Taurus 9

Taurus is the first of the earth elements and its basic elemental quality is cold and dry. Its seasonal qualities are hot and wet in the Northern latitudes while cold and dry in the Southern. It is feminine whose similitude is of the nocturnal sect.Venus (Aphrodite) is the domicile ruler and the Moon has her exaltation at the 3rd°. It is the detriment of Mars at 10°. The ruler of its triplicity by day is Venus and then the Moon. By night it's ruler is the Moon and then Venus. The co-ruler by day and night is Mars.

"It is the wealth-bringing zoidion (sign) of the cosmos, earthy, rural, pertaining to freedmen, descending, unprolific, semi-vocal and mute, good, unchangeable, industrious, significant for foundations, aquisitions. . . . . Those born in this zoidion (sign) will be good, versed in handicraft, hard-working, good at preserving things, pleasure loving, music loving, generous, while some of them will be husbandmen, planters, builders."

Vettius Valens: The Anthology Book I

Aristotle proposed that the Elements changed from one to another through a cyclic process, and the model for this cyclic process of change was the cycle of the seasons. In the north, Taurus is warmer and wetter than one would expect of an earth sign.We can see in nature that after the initial "energetic" push of spring (Aries) that as the leaves and buds open, plants push deeper and strengthen their root systems. It is the transitional period when life builds the foundations necessary to sustain herself as things move from elemental wet to dry.It is these qualities that define the Taurean nature. Solid in nature, its symbolism is that of the fertility of spring brought to fruition. It is foundations; (the root system is the foundation for the plant), but it is also symbolic of objects which have permanence (Taurus is also about first time awareness of other things outside the self, introducing the idea of object permanence.) The solid quality is not necessarily in the material sense, but describes the ability to continue at length without easily quitting. Solidity is persistence. Earth is cool and dry, which describes the placid nature that planets here, are said to have.When opposite signs are contrasted, it will be found that their characteristics are also diametrically opposite. It follows then, that the characteristics of Taurus must be the antithesis of those of Scorpio, namely tameness, docility and pacifisms... contemplative in temperament - noted for patience, tolerance, and prolonged, steady application to congenial work or study. The keynote of Taurus is devotion, to a person, to an ideal, or simply to work.Taurus distributes both good and bad through the affections (the ancients say that Taurus has these qualities because it has adopted Venus as its house steward.) , and as a result, is a producer of wealth and inclines itself towards the finer arts. Which is why Taurus was a significator of acquired wealth depending on the planets found here.