Ruler: Venus

Exalted: the Moon

Detriment: Mars

Fall: 

Polarity: Feminine/ Negative

Modality: Fixed

Element: Earth

Body Parts: metabolic system, thyroid, storage systems, neck, throat, tonsils, ears, vocal chords

Nature: dry, cold, enduring

Motivation: To store, to make solid, to manifest, to build, to make the most of every moment. The Taurus endpoint is to be.

Sydney doesn’t really have an Autumn as such- perversely it is one of the things I dislike about the city I live in. I love seasons, I love weather extremes and can’t abide sameness… and Sydney, as beautiful as she is, can really be sometimes just a tad too predictable with just a few short weeks of seasonal change between the heat and humidity of summer, and what has lately been a too mild winter.

From Easter the nights start to get cooler and damper, but the days are beautifully blue and still quite warm- the humidity has gone and for a few short weeks the weather is pretty close to perfect.

The change should have already happened- the cycle of the seasons works in the same way as the cycles of the signs…or is that vice versa?

Anyways, the cardinal signs herald the change of season. By the time the fixed signs come along, it’s consolidated, solidified, with the mutables signaling that things won’t last for ever, and soon it will be time to adapt and adjust to different conditions.

In the Southern states, and cooler Highland areas, the leaves are changing into glorious but short lived colour- every shade of red through orange to brown.  Soon they’ll form little mounds on the ground that crackle and crunch when you step on them.

Gardeners, that most earthly of occupations, are busy with routine seasonal tasks-either putting the garden to bed for the winter, or waking it up to Spring colour.

In Sydney the colour is all too fleeting before the cooler winds shake them from their trees to become the bane of garden proud householders.  Here the leaves seem to go straight from tree to brown on the ground and mulch in the lawnmower almost overnight.

The Earth signs are vitalised by texture, taste and colour- the most physical of sensations. Taurus, being a Venus ruled sign, is inspired by beauty and anything that stimulates the senses. Autumn (and Spring, in the North) delivers this- in spades…pun intended. The textures associated with warmer clothes, the feel of the cold on cheeks and hands first thing in the morning, the taste of autumn produce and spices and the warmth of earth tones. Of course, in the Northern hemisphere the opposite is happening- but you get the idea. It’s about the sensations. More importantly, it’s about slowing down, finding comfort in routine, and taking the time to smell the roses, survey your space and settle back to enjoy it in relative peace.

Like the other Earth signs, Taurus needs a practical goal- and to be recognised for her hard work and reliability. But where Capricorn needs to be seen by her position on the ladder and achievements, and Virgo for her service, Taurus knows that you can’t spend a Job Title or Indispensability at the shops.

But she does like to buy and accumulate things- what she possesses contributes greatly to her creative and emotional security, her pride and sense of safety.

Taken to extremes, Taurus can take to accumulation for its own sake- buying things she really doesn’t need. Generally speaking, this would indicate insecurity or emotional clutter- but given Taurus’ legendary self-containment, it is often difficult to get to the bottom of the real problem. Either way, it is the Taurus shadow…and before you yell at me, remember we all have one that we run to if we’re feeling threatened, empty, unmotivated or creatively unfulfilled…

Taurus is not one to take risks with that which is important to her. She is dependable and safe and takes her time to absorb what is happening around her. Again, before you yell at me, that doesn’t mean she is boring. Taurus, like all the Earth signs, is subject to more than a little bad press.

Slow to anger, she rarely over-reacts and is an absolute rock in a crisis. My Scorpio Hubby has Taurus rising, and his self control and ability to remain outwardly calm when I am falling apart is incredible.

In common with all fixed signs, Taurus can be stubborn. There, I said it. Where Aquarius holds onto his ideas and opinions, Leo his pride and confidence and Scorpio her emotions, Taurus likes to hang onto…stuff. Taurus is attached to whatever she believes is hers- whether this is her home, her job, her partner, her status quo, her weight- even when the use by date has long gone.

She doesn’t like change and will stamp those feet firmly into the mud until the quicksand threatens to pull her under. Where her opposite Scorpio is suspicious of change, Taurus likes to hold onto the way things are simply because it is comfortable, requires less effort and is safe- why change something that isn’t irrevocably broken?

Being a Venus ruled sign, Taurus likes comfort and ease and is reluctant to needlessly waste energy. She will sit quietly and listen to advice, smile nicely, thank you and proceed to ignore your suggestions or guidance. Taurus generally needs to be dragged to the starting line and left until she is ready to take it on board.

Slow to start, Taurus energy is one of endurance and steadfastness. Once mobilised she is unstoppable and will see things through to the bitter end and beyond- whether this be a single task, a relationship, a goal, or a grievance- no matter how long it takes.

This makes Taurus a formidable opponent, irreplaceable employee and loyal partner- she will keep going long after the race has been won and everyone else has gone home. The object is to finish the job- the accolades don’t mean that much at all.