Taurus

Definition

Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac, covering 30 to 60 degrees of the ecliptic — the circle the Sun appears to travel over a year. It is a fixed earth sign ruled by Venus, and the Moon is exalted (especially strong) at 3 degrees Taurus, while Mars is in detriment (out of place) here. In the tropical zodiac, the Sun moves through Taurus from roughly April 20 to May 20 — the middle of Northern Hemisphere spring, when the season settles. Hellenistic astrology places Taurus among the solid (sterea) signs and the earth triplicity, the trio of earth signs.

In Tradition

Astrologers in the Western tradition link Taurus with persistence, material security, a strong sense of the senses, and a grounding in the physical world. The fixed earth quality is traditionally read as giving steadiness and determination — and, alongside that, a real resistance to change.

In Practice

A planet in Taurus tends to work with extra steadiness, patience, and a practical bent. In a birth chart, astrologers read Taurus placements for matters of material resources, physical comfort, and staying power. The Moon's exaltation at 3 degrees Taurus is a key dignity — a marker of strength — checked when judging the Moon's condition. As planets transit, or pass through, Taurus, they tend to slow the pace of events and steady whatever was set in motion while planets were moving through Aries. Because Venus rules Taurus, a Taurus house cusp draws in questions of worth, possessions, and sensory pleasure. In horary astrology — the branch that answers a specific question from a chart cast for the moment it is asked — Taurus on a cusp suggests slow but dependable outcomes. Mars in detriment in Taurus is read as a tension between Mars's push for fast action and the sign's unhurried pace.

Historical Origin

Taurus appears as one of the twelve zodiacal signs in the earliest Hellenistic texts, and its Bull imagery is older still — Mesopotamian astronomical texts already name the constellation. Venus's rulership of Taurus is recorded in the traditional dignity scheme. The Greek term for the fixed signs, applied to Taurus, is sterea, meaning "solid" or "firm." In medical astrology, the body region matched to Taurus is the throat and neck.

Further Reading

• Steven Forrest, The Inner Sky
• Sue Tompkins, The Contemporary Astrologer's Handbook
• Robert Hand, Horoscope Symbols