Taurus and the Signs of the Times

Taurus is considered the most sensual sign of the Zodiac. The combination of feminine receptivity and earth illustrates this. As we gaze upon the beauty and colour of flowers in bloom and absorb the sweet scent of trees in blossom and rejoice in the return of birds and of honey bees (we hope) busy and buzzing in the warm sun, the pleasure of Taurus time reveals that of the sign. Yes the signs of the season, which are the true zodiac, wheel of life, and the inspiration for connecting the stars in the night sky to create constellations. That many have been lead to believe that starry constellations are the origins of the signs is a common misconception that is yet one more indication of how far we have strayed from the full embrace of natural world. But Taurus reminds us that we can enjoy both the sensuality of nature and see the signs of the season and recognize the season of signs amidst technological advances. Striking the balance where each can co-exist in harmony is perhaps one of the greatest and most important challenges of us humans on this planet. This balance is reflective of Libra which shares rulership of Venus with Taurus. On the flip side, both signs can be seen to also share rulership of our own planet, Terra, Gaia, Earth. Some have erroneously given rulership of earth solely to Taurus leaving out Libra, thus illustrating another lack of appreciation of the balance, sharing and harmony principle that Taurus, Libra and Venus represent.

Taurus is also symbolic of personal possessions, talents, money and the processes of evaluation and prioritization that accompanies the accumulation and distribution of these, our resources. Sadly, we live in a world where about 1% of the population holds possession of 95% of the wealth. It would be fair to regard this as a consequence of greed and also of imbalance that is and continues to be the shame of us all. Greed stemming from fear, which finds its source in our collective deferment to the lower mind, the intellect and yes the precious cerebral cortex where individual choice occurs. Yes, the lower mind is the dividing, sorting, categorizing, differentiating and separating function of consciousness. As wonderful and valid as these aspects of perception are, they soon become ugly when they function out of balance with the heart. Venus has classically been given the status of being the planet of love. In some respects this may be true. Venus is that bright and beautiful planet (moving star) that hovers like a jewel in the morning and evening skies. Yes, beauty, values, wants, desires, priorities, affections, pleasures and sensuality are all aspects of love. In the deepest sense, love transcends all planets and signs and emerges from source, that higher, inner place which our materialistic times interpret as the nothing from which everything emerges. Yes, it is ‘no thing’ and although seemingly antithetical to Taurus, it is that nothing, the essences of love and spirit and of spiritual love that bring meaning to our possessions and striving to have and keep and own. One without the other is an imbalance and therefore each seeks the other like lovers called together by spring’s inexorable force.

Reflecting upon the importance of maintaining this balance of love and of the sensuality of things may perhaps leads us a little closer back to that place of balance that reveals the spirit incarnate that we are and the essential spirituality that is reflected in principles sharing and of balance in our acquisitions and accumulations. We will get there yet we are currently very imbalanced and therefore few if any can truly enjoy in the bounty that existence offers as we must bear the burden of knowing in our hearts that starvation, malnutrition, warfare, greed and corruption are the commonplace in a world where societies prey upon its victims amidst self-celebrating feats that pale in the glow of love that embraces, protects all and chooses and acts to build in such a manner as to provide sustenance and sustainability for our collective now and for our children and our future generations. Denying this global crisis under claims of hard realism is perhaps our greatest collective challenge to overcome. To do so we must awaken to the realization that the material reality is simply the stage upon which our spirits play and is not the ultimate reality. The proof of this is already present yet as it does not meet with the conclusion and ambitions of materialistic attitudes, humanity remains dangerously stalemated and thus cornered either into increasing ecological crisis and/or fascist political governance reflective of an imbalanced, shallow and desperate state of mind.

The interpretation of Charles Darwin’s Evolution of Species, and the theory of natural selection, is now commonly accepted as ‘survival of the fittest’. This single theory has contributed to countering the dogmatic theologies and literal interpretations of the Bible, yet it has also contributed to the opposite extreme of an excessively materialistic, competitive and aggressive society. In this age of science and technology, we can ill afford to perpetuate this materialistic attitude where chance prevails over purpose. It simply sends the wrong message to society and unless we can counter it we will continue to cause ourselves great harm, perhaps even destroy ourselves. Again, while we may attribute some positives to Darwin’s theory, it has and continues to also push us to the brink of survival alright. It has probably done more to produce a materialistic interpretation of life than any other single theory. In fact, it is from Darwin’s theories that Atheism bases its mandate. In as much as atheists reject the notion of a bearded angry man in the sky – the image of Zeus from classical history, it has a good point. In as much as it out rightly rejects a spiritual source to life, a force of intelligence and of creative power behind or at the helm of creation then it has simply positioned itself in an opposite extreme dogmatic position.

