Jul 22, 1598:
The Merchant of Venice is entered on the Stationers' Register

On this day in 1598, William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice is entered on the Stationers' Register. By decree of Queen Elizabeth, the Stationers' Register licensed printed works, giving the Crown tight control over all published material. Although its entry on the register licensed the printing of The Merchant of Venice, its first version would not be published for another two years.

The publication of Shakespeare's plays was a haphazard matter. Playwrights at the time were not interested in publication: They sold their plays to theater companies, which tried to prevent rivals from literally stealing the show. The writer produced only one complete written script for a play, and the players received only their own lines and cues, not the entire play. Sometimes, however, disgruntled actors would prepare their own version of the play from notes cribbed during performances. Among other plays, there are pirated versions, or "bad quartos," for Henry VI and Hamlet. Scholars believe, however, that the first printing, in 1600, of The Merchant of Venice came from a clean manuscript of the complete play.

During his lifetime, no authorized versions of Shakespeare's plays were printed. However, his sonnets were published in 1609, seven years before his death

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You enjoy managing today but you can be too enthusiastic and start butting into people's business. You're challenged to be mindful of personal boundaries and respect them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your dedication to family members is evident today. You spare no expense to meet their needs. You're very sentimental now and you see no harm in indulging peoples' whims.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You wait for others' approval or permission before proceeding. In many cases, however, you're waiting for no good reason and should take the initiative. Be a bit more concerned about what you want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You sense a need for securing more reliability and predictability in your life. This is an excellent day for being proactive about assessing your situation and needs and taking steps to make your life the way you want it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You have definite opinions and you're not afraid to speak your mind. You're in the mood to teach and preach and to argue if contradicted. You must exercise the patience to hear people out.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This is an excellent day for making a public presentation or for making yourself look good in career-relating situations. You generally seek matters that you can agree with and develop rapport from there.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You go for what you want today, partly because you're too impatient to wait and partly because you don't expect anyone to hand it to you. You're a self-starter because you see that few others are looking out for you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Even though it seems that talk is easy and action is difficult, you must make the effort to turn it the other ways around. Taking action gets results and is very therapeutic.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are exposed to a lot of emotions in public situations. Keep your own emotional level even by keeping a positive, helpful attitude and staying focused on definite objectives.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You prefer dealing with people today over being alone or having to deal with inanimate objects. Your social skills are at a high point and you want to exercise them.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It's important to stay in communication and to maintain polite discourse. Expect to have disagreements based in completely different premises. Expect to learn and to teach foreign concepts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): This is an excellent day to stay home with your family. Strengthen emotional bonds, open up and be friends. It's generally a good day to let bygones be bygones and to build up trust.

My Creator, today I will be gentle with myself and with others. I will listen to the whisper of my heart and learn the power of being gentle

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are under coercive pressures today or else it just feels that way. Don't dig yourself deeper into corruption. If necessary, fess up to past misdeeds and start making amends or take your punishment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're apt to feel that learning something more to improve yourself is less desirable than pleasing someone else. You need to open up options for yourself, not close them down, and to do so under your control.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You have a lot to accomplish today and you like being around other self-directed individuals. It's important to maintain a high degree of independence; cooperation can quickly switch to reliance.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You tend to be around very controlling people today. It can often seem impossible to tend to your own concerns because people are pulling you away from them. Independent actions can seem like a betrayal.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You struggle to obtain a fair balance of everyone getting their needs; it can seem as though some give a lot while receiving not enough in return. You may need to be assertive about fairness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many can feel that they are in their job only for the money. Others can sense disillusionment over that connection. At best, all should strive to find purpose in their job or find a job and career that expresses their purpose.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It may be very hard to express yourself in practical ways today. Your mind is out there making more of situations than most people can grasp. You need to connect the ideal with the mundane.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are sensitive to coercive situations. Some can cave, others can rebel. Still others can go along this time but not later. Don't let yourself be pushed into a compromising situation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have a hard time understanding certain social boundaries or conventions. Be very careful about this as you can be accused of theft or trespass. Above all, respect people's money and personal boundaries.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You must keep a balanced and practical view about health and your job. You're prone to go to extremes to protect them or to give up entirely. A patient, persistent, rational approach is necessary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You have trouble finding the right avenues for creativity. It's best not to think about it too much today but instead to find quiet time to allow creative impulses come to the forefront.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It's important to guard your resources carefully now. There can be a chink in security or a lapse in judgment that allows a significant loss, even theft. Don't assume that all is well.

Jul 24, 1567:
Mary Queen of Scots deposed

During her imprisonment at Lochleven Castle in Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots is forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son, later crowned King James VI of Scotland.

In 1542, while just six days old, Mary ascended to the Scottish throne upon the death of her father, King James V. Her mother sent her to be raised in the French court, and in 1558 she married the French dauphin, who became King Francis II of France in 1559 but died the following year. After Francis' death, Mary returned to Scotland to assume her designated role as the country's monarch.

In 1565, she married her English cousin Lord Darnley in order to reinforce her claim of succession to the English throne after Elizabeth's death. In 1567, Darnley was mysteriously killed in an explosion at Kirk o' Field, and Mary's lover, the Earl of Bothwell, was the key suspect. Although Bothwell was acquitted of the charge, his marriage to Mary in the same year enraged the nobility, and Bothwell and Mary were imprisoned. Mary was held on the tiny island of Loch Leven, where she was forced to abdicate in favor of her son by Darnley, James.

In 1568, she escaped from captivity and raised a substantial army but was defeated and fled to England. Queen Elizabeth initially welcomed Mary but was soon forced to put her friend under house arrest after Mary became the focus of various English Catholic and Spanish plots to overthrow Elizabeth. Nineteen years later, in 1586, a major plot to murder Elizabeth was reported, and Mary was brought to trial. She was convicted for complicity and sentenced to death.

