounded. In addition, the Indian conscripts they had come to depend on to bear their supplies fled with the baggage.

De Soto could have marched south to reconvene with his ships along the Gulf Coast, but instead he ordered his expedition northwest in search of America's elusive riches. In May 1541, the army reached and crossed the Mississippi River, probably the first Europeans ever to do so. From there, they traveled through present-day Arkansas and Louisiana, still with few material gains to show for their efforts. Turning back to the Mississippi, de Soto died of a fever on its banks on May 21, 1542. In order that Indians would not learn of his death, and thus disprove de Soto's claims of divinity, his men buried his body in the Mississippi River.

The Spaniards, now under the command of Luis de Moscoso, traveled west again, crossing into north Texas before returning to the Mississippi. With nearly half of the original expedition dead, the Spaniards built rafts and traveled down the river to the sea, and then made their way down the Texas coast to New Spain, finally reaching Veracruz, Mexico, in late 1543.

My Creator, let me be patient today so the timing is right

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are keenly sensitive of injustices on account of your past experience. You can take steps to join others in protest. You may have trouble concerning your role in leading or following, however.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have concerns about income and savings today. You may be aware that investments are having substandard returns. It's a good time to give careful scrutiny to investments and unnecessary expenditures. Pay debts on a timely basis.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): There is tension over your desire to care for others. The people around you need both a personal connection and independence of action. You need to adjust the kind and extent of these contradictory desires.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): It is easy for you to meet challenges but it is also possible you create them unnecessarily. Don't make problems. If the perfectionist part of you wins out at least minimize how much people get into trouble.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You're prone to be jealous of a friend's success. You may feel you should have been included. You're challenged to create your own success story through your actions and inspiration.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You may be prone to acts of revenge or frustration. Begin the day clearing your mind and feelings, and be positive. You're not controlling others this way; you're setting your own intentions of peace and clarity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your proposals encounter resistance today. Expect to have to explain, justify and argue. Also expect a lot of criticism. This is a generally bad day when you feel that your worth is questioned.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You feel acutely aware that your income or possessions aren't measuring up to someone else's. Pay close attention to what is really of value. Adjust expenditures to your genuine needs, regardless of anyone else.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Agreements don't come easily today. You need to negotiate, even to haggle. You must struggle to find points of agreement or common cause. Many can struggle even to generate interest.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You may find yourself at a low emotional point today. You're challenged to start finding a way upward. It is too easy to pity yourself. That kind of gloom prevents you from seeing or taking opportunities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You are prone to be hard-hearted today. You tend to feel that people make their own success and create their own failures. You're challenged to be sympathetic and strengthen social bonds of sympathy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The pressure of work gets to you today. You want events to go smoothly but they don't. You want an easy time but it doesn't happen. Prepare early in the day for events that try your patience and demand stamina.

May 9, 1671:
Captain Blood steals crown jewels

In London, Thomas Blood, an Irish adventurer better known as "Captain Blood," is captured attempting to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.

Blood, a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War, was deprived of his estate in Ireland with the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660. In 1663, he put himself at the head of a plot to seize Dublin Castle from supporters of King Charles II, but the plot was discovered and his accomplices executed. He escaped capture. In 1671, he hatched a bizarre plan to steal the new Crown Jewels, which had been refashioned by Charles II because most of the original jewels were melted down after Charles I's execution in 1649.

On May 9, 1671, Blood, disguised as a priest, managed to convince the Jewel House keeper to hand over his pistols. Blood's three accomplices then emerged from the shadows, and together they forced their way into the Jewel House. However, they were caught in the act when the keeper's son showed up unexpectedly, and an alarm went out to the Tower guard. One man shoved the Royal Orb down his breeches while Blood flattened the Crown with a mallet and tried to run off with it. The Tower guards apprehended and arrested all four of the perpetrators, and Blood was brought before the king. Charles was so impressed with Blood's audacity that, far from punishing him, he restored his estates in Ireland and made him a member of his court with an annual pension.

Captain Blood became a colorful celebrity all across the kingdom, and when he died in 1680 his body had to be exhumed in order to persuade the public that he was actually dead.

Great Spirit, allow me this day to live in the sacred center

Great Spirit, hold my hand and guide me today

ARIES (March 21-April 19): It's important that you adhere to sound business practices today. There is an emphasis on problems today but approached with a can-do attitude you can turn fortunes upward.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You become aware of the need to diversify your knowledge. Take time to learn more about issues that pertain to your main subject. You need to integrate information from different fields of study.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Look at creative ways of investing your money. A sound and conservative change is necessary. It may be that some of your investments have been too risky. Get them back into something reliable over the long term.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): It's important that you have several different people to rely on. For various reasons, no one person can be depended on, so you should have a selection available to different needs at different times.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): This is a good day to show that you are an efficient worker and a good leader. You're interested in success. Don't be discouraged easily as this will show up in inconsistent effort.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're feeling energetic and ambitious today. You want to achieve high marks or recognition. Some may be looking for a plum assignment or a highly desired promotion. The prospects are good.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You pay more attention to your family today. There can be a need for more control, discipline or teaching. You may become aware that something essential has been neglected and this a good day to make up for it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are engaged in a vigorous exchange of ideas today. Expect many agreements and disagreements. The important thing is that you learn from your encounters and get closer to the truth.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have unrealistic expectations about how business works. You're set up to feel righteous while having no prospect of winning. Look for ways you can be both successful and moral.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You vacillate between moments of energetic effort followed by complacent coasting. You need to become more consistent and attentive. Those who are paying attention to health issues need to follow a regular schedule.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You have trouble applying yourself consistently. You may think that you're done with a task before it really is. You tend to daydream. Focus on the real world with more attention.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You can be alarmed at the news today. Conspiracy theories can be born and run wild. In many cases, a closer attention to facts will show the real story. Imagination gets out of control too easily now.

My Creator, today, let me be aware of the sacred path

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Anticipation builds today. You're waiting for something important to happen any moment. You discuss options with friends and many plans can be discussed, depending on what happens next.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): This is a good day to pay close attention to what is a routine with you. It may not be necessary to make any changes now but self-examination and reflection while you are acting can give you great insights.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You feel anxious for love or attention. You may try emotional manipulation to bring it to the level you desire. You may need to understand that others do indeed have very pressing issues to attend to and it's no reflection on you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay close attention to your investment portfolio. It's time to contemplate, or to actually make, a revision. Some may have a change forced on them. Your needs, or a company's policies, have altered.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You feel the need for reliable information and you want it fast. You have little time for frivolous banter or social politeness. You want to get at the core facts so you can develop it quickly.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): There is a possibility of success when you don't remain formal. Open up a bit to people with whom you have a professional relationship. It's important, however, not to trespass social norms too much.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are liable to be pulled into a personal drama today. There is a lot of excitement but the highly charged circumstance might yield little understanding unless all parties step back and operate by civil rules.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You can recognize what has held you back from success. You can reorganize your thoughts and intentions to be more aligned with your desires. You need to make, and stick with, a reasonable plan.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pay attention to your creative ideas now. This is a good day for beginning or continuing a side project that requires thought and ingenuity. Mechanical, electrical or computer projects can be favored.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your attention turns toward making money. Some may have entrepreneurial aspirations. You can carve out a unique niche that can give you a small but definite business edge.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You are an avid conversationalist today. You may need to make yourself listen at least as much as you talk. Your thinking processes are quick but your logic can be clouded by your mood of the moment or by persistent biases.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You pay a lot more attention to the people around you at home and your neighborhood. You turn away from job and politics and seek to build up personal relationships that form the basis of everything else.

Great Spirit, let every rock and leaf be my teacher