Taurus is seasonally associated with the flourish of spring, when the Earth is green and fresh.

Because the season has settled, it is known as a 'fixed sign', which indicates stability, resistance to change, and the ability to 'enjoy the moment'. The sign is governed by Venus, the planet of art, procreation and indulgence, which adds the traits of creativity, sensuality, and appreciation of life's material luxuries. The Moon is also strongly associated with this sign, which it governs by exaltation. The lunar-association adds emotional depth and highlights further the fertility significations of Venus and this, the 'earth-sign' of spring. Taurus is considered a 'feminine' or passive (introvert) sign. This gives the characteristics of being reflective, receptive to the ideas of others: typically, a 'thinker' rather than a 'doer'. But being of the earth-triplicity, Taurus is considered a highly practical sign which is happiest when involved in some kind of creative process. Although generally considered easy-going and placid, as a fixed sign Taurus is renowned for being stubborn. Taureans are likened to the bull in being slow to show anger, but capable of raging if pushed too far.[4]:17 It is also said Taureans enjoy basic 'creative comforts' and don't allow others to disturb them easily, but they are slow to forgive when this happens. Joanna Watters (2003) defined a key phrase for this sign as "I possess", and summarises its strengths and weaknesses:"The positive side to this fixity is a ferocious willpower and absolute loyalty to loved ones, although they need to guard against possessiveness. Martin Seymour-Smith (1981) suggested "Practicality may be felt in non-materialistic and satisfying ways". As a suggestion for keywords he offers:

Creativity, gregariousness, egoism, kindliness, acquisitiveness, graspingness, affectionateness, enduringness The characteristics of taurus are solidity, practicality, extreme determination and strength of will - no one will ever drive them, but they will willingly and loyally follow a leader they trust. They are stable, balanced, conservative good, law-abiding citizens and lovers of peace, possessing all the best qualities of the bourgeoisie. As they have a sense of material values and physical possessions, respect for property and a horror of falling into debt, they will do everything in their power to maintain the security of the status quo and be somewhat hostile to change. Mentally, the caracteristics of taurus are keen-witted and practical more often than intellectual, but apt to become fixed in their opinions through their preference for following accepted and reliable patterns of experience. Taurus character is generally dependable, steadfast, prudent, just, firm and unshaken in the face of difficulties. Their vices arise from their virtues, going to extremes on occasion,such as sometimes being too slavish to the conventions they admire. On rare occasions a Taurus may be obstinately and exasperatingly self-righteous, unoriginal, rigid, ultraconservative, argumentative, querulous bores, stuck in a self-centered rut. They may develop a brooding resentment through nursing a series of injuries received and, whether their characters are positive or negative, they need someone to stroke their egos with a frequent, "Well Done!" Most Taurus people are not this extreme though. They are faithful and generous friends with a great capacity for affection, but rarely make friends with anyone outside their social rank, to which they are ordinarily excessively faithful. In the main, they are gentle, even tempered, good natured, modest and slow to anger, disliking quarreling and avoiding ill-feeling. If they are provoked, however, they can explode into violent outbursts of ferocious anger in which they seem to lose all self-control. Equally unexpected are their occasional sallies into humor and exhibitions of fun. Although their physical appearance may belie it, they have a strong aesthetic taste, enjoying art, for which they may have a talent, beauty (recoiling from anything sordid or ugly) and music. They may have a strong, sometimes unconventional, religious faith. Allied to their