On February 8, 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded for treason. Her son, King James VI of Scotland, calmly accepted his mother's execution, and upon Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603 he became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Today let me see my mistakes as a positive process. Let me learn the aha's of life... Awaken my awareness so I can see the great learning that You, my Creator, have designed for my life

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are drawn into tense relationships today. The very people with whom you need to interact are the very ones you're likely to argue with. Look ahead. You need to start getting along now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): There is a great risk of financial mismanagement today. It's easy to rationalize why breaking a cardinal rule is OK but if you follow through on it you can quickly see why the safeguard is there.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): An important internal change happens to you now. You can see the birth of a new approach, a new attitude. Your need to change and expand can be at odds with external pressures to maintain the status quo.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're feeling restless today. You want to explore beyond your usual boundaries. It's a good idea to get out of the house and exercise according to your ability. Become assertive, not angry.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It can appear that you aren't serious about anything but what most people don't see is that you are trying out various options, trying to find what works. Events are potentially plastic but treat people respectfully.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You tend to be in a rush and skip important steps. Your mind is on something that will happen in the future or some other anticipation. You must focus on what's before you here and now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are easily irritated and angered today. Become aware of these feelings and look inside to find why you are responding this way. It may well be that you are simply afraid of something or someone different.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don't play fast and loose with your authority or with others' property, especially their money. Your tendency to emphasize the details of transactions can make you short-sighted to bigger agendas at work.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are prone to substitute your own opinions for what's good for someone else. You have a great deal of trouble thinking from others' point of view. You voice opinions before having all the facts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're sensitive to public opinions but tend to go in the opposite direction. You have more faith in yourself but you also need to be aware of how much support you require from the people around you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're apt to think you know better than others. You may presume to speak for someone else when you shouldn't. It's very important to distinguish between what you think and what someone else would say or do.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It's important that you get constant feedback about what you're doing today. Just when you think you know better you can slip and be mistaken. You want to multitask but can easily get ahead of yourself.

Oh Great Spirit, keep me awake today. Let me hear the voices of our ancestors...let me hear the voices of the Grandfathers. Because everybody is doing it doesn't make things right. Let me hear the truth today and become a coyote for the people. Give me the courage to be willing to be different. Let me walk straight on the Red Road

ARIES (March 21-April 19): There is an evident need for change and you are willing to take personal risks to make them happen. Don't be tied down to reasoning things out step-by-step; you connect the dots very well today.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): This is a good day to take care of your health. For some, health issues can yield a bit when addressing issues of emotional repression or guilt. Don't accept any judgment as the final word.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are reluctant to express yourself completely until you know where you stand with the people around you. You're very concerned about consequences so you play it safe until you're more confident.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are mentally charged today and can tackle problems that have been intractable. It's important to remain flexible in your approach and to try avenues that haven't been done before.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You are methodical in your approach today. You gain greater appreciation for caution and research. You prefer reasonable certainty over what you see as rash experimentation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This is a good day to assess the value of your property and other possessions. Those with antiques should get an appraisal. If you're going to lose something, at least get a good price for it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Play around with ideas today. Think about what might be possible. Brainstorming, especially with a wide variety of associates, is very productive. Don't let yourself be intellectually confined.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're feeling very shy and socially inadequate today. You are happier spending time alone. Mental and spiritual practices should be geared towed relaxing nerves and building confidence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You take on greater responsibilities today. You have a greater appreciation for the need to manage, if not control, others. You need to learn how to accept input from workers.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're feeling inventive today. You are set for an important discovery or realization. For some this can relate to psychological issues and for others this could relate to financial matters.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your beliefs take a serious turn today. You can see some of them as being too impractical or far out. You take a utilitarian approach to what you do. Some may encounter bureaucratic red tape.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You're prone to fall prey to your emotional hang-ups today. Be very aware of self-defeating thoughts and counter them with affirmation of self-worth, discipline and courage.

Oh Great Spirit, allow me the insight and knowledge of how to live in harmony and balance with my surroundings. Grant me change from within

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Some relationships are broken today, while others are formed. You're readjusting associations to be in conformity with new perspectives. You should show old friends how you're changing and improving.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're apt to feel nagged and that you're being harassed. You can be resistant to learning so be open to instructions and suggestions, even of the most mundane sort.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You prefer a peaceful path to the top today. You build allies, cultivate consensus. This is a generally beneficial approach but you could be blindsided by unexpected resistance or betrayals.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You can be extremely in tune with a partner today. In some cases, few or no words may be necessary to communicate complex thoughts and instructions. For some, it becomes important to know people's motivations.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Something old and cherished loses its hold on you. If feeling regrets, accept that you're becoming aware that it's time to move on, to grow, to explore some more. A shelter becomes confining instead of nourishing.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You can become intensely interested in spiritual or obscure topics. At this point, it may not be clear how any of it can be practical, but with further pursuit and development that will become clear.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You can learn something new and exciting, yet also a bit esoteric today. You pursue an interest that brings emotional calm but spiritual excitement. You want to be involved in something meaningful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are conflicted over your path to success. Give people what they want or stand out with your uniqueness? With careful thought, you can find where these two needs meet and generate favorable attention.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You generally avoid conflict and confrontation. You prefer to be around people who don't challenge you but who already pretty much agree with your point of view and beliefs.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're feeling sensitive and shy today. It's useful to turn outward and be sensitive instead to the needs of those around you. Be inquisitive and find out what's going on with them.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You learn a lot about people by interacting with them against your inclination to stay away from them. There is much to criticize but also much to understand that you didn't before.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You're in a situation where it's hard -- but necessary -- to stick to your ideals. You can be under a lot of pressure to be expedient or to yield to temptation. Find the strength to say no to wrongdoing.

