Taurus - I Desire the Light

by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. - Issue #16, April 25th, 2000

This issue is predicated on the traditional view among astrologers, that the ruling planet for Taurus is Venus. I provide my own, alternative hypothesis in Issue 33 (The Earth-Taurus Connection) in which I propose, and give reasons for my belief, that Taurus is also ruled by planet Earth.

Taurus Celestial Party

The Sun shines in the Taurus sky from April 19th through May 19th. On the New Moon May 3, 2000 one of the most striking planetary alignments takes place. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will all be in Taurus. Now that is a lot of Taurean energy! In the last 500 years the only other time these seven planets were in the same sign was in 1962, at the solar eclipse in Aquarius. I will discuss the personal and collective implications of this alignment in Issue 17. To understand what we are dealing with we must first understand the nature of Taurus, the challenges and the gifts that she offers all of us.

Symbology - The Bull

Taurus is symbolized as the Bull. She is either the determined charging Bull or the lazy contented cow. Taurus can also be represented as the Earth Mother - the self-contained source of all wealth and well-being. As Mother Nature she is generous, but she shows no mercy. Natural laws apply to one and all with no exceptions.

Earth Signs

Human beings exist on Planet Earth and our bodies are composed of matter. Our energy field is intricately connected to nature and natural forces. Our final tests that culminate in our spiritual initiation involve the mastery of matter. The challenges that the Earth element signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) confront us with include:

1. the health, comfort and pleasure of our physical bodies
2. the ability to support ourselves and take care of our basic needs
3. our capacity to find meaningful work, which expresses our own unique creativity and makes a positive contribution to society as a whole
4. our ability to act responsibly and achieve authority in our unique areas of skill and competence
5. the achievement of a sense of value and worth, which can be measured in money, service, honor or self-esteem.

Taurus is enamoured with the beauty of Mother Earth and all the gifts of Nature. Taurus helps us appreciate the obvious and hidden treasures, power, wealth and beauty of the Earth. Taurus also helps us get in touch with the simple joy of being alive and the pleasure that we can experience in our bodies. Taurus reminds us that the human body is designed for the enjoyment of our experiences through the senses - smell, sight, touch, sound and taste. Physical gratification through embracing nature, our bodies and passionate sex are the territory of Taurus. Taurus does not pit matter against spirit by shaming the body. Taurus honors the human vehicle as a Divine expression of Goddess and a gift from the Earth.

Earthly life is the territory of Taurus, known as the slowest and most inflexible of signs. Taurus teaches us the art of living - how to face the trials and tests of life and in the process achieve the victories, which lead to the spiritualization of matter and our human experience. Taurus teaches us how to transmute material desire into spiritual desire or devotion.

Yogi Bhajan explains the concept of God as Generating, Organizing and Destruction or Delivery. Taurus is at choice to use its brute energy either to destroy or to deliver.

A Tibetan master says, "Taurus forges the instruments of constructive living, or the destruction. It forges the chains which bind, or creates the key which unlocks the mystery of life".(1)

Astrological Archetypes

Each sign of the Zodiac is an archetype that represents a universal principle and an aspect of the human psyche. The human journey includes tests, challenges and hopefully the eventual mastery of each archetype. The sequence of the Zodiac illustrates the human development cycle from birth to death. The first sign, Aries, corresponds to the first 18 months of infancy when the child experiences no separation between itself and the outer world. The child's reality is limited to "me, here and now".(2) The spiritual lesson of Aries is to develop a strong sense of one's own identity. It is one's identity that forms the basis of all other lessons and life experiences.

Safety and Sensual Gratification

The archetype of Taurus represents the need for sensual gratification and for safety. To understand how these two are related, we must understand the early years of the human development process.