taste for all things beautiful is a love for the good things of life pleasure, comfort, luxury and good food and wine and they may have to resist the temptation to over indulgence, leading to drunkenness, gross sensuality, and covetousness. In their work, Taurus are industrious and good craftspeople, and are not afraid of getting their hands dirty. They are reliable, practical, methodical and ambitious, within a framework of obedience to superiors. They are at their best in routine positions of trust and responsibility, where there is little need of urgency and even less risk of change, and a pension at the end. Yet they are creative and good founders of enterprises where the rewards of their productiveness come from their own work and not that of others. They are more than averagely amorous and sensually self-conscious, but sexually straightforward and not given to experiment. They make constant, faithful, home loving spouses and thoughtful, kindly parents, demanding too much of neither their spouses nor children. They can be over possessive and may sometimes play the game of engineering family roles for the pleasure of making up the quarrel. If anyone offends their amour proper they can be a determined enemy, though magnanimous in forgiveness if their opponent makes an effort to meet them halfway. No other sign in the zodiac is closer to earth then Taurus. The main objective in leading a Taurean life is primarily (though not entirely) to maintain stability and physical concerns. Your inner spiritual sense longs for earthly harmony and wholesomeness. When you fully understand this, and work toward this end, you will no longer need to blindly reassure yourself with external possessions and comforts. A realization that finding this inner peace will cause all of the above mentioned positive things will overtake you and your life will be very full. Ultimately the Taurean needs to discover their truest, deepest and highest values. When they know what is truly valuable, they are no longer chained to people and to things that have to do with lesser values. The greatest indication of value to a Taurean is beauty, which cannot be owned, only appreciated.

Taurus governs the throat and neck and its subjects need to beware throat infections, goiter and respiratory ailments such as asthma. They are said to be at risk of diseases of the genitals, womb, liver and kidneys, and of abscesses and rheumatism. Because their body type has an inclination to physical laziness, Taureans can be overweight.

LIKES Stability Being Attracted Things Natural Time to Ponder Comfort and Pleasure DISLIKES Disruption Being pushed too hard Synthetic or "man made" things Being rushed Being indoors

PROBLEMS THAT MAY ARISE FOR TAURUS, AND THEIR SOLUTIONS As with all sun signs, we all have unique traits to our personalities. When these traits are suppressed, or unrealized, problems will arise. However, with astrology we can examine the problem and assess the proper solution based on the sun sign characteristics. As a Taurus you may see things below that really strike home. Try the solution, you most likely will be amazed at the results. If you find yourself on the receiving end of the negatives below, it is because you are failing to express the positive. PROBLEM: Having feelings of being used and manipulated, led down the garden path and made a sucker of. SOLUTION: Realize that your magnetism attracts negative as well as positive influences. You need to choose your friends, not let them choose you. PROBLEM: Physical things start loosing their appeal, and you feel more and more out of touch with the world around you. You stop caring so much about how much money you have among other physical concerns. SOLUTION: You are starting to discover an inner harmony that is trying to replace the physical with spiritual. You must let this grow without killing the part of you that provides sustenance for your family. PROBLEM: Unexplained fear of loss, jealousy and a paranoia that others are out to get you. SOLUTION: You have within you the ability to not only attract faithfulness, but also the intellect to see what is truly going on around you. You are loosing faith in both of these personal traits. Rebuild that faith. PROBLEM: Feeling depressed with life. Disgusted and dissatisfied. People around you are little comfort. You feel that life lacks meaning. Easily addicted to physical pleasures. SOLUTION: Revisit and realize the value of spiritual things in life. Take control of your life by realizing it is not the things in life that are important, but the spirit behind it all.

Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, is all about reward. Unlike the Aries love of the game, Taurus loves the rewards of the game. Think physical pleasures and material goods, for those born under this sign revel in delicious excess. They are also a tactile lot, enjoying a tender, even sensual, touch. Taurus adores comfort and likes being surrounded by pleasing, soothing things. Along these lines, they also favor a good meal and a fine wine. The good life in all its guises, whether it's the arts or art of their own making (yes, these folks are artistic as well), is heaven on Earth to the Taurus-born. It's the Bull that serves as the Taurus's mascot, and along with that comes the expectation that these folks are bull-headed and stubborn. Yes, they are. Hey, this sign has a Fixed Quality attached to it after all, so expect that things will occasionally grind to a halt. That said, Taurus doesnt start out with the intention of getting stuck. They simply want to get things done, and it's that steady, dogged persistence that winds up being viewed as stubbornness. Bulls are actually among the most practical and reliable members of the zodiac, and they are happy to plod along, as it were, in pursuit of their goals. The good news for Bulls is that once they get to the finish line, they'll swaddle themselves in material goods.