Grandfathers from the four directions, guide me today with Your wisdom from the east, from the south, from the west and from the north

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Today you become aware of interests or feelings that are unusual. Trust your instinct. What doesn't feel right for you should be rejected until you're left with a direction that's right.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A new interest has the promise of generating income, whose nature can be so unusual that many might consider it in bad taste. Some can opt for secrecy, while others choose to flaunt their non-conformity.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You're sensitive to issues of corporate corruption and you may feel something has to be done about it. Some can be serious but most take a light attitude, preferring tricks and over enforcement.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're liable to feel as though you can't control your destiny today. Resentment builds as control over you increases. You're challenged to break the cycle and take greater control over your life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You are in a sticky situation where it seems someone must lose. It's important that the solution involves a release of something that is unwanted in order to get something even more valuable.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are ready to take a great risk in your career. The motivating force is probably out of love for family, seeking to improve your income or your future career path.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You want the truth to see the light of day. You may be blinded by personal self-righteousness, however. Others won't share your outrage unless genuine crime or fraud is involved.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are sensitive to inordinate pressure being placed upon you. You can begin to question issues of power and permission. Who has set up the rules being played by? What are your rules?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You may see that relationships today need a heavy supply of approval. It's hard to get unconditional acceptance but you may want to push people in that direction if their conditions get too onerous.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're feeling helpful and determined to make reforms. You can be too naive, however, and someone could try to take control of you. It's important that you retain control of your activities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're willing to take extraordinary risks for a cause today. Some may endanger themselves for a greater purpose. It's important to assess its true importance; choose your battles.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are willing to make important changes in your life now. The just use of power is an important issue for you. Practice what you advocate and use the power of moral persuasion.

My Great Spirit, help me this day to develop both my female side and my male side. Let me know all the feelings of each, let me develop and grow my intuition and my mind. Let my development only serve You

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You're apt to express yourself non-stop and dramatically. You tend to speak and act for effect, not out of truth or meaning. A lot of what you say is intended to extend your influence.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You feel the strong pull of tradition but also the need to think for yourself. It's not easy reconciling the two but important insights can develop from the intellectual effort.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You're apt to latch on to one person today as an associate but open up to having many friends and contacts. The more sociable you are, the better you're likely to meet the right people for your needs.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your security and your possessions are very important to you now. You're concerned about volatility; your investments also come under scrutiny so that you know what you will be getting.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): This is a day where your abilities to learn and adapt are highlighted. Don't think anything will be easy or can be done through habit. Get your brain in gear and be prepared to meet new challenges.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are very confident but you need to reach out and get people on your side. Many won't see the need for agreement or approval but they are very helpful in social situations.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is a good time to expand your social circle through clubs, especially those that let you meet face-to-face. Physical company and direct interaction are favored now.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Some are called upon to make a public appearance. Others may be due for public recognition. What you have to say today can get a lot of attention. Don't be shy now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your fears of meeting new people are unfounded. Find the courage to engage them in conversation. You will quickly find topics for discussion, if not agreement. You can find your place as an equal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): This is a good time spent in quiet study or introspection. Something is troubling you and it's a good time to think about it so as to understand it and to do something about it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): An important relationship comes together now. Effective communication skills bring significant people into your life. Express yourself clearly so as to attract the kind of people you want and need.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You tend to set yourself up against harsh authority, emphasizing the need for humanity and compassion. You are very aware of ethical dilemmas and are likely to opt for altruistic solutions.

Jul 29, 1588:
Spanish Armada defeated

Off the coast of Gravelines, France, Spain's so-called "Invincible Armada" is defeated by an English naval force under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake. After eight hours of furious fighting, a change in wind direction prompted the Spanish to break off from the battle and retreat toward the North Sea. Its hopes of invasion crushed, the remnants of the Spanish Armada began a long and difficult journey back to Spain.

In the late 1580s, English raids against Spanish commerce and Queen Elizabeth I's support of the Dutch rebels in the Spanish Netherlands led King Philip II of Spain to plan the conquest of England. Pope Sixtus V gave his blessing to what was called "The Enterprise of England," which he hoped would bring the Protestant isle back into the fold of Rome. A giant Spanish invasion fleet was completed by 1587, but Sir Francis Drake's daring raid on the Armada's supplies in the port of Cadiz delayed the Armada's departure until May 1588.

On May 19, the Invincible Armada set sail from Lisbon on a mission to secure control of the English Channel and transport a Spanish army to the British isle from Flanders. The fleet was under the command of the Duke of Medina-Sidonia and consisted of 130 ships carrying 2,500 guns, 8,000 seamen, and almost 20,000 soldiers. The Spanish ships were slower and less well armed than their English counterparts, but they planned to force boarding actions if the English offered battle, and the superior Spanish infantry would undoubtedly prevail. Delayed by storms that temporarily forced it back to Spain, the Armada did not reach the southern coast of England until July 19. By that time, the British were ready.

On July 21, the English navy began bombarding the seven-mile-long line of Spanish ships from a safe distance, taking full advantage of their long-range heavy guns. The Spanish Armada continued to advance during the next few days, but its ranks were thinned by the English assault. On July 27, the Armada anchored in exposed position off Calais, France, and the Spanish army prepared to embark from Flanders. Without control of the Channel, however, their passage to England would be impossible.

Just after midnight on July 29, the English sent eight burning ships into the crowded harbor at Calais. The panicked Spanish ships were forced to cut their anchors and sail out to sea to avoid catching fire. The disorganized fleet, completely out of formation, was attacked by the English off Gravelines at dawn. In a decisive battle, the superior English guns won the day, and the devastated Armada was forced to retreat north to Scotland. The English navy pursued the Spanish as far as Scotland and then turned back for want of supplies.

Battered by storms and suffering from a dire lack of supplies, the Armada sailed on a hard journey back to Spain around Scotland and Ireland. Some of the damaged ships foundered in the sea while others were driven onto the coast of Ireland and wrecked. By the time the last of the surviving fleet reached Spain in October, half of the original Armada was lost and some 15,000 men had perished.

Queen Elizabeth's decisive defeat of the Invincible Armada made England a world-class power and introduced effective long-range weapons into naval warfare for the first time, ending the era of boarding and close-quarter fighting.