Taurus represents the second stage in human development when the perceptual framework of the individual is enlarged to include more than his or her own being and needs. At about the age of 18 months, the infant becomes aware of the fact there are other beings and an environment, which are not predictably controllable, that exist separate from himself. The child wakes up to the disturbing realization that his surrounding reality has its own autonomy. It "can change, it can frustrate, it can intrude, mother can leave and not come back"!(3)

The experience of separation and lack of control gives rise to the urgent need to guarantee the security of one's own existence. At this stage the child becomes very insecure and overly sensitive to any changes that might be perceived as abandonment. He needs continual reassurance that his mother is present, that he is loved and that his world is there for him. To deal with the fact that he is not omnipotent, the child seeks proof that his environment and relationships are safe, stable and predictable. Thus the Teddy Bear and the security blanket are born-objects which soothe and provide a sense of safety. It is at this stage of development that the concepts of ownership and attachment become a part of the individual's reality.

"If the mother is sufficiently available and responsive to her child's need for love and reassurance", the child will internalize a feeling of mothering that is "sufficiently stable and permanent that it can be evoked by the child in the absence of the actual mothering person." ... "The child is able to draw upon the mental representation of mother in a way that allows for self-soothing and self-comforting, just as if the mother were present, constantly, inside. She becomes the ground of the child's love of self. And it is precisely this capacity for self-love that enables the self-concept to remain stable even in the face of mildly frightening or frustrating experiences. That is, the child is able to hold on to a positive self-image despite momentary experiences of pain because he or she has internalized a loving function that previously was provided by the mother".(4)

Self-Image and Self-Love

Prior to the age of three, the child identifies with what he is experiencing in the moment. If it is a "bad" experience, he identifies himself as "bad." If it is a "good" experience, he identifies himself as "good." It is the internalization of the mother's love and the child's own self love that enable the individual to have experiences (and possessions) and maintain a separate sense of self. The archetype of Taurus represents this capacity of self-love that forms the foundation of a secure and stable sense of identity, independent of experiences and changes in one's environment and relationships. Taurus is the homeostatic mechanism that maintains a grounded and consistent sense of self.

The young child not only discovers the external world, he also discovers his own body. He learns that his body is a source of control, action and pleasure. The child learns to use his body for sensual gratification and physical pleasures. It is the physical contact with his Teddy Bear, the blanket, the mud pies and the ice cream cone that give the child a sense of security and reassure him that his world is safe, and that he himself is real and permanent.(5)

The archetype of Taurus represents the need for safety, security and sensual gratification. From the brief description above we can understand developmentally how these are intricately related. We can also begin to understand that if the young Taurus does not receive the motherly love and reassurance that she needs, her ability to attain the experience of safety and security that she requires will be thwarted. From this innermost need of an experience of self-love is born many therapies, including the inner child therapy of re-parenting (or self-parenting) your own inner child.

Venus - Goddess of Pleasure and Happiness

Venus is the Planet associated with Taurus. The goddess Venus and Aphrodite in Greek mythology embody the same childlike uninhibited delight in physical pleasures. The sexual license and abandon of temple harlots in ancient times were "trained to be a mortal vessel of the divine joy and ecstasy of the goddess".(6) Far from being demeaned by their role, high value was placed on their role as a "generator of the creativity life force in men". The spontaneous sensuality of Venus, Aphrodite and indeed Taurus is unattached. Her absolute power of attraction comes from the fact that she is totally secure within herself. Because she is not vulnerable, she can genuinely love.

She does not have to do anything to be loved. She is loved for who she is. She is the beloved, the goddess personified and she knows it. She emanates love. Her love comes from within and she generates self-contained pleasure from the experience of her own body. It is her own self-love that makes it possible to enjoy her body and her lover without being attached, possessed, or dependent upon another for her security.

Venus and Taurus are concerned with pleasure, comfort and physical gratification. Venus teaches Taurus how to get what she wants and how to enjoy what she gets. Venus teaches Taurus to avoid suffering by focusing her energies on what makes her happy, and to avoid vulnerability by being self-sufficient and unattached.

Venus values happiness. Venus values what gives her pleasure and security and what makes her feel good. Venus's domain includes the acquisition of material objects, having experiences, and attracting relationships for the pleasure and security that they offer. Venus also teaches us to seek in our own lives the beauty and harmony found in the world of nature.

