Mary Jo Wevers

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The Spiritual Nature of Taurus

A common misconception is that spirituality and materialism are diametrically opposed approaches to life. Materialism is often equated with a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. Spirituality is sometimes described as a school of thought that claims spirit is distinct from matter, superior to the physical world. On occasion it teaches that spirituality is the only reality and the physical world and materialism should be subjugated or rejected.

In astrology the Second House of Substance in the horoscope corresponds to areas of life that have to do with our personal resources, money and possessions, and our material attachments. This house also contains themes and issues around personal values, how we attract abundance into our life, and the creature comforts we allow ourselves. Questions typically associated with this house include, “What conflicts do I have between having earthly possessions and my spiritual nature? How can I integrate my material and spiritual values? How do I create feelings of self-worth and value?” There is an underlying theme of incompatibility between materialism and spirituality, and the struggle to reconcile or balance the two. 

The sign of Taurus is the ruler of the Second House, meaning its style of expression and areas of interest are naturally associated with the areas of life of the Second House. Taurus recognizes that spirit infuses all matter on earth. It loves and appreciates the natural world and all forms of life as vessels for spirit to experience physicality.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Through Taurus we learn to manifest the beauty of spirit through the physical body. We connect to the world around us via our physical senses. We value the material world and the tangible things the physical world provides to sustain and support us while we are here. We work with physical matter to create tangible objects of practical beauty that are creative expressions of our spirit. Through Taurus, we understand how spirituality and materialism are merged and unified. We find spiritual meaning in our physical existence. 

“The body is condensed Soul.”

― LiYana Silver

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Uranus in Taurus:  Reforming our Relationship with Nature

Uranus is the archetypal force of change and revolutionary transformation. Uranus breaks down, breaks through, and deconstructs old structures that have outlived their usefulness. It displaces and overthrows established attitudes and systems. It liberates us from the confines of convention and urges us to create anew. It is a hurricane-like force destroying that which no longer serves us, or limits our freedom to grow and progress into the future.

Uranus rules sudden, unexpected and unpredictable changes of a radical and shocking nature that shake us up. The force of Uranus rushing through our lives and disrupting our routines can feel disquieting, unsettling, even traumatizing. The world we knew has lost the form and structure we depended upon for security and stability. We perceive the world as chaotic. 

The word chaos is borrowed from the Greek word for “abyss,” the primeval emptiness of the universe, a formless, empty void. The Roman philosopher Ovid later described chaos as a formless, disorganized mass.The force of Uranus reduces systems and constructs to pure energy, without order, or structure. Within this formless chaos, we have the greatest power to bring about significant change. We can choose to create new systems and structures based on new values and organizing principles, new paradigms. 

With Uranus expressing its archetypal force through the sign of Taurus, we are witnessing the break down of old systems and structures we have depended upon for physical safety and material security. Conventional farming practices have poisoned the earth. Food production systems no longer support human health and well being. Air pollution, the destruction of forest biomes, and increasing use of traditional fossil fuels is causing global warming with its dire consequences. We are destroying the resiliency of nature and its ability to support life on our planet. Attitudes that led to commodifying nature, extracting her resources to maximize short-term financial gain for the elite few are ripe for change.

Conventional ideology about the natural world and the role of humans on the planet contain notions that we are above nature, we are superior and of greater value than other living things, and therefore can exploit them. We view nature as inefficiently designed for our myopic needs, superfluous or unnecessary, even dangerous and to be eliminated. We believe we have the power and the right to control and exploit it. 

It is time to adopt some humility, and recognize we know very little about the complexity of the natural world, the interconnectedness and interdependency of its constituents. We understand very little about the ways myriad forms of life adapt to changing conditions and cycles of time within their ecosystems. We need to shed the belief that we can control nature for our own selfish reasons. We need to radically change our view that that we are separate from the natural world, which leads to us feeling disconnected and outside of it. Instead we need to understand how we are part of it, and reform our ways of living and participate in life within it. The land does not belong to us. Rather we belong to the land. 

We can restore our sense of peace and security in a chaotic world by grounding ourselves in nature, in the web of life. Feel the life force in the soil beneath your feet. Breathe the air slowly and deeply. Find calm and nourish your spirit in water. Tune into the cycles of nature with its seasons, the monthly lunar cycle, and the daily cycle of light and dark. Pay attention to how your animal body is synchronized with these cycles. Sensing the interconnectedness of all living things in nature, and being a part of it, is life affirming.

