Happy Birthday, Taurus #astrology

According to classical astrology, this year the sun enters the sign of Taurus on April 19 at 1:27PM PT and exits on May 20. So what does it mean to be born under this sign?

Do you remember Ferdinand the Bull, from the story by Munro Leaf or the Disney cartoon? Ferdinand was the bull who prefer to smell the flowers rather than fight in the bull ring. Well, Ferdinand was a perfect metaphor for the sign of Taurus.

In real life, the bull is a symbol or power and potency, but the sun sign Taurus is a “feminine” sign ruled by Venus, the love planet. Like the bull, Taurus is slow to anger, but dangerous when provoked. My mother was a Taurus, and while she was usually quite easy-going, I learned that she was a force to be reckoned with on the rare occasions she lost her temper. Most of the time she played peacekeeper, a role much needed in a household containing two Scorpios and an Aries.

Taurus as beautiful girl


Illustration of Taurus astrological sign as a beautiful girl.

Taurus is a fixed, earth sign. My mother wasn’t crazy about change, but she sure had a green thumb. She could make almost anything grow and loved to garden. Like most people born under the sign, she had a lot of patience, but could be stubborn. It’s a fixed sign, after all. The typical Taurus has a love of beauty combined with exquisite taste. My mom used to joke about having champagne tastes on a beer pocketbook. But being a practical Taurus, she never spent more money than she had. (Taurus can be notoriously tight-fisted, but also good at managing other people’s money.)

Taurus can be a loving, peaceful companion. Compatible signs include the other earth signs of Virgo and Capricorn as well as the water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.

Taurus often has a musical or artistic bent. My mother loved music and had a lovely singing voice, which I, alas, did not inherit. Famous people born under the sign include Fred Astaire, Lionel Barrymore, Johannes Brahms, Catherine the Great, Gary Cooper, Oliver Cromwell, Bing Crosby, Elizabeth II, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Fonda, ballerina Margot Fontyn, Sigmund Freud, Ulysses Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Adolph Hitler, Willie Mays, Vladimir Nobokov, Robespierre, Barbra Streisand, Shirley Temple, Harry S. Truman and Orson Welles.

Is there a Taurus in your life?

Linda

Welcoming Spring, Celebrating Aries #astrology

Beautiful vector watercolor illustration of Aries constellation © ZeninaAsya

Spring began at 3:28AM, Pacific Time, today March 20, as the sun moved into the zodiacal sign of Aries. This is the beginning of the astrological year, so Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac. (Back in the old days, they calculated the year from vernal equinox until the next vernal equinox.)

As such, Aries is considered the “baby” of all the signs. It’s the one that represents individualism and ego. People born under this sign are sometimes thought to be self-centered, just as the infant thinks himself the center of the universe, as he or she indeed is. Personally, I don’t think people born under the sign of Aries are any more infantile or self-centered than other signs, but maybe I’m biased since this is my sun sign. Aries isn’t the only one who likes to be the center of attention, right, Leo? Hm, maybe that’s why my cousin Beverly and I didn’t get along as children. (She’s a Leo.)

ramAries’s symbol is the Ram, its ruler is Mars, and it’s a cardinal fire sign, so there’s often nothing subtle about Aries, and women born under this sign are no exception. Consider Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. It’s also interesting that the actresses who played Xena and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are both Aries. People born under the sign do kind of tend to go after what they want in a single-minded, head down, look out kind of way. It’s a good thing the Ram has strong horns. Aries people can be headstrong, impulsive, and hot-tempered, but also warm-hearted, generous and idealistic.

redhead girl

Aries astrological sign. Vector illustration with portrait of a redhead girl © vgorbash

Compatible signs include the other fire signs, Leo and Sagittarius, and the air signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. I married an Aquarian and it was a pretty good match. His rational calm kept me from racing off the edge of a cliff, while my need to get out and go kept him from falling into too much of a rut!

Famous people born under the sign of Aries include Otto Von Bismark, Marlon Brando, Charlie Chaplin, Russell Crowe, Sarah Michelle Geller, Harry Houdini, Thomas Jefferson, Ahley Judd, Lucy Lawless, Clare Booth Luce, Nikita Khrushev, Eugene McCarthy, Andrew Mellon, J. P. Morgan, Gloria Swanson, Vincent Van Gogh, Werner Von Braun and Tennessee Williams.

Is there an Aries in your life?

Linda

Most people don’t know that I used to be a serious student of astrology, and I still find it interesting. I used to do a monthly astrology post at my other blog, and I think I’ll resurrect it here. Watch for Taurus next month!