Today, my Creator, I offer You this tobacco. I want to thank You for being in my life. I want to tell You how much I appreciate the honor of being here to serve You. Tell me this morning what I can do for You. You are the reason I live

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your attention must be very focused and narrow but appropriately so. When people have problems, give them full regard. What you have to say must be appropriate to them and specifically useful.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You want to do something a bit out of the ordinary today. You dislike being in a subordinate position. You struggle to get out of a rut and out of dependency. You may have to show unaccustomed ferocity.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be careful in relationships today. You may want to be close to someone, only for the interaction to turn nasty. Always be encouraging; avoid being critical or vaguely abusive.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You want to take on important and difficult problems today. You want to make more of yourself and you see that the only way is to challenge yourself with greater tests.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The plight of your friends brings out sympathy. This is a good time to console those who are saddened. It may be that goals haven't been reached and ambitions have been cut short.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Disappointments in the personal life find compensation in your drive for success at work. Today, you generally seek to make up for a failure in one part of life by achievement in another.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're feeling sad today. A hopeful situation is cut short before it can complete. You're thrown back to the beginning. It's a good time to learn from mistakes, to understand more about life and living.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You may put too much emphasis on comparing your level of success or income to others'. It's more important to cultivate happiness and then let others compare themselves to you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Relationships don't feel satisfying today. There can be failure of expectations. It can feel as though someone you want in your life could be leaving. You may have to make extra effort to keep them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your actions today are geared toward personal independence now. You can save money, get involved in situations requiring decision-making. You want a situation that allows you to think for yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You don't feel like taking a defeat lying down. You're ready to come back for another go-round, although now you're willing to go about it indirectly. You try more clever, more indirect means.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your job creates more anxiety than usual today. Domestic issues may be on your mind, as well. It's important to avoid self-pity and to rise to challenges as they arise.

Great Spirit, allow me this day to be humble. Allow me this day not to seek attention, but to live quietly and keep my focus and attention on serving You

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are sensitive and responsive to general appeals for reform. Those who have the power to do so, act to make changes, immediately and radically. You're disturbed by unethical behavior and hypocrisy.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You want to have profound understanding of a subject that's important to you. You trust your hunches and leaps of logic are convincing because of the sudden comprehension they give you. Your beliefs can undergo a profound change.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Important legal documentation needs your attention today. Your will may need to be written or changed. Insurance should be updated or may need to be accessed. Review your bank account or loans carefully for irregularities or with an eye toward improvements.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're apt to be shy but this allows someone to move in and try to control you. Be assertive about your personal space, without appearing defensive or being too aggressive. Don't let your behavior simply be reactions to others.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You want to be innovative. In circumstances that expect conformity. You may become the target of reactionary or revolutionary people. Moderate your insistence on getting your way and be open to negotiating changes that are fair for everyone.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You want to get control over people and situations. You like springing surprises but dislike being surprised yourself. Your imagination is active but you need other people to do your bidding and make it happen.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are trying to balance tradition with modernity today. There is a valuable principle to be salvaged but the way it used to be applied is outdated. Your insights can be radical and revolutionary.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You develop novel ways of presenting or expressing important ideas. Also, you aren't satisfied with superficial explanations. Today, some are good at detecting evasion. Others may, however, seek conspiracies where there are none.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're in the mood to pull surprises on people, perhaps rather cruel ones. You can be sensitive to the plights of human and animal victims. Your feelings can make you have errors of judgment when spending.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're very moody today and it all hinges on your beliefs about privacy and personal rights and how well they are being respected or violated. Some are motivated to withdraw more but a few can become angered and lash out. The balance is in assertiveness in the right avenues.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're sensitive to unsettled events today. You're challenged to keep spiritually centered in the face of circumstances that upset your routine -- and these can be relatively extreme now. Start thinking about cleaning house - mentally, emotionally and in your surroundings.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In order to go forward with change, you have to relate it to principles you value. You dislike pointless novelty but prefer meaningful reform. Your convictions are intense for all to see.

Great Spirit, grant that the choices and decisions that I make today will honor Your laws and values. May I live in peace today that will ripple into the seventh generation

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You're under pressure to live up to standards but are they real or imagined? Are they achievable or unrealistic? How hard do you have to push past your comfort zone? Clarify these issues before feeling frustrated and anxious.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're sensitive to the need for rules and guidelines. You're uncomfortable in free-flowing situations. You like to be told what you must do, what you may not do or at least what needs to be accomplished.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Connect your personal priorities with those of others. There is no need to swim against the tide if you can find a stream to swim with and it's a lot easier when you know you're not alone.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You form strong likes and dislikes about people but these are moods more than permanent judgments. You're challenged to understand how these issues are about you and not about others at all.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You enter new territory today. New options, new horizons open up. New ideas and information open your mind to new possibilities. Don't be afraid. Examine all the options systematically.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're apt to be penny wise and pound foolish today. Everything's true value needs to be kept in mind, despite your moods. You're challenged generally to respect your own worth.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're feeling the weight of responsibilities today, which inhibits your ability to show love and affection. Look past the pressures of the moment and value the long-term importance of relationships.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You must act with deep compassion, instead of being paralyzed by it. Difficult moral choices are placed before you and it's better to help and heal, than to blame and censure.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You feel the need to have a say in events and exert some influence. Your best contributions come when you're presenting all options for consideration, not simply trying to force your own agenda.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Loyalties are in question today. This is especially true regarding your job, supervisors or women. Your standing is uncertain. Because there is doubt you are up to the task, you must try harder to build confidence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You put information and education foremost as a tactic. Your motive is in opposition to something you consider harmful. You intend to get people to see more options than they are being told they have.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You try to be a model of propriety. You act as though everyone is watching you so you can show them how people should behave. This can sometimes mean going against corruption, so people won't give in.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You see an opportunity for advancement but are afraid to take it. Don't be hesitant but don't be gullible, either. Assess who and what you're dealing with every step of the way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are sensitive to criticism today. It may be that poor performance at work it brought to your attention. It's important that you focus on the realities of the home and the job today.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Information comes to you now and you are someone who can make sense out of it. Some can be afraid to draw unconventional conclusions, even when that's where the evidence pints to. In most cases, however, a conventional explanation is best.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You need to be more clever than usual to stay abreast of people and developments. Be alert to situations that call for something other than habit or the usual rules. You may have to risk disapproval.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Assess people carefully today. There can be those who are all talk and no follow-through. Motives can be unclear. Keep strangers at arm's length and provide plenty of time in the future to get better acquainted.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You turn attention to various personal and social problems today. People can benefit from your thoughts and speculations. Engage in conversation or in publicly expressing your opinions. Get people thinking.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You yearn for success because the people around you have more than you. This is a good day for focusing on what needs to be learned and done to turn a situation around. Don't think situations will take care of themselves.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You must be more assertive while remaining sensitive to others' feelings. Gather information first and then be guided to appropriate action. Your decisions must be both right and popular.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You tend to think you already know enough to deal with any situation. Reduce intellectual pride and acknowledge that there is something you need to know and understand. Don't think you're an expert when you're not.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You find it's hard to trust some people today. You must deal with your own hang-ups as well as people's imperfections. Encourage communication and try to work to a point of mutual understanding and respect.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You feel that you shouldn't let on to everything that you know. You hold back in case you can gain an advantage or so that you don't lose it. It can seem that life is a bit like poker and you have to be more clever than honest.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You must carefully pick through information that could be incomplete or distorted. It may be that people are saying enough to suggest what you want to believe. Think logically and concretely. Don't fill in the blanks yourself.