A self-indulgent beast? Perhaps, but if you toiled as laboriously as these folks do, you'd need some goodies, too. Taurus is ruled by Venus, a lovely goddess who didn't deny herself many things. In ancient Roman mythology, Venus was the Goddess of Love, Beauty and Pleasure, and Taurus has pretty much taken up where she left off. Bulls are fond of all things pretty, whether it's in their home, at a museum or on the stage. Life as one sweet pas de deux is how the Taurusborn like it. To onlookers, this may look like so much materialism and blessed excess, but Bulls really aren't interested in living without beauty in their lives. Beauty to the Bull also comes in the way of a happy home life, one that includes a partner and a stable relationship. Taurus values harmony in their personal lives, so they'll work hard on keeping their mate happy. The Bull's penchant for sensual pleasures, of course, can only help things along! Bulls can also be the sappiest of sentimentalists. Will all this overweening attention to their mate turn a Bull into a possessive mess? Probably not, although these folks do have to manage their tendency to latch on a bit tight. At the end of the day, however, Tauruss are true romantics and loyal to the core. The Element associated with Taurus is Earth. No pie-in-the-sky for these practical folks, since they'd much rather be on terra firma. Bulls tend toward conservatism, and this is often seen in their day-to-day behavior. No far-out schemes (that's Air) or shrieking ultimatums (more like Fire) here. Taurus much prefers to take each day slowly and steadily and work toward their ultimate goal. Along these lines, those born under this sign are happy to stick with their projects until they have reached a successful conclusion. They are also extremely patient and dependable along the way. Does that sound earthy enough? The only kink in this well-oiled chain is the heckler in the gallery that tries to upbraid the Bull. These folks may not have a hair-trigger temper, but it's short enough. Bulls in a hissy fit can get pretty argumentative, but eventually they'll calm down and come back to center, since these folks would much rather be Zen. The Earth in this sign does tend to act as a balancing mechanism so that things never get truly out of hand. For every one person who considers the Bull a pain, there are two who will say 'No way!' and happily take the Taurus' gentle charms any day. Seeing as how Bulls are generally strong and well-built, it's no surprise that these folks enjoy testing their strength on the field of play. Expect to find a Bull engaged in a spirited game of hoops or mountain climbing. Hiking is also a favorite pastime, since it keeps Taurus close to their beloved earth. Indoor adventures are also favored by Bulls, which is why the opera or ballet is right up a Taurus's alley. When it comes to love, the Taurus-born are devoted, romantic and somewhat possessive. Their sensual nature has a way of erasing any mistakes! Since Taurus rules the neck and throat, Bulls would be wise to keep a silky scarf at hand, ideally in a warm (and soothing) earth tone. The great strength of Taurus is in their stability, loyalty and dogged determination. Bulls want to get the job done, and they will. What better way to get the riches they so fervently crave?

Comparison with its symbol, the Bull:

