Taurus

Origin and etymology

The name Taurus is Latin and means "bull". Its Greek myth is that of the abduction of Europa: Zeus, in love with the Phoenician princess Europa, transformed himself into a tame white bull, seduced her, and carried her swimming to Crete. The constellation, according to the myth, is the head and horns of that divine bull. Another related myth is that of the Cretan bull that Hercules had to capture as his seventh labour.

Taurus coincides with the full spring in the Northern Hemisphere: nature blooms, the fields fill with life, animals mate. That is why Taurus is a Fixed Earth sign: settled fertility, joyful matter, tangible abundance. Its Earth element gives it practicality; its ruler Venus gives it sensuality and love of beauty.

Taurean archetype

Taurus is the archetype of the stable builder and the sensual one. It contributes patience, perseverance, unbreakable loyalty, practical sense, ability to enjoy simple pleasures (food, physical contact, nature, art), solid economy, faithfulness. It is the sign that needs security — material, emotional, sensorial — to be well. Its opposite sign is Scorpio: if Taurus accumulates and preserves, Scorpio transforms and releases.

In shadow: Taurus can fall into stubbornness, materialism, possessiveness, excessive slowness, aversion to change even when necessary, gluttony in its various forms. The Taurean trap is to cling to the known out of fear of the new, to the point of becoming stagnant. Its karmic lesson is to release when life calls for it, without losing the ability to enjoy.

Taurus in your chart

If your Sun is in Taurus, your conscious identity seeks security, beauty, stable enjoyment. If your Moon is in Taurus, you need sensorial stability (good food, comfortable space, physical contact) to be well emotionally. If your ascendant is Taurus, you give a first impression of a calm, solid person with pleasant physical presence. Venus, ruler of Taurus, marks your sensuality and style of loving.