Oh Great Spirit, help me this day to look within myself. If trouble arises, let me realize that it's not what is going on but how I am looking at what is going on. Give me Your power this day to conduct myself according to Your way of life

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your relationship in business can be quite productive and profitable. It's important to stay alert to marital problems, however. Take extra steps to show love and fidelity to your spouse.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): This is a good day for beginning an adventurous enterprise. Begin quickly but be prepared for a long-term effort. There can be rewards eventually but only if enthusiasm can be sustained until they appear.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your attention is attracted to matters far away from normal experience. Some have incredible distractions; others can be absorbed into religious or mystical concerns. Dream big but then bring it back to Earth.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your success can show more in private and internal natters than in outward fame. Take care of emotional and spiritual matters that affect your way of thinking and thus your way of acting and reacting. It's time for vigorous self-improvement.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You can be very successful dealing with a lot of people in business situations. Be extremely careful about appearances, however. Your spouse may misunderstand or misinterpret. Don't let arguments ruin a good connection.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your self-confidence can make you think that others will follow you willingly. Your leadership must involve more than good ideas because they're not as self-evident as you believe. You must have good arguments and good data to back you up.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your outward actions are spirited and, perhaps, rash. Underneath, you are truly motivated to help others so you're having problems matching intent with actions. Don't try to force yourself into situations.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It is easy for you to spare no expense of personal time and energy on behalf of someone needy. You have a lot of verve today and you may be careless about using it. Don't exhaust yourself early; hold back so you can last.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You can find yourself in the role of a spiritual adviser to people today. You can be a source of practical or moral counsel. You aren't someone who takes action today, but you stand behind those who do.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Seeing the need for better income, you take action on it now, with a high probability of success. Even if you don't, you can learn a lot that's valuable the next time around. It's important to be confident and not give up.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're willing to cut corners but with the best of intentions. Your inclination to expediency is short-sighted, however, and it's more important to be thorough than it is to do your tasks quickly.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are feeling optimistic despite events that you have little power to influence. It's important to focus on your ideals and your attitudes, not on external events. You must prepare yourself to meet challenges.

Great Spirit, lead me on the path of the Red Road

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are very shy today. You need a good friend to be a stand-in or representative. You would rather someone else be your advocate as you're too unsure of yourself to speak up effectively.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You prefer to spend your time on projects of your own devising. Your regular work seems more like interference as your self-directed efforts are of more importance and immediacy.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are more concerned about details than about issues of meaning or purpose. This is good if facts need to be uncovered but you can also be prone to worry. This is a good day for making plans.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): It is difficult to act of your own volition today. In some sense you aren't in control of your actions. Some are under the authority of another. Some can be too much under the control of very bad habits.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In relationships, you can be the responsible sibling today. You are generally serious and trustworthy but may also lack a sense of humor. You can take charge; when it's over, relax and have fun.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look after your money and savings carefully today. You are too gullible or careless and it's easy for an unscrupulous person to take advantage of you. You're not as helpless as you think.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're apt to anticipate the worst but you need to appeal to your friends for assistance. A well-devised plan of action alleviates a lot of worry so that's where your thoughts should focus.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You need to take the lead but also to avoid any secret or shady alliances. Your actions should be open and free of guilt and secrecy. Questionable involvements come back to harm your reputation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're very extroverted today. You can be a success at public appearances and in public speaking. You can find you have a lot to offer. You enjoy helping people now.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are very rebellious today and find it extremely hard to bow to authority. Issues of power and control are very close to your heart now. You need to find self-control for the right responses.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This is a day for deep consideration and soul-searching. You may need to shut out the world in order to think things through. Some problem or puzzle needs to be unraveled now.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You're prone to be extremely selfish today. Don't use and abuse others. Don't continue cycles of mistreatment. If being mean to people is giving you pleasure, then you're doing the wrong thing.