Taureans are thought to be persevering, strong individuals, who can also be quite "bull-headed". They can be dogged and determined when they have a goal in mind. Taureans are also quite sensual and, often, self-indulgent "beasts". The glyph for Taurus, quite simply, represents the bull's head and horns. There is something very solid about Taurus natives, no matter what the rest of their charts say about them. Though they are dependable most of the time, this generally shows itself more in habit than in outright helpfulness. Taurus natives are sensual folk--and this includes sex, but extends to pleasures in all areas: they delight in the sensual pleasures of food, a comfortable blanket, a richly colored aquarium to look at, the smell of flowers or spring rain, pleasing melodies coming from their stereos, and so forth. Some might even say they live through their senses more than most. When Taurus natives work, they work hard. They do it with a steadiness that may rarely be considered quick--rather it's a dependable, plodding, and steady effort that has its payoffs. Security is immensely important to Taurus--some of them actively seek wealth, while others are content to be "comfortable". The Taurus definition of "comfortable" may not be exactly the same as the rest of the signs, but comfort is definitely a driving force. Although hard-working, their fixed and comfort-loving nature sometimes makes them appear lazy. This is only because they separate work and leisure so well. When they work, they work hard, and when they play, they don't really "play" as such...they relax. A Solar Taurus who has kicked his or her feet up is rooted there--you'd be hard-pressed to get them to move. On a mental level, you'll likely have the same problem. Taureans stick with things and ideas, and therein lies one of the reasons why they are known for their stubbornness. Taurus is a fixed sign, and they have a fair measure of tradition and steadiness in their make-up that keeps them rooted. The possessiveness associated with Taurus shows up in all areas of life in some way. Taurus likes to own things (and sometimes people). A nice home, a piece of land (this can be modest), a paid-off car, that aquarium mentioned earlier, a couple pets, maybe a solid business...In love and relationship, there is an earthy kind of possessiveness that may be considered jealousy by some, but there is actually quite a difference between being possessive and being jealous. Taurus natives are rarely jealous and petty. They do, however, think of the people they love as theirs--it adds to their sense of security. Some Famous People with Sun in Taurus: Cher (Sun and Mercury in Taurus), George Clooney (Sun and Mercury in Taurus), Joe Cocker (Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Venus in Taurus), Adolf Hitler (Sun, Venus, and Mars in Taurus), George Lucas (Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Taurus), Rene Zellweger (Sun and Mercury in Taurus)

Taurus isn't necessarily like a Bull in a ring with a toreador. You could be more like peace-loving Ferdinand, seeking the gentle meadows filled with flowers, sunshine and natural beauty. It's only Taurus stubbornness that can make you angry enough to charge at someone who is disturbing your peace. Taurus are noted for your determination. You get to where you are going, not because you are exceptionally fast or clever, but because Taurus will not be distracted from your goals. Your need for stability and simplicity can motivate Taurus to create a life for yourself that is quite functional, though it might seem boring to someone else. But Taurus aren't interested in taking unnecessary risks that can put your solid footing in jeopardy. Taurus motto might be "Take care of the senses and everything else will take care of itself." It may be that your attraction to material things is less about the objects themselves than it is about the pleasure they bring to your senses. Comfortable living and working space is important to Taurus, along with nice linens, clothing, food and music. And, as one of the most practical signs, Taurus outlook on life is usually quite sensible. As Taurus plod along in life, getting what you need in order to survive, don't forget to look at the beauty that is beyond the material world of material possessions. Element: Earth Earth signs are naturally practical. In this lifetime we are bound to Earth. There is no escaping the reality around us. The Earth is about as real as it gets; it can be felt, weighed and it has substance. Accordingly, the earth signs base their life on what is real, not what is imagined. Sensation is valued over thoughts or feelings. Earth signs live with their feet on the ground. Others seek their advice because of their basic sensibility. For earth signs, seeing is believing. The earth of Taurus is simple and sensible. It's about getting back to basics. This is about working the earth in a garden or about having the tools that we need in order to build. Second House: Possessions The Second House symbolizes those things that are of value to us. Personal possessions are within this domain, as is our money. Anything having personal value is associated with the Second House. It also represents those things we value that are not things. When you think about what is most important to you -- your own values -- you are indeed thinking about your Second House. Key Planet: Venus Venus is the planet of love and desire. She is in charge of romance and beauty. But Venus isn't only about physical love; she's also symbolic of the ideal love. When we see a beautiful painting or other work or art, Venus is present. She is the beauty of a rose as much as she is the attraction we have to someone we love. As the key planet of Taurus, Venus is sensual and simple. We fulfill the senses with beauty and life is good.

