Taurus: April 21st to May 20th
Second sign of the Zodiac, Taurus is linked to the EARTH element (as are Virgo and Capricorn). It represents the fulfillment of spring fertility (begun in the previous sign, with the awakening of the creative forces of nature in Aries).Psychologically, Taurus refers to the relationship that each individual has, in childhood, with the family environment and the closest protective figures. It is the moment when instinct (the pleasure principle, to use Freud's language) gives way to the reality principle.
In these terms, in Taurus, affective, sexual and emotional behavior is outlined, that is, how desires and pleasure will be achieved by the subject in his adult life. In an analysis of the astrological chart, even if the person analyzed is not of this sign, it should be noted in which position Taurus is found.
On the negative side, Taurus can adopt a destructive or regressive posture. In the myths, we see that this animal either kills or must be sacrificed. It is necessary to understand that this “death” refers to the separation, to the end of the child-parents bond. (corresponding to the oral phase, according to Freud), that is, the awakening of consciousness and the search for pleasure aimed at the concrete, real world.
Taurus is the sign of creative people—solar and bright. His genius springs from the sacrifice of his instinctual life in favor of thought. It expresses the vegetative, “ruminant” rhythm. His intelligence is practical, his experiences are turned to the concrete world; disguises their restlessness well, their reactions to stimuli are slower.
The bull appears in all cultures of the Mediterranean Sea region as a symbol of the Sun, fertility and maternal food; also of the most unbridled and instinctive sensuality.
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The myth corresponding to the sign of Taurus is found in Egypt, and corresponds to the gods Osiris and Isis (both could be represented with horns, symbol of fertility). In India, we see the god Shiva represented on the back of a bull; in the worship of the god Mithra, bulls are sacrificed in his honor. In Greece, we have the episode of Theseus killing the Minotaur in the labyrinth of Crete. From the XNUMXnd century onwards, the cult of Mithra becomes one of the most important cults of the Roman Empire.
Mithra was a Persian deity, expressing the Absolute (God), represented by the Sun, symbol of his strength and power. In her honor, sacred bulls were slaughtered, symbolizing the overcoming of dark instincts. As a deity in human form, Mithras was the Savior who took charge of annihilating evil, in the form of a monstrous bull. After defeating him, Mitra presents himself before the Sun himself, who crowns him and kneels in front of him. At that moment, Mitra seizes all the prerogatives and powers of the Sun.
In the Mithraic cult and in the death of the bull, the dark instincts are psychologically sacrificed. The bull is the archetype of undifferentiated instinctual energy; he is the guardian of the axis of the world, therefore, he has a transcendent destiny. Mithras intends to fulfill his nature, setting the fate of his libido, honoring his name (which means “sun” and “love”). But for that he must conquer the very aspect that keeps him away from heaven the most: he must sacrifice what is instinctive, the unbridled sexuality that is identified in the animal nature of the bull.
Therefore, in the bull there is both the polarity of supreme evil (animal instinct) and the polarity of supreme good (victory over temptation, transcendence).
Mitra slaughters the bull, refusing in himself the most accentuated libido to reach the treasures kept in the Sun. The hero sacrifices part of himself and transforms. Thus, life acquires a sense loaded with idealism. If they cannot transcend the initial phase of childhood (oral phase, according to Freud), adapting their desires to reality, Taureans can become prisoners of their own passions, surrendering to possessiveness, routine, greed and jealousy.
In carrying out his heroic task, the native of this sign demonstrates his best qualities: patience, perseverance, great willpower, practicality and stability, demonstrating great affinity with the arts and music.
References
“Astrology and Myth” – R. Sicuteri – Pensamento Publisher – São Paulo – 1978
