The planet Venus, named for the Roman goddess of love and sensory pleasures, rules the zodiac sign of Taurus.  Taurus carries the symbol of the bull, an animal prone to peacefully wandering its pasture, slow to anger, but capable of charging if sufficiently provoked.  Taurus is one of the zodiac’s three earth signs (Virgo and Capricorn round out the roster of this element).  The stubbornness associated from this second sign of the zodiac derives from the combination of the solid earth element and its fixed modality.

Slow and Steady

Fixed earth accounts for the image of the bull as resistant to change.  On the positive side, this can give them great perseverance and the ability to endure through long-term privations.  Most of them make them very loyal friends and spouses.  They tend to be very reliable, the type of employees bosses can count on and someone whom friends know they can call when in need of help. More negatively, Taureans are often perceived as slow and obdurately stubborn.  While the notion of them refusing alteration is accurate,  when they do make a decision to change themselves the effect can be as dramatic as the earth shifting—think of the life story of Taurean Malcolm X.

Natural Beauty

The rulership of Venus over this sign means most Taureans have a great love of beauty and nature.   Many bulls often have a strong affinity for melody and rhythm, leading them to musical careers in a wide variety of genres.  The long list of musical Taureans includes Adele, Stevie Wonder, Enya, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Orbison, Peter Tchaikovsky, James Brown and Johannes Brahms.  They also tend to have physical grace and making them wonderful dancers, like Fred Astaire or choreographer/dancer Martha Graham who once said “The body is a sacred garment,”  a very Taurean statement of esteem for the physical world.  Their sensitivity to beauty can also make them wonderful poets, like William Shakespeare, Robert Browning and Omar Khayyam.  Naturalists John Muir and John J. Audubon both were born with the Sun in Taurus.  Some Taureans express their appreciation for nature’s sensory pleasures through gardening and cooking.  As they get older, they may have a tendency to put on weight due to their enjoyment of good food.

Money

Other Taureans focus their earthiness towards acquiring wealth.  In fact, some astrological data indicates there may be more millionaires with this sun sign than any other sign in the zodiac.  Famous Taureans who achieved great wealth through business include Mark Zuckerberg and William Randolph Hearst. Several celebrities known for their financial acumen in handling their earnings, like Barbra Streisand, have this sun sign. Wealthy Taureans often enjoy using their money to acquire art and other objects of beauty. The Taurean interest in money may manifest in different ways, however.  Some bulls have a keen interest in the class politics related to finances—Karl Marx and Michael Moore exemplify this trait.

The key phrase for this sign is “I have” and regardless of their income level or politics, security is a key need for most Taureans.  A bull deprived of both emotional and financial security will feel unhappy, whereas some signs will perceive this as an exciting opportunity to live life on the edge.  Within the context of a secure life, though, Taurus sun sign people can become very philanthropic as well as creative.

If you are a Taurean, or if someone special to you was born under this sign, Norah the Astrologer and her associates can help you better understand Taurus’ unique gifts and needs, as well as offer advice on how to handle upcoming planetary transits.

Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, is ruled the planet Mars.  The fact that the preceding sentence includes the names of two ancient gods of war –the Greek Ares and the Roman Mars—gives a strong clue to the energetic, won’t-back-down nature of this sign.  All the zodiac signs have a key phrase. Aries says “I am” and the sign carries the symbol of the ram.  Each of the twelve zodiac signs relates to one of the four elements (earth, water, air or fire), as well as to a modality, either cardinal, finding strength through initiation; fixed, finding strength through endurance or mutable, finding strength through change and flexibility.  Energetic Aries embodies cardinal fire energy.

Energy and Enthusiasm

Confidence, vibrant physical energy and a powerful appetite for life mark the Aries personality.   Arians also often have a strong competitive spirit.  These traits can make them exciting companions, tireless advocates for causes they believe in, and fierce foes if crossed.

Aries sun sign people love to test their mettle with exciting challenges.  They may engage in sports, especially adrenaline-pumping, highly competitive activities.  In the professional arena, they prefer positions of leadership, often seeking roles in the military, politics, or sales.  Many choose to start their own business: for rams, the word “entrepreneur” carries an aura of romance and distinction.   They may start a business that is shocking for its time, like Hugh Hefner did with Playboy in the 1950s, or take a very ordinary type of business and build it into an empire, like Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart.

Trailblazing and Tempers

Aries people often prefer to forge their own path rather than following others.  They tend to have a self-confidence which makes them impervious to the opinions of others.  One good example is Lady Gaga, whose song “Born This Way” exemplifies the sense of Arian strength and pride.  Aries tend to follow their own unique path no matter what field they choose.  Jane Goodall  began pursuing her passionate interest in chimpanzees and animal welfare in the 1950s, an era when few women worked outside the home, much less engaged in field research.

Most Aries prefer prompt action to gradual change and a patient attitude. Even if only on a verbal level, they tend to have a “shoot first, ask questions later” orientation.  People born with the Sun in Aries are not frightened by the idea of confrontation.   Think of the role conflict and even violence plays in the movies of Arian directors like Quentin Tarentino and Francis Ford Coppola and the novels of Tom Clancy.

Depending on age and individual circumstances, an Aries person may express his/her strength and passion in a variety of ways.  Sometimes, especially when they are younger, their impatience can make them quick to anger and/or else bluntly tactless, running roughshod over other people’s feelings. However, as they mature and learn to channel their energies better, Arian individuals can serve as leaders whose words help fuel a movement of independence and equality, like Gloria Steinem and Thomas Jefferson.  They can also become inspirational educators, like Booker T. Washington and Helen Keller’s tutor Annie Sullivan.