The Taurus Personality: Exploring Stars, Symbols and Trends
Updated: Dec 12, 2020
Zodiac signs can reveal a lot about personalities, planets and the uniqueness of charts. (See Deepa Kansra, Why look at Zodiac Signs?, https://www.8thhouse.org/post/why-look-at-zodiac-signs)
Taurus is the second sign in the zodiac. The word Taurus comes from the Latin word for bull. Being an Earth sign it represents the solid containing element that nurtures, stabilizes and brings to fruition all of nature's creative potency. (See Charles and Suzi Harvey, Principles of Astrology, 1999). In Taurus, the creative energy of Aries gets nurtured, materialized and stabilized. The Taurus sign allows for the identification with resources and possessions. The Taurus sign supports the process initiated in the first sign of Aries.
Goravani provides the following significations for the sign of Taurus. (Das Goravani, Karakas, 2014)
Capacity to breed
Cultivated fields
Ease
Eminent in its class
Earthy
Fixed
Materiality
Manifestation
Relationship with environment
Wealth
The essence of Taurus is sensual, affectionate and peace loving. (Jeffrey Armstrong, Vedic Astrology Guidebook, 2012). If Taurus in the chart is strong, much time is invested in building a solid foundation, substantiating identity through work and enjoying the pleasures of the natural world. (See Charles and Suzi Harvey, Principles of Astrology, 1999). The rulership of Venus over the sign of Taurus adds quality and beauty to the things symbolized by Taurus. The emphasis on outer and external beauty is much amplified owing to the nature of Venus.
The following are few important points on Taurus.
The second zodiac sign
Animal symbol- the Bull
Stars in Taurus- Alderbaran, Hyedas
Sign rulership- Venus
Moon is exalted (empowered) in the sign of Taurus
The most interesting insights on the zodiac sign come from astronomy, mythology and study of its animal symbol.
The Stars in Taurus
Taurus is said to be one of the oldest and most noted constellations. It looks like a V-shaped pattern of stars with long horns extending out across the sky. Many cultures saw a bull in this pattern of stars. (https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Taurus*.html
Two stars in Taurus;
Alderbaran- called the Eye of the bull.
Alderbaran is seen as the brightest star in Taurus. Aldebaran means the leading star, because it seems to lead the nearby star cluster across the sky. Aldebaran is said to be a little bigger than the Sun. (Carolyn Collins Petersen, How to Find the Taurus Constellation, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/taurus-constellation-4177764.
Several other sources link the star with rain. (See Deborah Byrd, Aldebaran is the Bull’s fiery eye, 2019. https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/aldebaran-is-taurus-bloodshot-eye)
Hyedas - Head of the bull/ celestial bull formed by cluster of stars.
The name Hyedas means the rainy ones. In different cultures, Hyedas is associated with the coming in and setting of the rainy seasons. (https://www.constellation-guide.com/hyades/;
Also see, Starwatch: Taurus, the Bull of Heaven, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/dec/01/starwatch-taurus-the-bull-of-heaven?CMP=share_btn_link; Hyades, Constellation Guide, https://www.constellation-guide.com/hyades/)
The stars in Taurus are associated with themes like rain, rainy seasons, flocking of birds.
(See other stories on Stars-The Pleiades, https://www.thoughtco.com/seven-celestial-sisters-rule-the-sky-3073658)
The Animal Symbol- Bull
Fullness and Nourishment
The symbol of Taurus is said to be representative of the head of the bull and the full and crescent moon. Being linked to a full moon, Taurus brings in qualities of nourishment and completeness.
(https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Taurus*.html). Another source refers to the bull as a potent symbol of the masculine nature in nature full of procreative power. (Phallic Symbols in DK : Signs and Symbols, 2019)
Financial symbol
The symbol of bull has been part of many mythological and ancient texts. However, its most popular usage is in relation to the financial stock market. In this regard, author Dhruti Shah (author of Book Bear Markets and Beyond) in an interview shared that the bull symbolism for the market describes the stock market status. Because bull horns are struck upwards and a bull market is called the rising market. (Victoria Craig, Why we use animals to describe what’s going on with the stock market or economy, 2020. https://www.marketplace.org/2020/10/01/bull-bear-market-unicorns-swan-animals-stock-markets-economy-financial-literacy/) In other words, a bull market is when the stock market is on an upward trajectory. The reversal is the bear market. (Marielle Segarra, 2018. https://www.marketplace.org/2018/08/22/were-about-enter-longest-bull-market-ever/). When it is the bull market, it is time to reap the benefits of investments. (like the harvest).
Bull behavior
Bull related sports and public events have been subject of several debates (see activities like Bullfighting, Red Bull Racing and Bull leaping). The most popular conception about bulls is that they hate the color red and are angered by it. Many have disputed this conception calling it a myth and a misconception. The "myth" was busted in the 2007 in the Myth Busters Series on Discover Channel. The myth was busted with the use of three staged/fake encounters. One encounter involved 3 matadors carrying flags of different colors (red, blue, white) in front of a bull. The bull was seen charging at all three with the same anger. The experiments managed to prove that bull were infuriated by movement rather than color. In the other two experiments also the bull was angered by the movement than color. (See Myth Busters, Season 2007. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_(2007_season)#Episode_85_%E2%80%93_%22Red_Rag_to_a_Bull%22).
Quoting another source, bulls are not attracted to – or angered by – the color red, as they are known to be colorblind to red and green. They are most likely attracted to the movements of a matador, whose cape is red due to tradition and possibly to hide blood which appears during a bullfight. (See Classic Myth: Bulls Hate Red, Waffles, 2016. http://wafflesatnoon.com/bulls-hate-red/).
The above accounts add lot of insights about the nature of Taurus. Particularly the movement versus stability and investment versus acquisition themes.
Taurus in the astrological chart
If sun, moon or/and ascendant found in Taurus the following significations can be seen;
Stability preferred over movement
Resourceful and full of resources
Grounded and attached to work created
Seeking comfort and material pleasures
Practical and determined
Themes of seduction and young age (will be discussed in light of the lunar mansion of Rohini in Taurus)
Moon in Taurus is exalted (empowered) because of the element of security, stability, realism and practicality. (In the opposite sign of Scorpio, Moon gets debilitated).
A lot of Taurus influence may lead to inflexibility, overindulgence and resistance to change.
What is your relationship with the material world?
In which areas of life do you seek stability and security?