If Taurus integrates the wise counsel of Venus and internally generates her own love, she will not be anxious about being loved. True to her own methodical nature, she will ease into relationships in a relaxed way, establishing trust at a slow and cautious pace. The Bull teaches us that mutual trust is possible if both individuals are rooted in their own self-security. Self-love makes the partner lovable and assures the other that they will not be burdened with the impossible responsibility of making the other person feel loved.

The evolved Taurus embodies this calm, relaxed, serene presence which exudes sensuality. Taurus is beautiful, earthy, touchable, inviting and desirable. "Taurus is the fertile field waiting to be plowed. It cannot be overstated that Taurus is first and foremost committed to the pleasure of one's own body. With Jupiter in Taurus on the Ascendant, Mae West put it best when she purred, 'Too much of a good thing can be wonderful'".(7)

Taurus is the ground of our being. Taurus is the secure, stable sense of self. Taurus is the embodied self that is firmly rooted in self-love. Taurus teaches us that we must first be grounded in the pleasurable sensation of our own bodies, before we can share this experience with someone else. Taurus must feel safe in her own body, and secure within her own physical and energetic boundaries, before she can allow another to enter her space. Taurus instructs us how to build the foundation that gives us the capacity for sexual enjoyment.(8)

Value and Desire

Taurus is traditionally associated with the acquisition of possessions, the capacity and need to earn a livelihood and the desire and need for security. All of the above reflect the basic desire to feel secure and safe in this world. Although attention is often placed on the physical manifestations of security, the basic motivation is an inner, instinctual need, which often has little to do with tangible objects or physical situations. The deeper meaning and significance of the lessons and gifts of Taurus relate to the desire nature of the human being. What we desire is in the end what we value. The question and the path for Taurus are to direct her desire nature toward the achievement of the values that lead her to an experience of true security and contentment.

The human desire nature is driven to possess things outside oneself. This external orientation of our desire energies is undoubtedly aided by our consumer society and by the religions that teach us that God is outside ourselves. The basic urge to possess is driven by DESIRE, fueled by the belief of VALUE and worth, and egged on by our spiritual quest for MEANING. However, since the basic Taurean desire is for security and everything outside ourselves changes and is beyond our control, the Bull eventually realizes that the only permanent possessions are to be found as qualities within herself. All physical possessions, financial gains, social status and relationships can be taken away, destroyed, lost or devalued. Only her mental attitudes, emotional stability and spiritual attributes can give her the sense of security and permanence that she searches for.(9) What Taurus seeks is in the end an inner quality or state of being.

The Bull's spiritual quest is for illumination - to enlighten and uplift herself and the physical plane. The challenge is to not become trapped in the same physical plane that she is here to enlighten. Taurus' basic desire energy provides the fuel for incentive and motivation. The challenge for Taurus is to use her desire energy for spiritual aspiration, which translates into the urge to liberate herself and other human beings from the attachment to matter.(10) It takes the steadfast determined abilities of Taurus to take on a task of this magnitude.

Head and Heart - Buddha and Christ

The teachings of the Buddha embody the lessons of Taurus. The Buddha (who lived during the Age of Taurus) taught that detachment from desire is how we achieve an experience of the Light. He taught how to awaken the third eye or the Eye of the Bull. When the inner eye of consciousness is open, the expression of the Soul can be manifested in daily life through the guidance of the intuition. The fullest expression of our human beingness can be achieved when we are awakened within.

There is a special relationship between the heart, which is the Christ center, and the brow, which is the Buddhic center. The brow is Wisdom and the heart is Love. When the two centers are both open and connected, the unfoldment of the highest expression of our humanity is possible. As we open our hearts and higher minds, we internalize and externalize both the Christ and Buddhic aspects of ourselves. Taurus' challenge and assignment is to help us free ourselves from the bonds of materiality and possessiveness, so that the consciousness of Wisdom and Love can be achieved.(11)

Transformation requires forging a clear channel so that the way can be seen. Denser energies must be transmuted to higher energies so that individual will can embody Divine Will. This process necessitates detachment and the redirection of desire, which in turn frees us from the chains that limit the greater expression of our humanity.(12)

Phases of Development

Each sign and indeed each individual passes through various phases of development in his or her earthly journey. Below we discuss these phases in terms of asleep consciousness, awakening consciousness and an awake individual.