So, Taurus is a sensual and earthy sign and that may be interpreted as materialistic, but the story runs deeper than the outer theme. Taurus is the farmer and the builder and the baker and, yes, the banker too. Its’ polar opposite sign Scorpio in its higher reaches symbolizes the merging and sharing of our wealth, gifts and treasures.  As I look upon the chart cast for this current New Moon I see both sides of the story of the imbalance that currently plagues our fair planet. On one hand is the theme of aggressiveness for survival that actually exists everywhere and even in cities brimming with wealth. The other reflection is of vast public parks that reveal the joys of leisure and of enjoying quality time – the real fruit of our labors. Fortunately, within the chart are signs of healing and of renovation, of spiritual awakening and of the sober realities of the task that we share to re-create our world based on values and priorities where the higher mind, the heart, the seat of the soul and love are put back on the throne where they truly belong. Yes the true monarch that wears the crown is hardly a king or queen or leader of any kind who invariably embodies human frailty. Rather, it is the spirit of love and the love of spirit that has no name or shape or form reflective of dualistic divisions of perception, interpretation and belief of any specific sort, yet which pervades every facet of creation and which we each feel in the beats of our hearts. Unless the mind has usurped the heart and the sickness of separation has advanced to chronic levels, the feeling and knowing will be clear. So, let us make use of the celestial seed moment to sow our intentions to direct our focus towards feeling the flow of love that knows no separation or bias and begin to build, if only in small measure, by way of choices and actions that can and will lead us back to that state of balance of values and priorities that reflect the truth that truly we are one. High science actually proves the essential unity of life, but so far it is not proving to sway the momentum of the march of materialism, but it is beginning to and the signs are beginning to be revealed.

Taurus is the sign of talents, values, priorities, wants, desires, personal possessions and money…. In light of the world we now live in, the Taurus theme is over achieved by way of having things and personal ownership. The other side of the story is priorities. In a world which has grown from 1 billion in 1900 to 6.5 billion just over 100 years later and where the promise of less work has actually turned into more working hours for many  than ever before in history, our priorities are clearly out of balance. Modern technology successfully provides us with more and better than our forebears could ever have dreamed. As great as this is, we are also dealing with having far more than we need. Then the ownership reverses whereby we have to spend time to take care of all our stuff along with all the working hours required to obtain it. Then there is the question of the carbon footprint and the imbalance in the distribution of wealth. Humanity in general has come to a place in time when we are collectively challenged to reassess our priorities.

The environmental prophets are and have been sending out the warning for years now and while some have and are heeding the call with sincere determination, many have not. Then there is the changing economic climate to consider. On a more personal note there is making life choices that have a deeper meaning and purpose in light of the larger issues we collectively face and realizing personal fulfillment as well. It is possible but choosing strategically verses reactively is important. What Astrology can provide is clarification of values and priorities whereby living authentically and with purpose means more than the endless game of getting and maintaining more stuff, living reactively and thus not feeling fulfilled. The alternative is to make choices that contribute to social solutions to the escalating global problems that will make us all pay attention. This is one of the many ways that Astrology can and does help and the small investment implied in gaining the deep affirmations and guidance that it provides is invaluable is helping to clarify our values and priorities leading to personal and collective gain that is socially balanced and personally satisfying. Environmental prophets are and have been sending out the warning for years now and while some have and are heeding the call with sincere determination, many have not. Then there is the changing economic climate to consider.

On a more personal note there is making life choices that have a deeper meaning and purpose in light of the larger issues we collectively face and realizing personal fulfillment as well. It is possible but choosing strategically verses reactively is important. What Astrology can provide is clarification of values and priorities whereby living authentically and with purpose means more than the endless game of getting and maintaining more stuff, living reactively and thus not feeling fulfilled. The alternative is to make choices that contribute to social solutions to the escalating global problems that will make us all pay attention. This is one of the many ways that Astrology can and does help and the small investment implied in gaining the deep affirmations and guidance that it provides is invaluable is helping to clarify our values and priorities leading to personal and collective gain that is socially balanced and personally satisfying.

Many Blessings!