Taurus
A Lust for Existence
"Taurus individuals are down to earth and practical; rarely acting on impulsive. The ruling planet is Venus associating the sign with acquisitiveness and the power to love."
-Thelma Balfour, Black Sun Signs, 1996
The Angel of Taurus according to ceremonial magic is Tual.
The Angel Presiding Over Zodiacal Taurus is Asmodel.
The two governing spirits of Taurus are Bagdal and Araziel.
Vsevolode Nicouline, Cover of Il Secolo XX, Russia/Italy 1931
Pictured: Princess Europa being Abducted by Jupiter
Taurus is the second sign and is active in the sun from April 20 - May 20.
Taurus is the ruler of Venus and its natural house is the Second House.
Taurus' duality is considered negative. Aries is of the earth element with the fixed quality.
Scorpio is polar opposite to Taurus.
The Tarot Card symbolizing Taurus is The Heirophant.
The Metal of Taurus is Copper.
_____
The Possessor
Taurus' fixed quality is the most grounded of earth signs, sinking the deepest into its soul. The strength of the bull has long been revered in world cultures.
A sacred bull is a mainstay in Egypt mythology, where the Apis or Hapis bull was considered a manifestation of the creator god, responsible for the yearly flooding of the Nile, which brought new life. Bulls bring a lust for life, symbolically or literally impregnating creatures to bring forth new existence.
The word tauros is a Greek word that means bull and encapsulates many of the qualities associated with the sign of Taurus: loyalty, strength, and power, as well as simultaneously embodying the importance and kindness and consistency. These later qualities calm the bull's wild tendencies. Bulls can be stubborn and dangerous -- immovable even - but under the right influence (for example, Pasiphae's), they can be steadfast, gentle and methodical builders of prosperity. Their Venus rulership creates a virility that can be a powerful influence in the arts since it shows propensity toward beauty. Like all earth signs, there's a love of sensual pleasures that can, if left unchecked, veer toward materialism or vanity.
A phrase that signals Taurus energy is "I have..."
Unknown, Illustration from The Hunterian Psalter (detail), England, ca. 1170