Oh Great Spirit whose voice I hear in the winds, protect and keep me safe today - hear my prayers

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are moody today and people can't predict what you'll do. It's important to realize that self-change is the important change and you will make no progress externally unless you transform yourself. You need a program of self-development.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Accept restrictions on your external freedom and actions and instead explore the freedoms inside yourself in spiritual development. Begin changing yourself in ways people don't notice and don't publicize what you're doing either.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You dramatically expand your range of associations and contacts today. You dislike boundaries. You see many limitations as artificial and prefer technologies that break down barriers between people instead of the fear-based propaganda that separate you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your attention is brought to your job today. You can become aware of the ways it restricts your freedom rather than enhances it. You're challenged to find the ways it can help you such as through hidden benefits.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your desire for more choices gets kicked into high gear. You especially need to know more options and your approach lies mainly in researching other religions or philosophies for their different points of views.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're feeling especially vulnerable to coercion and you make a big deal out of normal levels of persuasion. You need to be assertive and stand your ground instead of going off the deep end about it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're looking for a partner who is challenging in some way but primarily philosophically so. You're primed to make a change of mind and attitude now, and it is likely to happen through the direct influence of another person.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Monitor your health carefully. Make a change in diet toward something healthier. Some can have a disturbing development that should be a wake-up call to make a reform toward a better way of eating and overall wellness.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are ready to engage in dramatic or over-the-top behavior in order to get your point across. You need to carefully assess the consequences and to carefully craft your actions for the desired results.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You can see that it's necessary to diversify today. Your means of security of income or of resources generally all have to have independent streams in case on shuts down or if they become unreliable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You are able to withhold forming an opinion while you study all the facts and assess other people's opinions. A final judgment seems unnecessary now while gathering all related information is far more interesting.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Financial instability puts you on notice that you need to pay more attention to money and to get control over it. The general situation is uncertain but you can probably find havens of reliability if you plan for the long-term.

Great Spirit, help me this day to slow down. Help me to listen - quietly. Help me to watch carefully. Help me to listen to my inner voice. Let me listen and watch only the thing You would have me observe. Guide my eyes and my ears to be focused on You. Grandfather, love me today and teach me to be quiet

ARIES (March 21-April 19): It seems as though people reach new levels of meanness today. You're unprepared, and you feel picked on. You're challenged to develop a thick skin and also to stand up for yourself without being unkind in return.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take care of your health today. Improving your attitude and adding a spiritual approach to your wellness program can do a lot to make physical modalities more effective. Develop a sense of humor about what you can't control.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Certain relationships and friendships become frayed today. Differences of opinion or outlook become intense and can wreck good intentions. Such polarization becomes pronounced and can seem unbridgeable today.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're trying to satisfy home life and career today but it's hard to do so. Tensions rise as something goes undone. You have to try every angle to relieve the pressure and get others to take some of the burden off of you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): People around you seem to know more than you. You don't know all that's expected of you. You struggle to keep up with responsibilities now, and your lack information is where you must start.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): There is misunderstanding today about allocation of responsibility and resources. Differences about such matters need to be agreed upon and spelled out. There is a mood to blame someone today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Destructive attitudes cause hard feelings today. There is strong emphasis on whether to help or to leave alone and whether helping is really helpful or harmful. Preserving the status quo is better than rash changes.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are very likely to feel overwhelmed today. Depression can set in. You need to adopt a positive can-do attitude and analyze the situation and your resources in terms of property, social services, friends and legal recourse.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): People are likely to misperceive your efforts today. Misunderstandings abound. You spend more time explaining yourself than seems worth what caused it all. You should be serious and forthcoming.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You feel as though you're trying to climb out of a hole. Don't be shy or apologetic. Be assertive and insist on your rights; most especially, insist on not being arbitrarily excluded.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're shy about contacting the very people with whom you need to communicate. You can make all kinds of excuses along the lines of that person's too important or I'm not worthy. All of that, of course, is fear-based nonsense.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your issues revolve around just compensation. It's important to spell out and to understand, contractual obligations -- what's there and what really isn't. Protect yourself when assuming an obligation, especially financial ones.

Oh Great Spirit, I come to You this morning in ceremony. I come to this sacred place to talk to You. I thank You for Your guidance and protection. Give me Your eyes today so I may see the beauty in all things

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are prone to think that money is the answer to everything but it's not. The more you go by this assumption, you can make some apparent progress but actually only create even more problems. Expand your approach.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're apt to think you already know it all and thus have no need to listen to others. Both of these are serious mistakes. Be open to new information, especially of the sort that involves people's feelings and personal lives.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You're self-absorbed today and prone to think that your problems are the only ones that matter. A spiritual practice would be helpful to expand awareness and compassion so you can see your situation in a larger context.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You have important plans but the ones that are likely to put you out in public are the most difficult. You may need a coach in presenting yourself since you probably have the zeal and knowledge already prepared.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your job can make you feel dissatisfied if it isn't aligned with your sense of identity and purpose. Instead of stewing about it, let the awareness motivate you to clarify what would make you happy, productive and profitable.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are involved in situations in which controlling people becomes important; children may need direction, for example. Your motive is most important here. Avoid power trips and work for the good of all concerned.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are seeking ways and means of developing and expressing your spiritual potential. Your first choices may not be appropriate, however, and you must apply more self-discipline and slow, steady effort for now.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You have trouble going along with the crowd and this may be one day when your individualism takes you in the wrong direction. You tend to rebel for its own sake, to be different just to stand out -- and you miss put on something good.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're motivated to become successful but the means you choose for achieving it can be misguided. You can focus too narrowly, so you should listen to experts who may advise to broaden your approach at first.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You can rely on dazzling people in order to be successful. It's important that you not rely on just one trick. You must have depth and be able to continue to impress. Stand out through reliability.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're prone to think that meekness and vulnerability will elicit forbearance but the opposite will occur instead. Don't let yourself be a victim. People will respect a show of strength so that more extreme measures are unnecessary.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You have certain ideals you want to push today but they can prove inadequate, incomplete or unpopular. Expect push-back and when this happens, don't get even more zealous; listen to the objections and adjust accordingly.

Aug 9, 378:
Romans routed at Adrianople

In one of the most decisive battles in history, a large Roman army under Valens, the Roman emperor of the East, is defeated by the Visigoths at the Battle of Adrianople in present-day Turkey. Two-thirds of the Roman army, including Emperor Valens himself, were overrun and slaughtered by the mounted barbarians.

