♉︎ The Purity of Desire

Nature, Religion, and the Sacred Feminine

My introduction to Taurus, the second sign of the Zodiac, was at school where students shared astrology with one another - The idea of being primarily defined by something like a Sun Sign made me hesitant to give it any energy. Years later after looking into the Planets I re-explored the Zodiac studying its history and use by ancient civilizations - specifically here in the symbol of Taurus, where I find valuable insights worth sharing:

• The Zodiac Signs, Ruling Planets, and archetypes all correspond together in that they contain similar qualities that balance out their respective systems.

• Taurus encompasses the Feminine aspect like the Planet Venus.

• 1 becomes 2 - impulse turns into desire - each sign has a different lesson/value to teach us.
  

Taurus season in mid-spring is the opportune time to reflect on our own desires and to ask ourselves: Where are our desires coming from? Why do I want what I want? We can begin to understand the significance of this sign first through its key points.

♉︎ Taurus: The Soul's Journey through Form

Taurus has long been called the “sign of generation,” linked to both sex and spiritual union. At its core lies the power of attraction - the drawing together of energies, bodies, and souls. This force operates on every level: biological, emotional, energetic, and cosmic.

At the heart of Taurus is the constellation of the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, a symbol of the soul, around which the wheel of life revolves. As Alice Bailey writes in Esoteric Astrology, Taurus is not only a sign of fertility and physical magnetism, but a gateway to spiritual realization.

The story of Taurus is thus the part of the story where the threshold is crossed, the hero's descent into form—and the soul’s eventual return. Bailey reminds us that desire for form is the great illusion, the soul’s glamour that obscures true vision.

"Desire for form is the great illusion… The world is full of glamour, of illusion, and of deception, largely due to the powerful activity of the desire nature which distorts and hides the real." —Alice A. Bailey

There are deep lessons in the symbology of Taurus. It highlights the very familiar connection most humans experience/d around the desire for monetary, social, and material gain. To better understand how to overcome these factors we begin by learning more on the history of bull worship and its ties to religion as it asks us the question: What is sacred? 🌱

The Source of Religion

The identification of the constellation of Taurus as a bull dates back thousands of years, possibly as far as the Upper Paleolithic era. Some scholars believe that the famous Hall of the Bulls in Lascaux, painted around 15,000 BC, may include an early representation of the sign.

Throughout history, the bull has held a place of worship in numerous religions and mythologies. The bull and cow were an indicator of an abundant ecosystem and were lifelines to ample nutrition and material resource. Our domestication of the bull ~11,000 years ago led to the rise of kingdoms and later organized religion. Humanity began to see "kings" who owned vast amounts of land and cattle and so spread the concept of land ownership. For these assets; systems of governance were created and spread leading to the very world we live in today... To better understand this timeline let's first explore the Ages.

The procession of the equinoxes (axial) produces a ~25,900 year cycle; ~2,160 years, per era. In this grand cycle of 12 ages the signs of the Zodiac move backward since the wobble creates a counter-clockwise motion in the sky. During the Age of Taurus ~2500 BC, Ancient Egypt was going through its golden age, this was a maternal age of prosperity and abundance. The pyramids were built, kingdoms expanded and the Apis Bull was worshiped as a deity; representing their earthly success and power. They so revered the animal that it was said wherever the bull looked was taken as an omen. After entering the age of Aries in 2012 BC it seemed that humans shifted into the masculine thought as we saw the spread of organized war, empires, and western philosophy. The cow symbol became solarized into a bull - itself sacrificed. The ancient Israelites famously were told in their exodus from Egypt to stop worshiping idols of bulls by Moses, they did not.

Bull worship continued in India and other parts of the world and an Age later the Mithraic cults carried on old Zoroastrian rituals into Rome by way of Persia. The Tauroctony, the dramatic scene in which Mithras, the Sun God, slays a great bull is rich in cosmic significance. Mithras is depicted kneeling upon the recumbent bull, driving his sword into its throat symbolizing the release of life-giving energies unto the Earth. Just as ancient Egyptians saw Taurus as a sacred bull sacrificed to bring renewal in spring, the Mithraic tradition portrays this sacrifice as being of cosmic necessity. The rise of large organized religion was seen in the subsequent Age of Pisces which held the crucifixion of Jesus; the fisher of men. There are many points of resemblance between Christianity and the cult of Mithras. One of the reasons for this probably is that the Persian mystics invaded Italy during the first century after Christ and the early history of both cults was closely interwoven. The Encyclopaedia Britannica makes the following statement concerning the Mithraic and Christian Mysteries:

“The fraternal and democratic spirit of the first communities, and their humble origin; the identification of the object of adoration with light and the sun; the legends of the shepherds with their gifts and adoration, the flood, and the ark; the representation in art of the fiery chariot, the drawing of water from the rock; the use of bell and candle, holy water and the communion; the sanctification of Sunday and of the 25th of December; the insistence on moral conduct, the emphasis placed on abstinence and self-control; the doctrine of heaven and hell, of primitive revelation, of the mediation of the Logos emanating from the divine, the atoning sacrifice, the constant warfare between good and evil and the final triumph of the former, the immortality of the soul, the last judgment, the resurrection of the flesh and the fiery destruction of the universe - [these] are some of the resemblances which, whether real or only apparent, enabled Mithraism to prolong its resistance to Christianity.”

