No bull: How to feel like a natural human in Taurus season

By Paula Henderson

It is unclear as to whether Senator Gaylord Nelson (a Democrat from Wisconsin) was taking astrology into account when he set off an environmental protection revolution when with the founding of Earth Day in 1970. But Earth Day is indeed now celebrated worldwide as the sun moves into the sign of Taurus, the first earth sign of the Zodiac.

Astrologers agree that Taurus season, which takes place at the height of springtime in the northern hemisphere, is a time to slow down and smell the roses. Taurus is associated with nature, simplicity, indulging the senses. Taureans don’t like to be rushed and value a sense of security and material comfort. Taurus is one of the two signs ruled by Venus (the other is Libra), and an extra love of beauty and adornment is often heightened during a Taurus transit. Acquisitiveness is also aroused.

Here are some Brooklyn happenings and brick and mortar establishments to tickle our collective Taurus fancy these fragrant days of ubiquitous blossoms and incrementally increasing sunshine.

Celebrate Earth Day

On Sunday April 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. you can carry on the Earth Day Celebrations by attending A New World Fair, a contemporary reimagining of the World’s Fair, combining qualities of the past with innovations for a better future. The mission is to provide crosspollination and optimism for the future. The inaugural event will be a combination market and science fair at Union Pool where you can indulge in oysters, engage in a seed and seedling swap, shop for upcycled clothing (or have your own clothes mended) and get an in-person astrology reading from yours truly, all of which fall under the dominion of the sign of the bull.

Bonus: Whether or not you’ve ever hooked up or seen some great live music at Union Pool, Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. this cultural institution serves the community by offering free fresh produce and prepared meals to those in need of a little food security. Food and security are both very Taurean subjects, and if you have a Taurean friend, you know they like to provide. (If you are a Taurean friend, thanks!) If you know someone who could be relieved of some stress by the gift of a free bag of groceries, send them by the Pool Wednesday and if you’d like to get involved, swing by or consider supporting the nonprofit Rethink network.

Get some Natty dirt on your hands

“Plants are very therapeutic. It helps to see the growth over time and to know that you are caring for a living thing.” That’s some Taurus wisdom from Glenroy Mahfood of Natty Garden, a Brooklyn plant store that long-term Prospect Heights residents have witnessed bloom since the it opened on Washington Avenue in 2008, subsequently moving across the street to a place thrice the size on the corner of Dean Street, and spawning Natty Garden II at 383 Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bed-Stuy. In a time when instant gratification rules the roost, nature continues to teach us that good things come to those who wait, and this is one of the lessons of Taurus season. When the nights get warmer, Natty Garden is known to have live music events, follow their Instagram to not miss out.

Get yourself something nice

Ruled by Planet Venus, Taurus season awakens our senses and sensibilities, and also our desire to acquire that to which we are attracted. While often thrifty, Taurus natives generally love to shop and whether or not you have a birthday in the coming month, all of us are under the Taurus Sun and may find ourselves more inclined to go bargain hunting or investing in luxury items.

Brooklyn is of course home to enough wonderful shops to fill a set of encyclopedias, so I’m just recommending the first few and most Taurean which spring to my mind. Were I to go on a Taurus themed shopping spree, and I just might, I’d hit O Live Brooklyn at 140 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, a niche store which specializes in flavor-infused “Ultra-Premium Extra Virgins and Aged Balsamic Vinegars on Tap” — drizzle these on some fiddle ferns for your Taurus friend and you’ll be winning the long game.

Rococo Design Gifts Decor & Interior Design peddle their gorgeous, fabulous things at 324 Lewis Ave and concede that “while interior designers won’t save the world, they damn sure make it pretty.” Rococo offers a range of snuggly pillows, luxurious spa and bath products, fragrances and floral arrangements and hosts in-house sip-and-shop events. They’re on Instagram at @rococodesignursallie.

And while it’s a great idea to spend as much time as possible in the garden during Taurus season, it also behooves us to smell like one To that end, pay a visit to D.S. & Durga on North 6th in Williamsburg. The flagship store of this soon to be (almost) nationwide perfumer began as a labor of love for David and Kavi Moltz, and their artistic approach to creating blended fragrances in the same manner in which a band might come up with a new song took to the wind. Adding a spot of perfume behind your ears satisfies the Taurus experience on multiple levels, not just that of shopping and awakening the senses, but also in the Venusian act of self adornment.

Adorn yourself

Self-beautification is clearly, from what we see in museums, an ancient pastime, whether as part of the human mating ritual or an act of survival. Dress-ups, doing hair and makeup, and bedazzling oneself with jewels are all part of this Taurean urge. Remember, Taurus is ruled by Venus and is concerned not only with those to whom we are attracted, but also attracting them back. This Taurus season was in fact kicked off by a solar eclipse in the final minute of Aries, and it’s a great time to express your truest self sartorially. So once you’ve gone shopping for clothes and perfumes, take yourself out for a makeover at one of the countless barbershops or hairdressing salons in Brooklyn.

I personally recommend my Taurus hairdresser Lynn at The Wayward Hairdresser at St. John’s Place in Crown Heights, who’s been doing my dark lowlights since I first wandered in all masked up in 2020. The Wayward Hairdresser has a lovely garden out back and I like it so much that I’ll be setting up a Zodiac Salon in the backyard to give in person astrology readings on Sunday April 30 from noon til 6 p.m., so visit me while you’re patiently awaiting your process to reveal your new do and we’ll talk about your planets. You don’t have to be getting your hair done to get a reading, but you will catch a whiff of some luxurious Aveda products as you wander through the salon.

Stop and smell the blossoms

The ultimate Taurus season outing in Brooklyn is a visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to behold the spectacular annual appearance of the cherry blossoms. The world famous Cherry Esplanade is in full bloom and expected to continue blooming through early May. While BBG programming has focused heavily on the cherry blossoms in Taurus seasons past, this year you can experience Weekends in Bloom while enjoying all the seasonal blossoms in bloom in tandem with pop-up music and dance performances, storytelling activities, guided nature walks and a flower hat parade.

And as Taurus season invites us to get offline and experience the real world with our five senses, I hope to see you somewhere in person for a Zodiac reading or a sax sesh …. Meantime, please enjoy my Zodiac Soundtrack for Taurus time. As always, if you have any Taurus themed questions, please send them to the Brooklyn Magazine mailbag and I’ll answer them in Brooklyn Magazine’s Instagram Stories.