In the pagan tradition, May Day is celebrated with a tall maypole decorated with leaves, ribbons and flowers and erected as a festival centerpiece to dance and revel around. In the Celtic tradition, there's a bonfire instead, from which all light their home hearths. May your heart be made glad with the warmth and bounty of the season.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Though necessity is the mother of invention, many inventions are not directly linked to the exploration of a necessity. For example, light bulbs were not the result of a study of candles. Think broadly across many subjects and disciplines.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Shakespeare said the best safety lies in fear, yet that kind of safety leads to cowering and hiding, whereas the safety found in preparation and a good defense will lead to far more adventurous experiences.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). To set the rules of the environment will be in no way an inconvenience or affront to others; rather. it will have a most favorable effect. The limits you establish will help all to relax and dwell within the boundary of the place and moment.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Though the proceedings are friendly in tone, the interaction today is more about an exchange of practical knowledge than it is about relationship building. It goes best when you stay focused and stick to business.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You've something very sincere and heartfelt to get off your chest. For this, you're better off avoiding the kind of conversational partner who thinks that the opposite of talking is waiting.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There's just no time to be self-conscious, because you're so focused on experiencing all you can. You may even dare to spontaneously and publicly sing and dance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You'll be inspired by a very self-made and highly motivated person. You'd like to direct yourself similarly, and in many ways you already do. You're already planning your future involvement with this good influence.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You may fret over what to wear, what topics of conversation to keep at the ready and what to eat. These are the worries of a classy person who cares about smooth interactions and winning impressions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). In the same way that it's silly to saddle the horse if you're not going to ride it, it's a waste of energy to make grand resolutions that are too hard to keep. You'll thrive setting small goals; you'll conquer them quickly.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Home is an emotional state. It exists as much in your imagination as it does in physical space. If you are at home but you do not feel at home, don't let the dynamics drag on. They can and should be fixed today.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The situation you create and re-create is nothing more than a habit. It may feel like more of a knee-jerk reaction than a choice, but that's only because the pattern is so ingrained. You can keep or change any part of it you want.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There are certain memories, keepsakes and traditions you draw on for sustenance. You'll do well to make the ritual more deliberate, perhaps by adding something to it or just by recognizing its importance.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (May 1). It's a year of lifestyle upgrades, as you've aimed to live more in line with your values. There are also some aesthetic changes you've been wanting to make. Friends and family will support you and then celebrate your success. The sweat you pour into an August project brings big money in November. Cancer and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 40, 22, 30 and 11.

HAPPY MAY DAY: The approximate midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice tends to be a time when natural beauty is so obvious that hearts become joy-swollen and eager to join in the sharing of life's abundance. If your community lets the first of May go by without mention, it's not the only one, as this holiday was a much bigger deal in ancient times and is today only celebrated in certain regions. The Old World pagan activities include the community symbol of a maypole decorated with ribbons, fruits and flowers and erected in the center of the festival to dance, drink and revel around. Another tradition is to leave an anonymous bouquet at the door of a beloved, neighbor or stranger.

Beltane is the Celtic form of the holiday, celebrated in rituals of fire. The old writings suggest that all of the households in a community would extinguish the fires in their hearths and ceremoniously reignite them with flames from the community fire.

The Cancer moon that rules today favors any intention to create the kind of warm bonds that fortify and unify a community in a sense of mutually belonging.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Tim McGraw is the star of a newly released fantasy film about a grieving man's invitation to meet God at a place called The Shack. The Grammy winner was born when the sun was in rootsy Taurus, the sign of the voice, and the moon was in Aquarius, the sign of altruism. Look for more film work in the future from the "Humble and Kind" country artist.

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