Crowned in 264, Emperor Valens initiated warfare against the semi-civilized Visigoths in 364 and by 369 had defeated them. Visigoths under Fritigern were given permission to settle south of the Danube in the Roman Empire but, subjected to oppressive measures by Roman officials, they soon rose in revolt. In 378, Valens marched a Roman army against Fritigern, and 10 miles from Adrianople the Romans came upon the massed barbarians. As the Visigoth cavalry was off on a forging mission, Valens ordered a hasty attack on August 9. The Romans initially drove the barbarians back, but then the Visigoth cavalry suddenly returned, routing the Romans and forcing them into retreat. The horsemen then rode down and slaughtered the fleeing Roman infantry. Some 20,000 of 30,000 men were killed, including Emperor Valens.

The decisive Visigoth victory at the Battle of Adrianople left the Eastern Roman Empire nearly defenseless and established the supremacy of cavalry over infantry that would last for the next millennium. Emperor Valens was succeeded by Theodosius the Great, who struggled to repel the hordes of Visigoth barbarians plundering the Balkan Peninsula.

Oh Great Spirit, give me a vision for today. Let me see truth. Let me walk in beauty. Let my heart guide me in truth. The law says the truth shall set you free. Let me be free today

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You're apt to think that everything is OK but you could be simply not seeing important problems building up. Be proactive in learning about what's going on in issues and with people you must deal with.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Certain relationships are as binding as they are frustrating. Your ingenuity and patience are challenged as you deal with people who make it as hard as possible. For some, the strain can be too much; an end can be called to the game.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be extremely careful when dealing with people having power. You can trust their good will too much. State your preferences clearly and get exact promises in writing. You deal with people who feel they have license to deceive.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): It's important to know the full context of your work. You tend to let yourself be compartmentalized, to know only part of the story. Are you being used? Are you actually working against your self-interests? You need to know.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You struggle for more autonomy on the job but you can find that the more important you are, the less freedom you have. It's more important to ask yourself two questions: freedom from what and freedom for what?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Beware of treachery today. The ones who are most congenial could be the ones covering up the most. You must also take off the rose-colored glasses and see people for what they really are.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are challenged to live by your best ideals in a practical way. Some tough love may be as necessary as it is hard to apply. Unless you get tough, someone is going to get away with a lot.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You have troubled relations with someone in authority today. There are disagreements over the right direction or the right policy. It's essential to focus on finding points of agreement early, rather than causes for argumentation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're motivated to expand your circle of contacts today, especially in the professions. You can take an important step upward in general success, and probably even in professional standing. Knowledgeable people are important.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Someone is telling you what you want to hear, so be careful! You have to stretch your imagination beyond what you believe to understand what some people are about. A good story can hide an ugly ulterior motive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You may feel let down by someone you depend on. A partner doesn't come through for you. It's important to be as self-reliant as possible and to involve others only as a last resort or as a back-up plan.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You're sensitive to unpleasantness and generally prefer to hide your head in the sand. You can hide in games but rest assured that reality will find you. The sooner you face up to ugly truths, the sooner you can deal with them.

My Creator, let me look at nature today and let me have the highest respect for all the things I see. All the two legged, the four legged, the winged ones, the plants, the water, the air, the Mother Earth. Let me have respect for myself

ARIES (March 21-April 19): It's important to realize that you can't get it all your way in a negotiation. However, be satisfied if you can get your essential points. An all-or-nothing approach must be replaced by tactical thinking.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are prone to let feelings interfere with decision-making. You can make bad choices or vacillate and be unable to reach a decision at all. Sort through your feelings, especially regarding your family.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You have vested interests skewing your thinking. Force yourself to hear alternatives and make a sound and logical choice. You need to have the general welfare first and foremost, not simply yourself.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your success today must be done largely through your own efforts. Help is weak or non-existent now. This is a good time to sharpen your wits by developing ways to do things yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your anticipation of the future is distorted by too much hope and too many fears. It's important to try seeing things from others' points of view and when you can't, to give up anticipation, make your plans and go with the flow.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This is a good day to pick a side-interest and develop it. Look for classes, however informal. Many, however, can be paralyzed with indecision. Stop the excuse-making thinking and go for it!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You have strong yet fantastic ideas that may not get too much support. Don't be swayed by this. You need to be pioneering and learn how to do what no one else has done. However, a little research on precedent wouldn't hurt.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're apt to speak your mind when you really need to guard your thoughts. You're apt to make a bad impression on someone important if you are too free and open with your opinions. Stay reserved and focused on what's important.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Relationships can be a roller-coaster ride unless you get a grip. You imagine too much because you are too emotionally invested. Pull back your feelings and be more objective, judicious and fair.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You must deal with people who aren't entirely on your wavelength. You encounter people with mixed agendas or who don't fulfill their promises. From the outset, have plans in place about how you can do everything yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're apprehensive about a relationship today. Ask questions rather than fill in the blanks with your own fear and hope. More information, not more emotion, is what you need today.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your actions tend to be guided too much by habit when you really need to be alert to changing situations. It may be that you are too wrapped up in having a certain outcome that you fail to notice when a change must be made.

MORNING

Aug 12, 1676:
King Philip's War ends

In colonial New England, King Philip's War effectively comes to an end when Philip, chief of the Wampanoag Indians, is assassinated by a Native American in the service of the English.

In the early 1670s, 50 years of peace between the Plymouth colony and the local Wampanoag Indians began to deteriorate when the rapidly expanding settlements forced land sales on the tribe. Reacting to increasing Native American hostility, the English met with King Philip, chief of the Wampanoag, and demanded that his forces surrender their arms. The Wampanoag did so, but in 1675 a Christian Native American who had been acting as an informer to the English was murdered, and three Wampanoag were tried and executed for the crime.

On June 24, King Philip responded by ordering a raid on the border settlement of Swansee, Massachusetts. His warriors massacred the English colonists there, and the attack set off a series of Wampanoag raids in which several settlements were destroyed and scores of colonists massacred. The colonists retaliated by destroying a number of Indian villages. The destruction of a Narragansett village by the English brought the Narragansett into the conflict on the side of King Philip, and within a few months several other tribes and all the New England colonies were involved.

