Messyfilter

In Salman Rushdie’s story “The Prophet’s Hair,” a greedy man intentionally cripples his four sons when they’re young, hoping to turn them into beggars who elicit profound sympathy and large cash donations. The plan is successful. His sons earn him a good income. Later, however, he comes into possession of a potent talisman — a strand of hair from the prophet Mohammed — and it magically heals the sons’ ailments. They’re no longer able to pull in big bucks, and grief descends upon the family. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I think there’s a variation on these themes at work in your own life. A “magic charm” is available that could reverse or at least neutralize an old handicap. Do you have the pluck to surrender the questionable rewards that your impairment has brought you?