The Sleeping Bull

Fear of poverty is a common theme of the sleeping Bull. The fear is so deep that even when the Bull has succeeded in accumulating significant wealth, she often cannot enjoy what she has. If this fear of lack persists, no amount will be enough to make her feel secure.

The Bull may have a physically comfortable childhood, but if she is denied a sense of personal worth and inner values she may sell herself for external proof of security, not because she actually needs it but because she does not value herself.(13) Again external criteria, not internal values, command the psyche of the sleeping Bull.

The common thread is a fearful psychological state, accompanied by the ambivalence of wanting and needing something, but going for the wrong object. The basic lesson to be learned is to shift from a dependency on external values to a reliance on inner ones. The wake-up calls for the Bull often involve situations that force her to look at what she values most, how it is impacting her life, and how changes in her value structure will help her achieve what she really wants.

Another manifestation of the sleeping Bull is an intolerance of her own and others' humanity. She denies herself the pleasures of life and criticizes the greed of others. She criticizes others instead of confronting her own issues. This classic case of unconscious projection exemplifies that we hate in others what we cannot face consciously in ourselves. Actually it is the harsh judgment of ourselves and the lack of self-love that drive our worst fears deep into our unconscious. The result is PROJECTION - we cannot objectively see others and situations as they actually are. Instead our interpretation of their behavior and characteristics is a reflection of our own negative qualities.(14)

Because she is controlled by her unconscious emotional desires, asleep Taurus can be both compulsive and predatory.

The sleeping Bull is earth-bound. She is consumed by her urge to acquire beautiful things and have experiences that give her physical pleasure. Her instinctive desire to possess physical objects, and provoke emotional sensations, is driven by her stubborn determination to get what she wants. Her will is used for the attainment of "the good life", sensual and sexual pleasures. Taurus in innately magnetic. Asleep Taurus is controlled by the magnetism of matter.

The Awakening Bull

Taurus must immerse herself in matter so that she can learn all the lessons inherent in physical reality. She must become conscious of the duality between spirit and matter before she can learn discrimination in the physical world.(15) She must examine her value structure and find out what will give her the security that she craves. Like digging for the mineral and crystal gems in the Earth, Taurus must dig deep to access the hidden resources in her own psyche. She must examine her personal values and align them with her inner core, and eliminate those that are a by-product of social conditioning and poor parenting. The Bull must learn not to depend on the material world for her inner security. She must free herself of the bondage and insecurities caused by physical attachments whether they be money, possessions, situations or relationships.

The Bull must rid herself of self-defeatist attitudes, victim trips and blaming mentalities. For the Bull, freedom and security are born from self-worth, self-appreciation, autonomy, self-reliance and the creative expression of her own unique, often artistic, talents. Taurus learns that shame and guilt must go. Total surrender to unrestricted physical pleasure is necessary to release the energy trapped in her body.

Taurus' values determine the direction of her will. The primary test of the awakening Bull is to redirect her desire nature toward the values that will lead her to true satisfaction, security and happiness. The Bull learns through direct experience. This may seem to be true of all human beings. However, I have observed how some Pisces are able to "learn from history", and glean lessons from other experiences, to avoid having to repeat the same mistakes. It is the pain and suffering that the Bull's desires have caused her that motivates her to redirect her desire energy. The awakening Bull knows she must find more rewarding and less destructive ways to nurture herself and express herself freely. As she turns her energy inward, her artistic and creative potency is revealed. As the Bull learns to move her sexual energy upward toward the throat chakra, right speech and right livelihood lead to the right use of Will.(16)

Taurus must learn how to reconcile and indeed connect and align her inner and outer worlds. For Taurus there is no greater teacher and healer than Nature herself.

Every sign must learn now to reconcile apparent opposites in a harmonious and constructive way. For Taurus the apparent duality is between physical wealth and spirituality. The challenge is to accept matter and integrate it as an expression of spiritual values. The body must be honored and used as a vehicle for the higher expression of the soul. Her physical body must be cared for to facilitate the masterful use by the mind and emotions to serve her inner purpose. The persistence of Taurus is required to reach the center of the labyrinth where the unquestionable core value of Self is to be found.

