Archetypes of Taurus

[Jim Eshelman]

An irony in the symbolism of Taurus is that it is the only constellation to have double female regency - Venus-ruled, Moon exalted - and yet, in every culture where a zodiac has existed, it has been portrayed as a distinctly masculine creature. It isn't the cow: It's the bull.

Furthermore, in the ancient Egyptian language at the time the zodiac was in formation, the word for bull and the word for phallus were spelled identically. By "bull" they quite intentionally meant something with a penis. If you look at Fagan's diagram including ancient hieroglyphs of the constellations on page 108 of Astrological Origins, there is no mistaking the erect, uncircumcized penis with scrotum.

Etymology informs us that the English words "bull" and "phallus" come from the same roots - same as "bellows," "balloon," "ball," and, frankly most things that you can inflate.

In the 1970s I had a letter published in American Astrology's "Many Things" column discussing a Mesopotamian ancient tablet that showed Taurus specifically as "The Bull Out Front." As a teenaged male, I remember that I thought that was hilariously pornographic.

The zodiac was forged while Taurus marked the (northern hemisphere) vernal equinox. This made it the first sign of the zodiac (the real meaning of "The Bull Out Front," of course). This also equated it with all the bursting forth of reproductive life in spring. Those who are familiar with the symbolism of the Hebrew letter Alef - the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, associated with the idea of "ox" or "bull," corresponding in Qabbalah to the primal life force especially as it streams forth in spring.

In his book Symbolism of the Constellations, Fagan told us that the Babylonian name for Taurus was gud.an.nu, "Bull of Heaven." To the Egyptians, it was Pa Ka,"the Bull" (also "the Phallus"); and, he remarked, the name for Taurus was followed by a determinative portraying the phallus (I think it was the same one mentioned above in the table in AO).

The primal symbol of Taurus, then, is the ejaculating phallus as a symbol of forth-streaming life-essence. It is the essence of Eros and, to the Greeks when they attributed gods instead of planets to the signs, its regent was Aphrodite (Venus) and, secondarily, her son Eros (Cupid).

In the cycle of human life-experience, Taurus, as the first constellation of the zodiac, symbolizes the ejaculation that starts the process of incarnation; and yet (as mentioned at the top), Moon and Venus are its regents.

All ideas of Taurus come from this archetype and its associated symbols.

[Danica]

There's also the often overlooked fact of how Fiery and Fierce (I'm tempted to say penetrative) Venus herself can be. Think: intense emotions.

[SteveS]

To me, this thread becomes even more interesting when I consider the astrological fact O Taurus on the Vernal Point timed the known beginning of the first greatest and longest lasting civilization ever known to History---The Ancient Egyptian Civilization. And, it becomes event more interesting to me when by historical accounts, the proven cultural peak of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization occurred when Aldebaran a greater Star (15 degree Taurus) came to the Vernal Point. AFAIC with my study of Ancient Egypt, the most enlightenment pertaining to many cultural aspects was manifested onto Ancient Egypt when Aldebaran (another Sun) was partile conjunct our Solar System Sun as both conjunct the Vernal Point.

Obviously, we can astrologically/symbolically see the Principle of the Saying: "Mother Earth" (Venus & Moon being the regents of Taurus) when Mother Earth was impregnated with the Universal Phallus symbolic principles of Taurus, creating (giving birth to) the first known great civilization of the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Egyptian Priest/Astrologers damn sure knew their universal astrological symbolism.

[Jim Eshelman]

I think you meant 30° Taurus, not 0°, since the VP conjoined Aldebaran about a thousand years before it retrograded to 0°.

[SteveS]

Indeed Jim, I meant 30 degrees Taurus by Precession. Thanks for the correction.

[Soft Alpaca]

That would mean that the Egyptians both rise and peaked at the climax of taurus (the phallus/the bull)... Now that's some imagery.

[SteveS]

Soft Alpaca wrote:

That would mean that the Egyptians both rise and peaked at the climax of taurus (the phallus/the bull)... Now that's some imagery.

Particularly when we think of the peak of the cultural climax at 15 degree Taurus with the Star Aldebaran coming to a conjunction on the Vernal Point on a Spring Equinox. I know of no other mundane astrological reason as to WHY the Ancient Egyptian culture peaked/climaxed at this time in history. To me, this distinctly raises the real possibility the astrological ages with certain stars with the 25,920 Cycle of Precession related to the Vernal Point have something to do with spiritual/cultural consciousness of humankind, all related to the apparent astronomical position of the Sidereal Zodiac with Spring Equinox(s). This knowledge has been lost! The Ancient Egyptian Priests/Astrologers record keeping understood astrologically certain positions of Stars in the SZ behind our Sun on a Spring Equinox, esoterically as it related to the Planet's Consciousness, imo. The entire Giza Complex is astronomically set to the Spring Equinox--- when astronomically understood properly with its Great Monuments! The Giza Complex studied astronomically has become an elixir for my astrological consciousness when viewed with the Sidereal Zodiac which lays behind our Solar System Sun. Certain so called psychedelic drugs started me on my vision quest with Giza. I could go on and on but....

[By Jove]

IMO the philosophies of Donatien Sade and Oswald Spengler are as archetypically "Taurian" as one can imagine.