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Taurus the Sturdy Bull

taurussymbolThe Oracle’s Library steps into the next zodiac sign—Taurus. The astrological sign Taurus once held the vernal equinox during the Bronze Age. Its powerful signifier—the Pleiades, a brilliant star cluster, captured the minds of the ancients so that they built great monuments from the earth to match the stars above. Taurus is the “Bull” in Latin—the strong second sign of the Tropical Zodiac. Taurus spans from 30° to 60° on the Zodiac Belt, as it continues on into the second month of spring.

Taurus Zodiac Sign Profile

tauruseditIn Sidereal Astrology, if you were born between May 16th and June 15th your Sun sign is Taurus. This means the Sun transited through the constellation Taurus at the given time of birth. In Tropical Astrology, the sign Taurus is granted to anyone born from the dates April 19th to May 20th.

Taurus is the first Earth Sign that symbolizes the abundance of life that flourishes during mid-spring—when fields of flowers are in full bloom and color returns to nature with a spectrum of brilliance. The tropical zodiac Taurus is ruled by the planet Venus. Those born under Taurus are said to hold a strong presence and a stubborn mind. The fun-loving attitude of the Bull crafts its most favored people and things into all grand schemes in life.

Myths and Legends of the Bull

The constellation Taurus was placed among the stars to symbolize a divine bull to many peoples of the past. To the ancient Greeks, the Bull or Taurus signified the disguise worn by Zeus to abduct the Phoenician princess Europa. Zeus appeared as a majestic white bull and won her favor in this form. Europa climbed on his back, and they went away together. In ancient Mesopotamian folklore, Taurus or ‘Bull of the Heavens’ is sent by Ishtar to kill Gilgamesh—represented in the sky by the constellation Orion. Now the star form of both the constellation Gilgamesh (Orion) and the ‘Bull of the Heavens’ appear to ‘duke it out’ in the starry sky each night.

Stargazing the Constellation Taurus

The constellation Taurus holds a special place among the zodiac along the galactic plane of the Milky Way galaxy. Taurus is crossed by not just the ecliptic and galactic equator but the celestial equator, as well.

The bright clusters of Pleiades—’the Seven Sisters’ and Hyades–the nearest cluster to our solar system illuminates the most beautiful aspects of the Bull. But the bright red giant Aldebaran outshines the rest. This brilliant orange star is deemed ‘the follower’ just behind the Pleiades. Aldebaran forms the bull’s eye—red as it glares back at Orion. Remnants of the supernova Messier 1 still reside in the Crab Nebula within Taurus. The explosion of this supernova is documented in ancient Chinese records on July 4th the year 1054 CE. It spotted from Earth and could be seen emanating light throughout the daytime. This grand celestial event was also painted on a canyon wall by the indigenous peoples of New Mexico.

Between October 18th and 29th the Northern and Southern Taurid meteor showers are born in Taurus. The month of November from the 1st to the 10th is also a great time for viewing the Taurid meteors. To spot the Bull, look just above Orion and his belt between Aries and Gemini. The triangle face with long horns and dotted Pleiades at the shoulder give this sign away. The constellation Taurus is best viewed in late fall and winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Thank you for reading at the Oracle’s Library! Please comment and share your experience with Taurus.

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