Taurus (; , Latin for "
bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...
") is the second
astrological sign
In Western astrology, astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up ecliptic, Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the First Point of Aries, which is the Equinox (c ...
in the modern
zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...
. It spans from 30° to 60° of the zodiac. This sign belongs to the Earth element or
triplicity, as well as a
fixed modality, quality, or quadruplicity. It is a
Venus-ruled sign, the Moon is in its
exaltation here at exactly 3°. The Sun transits this sign from approximately April 20 until May 20 in
western astrology
Western astrology is the system of astrology most popular in Western countries. It is historically based on Ptolemy's '' Tetrabiblos'' (2nd century CE), which in turn was a continuation of Hellenistic and ultimately Babylonian traditions.
West ...
. Taurus is one of the three
earth signs, alongside
Capricorn and
Virgo
Virgo may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Virgo (film), a 1970 Egyptian film
* Virgo (character), several Marvel Comics characters
* Virgo Asmita, a character in the manga ''Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas''
* ''Virgo'' (album), by Virgo Four, ...
. Taurus's opposite sign is
Scorpio.
History
The
bestial sign of Taurus is associated with several myths and
bull worship from several ancient cultures. It was the first sign of the zodiac established among the
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
ns, who called it "The Great Bull of Heaven", as it was the constellation through which the Sun rose on the
vernal equinox at that time, that is the Early Bronze Age, from about 4000 BC to 1700 BC.
The zodiac sign of Taurus does not entirely align with the constellation of Taurus. Taurus represents the 30 degrees following Aries in the zodiac circle. Aries marks the beginning of spring and new life, while Taurus, a fixed sign, continues and stabilizes what Aries started. During Taurus, life reaches its full bloom, symbolizing growth and steadfastness.
Astrological associations
Earth is the element associated with Taurus, and alongside
Virgo
Virgo may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Virgo (film), a 1970 Egyptian film
* Virgo (character), several Marvel Comics characters
* Virgo Asmita, a character in the manga ''Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas''
* ''Virgo'' (album), by Virgo Four, ...
and
Capricorn, it forms the Earth
triplicity.
See also
*
Astronomical symbols
*
Chinese zodiac
The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year (or duodenary) cycle. The zodiac is very important in traditional ...
*
Circle of stars
*
Cusp (astrology)
*
Elements of the zodiac
*
Earth (classical element)
Earth is one of the classical elements, in some systems being one of the four along with air, fire, and water.
European tradition
Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated ...
References
* Longitude of Sun, apparent geocentric ecliptic of date, interpolated to find the time of crossing 0°, 30°...
*
External links
Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (ca 370 medieval and early modern images of Taurus)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taurus (Astrology)
Western astrological signs
Mythological bovines
Taurus in astrology