In early 1676, the Narragansett were defeated and their chief killed, while the Wampanoag and their other allies were gradually subdued. King Philip's wife and son were captured, and his secret headquarters in Mount Hope, Rhode Island, were discovered. On August 12, 1676, Philip was assassinated at Mount Hope by a Native American in the service of the English. The English drew and quartered Philip's body and publicly displayed his head on a stake in Plymouth.

King Philip's War, which was extremely costly to the colonists of southern New England, ended the Native American presence in the region and inaugurated a period of unimpeded colonial expansion.

Oh Great Spirit, help me this day to be humble. Let me not attack anything in deed or in my thoughts. Let my thoughts focus on the beauty You have created in all things

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You must deal with changes in your strength and stamina today. A lot of effort is being expected of you so you must pay careful attention to being efficient in the use of time and personal energy.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take care of your finances today. A loss can be traumatic. You job causes anxiety, and you have to work well under pressure and criticism. Pressing problems get your attention now.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Today turns more serious than yesterday. You become more introspective, more focused on actual performance than the prospects. You turn attention to genuine problems in need of hard effort.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are feeling oppressed today, as though you cannot express yourself the way you have a right to. Live within the restrictions you're forced to but also realize that you are as free in mind and spirit as you want to be.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You have trouble communicating effectively in public or to large groups of people. Your message is unwelcome, your performance does not impress. You're challenged to be energetic without offending.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your job feels insecure today. Something is amiss and you may need to be concerned about maintaining your respect and status. When someone pays attention to you it's generally negative, so be careful and pleasant.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are interested in broad but practical knowledge now. There is a need for solutions or for technicians with generalist backgrounds. You may have to deal with depressed or angry people.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are motivated to address both external problems and your internal issues. There is a strong psycho-spiritual component to your approach now, and you see that as the best avenue to a solution.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Important relationships turn especially troublesome today. You must be careful in what you say and sensitive in what you do. There is a contradiction in the needs for safety and the needs for freedom.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are kept from achieving everything you feel you could. You are placed into a junior capacity or may be shut out completely. You are challenged to show a maturity that would be unusual under the circumstances.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You have trouble learning everything you want to know probably because someone else thinks you don't really need to know it. You generally have the sense that information is being withheld or banned. Learning becomes a chore.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are seeking an unusual amount of safety today. You're sensitive to threats and you take precautions at the slightest hint of one. Some have a deep but real psychological hang-up for thinking this way.

Aug 13, 1521:
Aztec capital falls to Cortés

After a three-month siege, Spanish forces under Hernán Cortés capture Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire. Cortés' men leveled the city and captured Cuauhtemoc, the Aztec emperor.

Tenochtitlán was founded in 1325 A.D. by a wandering tribe of hunters and gatherers on islands in Lake Texcoco, near the present site of Mexico City. In only one century, this civilization grew into the Aztec empire, largely because of its advanced system of agriculture. The empire came to dominate central Mexico and by the ascendance of Montezuma II in 1502 had reached its greatest extent, extending as far south as perhaps modern-day Nicaragua. At the time, the empire was held together primarily by Aztec military strength, and Montezuma II set about establishing a bureaucracy, creating provinces that would pay tribute to the imperial capital of Tenochtitlán. The conquered peoples resented the Aztec demands for tribute and victims for the religious sacrifices, but the Aztec military kept rebellion at bay.

Meanwhile, Hernán Cortés, a young Spanish-born noble, came to Hispaniola in the West Indies in 1504. In 1511, he sailed with Diego Velázquez to conquer Cuba and twice was elected mayor of Santiago, the capital of Hispaniola. In 1518, he was appointed captain general of a new Spanish expedition to the American mainland. Velázquez, the governor of Cuba, later rescinded the order, and Cortés sailed without permission. He visited the coast of Yucatán and in March 1519 landed at Tabasco in Mexico's Bay of Campeche with 500 soldiers, 100 sailors, and 16 horses. There, he won over the local Indians and was given a female slave, Malinche–baptized Marina–who became his mistress and later bore him a son. She knew both Maya and Aztec and served as an interpreter. The expedition then proceeded up the Mexican coast, where Cortés founded Veracruz, mainly for the purpose of having himself elected captain general by the colony, thus shaking off the authority of Velázquez and making him responsible only to King Charles V of Spain.

At Veracruz, Cortés trained his army and then burned his ships to ensure loyalty to his plans for conquest. Having learned of political strife in the Aztec empire, Cortés led his force into the Mexican interior. On the way to Tenochtitlán, he clashed with local Indians, but many of these people, including the nation of Tlaxcala, became his allies after learning of his plan to conquer their hated Aztec rulers. Hearing of the approach of Cortés, with his frightful horses and sophisticated weapons, Montezuma II tried to buy him off, but Cortés would not be dissuaded. On November 8, 1519, the Spaniards and their 1,000 Tlaxcaltec warriors were allowed to enter Tenochtitlán unopposed.

Montezuma suspected them to be divine envoys of the god Quetzalcatl, who was prophesied to return from the east in a "One Reed" year, which was 1519 on the Aztec calendar. The Spaniards were greeted with great honor, and Cortés seized the opportunity, taking Montezuma hostage so that he might govern the empire through him. His mistress, Marina, was a great help in this endeavor and succeeded in convincing Montezuma to cooperate fully.

In the spring of 1520, Cortés learned of the arrival of a Spanish force from Cuba, led by Pánfilo Narvez and sent by Velázquez to deprive Cortés of his command. Cortés led his army out of Tenochtitlán to meet them, leaving behind a garrison of 80 Spaniards and a few hundred Tlaxcaltecs to govern the city. Cortés defeated Narvez and enlisted Narvez' army into his own. When he returned to Tenochtitlán in June, he found the garrison under siege from the Aztecs, who had rebelled after the subordinate whom Cortés left in command of the city massacred several Aztec chiefs, and the population on the brink of revolt.