The veneration of the Bull in religion and myth may be as old as time yet it continues like all things to carry its impact on our perspective deep in our psyche.

The Bull as a Symbol of the Vital Energies of the Material World

The Bull of Heaven is probably the oldest exemplar of the theme of the shepherd and his flocks, which is so strongly represented in the springtime skies. As a basic celestial symbol cattle seem to represent all the fertile powers of the spring – world mythology frequently relates the images of bulls, cows and calves to a whole range of heavenly phenomena including rain-clouds, rays of sunlight and the newborn sun. More specifically, the Sumerian Bull of Heaven is described as a destructive beast, which came down from heaven to drink the rivers dry and to parch the land. These seasonal attributes are no doubt derived from the fact that the Bull of Heaven rises late in the 2nd month of the year when the temperature started to rise and the rains diminished.

The "Bull of Heaven" comes from Babylonian star-lore and the constellation GU4.AN.NA . The famous Epic of Gilgamesh recounts how the goddess Ishtar sent this celestial bull to challenge the hero Gilgamesh, only for his companion Enkidu to defeat it. Some interpretations align Gilgamesh with the constellation Orion, positioned as if in battle with Taurus. Orion, Eridanus, and Auriga are the three constellations connected to Taurus. The ancient name of Orion was “the three Kings” because of the three beautiful stars found in Orion’s Belt. The Three Kings represent the three divine aspects of Will, Love and Intelligence, and Orion, therefore, symbolizes the spirit. The name Orion literally means “the breaking forth of light.” Again and again, as we circle around the Zodiac we find the appearance of what might be called the hero archetype within Hercules and later Perseus, who slew the Medusa, symbol of the great illusion. This is found in Aries and Orion, whose name means “light”, it is found in Taurus and Scorpio*. Then we have Sagittarius, the Archer on the Horse, going straight for his goal, and in Pisces we find the King. The more closely we study this heavenly picture book, the more we may realize that the stars shine with the symbolism of our divinity, the path of the soul in incarnation, and the story of matter, as it receives purification and glorification through the laborious work of the soul. The second constellation connected with this sign is an immense river of stars, which streams forth from under the feet of Orion. It is called Eridanus, or the “River of the Judge”, and is a symbol of the river of life, carrying souls into incarnation, where they learn the meaning of the words, “as a man sows, so shall he reap.” While Orion represents the spirit; Eridanus concerns itself with the spirit taking form; whilst the third constellation, Auriga, the charioteer, leads the soul to new lands, symbolizing the journey.

Grabbing the Bull by the Horns

The modern depiction of the constellation of Taurus shows only the top half of the bull which is said to be swimming in the cosmic sea. We can see in this imagery the myth of Zeus abducting the Phoenician princess Europa. Zeus in his lust transforms into a bull and deceives the young maiden by carrying her across the ocean away from her family. The myth itself teaches us of the dangers of lust, deception, and the abuse of power.

In Greek and Roman pantheons, gods embodied emotion, fate, pleasure, and punishment - external mirrors of our inner drives. The Bull then stands as a symbol for the worshipping of the wrong thing (the material form) and the need for us to control our own impulses and desires.

Desire can be a tether to the illusion of separateness or a stepping stone to higher states of consciousness. Desire is a messenger revealing to us light and shadow aspects of our psyche. When we bring desire into the higher realm of the mind, we can begin to follow the right path. When our thoughts are no longer the root of our suffering then we can be free. When our desires are pure then we can be transformed by what we love. Yet in order to cross this threshold we must be courageous and face the "bull" (desire and lust) head on. Taurus teaches the importance of patience, perseverance, and aligning our will to right action.

It's about building a solid foundation for spiritual growth. Standing at the threshold - ready to go for what we really want, with pure desire, we can then truly enjoy life's healthy pleasures.

The Archetypes of Taurus

The study of the archetypes is the study of the ruling planets. The constellations are interconnected to the Planets of our Solar System. Taurus is ruled by the Planet Venus.

What can we learn from this Sign of Taurus? What can we learn from the archetypes of Venus?

The Planet Venus

The morning star was long observed by ancient peoples as a sign of love, beauty, and harmony.

The Number 2

The number 2 is connected to relationship, balance, and duality. It symbolizes cooperation, harmony, and the dance between opposites - light and shadow, self and other, inner and outer. In spiritual traditions, it represents receptivity, intuition, and magnetism.

The Bull

The Bull is a symbolic (and physical) embodiment of life and generation. Abundance followed the bulls as did humans who worshipped and gave praise to the animal.

Fixed Earth

Earth is symbolized by stability, persistence, and a deeper connection to the material world.