The Awakened Bull

Liberated from the chains of desire and the attachment to matter, the awake Bull is free to totally enjoy the beauty of life on Planet Earth and the richness of the human experience. The awakened Bull's touchstones might be "I want what I have". "I have myself". "I desire the Light". Indeed the awakened Bull is a true healer and white magician who is capable of spiritualizing matter by infusing it with Light.

The awakened Bull has passed some of the most difficult human tests. She has achieved the state of consciousness of mind over matter. Her will commands over her desires. Her Soul's vision of spiritual reality is awakened and seen through the cosmic Eye of the Bull, which sees only Light. From the Eye the Bull radiates a steady beam of Light which clearly points the way of artful, spiritual living. Her spiritual presence inspires and her expression of Divine Will leads. Her artistic expression of life frees, uplifts and transforms everyone and everything she comes in contact with.(17)

The Bull has merged with the forces of Nature to become the Earthly embodiment of the Divine Mother. As the Earth Mother she teaches and nurtures all her children. As the Earthly Goddess of both Light and Love she blesses all.

Keywords

Asleep	Awakening	Awake
Instinctual	Directed	Released
I have you	and I share	It is all ours
Blind will	Focused will	Transcendental will
Basic form	Refined form	Released from form
Earthly desire	Aspiration	Embodiment of will
Conflict	Harmony through conflict	Resolution of conflict
Stubborn	Resolute	Will-filled
Horns of desire	Horns of struggle	Horns of plenty
Selfish will	Dualistic will	Goodwill(18)

Meditation to Remove All Obstacles

Yogi Bhajan has given the following Kundalini Yoga meditation to do during this period of time - while the planets are in Taurus, and also to be able to deal with the intensity of the energy and the challenges, during the shift to the New Millennium and the Aquarian Age.

This meditation has 40 sounds. It effects the 5 tattvas (air, water, fire, earth, ether), the 7 chakras and the arc line. This mantra can penetrate into anything and help avoid misfortune. It has the power to break through any resistance or obstacles. It is sacred but it is not secret. This meditation was given by Yogi Bhajan to be successful during these challenging times.

HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR - repeat before each of the following mantras Pump the navel center (below the navel) with each Har. Use the tip of the tongue. Chant in a monotone, enunciating clearly each syllable or chant to a tape:

GOBINDE - Go bin day - Sustainer

MUKUNDE - Mu kun day - Liberator

UDARE - Oo dar ay - Enlightener

APARE - A par ay - Infinite

HARING - Har e ung - Destroyer

KARING - Kar e ung - Creator

NIRNAME - Nir na may - Nameless

AKAME - A ka may - Desireless

Choose one mudra and do for 40 or 90 days for 11 minutes.

Thumb touching Jupiter finger( index)- to remove all obstacles

Thumb touching Saturn finger (middle)- for inner purity

Thumb touching Sun finger (ring)-for health, prosperity and friendship All the resources that you need will come to you.

Thumb touching Mercury finger (little)- for clear communication

See Mudra page on the Kundalini Yoga Web Site.

References and Footnotes

"Soul-Centered Astrology", Alan Oken, The Crossing Press, Freedom, CA, 1990, pp. 166-172.

"Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil", Liz Green, Samuel Weiser, Inc, York Beach, Maine, 1976, pp. 34-41.

"Alive and Well with Pluto", Bil Tierney, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN, 1999, pp. 113-127.

"Pluto Pathology", Glenn Perry, The Mountain Astrologer, Feb-March 1999, Issue #83, pp28-32+.

1. Oken, P. 170
2. Perry, p. 29.
3. Perry, p. 29.
4. Perry, p. 29.
5. Perry, p. 30.
6. Perry, p. 30.
7. Perry, p. 31.
8. Perry, p. 31.
9. Green, p. 39.
10. Oken, p. 167.
11. Oken, p. 168.
12. Oken. p. 170.
13. Green, p. 38.
14. Green, pp. 39-40.
15. Oken, p. 172.
16. Oken, p. 171.
17. Oken, p. 171.
18. Oken, p. 172.

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