Written in the stars

Do you believe in star signs? That the way the constellations lined up during the time of your birth could potentially affect your belief and behaviour? That some genius could tell you apart and foretell your future by looking up at the stars?

I don't. I believe the man is made by his own hands. Though it is sometimes too uncanny how a certain group of people born under the same star seem to share similar traits. I think the people who write the tabloid horoscope columns are just very good speculators and social psychologists.

Do you know the Taurus? Let's just assume for a while that constellations are without a doubt truly about to tell what a Taurus is like.

Firstly, like its namesake, the Taurus is stubborn as a bull. If you try to move a bull determined to stay put, you are going to have a hard time. It will refused to budge and even if you eventually get it to, the result would not have been worth the fight.

Instead, it is better to use the carrot then the stick. Otherwise, use neither. Just be nice, a bull will move, albeit slowly a first, with a gentle nudge and some soft cajoling a lot more than stern words of displeasure and anger.

Secondly, if you have a bone to pick and you come waving a red flag, what you get will definitely be a raging, charging bull. Using the constellations as an excuse, this is just how we are. You are much better off talking nicely. A bull will be more apologetic than anything if it knows that it's in the wrong. But come charging, no matter for what reason, then that get thrown away. It's a reflex reaction. Moving red flag equals charge.

This is how a bull is like - it accepts the soft rather the hard approach. And it actually hates letting people down. When it lets you down, it is harder on itself than you can ever be. And it will bend over backwards for you, if you don't start a tirade about how let down you are.

If you have a bull as a friend or a lover, what happens is that resentment starts to build. The question that begets will be where is the love? Love of any kind means compassion and acceptance. If you get angry at a bull all the time, it will ask, "Am I not worth the oversight? You would rather fight over little things than let it go and just love?"

So, go soft, because the bull is hardheaded. Soft gentle words will get you so much further, because bulls are born fighters.