Tarot: The Hierophant

Taurus is tied to The Hierophant who both share the symbolism of sacred guidance, tradition, and the power to transmit wisdom. The Tarot teaches that the Hierophant derives authority through spiritual insight, devotion to truth, and the responsibility of preserving and passing down knowledge - on the other end it can be seen as the seat of dogma and control. In this form, it reflects blind obedience - surrendering personal truth to external authority; and moral superiority - imposing beliefs on others. This archetype, in its darker light, reminds us to question inherited systems and to reconnect with truth through direct personal experience. The card is rich with hidden symbolism and reminds us to be careful of what we trust. True teachers direct us back to our personal connection to God and not to the staff of their own making.

The Woman: The Sacred Feminine

Taurus, ruled by Venus, stems from our early worship of the feminine and the wisdom therein. The cow and later bull, represents the sacred potential of matter to become a vessel for spiritual illumination. In esoteric tradition, the Moon is exalted in Taurus, symbolizing form and matter, while Venus, the planet of love and beauty, rules the sign - bridging the earthly and the divine. Through Venus’s influence, Taurus teaches us that love, aspiration, and beauty are the forces that spiritualize the material world. When the form is consecrated and purified, the soul’s inner light can shine forth. The Pleiades, positioned at the bull’s shoulder, further enhance Taurus's cosmic role, and the dove - Venus’s sacred bird - often depicted over the bull, reminds us that divine love is the animating force behind all creation.

Feminine wisdom lies not in rejection of the world, but in receiving it - fully, with presence.

The Law of Attraction

One of the central lessons of this path is to gain right understanding of the law of attraction and to master the correct use and control of matter. In this way, matter becomes a vehicle through which the soul can express itself and fulfill its purpose. This is the true spiritual alchemy: the raising of the lower by the power of the higher.

We are tested in two ways. First, in relation to the strength and quality of our willpower and the motives that drive us. Second, in relation to the power of the great illusion of form over us. Sex is the clearest expression of the law of attraction. Understanding sex and its divinity can help us to better understand what is meant by right action: sex and spiritual union are the same force only one works on the physical; the other within the emotional-desire body. Alice Bailey states that Taurus concerns predominantly the problem of sex:

"Sex is a real and often difficult issue for the one who seeks the path of discipleship. Self-indulgence, and the domination of the human being by any part of their lower nature, is always, without exception, a form of enslavement. When a person’s mind is constantly preoccupied with sexual thought — when they live chiefly to satisfy physical craving or find themselves helpless before the magnetism of their polar opposite — they are not free, but ruled by the densest part of their nature. However, when one comes to regard their physical body and its functions as a divine heritage—given not for personal indulgence, but for service to the whole—then sex can take its rightful place in human life. It becomes an act of responsibility, of co-creation, and of spiritual alignment. Right understanding and right control of the sexual force will naturally bring an end to promiscuity and its accompanying harms — emotional, physical, societal.There are two errors in the approach to sex that are especially dangerous to the spiritual path:The first is a kind of spiritualized indulgence — wherein certain teachings or practices exalt sexual experience as the highest form of mystical union. In these, the sexual act is deliberately intensified and framed as a gateway to divine experience. This is the distortion found in some schools of so-called "sex magic" and leads, ultimately, to delusion and misuse of energy. The second error is the opposite extreme: the belief that any expression of sex is inherently sinful or that marriage and family life are incompatible with spiritual purity. This perspective asserts that a true disciple must be celibate. But such thinking denies the sovereignty of the soul and implies that there are aspects of human life beyond divine reach — which is untrue.The soul can and must govern every part of the human experience. There is no field of life where the light of spirit cannot enter, no obligation, no relationship, no bodily function in which divinity cannot express itself — so long as the soul is in control, and not the personality or lower self."

The solution lies neither in repression nor indulgence, but in integration. In bringing our desire and attraction in alignment with the wisdom of our soul - so that we attract only what is for us. Attraction is redeemed and rightly directed, matter becomes radiant, the emotional nature becomes clarified, and we too, like the hero walk the path with will, love, and intelligence.

Developing our Character through Journaling

Every symbol has its polar opposite and the opposite sign of Taurus is Scorpio, like life and death; we can only know the value of our lives by facing the fact that we are all going to die. So what is really important in this life if not the development of our character?

In the Hero's Journey through the Zodiac we can see a framework for the integration of values and lessons from which to develop ourselves; spiritually and intellectually. Here we can see the importance of having a strong will - the lack of which can lead us to sin; deception and short term satisfaction at the expense of others and our own true nature. In the modern world this may be the hardest test to overcome given the wide spread acceptance of gluttony, lust, and greed. Journaling is a powerful tool for us to use to clarify where our lower desires are coming from and to strategize and implement ways for us to break free of old cycles and patterns - bringing forth the light of justice and love into our relationships and finite time on Earth. One way we use journaling to support ourselves in this endeavor is by creating weekly and/or daily intention to help align our thoughts and actions. Through intention setting we become the hero, the pencil becomes the sword, and our actions - the path to honoring the soul. This is how we co-create a better world, one moment at a time.

What is my intention for this week? For this action? For this relationship?

-Continue reading in our Blog on Intention Setting-

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