Taurus: Organically Yours
Each of the individual 12 signs coincides, not with a particular month of the year, but rather, a particular time of the year. As we consider where each sign falls, we get some insight into the workings of the energy described. Even if you know nothing about astrology, just working with this little piece of information can give you much insight into the different energies of the zodiac. Traditionally, Aries is designated as being the ‘first’ sign of the zodiac. This makes sense from an organic viewpoint since Aries coincides with Spring when the Earth ‘wakes up’ after the slumber of winter. Aries is a Fire energy and again, this is evocative of warmth, activity, awakening. Astrologically, Fire co-relates to Spirit and everything is born at this level—the spiritual level of being.
After Fire comes Earth. How fitting! The inspiration that is born from the fire of spirit now finds form, flows into a vessel that can receive it, is grounded and concretized. The second sign of the zodiac, after Aries, is Taurus, a fixed earth energy. In Taurus we meet the organic process and get to know our selves as physical beings. Fittingly, Taurus falls across the months of April and May, when, in the northern hemisphere, the ignition process that began at Equinox is now coming into ‘bloom’. The trees are leafing, the grass is greening, robins return to find the worms which have moved up to the surface of the ground and we, the humans, can finally take our winter jackets off and feel the heat of the Sun on our skin. Ah, vitamin D…at last!
Taurus, then, is representative of the organic part of the spiral of life. Sexy, sensual and receptive, Taurus loves the simple process of just ‘being’. In Taurus we celebrate all things physical and revel in the literal 5 senses that flesh out our world. Taurus loves the vista of the landscape, taking delight in the organic environment. Aromatic surroundings are a must. Harmonious and pleasing melodies soothe the
Taurus soul. And no wonder since Taurus co-relates to the throat chakra. Slipping into luxurious fabrics, warm, watery rivers and lakes or just simply lying naked in the sun are all aspects of the Taurus need to feel good. Flavours that entice the tongue and burst onto the taste buds are what Taurus prefers. Never mind the spartan and austere. Bring on the abundance and glory of the organic. Revel in the joy of being physical and all that comes along with it.
Whenever I work with the Tarot, and I draw The Empress, I think of Taurus. I am reminded that I am physical and that I must pay attention to my organic self. I understand that to work with my creative energy, I need to find a place of balance in my physical self. I need my physical energy if I am to do the work of a creative being—whatever forms that creativity takes, whether artistic, crafty or even within the realm of what we sometimes regard as the mundane, ordinary daily routines that we all must do. When you prepare food with creative energy, it always tastes better than if you prepare it ‘in absentia’. This is the Taurus part of the psyche, the love that is the basis of all creative flow. If we fall in love with what we are doing, and desire to infuse it with feeling and the texture and depth of emotion, we are much more likely to produce something that will be well received by others. Taurus energy, then, is very much connected to that need that we all have to connect to something beautiful, something rich and lovely, something full and ripe and which gives pleasure, contentment and eases the spirit. How many of us have not relaxed to the sounds of a favourite piece of music, sipping some aromatic beverage, nibbling on some satisfying snack, wrapped in a comfy blankie in a soft chair or bed with the light of a glowing candle around us, after a challenging day of activity? Everyone, probably…
People who have a focus of Taurus energy in their psyches are the lovers of the zodiac. Often calm, quiet and comfortable, they can be the rocks that everyone turns to in times of trouble. Taurus intuitively understands that everything is cyclical. Taurus knows that the underlying principle that governs life is that there is a pattern to organic flow, that life is a spiral with no real ending.
This is probably the main thing to understand when exploring Taurus; that there is a place for the organic, the physical. In Taurus we face our physical selves, the container for that energy of spirit that finds its home therein.
At a core level, we confront ourselves in the expression of our values and the concretization of these values in the context of desires in Taurus. We seek that which we value and esteem. It is of great importance to be clear about the nature and structure of our values. How does our value system translate into the concrete? How do we organically process that which we hold at our core level? Does the construct of our life reflect our inner values? These are the issues that we are dealing with in Taurus.
Taurus occupies the second house of the natural wheel and the ruler of Taurus is Venus. If there is a focus of energy in the second house of a person’s natal horoscope, then the keyword, worth or value holds a prominent place in that psyche. Such a person will naturally be concerned with all levels of this thing called resource from the material all the way to the conceptual. For such a person, it is vital that she ‘concretize’ what is meaningful to her. This, of course, also applies to anyone with a lot of Taurus energy in their psyche.
The symbol for Taurus is The Bull signifying, unmovable strength or power, fertility and regeneration, that connection to the organic. Sometimes Taurus is dubbed as being stubborn but in reality, it is the energy of constancy that the Bull represents though, if the ego self does not consciously manage this powerful and forceful presence of mind, it can be mistaken for intransigence. But if you have ever seen a bull at full bore, bearing down on its target, you will see that this energy can move if needed. The key, for strongly Taurus types, is to channel their intrinsic forcefulness into just cause based on lofty values. This then is the appropriate use of power and might.
The planet, Venus, is the second planet of the solar system, Earth’s sister star. She has the most beautiful cyclical pattern which, when tracked over an 8 year span, creates a perfect pentagram or five pointed star in the circle of the zodiac. Ancient star-gazers decoded this beautiful pattern millennia ago and this was probably the root reason for the magical and mystical associations that this symbol has. I associate this pattern with the creative impulse since desire and the need to express in concrete terms something of our inner values is what triggers creativity on every level, whether the purely physical, procreativity, or something more ethereal like the birth of art, thinking and so forth.
A very easy ritual to include in your life is to commemorate your 8 year Venus Return cycle. Even if you do not know where your Venus is placed astrologically, you know that at every 8 year point in your life journey, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, 104 (I am being proactively optimistic here), you can do a reboot in relation to your value system, your desire patterns, and even your organic self. Make a vision board for what you want the next 8 years to look like. Where would you like to be at the end of those 8 years? What do you want to look like? What do you want your life to be structured around? Who do you want to love? Be specific. 8 years is just long enough without being too out of sight. Most of us can just about imagine 8 years forward, right? It is this kind of mindfulness that ultimately contributes to a satisfying and contented existence—two very strongly Taurus words!
Finally, just a word about Taurus’ partner sign. Sitting across from The Bull is the shape-shifting magical and mysterious Scorpion/Snake/Dove/Eagle/Phoenix—Scorpio. Together, these energies balance out to represent all that we hold and all that we release, all that is known and material and all that is hidden and non-material. It is the juxtaposition of the LIGHT and the DARK, the dance of birth and death. Together, they find completion in each other and create order out of chaos. We humans need to understand our world in terms of balance, harmony and duality.
Taurus, then, teaches us to accept, to receive, to luxuriate and to be content. Wherever it is found in YOUR psyche, is where you want to get real, get down. It is survival at its most primal level. It is strong, silent and sublime and honestly, we love Taurus. How can we not?
Next month, we will move into that crafty coyote, Gemini and explore the fantastical and fancy of this delightful energy.