Your Biggest Strength: Your sensible outlook on life Your Potential Weakness: Accepting less than you can achieve
Pure Taureans tend to be earthy - 'slow but sure'. Their 'bullishness' can under extreme pressure be expressed in violent outbursts of rage, but more usually they are like oxen, plodding forwards steadily, strongly and surely. Taurus is an 'earthy' sign of the zodiac and material things are of major importance to the typical Taurean. He or she is no ascetic, dining on dry bread and water, but revels in all'1he appetites, loving the pleasures of the table, physical contacts with the opposite sex, comforts and luxuries of every kind. Material possessions are of great importance to the Taurean. All this may sound unattractive, and so it would be if that was all there was to the Taurean. But with the strong physical appetites goes a generous nature, an astonishing capacity for hard and painstaking effort, and, rather unexpectedly, a tendency to generate brilliantly imaginative ideas. It is probably this last characteristic, allied with a stubbornness that refuses to admit defeat, which has resulted in some strongly Taurean personalities, such as Ulysses S. Grant, becoming outstanding soldiers. Characteristically Taurean men and women have included Catherine the Great, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Greta Garbo, Bing Crosby, Orson Welles and Barbra Streisand. Sexuality and the Emotions Taureans value their possessions, and as far as they are concerned their partners are the most valued possession of all. Consequently, an emotional characteristic of many Taureans is a tendency to jealousy: a rival is not just a rival, but a thief who is trying to steal the Taurean's rightful property. Taurean jealousy is often nursed for a long time before it is outwardly expressed. Anger smoulders away for weeks or months, even years, until it flames up into a rage which transforms the placid Taurean ox into a mad bull or - just as frighteninga mad heifer. The positive side of Taurean sexual possessiveness finds expression in a caring attitude towards partners. The husband or wife of the Taurean is cared for with devoted constancy. In spite of this, Taureans are capable of outbursts of intense physical passion which can be almost as alarming as their rages. General Character 'Phlegmatic' was a word often applied to the Taurean by the astrologers of old, and it is true that a stolid practicality, a certain earthiness, is the most notable trait of the pure Taurean. But this earthiness is a fertile field on the slopes of a volcano rather than a placid meadow. Taurean children, hard-working at school and usually 'biddable' at home, are capable of rare outbursts of rage - usually jealous rage - which are even more alarming than the tantrums of the Arian child because they are so totally unexpected and, so it seems, 'out of character'. In adulthood the Taurean's goals are security, comfort and lack of anxiety. The Taurean hates to be worried; he/she will cope with almost anything except anxiety about the unexpected and the inexplicable. When anxiety is inflicted on Taureans by the surrounding environment or those who live in it, their tendency is to 'move away' - in both the literal and the metaphorical senses. This, in fact, is almost the only circumstance in which a Taurean will voluntarily move; usually they wish to stick with what they know well, even if doing so makes others regard them as dull and boring. Taureans' patience, their determination, their quiet affection and their occasional flashes of inspiration more than make up for their occasional outbursts of rage, their possessiveness and their tendency to be a little dull. They are pleasant people to know as acquaintances or close friends. Life-Style The Taurean does best in a career environment in which he or she can feel secure. A plodding job in which one can slowly advance towards (if not quite to) the very top, with a guaranteed, inflation-proof pension, is the ideal.

The worst job for a Taurean is one in which he or she is unsure what money, if any, will be coming in at the end of the month. So Taureans rarely find satisfaction in, for example, freelance journalism or selling insurance on a commission-only basis. On the other hand, they are extremely good at accountancy and other jobs involving money, provided that no risk-taking is involved. They are good at almost all jobs which involve a patient application to practical matters and make, for example, excellent farmers. With all this practicality there is a streak of imaginative artistry in many Taureans and they are often interested in music, painting and sculpture. Sometimes this Venusian element in the Taurean personality is dominant and a surprisingly large number of sculptors, singers and other artists are Taureans or have Taurean ascendants. But the Taurean artist is usually a prosperous artist, not the sort of talented individual who would be happy to starve in a garret so long as he or she is practising their art.