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Although this Taurus season brings the promise of smooth and delightful renewal, it also features the intense contrast of a heavy full moon lunar eclipse, prompting us to ride the waves of lightness.
Shortcuts: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces
Around May 15th, the day of the Lunar Eclipse, it will be especially important to stay on your toes and out of harm’s way. Regardless, we’ll get to continue enjoying the Venus, Jupiter, and Neptune conjunction in Pisces—truly one of the most picturesque combos imaginable, infusing our realities with an extra dose of the supernatural and extraordinary. Mercury is also slowing down to station retrograde, which will happen on May 10, in which we might let our minds ease into the curiosities and questions they will be exploring through the rest of the spring.
Taurus: April 20-May 20
Taurus: April 20-May 20Welcome home, Taurus! Beyond this being your time to shine, this month highlights the ways in which your Taurean nature is currently crackling with evolutionary potential. Our New Moon on May 1 features a strong, electric impulse from the planet Uranus, who has been in your sign since 2018 and will be until 2025. Here, you can renew your experiments in connecting to life’s goodness, supporting quick and organic growth, and probing the possibilities of earth’s beauty. Relative to this liberating potential, the lunar eclipse on May 15 can show you the ways in which this beauty becomes more refined, subtle and rooted. This might look like giving some elements of your universe a good trim or two, but these sharp moments can also be elucidating.
Gemini: May 21-June 20
Gemini: May 21-June 20Just as the Sun slides into Taurus, your ruling planet, Mercury, is slowing down to begin its retrograde. The heavenly trickster will reverse course in your native sign, Gemini, but over the next few weeks, they’ll retrace their steps back into Taurus—an image of returning from the lofty realm of ideas into the rich, thick realm of matter. Beyond presenting an opportunity to test and live out your latest, sparking thoughts (which may include novel ways of thinking about yourself and your brightest expression), this retrograde will give you a chance to develop your mental flexibility and acuity. From the electric New Moon on the 1st to the intense Lunar Eclipse on the 15th, we’ll be swung between life’s polarities.
Cancer: June 21-July 22
Cancer: June 21-July 22In the waxing and waning of the moods that steer your life, this Taurus season will bring some peak drama for you, Cancer. On the one hand, we have a grouping of planets in Pisces pulling you toward your most heavenly aspirations and ideals. On the other, the Scorpio Lunar Eclipse will bring forth the ways in which you can be compulsive, fearful, or overly focused on less than healthy matters. Allowing yourself to go through the month in a soft and slow manner, savoring encounters even with unsavory subjects, will allow you to make this a time of transformation, shedding the slack instead of getting sucked into the subterranean swirl. In doing so, you can be a solid point within your community, helping it be a thing of beauty.
Leo: July 23-Aug. 22
Leo: July 23-Aug. 22This Taurus season presents a challenge for you to express yourself in a strong, steady glow, Leo. Beyond compulsively trying to limit exactly which lights you’re seen in, though, a better strategy would be to try to embrace your full spectrum of colors, finding ways of weaving together your different selves and others. Figuring out how to dance with your obstacles and enemies will be a central element of this. Although some ambition and competitive heat could be quite enlivening, you might also look for ways to step back from the struggle, be still, and feel into your roots. Especially around the Lunar Eclipse on May 15, consider that you can draw nourishment from below and what has come before.
Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 21
Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 21Virgos! This coming month highlights the way in which nature can unveil greater, deeper, and broader beauty for your edification. Although this can express itself as potent joy or pleasure, it should also help you rearrange your thoughts and values. You might think of this process as a conversation with a combination teacher/lover, who is best able to speak intimately and truthfully on occasions of quiet and reverence. This discussion is ultimately between you and the divine, but don’t be afraid to reach out to a confidant or beloved thinker. Through all of this, listen to changes in your voice, internal and external, and look for ways to play with a greater range of tone!
Libra: Sept. 22-Oct. 23
Libra: Sept. 22-Oct. 23This Taurus season will feature some hectic eclipses, Libra, but consider that the greatest way to lean into change will be to find quiet. You might see this as a level surface upon which your scales can weigh and judge properly, or a solid ground from which you can push and pull without spinning out. Here, spin inwards. You do not have to denounce your basic hungers and needs—some renunciation might be contextually appropriate, but only relative to a stronger and more important desire. Regular quiet should help the dust settle so that you can feel the path forward more clearly.
Scorpio: Oct. 24-Nov. 21
Scorpio: Oct. 24-Nov. 21You have the best seat in the house for this month’s subterranean orchestra, Scorpio. Although you might occasionally feel like the center of the drama, try to find beauty even amongst the harsher tones, and take curiosity in what resonates inside of you. Surrender to the full spectrum. Get your ears wet with some poetry, and then listen actively. You’ll know if or when your voice is called forth. Until then, find some secret place to make some music and noise, and figure out how you can listen as deeply and clearly as possible.
Sagittarius: Nov. 22-Dec. 21
Sagittarius: Nov. 22-Dec. 21The month ahead would be a wonderful time to dig deeper into your personal mythology, Sagittarius. What heroes and epics captivated you as a child and bring to life your inner child? Reabsorbing some of the mythical moments that nourished your imagination would be a great, first step—a second would be to play into those stories, to engage in some make-believe. Whenever you’re stuck, ask what would your favorite character do. What happy endings or new beginnings can you dream up and into? Consider possibilities! Ask, ‘What if?’ at least once a day.
Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 19
Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 19This is a month with substantive potentials, Capricorn, especially in how you structure your thought. Magic in the air can quickly catch our curiosity, but the full implications of magic are sometimes disruptive and dangerous. In this regard, sometimes we only wade knee-deep into the mysteries. You don’t have to discard your skepticism or need for certainty here—they can be helpful tools in naming and navigating your treasures. So, what are the mythical objects that churn your heroic journey? How can they reorient your universe and change the way you think through the everyday?
Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18
Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18A transition point lays around our new moon on the May 1, which is conjunct the Aquarian Uranus. On the one side lays challenging momentums that need to be resolved; on the other, worlds to be born, given the freedom. Think of this moment as a second chance to both invest in clear potential and rectify previous misalignments. This procedure might entail considerable reflection and imagination, but be willing to pay equal attention to beauty and majesty as to concrete or difficult scenarios. Take a bet on a welcoming universe!
Pisces: Feb. 19-March 20
Pisces: Feb. 19-March 20How do you twist and turn with the churnings of fate, Pisces? Your sign is one of the great centers of action in the grand eclipse drama this month, and as such, you can expect the unexpected. A dragon is said to writhe through these moments. Even if we often just need to get out of its way, we can be inspired and appreciate the grand powers of life. Can you hear that dragon resonating within you, too? In which biographical directions does that wise innocence want to explore itself? Let it roar and play around in your imagination—what you learn could really help you steer through the years to come.
Aries: March 21-April 19
Aries: March 21-April 19The great strides that you can take this month, Aries, have to do with gratitude. You can think of your gracious acts as gifts, as seeds you’re planting, or as ways to lighten your load. Sometimes a big exhale is more important than a big inhale, and sometimes the inhale is even more satisfying after emptying out. This gratitude can both loosen you up and take out excessive slack. Think of it as a savory, clean-burning fuel, or as an abundance of simple, reinforcing snacks. These good vibes don’t have to be fluffy or vague, too—you can be sharp, precise, and strong in your giving of thanks
Charlie Cross is a local Astrologer, Spiritual Coach and Creative Consultant. You can follow their regular newsletter, learn about Astrology classes, and book a personal natal chart reading at astrologyally.com.
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Historic preservationists, for their part, overwhelmingly support historic zoning, which would preserve the buildings in perpetuity. The Historic Landmark Commission unanimously voted to initiate historic zoning in July, citing architectural significance, landscape features and association to historic figures. City staffers recommend historic zoning, calling both structures one-of-a-kind examples of vernacular architecture.
Tarrytown neighbors have also banded together to stop the demolition. Many have written letters, and a few spoke at the meeting. “How could anyone buy this property with the intent of destroying it?” Ila Falvey said. “I think it’s an architectural treasure.”
Michael Whellan, an attorney representing the property owner, said that the claims made by preservationists are shaky. The buildings are run down, he said, and have had substantial renovations. A structural engineer hired by the owner said any attempt at preservation would involve tearing down and rebuilding – an undertaking Whellan said would likely cost millions.
Whellan also argued that any historical significance derived from the property’s association with Delisle and longtime owner C.H. Slator is dubious. “These men are not noted for any civic, philanthropic or historic impact,” he said.
What’s more, according to Whellan, Slator likely participated in segregation as the owner of the Tavern on North Lamar Boulevard between 1953 and 1960.
A city staffer, however, said she found no evidence to support the claim. “We would never landmark a property where a segregationist lived, or there was a racist person,” Kimberly Collins with the Historic Preservation Office said.
Commissioner Awais Azhar couldn’t support historic zoning in part due to lingering uncertainty about Slator. “Focusing on that factor is not here to disparage an individual or family. It is not about playing the race card. This is an important assertion for us to consider as Planning commissioners,” Azhar said.
Commissioner Carmen Llanes Pulido said that allegations of racism should come as no surprise. “We’re talking about white male property owners in the 1950s, in Austin, on the west side – and of course they were racist,” she said. But she argued that allowing the house to be demolished based on these grounds does nothing to help people of color who have been harmed by racism and segregation.
The question of tax breaks was also controversial. Michael Gaudini, representing the property owner, said that the tax breaks associated with historic zoning would exacerbate inequality by shifting property tax burdens to less affluent communities. City staffers estimate that the property, appraised at $3.5 million, would get either a $8,500 or $16,107 property tax break annually, depending on whether a homestead exemption is applied.
Commissioner Grayson Cox preferred the commission focus not on tax breaks but on whether the structures merit preservation. “To me, nothing in the historic preservation criteria lists, is this person deserving of a tax break or not?”
Azhar, on the other hand, said he plans to propose a code amendment getting rid of city property tax breaks for historic properties.
The commission fell one vote short of recommending historic zoning, with six commissioners in support and three opposed. Azhar and commissioners Claire Hempel and Greg Anderson voted against.
The odds of City Council zoning over an owner’s wishes are slim. Nine out of 11 members must vote in favor, and there have only been a handful of such cases over the past several decades.
