Taurus
Dates: around April 20th to May 20th
Keywords: Power, Sensuality, Strength, Wealth, Authority, Artistic, Stubbornness, Stability, Patience, Materialism, Reliability, Loyalty, Persistence, Application, Indulgence, Practicality, Hedonism, Possession, Comfort
Archetype: Artist, Business Owner, Gardener, Pragmatist, Realist, Sensualist, Finance Analyst, Hedonist, Carpenter, Beautician, Nature-Lover, ‘Rock’, Achiever, Materialist, Musician, Safe-Haven
Ruling planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Modality: Fixed
Maiden of Spring
The pioneering spirit and burgeoning bolt of energy ignited by Aries is grounded to attain practical, tangible and material value in the fixed earth sign of Taurus. Completely and utterly unbothered, the bull languidly grazes in a meadow of pastel flowers, delighting in spring’s ample profusion of colours and fragrances and blissfully dozing in luscious pastures. Quiet, slow and strong, the bull exudes a quiet yet undeniably potent aura of power. Not many mistake its placid exterior for weakness: the foolish bee that dares to sting it will surely come to feel its horns.
Artist and Epicurean
Taurus seeks comfort, pleasure and peace. Left undisturbed in its routines and habits, Taurus is the perhaps the most devoutly pacifist of all signs — the motto is ‘live and let live’ and ‘you do yours, I’ll do mine’. Taurus is resolute and steadfast, responding with good-natured imperviousness to both serenity and provocation. Underneath this seemingly unperturbable temperament and sometimes rugged matter-of-factness, however, often lies great vulnerability and sensitivity. Taurus is a true epicurean, a sensual hedonist with the sensitivity of an artist’s soul, which even the bull sometimes finds difficult to understand. Taurus often has a creative and artistic streak — together with Venus-ruled Libra, its appreciation and celebration of aesthetics and beauty is unparalleled. Soft textures, succulent flavours and sumptuous meals speak to the sensorially receptive soul of this pleasure seeker. Taurus’ proclivity for self-indulgence and sensual stimulation, however, predisposes it for laziness, inertia, paralysing passivity and luxurious excesses, and the bull can quickly find itself stuck in a rut as well as in glut. Self-control, self-discipline and moderation, tirelessly exercised, challenge this avid Venusian to tame its bountiful desires.
Steady Realism, Long-Term Results
Beyond beauty and love, Venus also rules finance, investments and money, and Taurus isn’t afraid to work for it. Property ownership, money management and creating firm business foundations should come easily to this sign, and others look to Taurus for leading practical projects that yield long-term results. Favouring diligence and stability, Taureans are known to be consistent and reliable individuals, fixed and rooted in their sense of security that reassures and rubs off on others. Its ability to potently channel energy produces endurance and stamina, and its resolve to achieve its desires even borders on tunnel vision. Once its mind has been set on a goal, only fellow earth sign Capricorn will rival Taurus in its tenacity and endurance to achieve what it desires. Yet no account of Taurus is complete without mentioning its infamous stubbornness and obstinacy. Taurus sticks to its guns like no other — highly unlikely to change its mind once it has been made up, others can find its unwillingness to budge extremely challenging, and it may need a nudge once in a while to stray from the beaten path and open the doors to innovation.
Earth God(dess)
Taurus’s firm rootedness in physical reality facilitates a particularly deep connection with nature. Simple, earthy, organic and natural environments appeal to its well-developed five senses. It smells artifice, falsity and synthetic material a mile away, and its fine antennae for naturalness makes for an excellent lie detector. More so than others, this sign relishes alone-time in nature, craving long walks, fresh air and the calming presence of trees to restore peace and serenity within. Gardening and plant potting has long been associated with Taurus as well, and the bull’s connection to agriculture indeed speaks of fertility and fecundity in any horticultural endeavour.
Venus in Love
In love, Taurus is down-to-earth and has a tendency to search for lasting commitment and craving safety. Taurus trusts slowly and stubbornly plays the long game, yet makes for a dependable, warm, and sensual partner with a natural gift for romance and indulgent affection. Its natural aura of reassurance and realism is a rock for those who are easily overpowered by wayward emotions or the whims of a flighty mind. However, its affinity with ownership and property can translate into a certain possessive streak. It is unlikely to commit its loyalty to flightiness, yet must also maintain realism in its tendency to be unduly territorial and mistrustful.
A Dormant Volcano
With its peaceful exterior, it is indeed easy to forget that this sign is represented by the bull! Although only slowly roused to anger (it can take years), once the bull sees red, its rage is volcanic and perhaps the most frightening eruptions of all. Pent-up energy that has been forcefully repressed and well hidden under the surface detonates at 120 decibel, and all at once. This can alienate completely unassuming friends or partners, who had no idea that they inflamed this seemingly gentle and unbothered creature. Like its sister sign Scorpio, Taurus does not forgive easily, and truly never forgets. Once the decision to make a cut has been made, it does not look back — the phrase “you’re dead to me” was probably invented by a Taurus. As such, this sign must learn to communicate frustrations with immediacy rather than quelling and hoarding emotions in a way that allows them to fester under the surface until the cup is full.
Towards Spiritual Mastery
Taurus’s sacred call is to surrender, let go, differentiate between involvement and freedom, and own without attachment. This requires practicing forgiveness of self and others and conquering the self, relinquishing the desires of the ego with grace. Buddha was a Taurus, and indeed his sacred principle of non-attachment shows that he understood the lesson, as this resonates with the higher truth and fulfilled wisdom of this fixed earth sign.
