Taurus

I mark, stem Taurus, through the twilight grey,
The glinting of thy horn,
And sullen front, uprising large and dim,
Bent to the starry Hunter's sword at bay. 

 Taurus is the second astrological sign of the Zodiac, and as the first constellation of the equinox, Taurus denotes the primordial energy sacred to the deities of rain and fertility.  Taurus is a fixed Earth sign; it is a negative 'feminine' sign which is ruled by the planet, Venus.  Taurus falls during the year's mating season, and the ancients saw the bull as a highly erotic and sensual creature, one of great fertility.  Thus, Taurus is also associated with the Greco-Roman goddess Aphrodite and sometimes also the goddesses Hera, Juno, Ishtar, Isis, Freyja, and Frigg and the gods Pan, Dionysus, Bacchus, Xolotl, and Quetzalcoatl. The astrological glyph for Taurus represents the head and horns of the bull, while other mythologists have also pointed out that the horns of the bull resemble of the crescent moon.  

Ruling Planet:  Venus

Primary Colors:  Blue, Violet

Birthstone:  Diamond

Animal:  Rabbit

Bird:  Robin, Magpie

Astrology originated in ancient Babylon some 4,000 years ago, and Taurus the Bull was one of their sky signs. In fact, it is very possible that the constellation Taurus was one of the first to be invented. In ancient Akkadia it was known as the Bull of Light, and before the time of Abraham, or over four thousand years ago, the sign of the Bull marked the Vernal Equinox. On the walls of a tomb excavated at Thebes, Taurus is shown as the first of the Zodiacal signs, and the representations of the Mithraic Bull on gems of four or five centuries before Christ prove that Taurus was, at that time, quite prominent in the astronomy and religion of Persia and Babylon.

In Mesopotamia, Taurus symbolized Marduk, the Spring sun, and in Persia, it symbolized Mithra, the primordial bull who ascended to the sky after his battle with the spirit of evil and darkness. The Egyptians regarded Taurus as the emblem of a perpetual return to life. They identified it with Osiris, the Bull god, the god of the Nile, and worshipped it under this figure by the name Apis. Reference to the astrological books of the Jews shows that they, too, considered Taurus the leader of the zodiacal signs.

In fact in all the ancient zodiacs that have come down to us Taurus apparently began the year, and it seems to have been regarded as a Bull in all of the ancient Mediterranean countries, and also in countries far distant from Europe, and from the scenes of Hellenic mythology. For example, in  Greek mythology, Taurus is often associated with the Bull that carried Europa over the seas to that country which derived from Her its name. She was so beautiful that Zeus fell in love with her. He assumed the form of a snow white Bull and mingled with the herds. Europa, charmed with the sight of such a beautiful creature, climbed upon his back, and the god took advantage of the situation, carrying the nymph across the seas to Crete.

Or sweet Europa's mantle blew unclasp'd,
From off her shoulder backward borne;
From one hand droop'd a crocus; one hand grasp'd
The mild Bull's golden horn.


--Tennyson, Palace of Art--

The Bull was an important object of worship with the Druids, and their great Tauric festival was held when the sun entered this constellation, a survival of which has come down to us in the festival of May Day. To the Egyptians and in Egyptian astronomy, the constellation Taurus was a sacred bull associated with the renewal of life in spring.

The energy of Taurus is steady and determined. Taureans tend to be slow, methodical, practical and reserved. They are also stolid, tenacious and determined. Possessing tremendous willpower and self-discipline, they are inclined to stick to traditional methods...hence, the term bull-headed.
 

The brightest of Taurus' stars can be seen as the orange giant sun Aldebaran, a somewhat strange looking star that forms the eye of the bull, and is somewhat close to our Solar System at a distance of 67 light some odd years .   Its ancient name, from Arabic, means the follower, as the star seems to follow the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters star cluster, across the sky.

Also very prominent in this constellation is, a blue star that forms the tip of Taurus's northern most horn. 

Taurus Positive Traits

Reliable with lots of patience
Extremely kind and loving
Strong determination
Very security minded 

Taurus Negative Traits

Prone to jealousy
Can be Resentful and Rigid
Greed and self indulgence issues