[Ed. note: each month we re-run Daykeeper founder Maya del Mar’s profound and poetic take on the appropriate sun sign.]

Taurus is the largest and most populated constellation in the zodiac. It also is most often most mentioned in history and mythology. For example, many peoples throughout the world commenced their planting when the Pleiades, in Taurus, were rising. It is said by many that beings from the Pleiades are our ancient ancestors. Perhaps they are talking to us now through the crop circles.

The connection of the Pleiades with planting, and with crop circles, is fitting, for Taurus is the most earthy of earth signs. Taurus attracts what it needs and hangs onto it, just as the Earth attracts and holds with its force of gravity.

Taurus is awesome, as is the Earth herself. It is time for us to bring Taurus and Earth to life again, Taurus has been seen as a heavy, stodgy sign stuck in its ways, but as the herald of spring, Taurus is an intensely dynamic time, bursting with fertility.

To the ancients, Earth was boundlessly creative, displaying an infinite variety of forms. They lived with her and from her and through her, learning which plants healed and nourished, how to transform her vegetation into shelter, and how to make pottery and utensils from her body. They recognized the Divine Mystery flowing through everything, and venerated the sacred spirits of nature.

Earth was a gift to be shared and cherished.

Perhaps, again, we can learn to appreciate the beauty and abundance of our planet and respect the diversity of life which it supports. In her book, Earthwalking Sky Dancers, Leila Castle has gathered stories from women around the world who do just that.

Part of this process for astrologers is a fresh recognition of the great depth, power, and love expressed through the forces of Taurus.

In Aries, spirit was born. Now, in Taurus, we manifest the forms through which spirit is accessible. Taurus is the first earth sign, and it is here that we find our grounding. She is tuned into the growth process in a very basic way, and understands that all living things are entitled to the dignity of their life cycle. Survival is important to Taurus, from a very practical standpoint.

Taurus has body consciousness, and enjoys the sensual things of life, the things which give one a sense of well-being. She has a natural affinity for all that the earth plane offers, and finds both pleasure and security in them. She enjoys food, carpentry, plants and animals, artistic forms, and music as well.

Taurus is fruitful. He has the energy and need to reproduce himself, as well as a special pipeline to the growth process. Thus Taurus is very creative. Taurus relates to the throat, considered the body’s creative energy chakra. A fine singing voice is often a Taurean asset.

There is a strong need for self-reliance in Taurus. It needs to develop things from its own center, to feel secure, as though its body is the earth itself, the source of all growth.

Taurus, like all the fixed signs, has a strong will and great determination. Once Taurus decides to do something, it gets done, no matter how long it takes or how many obstacles are in the way. Taurus is a worker. International Worker’s Day was established in the U.S. on May 1, 1886 while Neptune, planet of brother- and sisterhood, was moving through Taurus.

Taurus is good at solving problems, at stripping down to basics and the then recognizing where the priorities lie. Value is important, and Taurus has an innate sense of quality.

Taurus needs to make a personal imprint on the world, and can blend information and ideas with personal experience. For instance, my progressed Sun and progressed Moon both entered Taurus when I began this web site last autumn. Susan Pomeroy’s natal Moon is in Taurus, and her practical artistry is expressed in every facet of this site.

During the time of Taurus, we are encouraged to look at the quality of our lives—goals, tools, and methods. To prioritize appropriately, we need to know who we are and what are our motivations. Taurus understands that those motivations ARE our inner resources, the forces which move us.

Taurus is therefore a time to reflect on where we’re heading, and how we’ll use the tremendous energies within us. New insight and inspiration can emerge to guide us during Taurus time. It is a time to be especially receptive to the voices of Mother Earth.

In ancient Greece, spring fertility rites began with the slaying of a bull, and to this day gardeners believe that the blood of an ox is particularly potent fertilizer.

The bull represents power and independence, which are achieved through the cultivation of self-knowledge, skills, and a clear relation to the Divine Presence within us. The challenge of Taurus is to learn to harness the great inner core of energy and direct it into enlightened service.

Taurus is a very active time. Many events now push us into making choices, giving us the opportunity to prove our priorities. Over and over we can affirm dedication to inner direction. We can ask to b e motivated by Light in all our decisions concerning our lives.

The gift of Taurus is the gift of understanding. The Tree of Life is a Taurus symbol. Its roots go deeply into the Earth, and from that solid base it grows towards the light, reaching for the sublime, and in the process providing the food and oxygen and shelter which humans need to live. From the treetops there is perspective, and the trees are homes to birds, who fly about carrying divine messages.

There is a great opportunity for expansion of awareness during Taurus time. It is important now to give ourselves the extra time for reflection and contemplation. Use Crystal’s Moon Meditations, read Leila Castle’s book. Encourage dreams, images, and memory now, for they will strengthen our subconscious.

We are more in touch with our feelings and desires during Taurus and, again, we have opportunities to make choices about how to deal with them, and in so doing continue to build the structure of our individual path through this world.

As we become more interested in the subtle realms and spiritual qualities of life, and allow them to rule, we refine consciousness and learn to reign in and hone impulsiveness.

Another challenge of Taurus is being open to the spiritual call. Taurus is a special time when we can manifest our readiness to cooperate with spirit. Buddha was born during the peak of Taurus forces.

The challenge of Taurus in relationships is to respond to the inner bond, the bond that connects at soul level. We can also understand the inner dimensions of group life.

The challenge of Taurus in society lies in promoting and supporting the emergence of freedom and liberty in the world. Varieties of human individuality are strengthened now. During this same time group minds are very strong, and we need to make a special effort to make sure our values are our own and that they are integrated with our particular sense of purpose.

Taurus is basic. It goes to the heart of the matter. Truth is one of the qualities of Taurus, and now we have the opportunity to see our lives more clearly. What are our spiritual strengths and how can we use them in a productive way?

Wesak is a special celebration which coincides each year with the Full Moon of Taurus. It is a time of spiritual blessing, when our spiritual work can be strengthened and renewed. We can benefit by attuning to our spiritual natures and being open to new directions and new possibilities. This opportunity is particularly important right now, as we struggle to get our bearings in the midst of the great planetary changes occurring.

Barbara Streisand is a fine example of Taurus. She shows Taurus’ will, energy, and determination. She is productive, creative, and artistic, both with her voice and in her film work. She is a self-made person. She is concerned with human beings and the human condition. And she appears to be motivated by an inner light.

Other examples of people born with Sun in Taurus are Shirley MacLaine, Judy Collins, Duke Ellington, Willie Nelson, Willie Mays, Al Pacino, Queen Elizabeth II, Coretta Scott King, Sigmund Freud, and both Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.