After an explosion the dust always needs to settle.

And so after the burst of cardinal fire that is Aries, we need the calming, grounding fixed earth. We need Taurus.

Taurus is ruled by Venus, that is the earthly feminine side of Venus, not the aesthetic man-made design of Libra. As a fixed sign, Taurus is the middle of a season, and it is of course, the prettiest. In the Northern hemisphere the bees are buzzing and nature is in full bloom, flowers are ready to be fertilized and everyone’s mood is a little bit peckish. It’s time to plant the crops.

The Taurean infamy is that of being a foodie. and out of all the zodiacal stereotypes this might be the most true. But that is a given, since Venus is the goddess of pleasure, whose role is reconciling us to the world of the senses. If ever there was a sensual sign, that is Taurus. That is not only due to Venus’ rulership, but the Moon’s exaltation in this sign too. If it doesn’t feel good on or in the body, neither Taurus nor the Moon will want it.

Another notorious adjective which gets thrown around is basic. And again, it is true, but only if we take the earth to be basic too. Fixed earth means the ability to grow things. Fixed earth means all those foundational things we need in order to survive. Food, water, a roof above our heads, these are all basic things, but they are indispensable. And of course, when the basics are covered we aim for quality, making Taurus both about quantity and quality.

Taurus gets tutted for being stubborn, but a better fit would be persistent. Think about what is fixed earth in nature. It’s the towering landforms, the mountains in all their majesty and permanency. You can count on the mountains to still be there tomorrow, just like you can count on Taurus to still hold up its habits. Going back to the aiming for quality, once Taurus has found something that is good, it will hold on with relentlessness forever, or at least until it finds something better.

The fixed signs role is that of maintaining. In Aquarius we have the maintaining of ideas, in Scorpio we have maintaining of dedicated emotions, and in Leo we have the maintaining of willful stubbornness (that is a defiance which can at times be straight up tyrannical). Which leaves Taurus with the maintaining of resources.

All the earth signs have to do with concrete, tangible things. In Virgo Mercury ads a bit of an airy touch concerned with the most efficient way of fixing things, making Capricorn the sign Taurus gets along with best.  As cardinal earth, Capricorn is gravely concerned with building the foundations of something enduring, while Taurus cares about endlessly and patiently maintaining what is there.

Resources come in many forms, and perhaps the most straightforward is that of the bank account and the ramifications thereof. It’s true that Taurus cares about material things, but then again we do live in a material world.

As a symbol, Taurus has the cow, but it’s not the raging bull of the toreadors, rather the fertile mother Goddess. Historically speaking, the Age of Taurus preceded that of Aries. That happened right before the shift went from matriarchal societies, to the patriarchal one. Don’t believe me, believe that bit in the Bible when Moses comes down from Mount Sinai and is faced with his brethren idolizing a calf. Or the whole Apis thing in Egypt which went as far back as the first dynasties.

And to get back to our own cows, though Taurus gets called this and that, it never gets called out for one of its most signature feelings, which is jealousy. All the possessiveness and jealousy shade gets thrown on Scorpio, the sign both opposite and complementary. It’s true that Scorpio is dipped in the waters of uncomfortable emotions, but remember your mythology lessons and how hell hath no fury like a goddess scorned. Taurus’ mission is discovering what they want, and though they may be patient and hard to rouse, being faced with not being able to keep it will make even the bull see red, despite Mars having its detriment here.