“The body is condensed Soul.” ― LiYana Silver

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Re-forming our Vision of Venus

The planet Venus is named after the Roman goddess of beauty and love. To the Greeks she was known as Aphrodite. She is perhaps the most ancient and primal of all the goddesses around the world, and has had many names from many cultures over human history. She is often referred to as the Goddess of Love, and the Goddess of Generation due to her creative powers of attraction, abundance and prosperity. She is associated with the lush fertile greenness on our planet, and the life giving force it provides to animals and humankind.

As an archetypal figure Venus embodies the power of spirit to attract and animate matter. Venus expresses love in the world by drawing to her the prima materia to bring Spirit into physical form. She provides warmth and substance. She holds, cares for and preserves the seed: the embryo form of beauty gestating in our earthly world. Venus represents our ability, as spiritual beings having a human experience, to manifest the beauty of spirit through our corporeal selves and by working with material resources in the world to create tangible objects of practical beauty.

All human creative endeavors, including mythology, are influenced by the cultural paradigms, beliefs and assumptions of their time and place. The Greek and Roman myths we know are a product of the patriarchal worldview of the past three thousand or more years. The archetypal figures in Greek and Roman mythology and their stories are all interpreted and told through a misogynist lens. Masculine endeavors and traits are over-valued in the patriarchal system, while the feminine are under-valued, even denigrated.

Reforming Uranus conjoining the Taurus Sun this month directs us to break through the old patriarchal view of Venus and revise our attitudes, stories and interpretations of this important feminine archetype. It is high time to up-date and modernize our vision of the Divine Feminine principle. Getting back to basics, looking at Venus and her sign of Taurus from an energetic level may help us see her in a truer light. As a receptive fixed earth sign, Taurus is patient and loyal, warm and generous, earth centered, and practically creative. Connecting with the earth through all our bodily senses can help bring us into direct contact with Taurus’ planetary ruler Venus, and develop a greater appreciation and understanding of her archetypal principle.

“The body is condensed Soul.” – LiYana Silver

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Cultivating Serenity during Times of Uncertainty

The sign of Taurus is known for its grounded serenity, which comes from its sensory, tactile connection to the earth and material substance. It is practically creative and loves artistic forms of expression that engage and delight the senses. Stable and calm, it is slow to anger. It prefers quiet, tranquil, pastoral surroundings that soothe and pacify the spirit. 

During these times of great uncertainty, we can cultivate qualities of Taurus to create inner stability and security for ourselves. Here are some suggestions.

♉︎   Pause during the day, and center yourself in your body. Feel grounded, anchored to the earth. Feel its support beneath you. Become aware of your breath. Follow the cycle of inhalations and exhalations, allowing yourself to relax more fully with each out breath. Taking time for this exercise quiets the mind and turns our awareness inward, allowing us to connect with our true presence in the moment. 

♉︎   Simplify your life. With shelter in place orders, we are forced to withdraw from busy routines in the outside world and are spending more time at home. This is a good time to clean out and clear out the clutter. Sort through your belongings, paying attention to what you really value in life, and really need. Taurus values its possessions for the satisfaction, gratification, and comfort they provide. Align with the energy of Uranus in Taurus by releasing attachments to things that do not, as Marie Kondo says, “spark joy.” Creating physical, mental and emotional space in your life this way will give you greater ease, peace, and relaxation.

♉︎   Delight your senses with simple pleasures. Taurus connects to the natural world through its sensory experiences. It enjoys good food, art, listening to music, feeling the sun and soft breezes outdoors, and the pleasant fragrance of spring blooms. Find ways to take pleasure in creature comforts. Explore new ways to create objects of practical beauty through artistic crafts such as pottery, sculpture, or painting. Uranus in Taurus enables us to maintain satisfying connections with loved ones through technology. 

♉︎   Spend time in nature. Being immersed in the natural world brings us closer to what we truly need as physical beings. Warmth, shelter, garden-grown food, beautiful landscapes and sunset skies are priceless in a world filled with rampant consumerism. Uranus in Taurus helps free us from over-accumulation, hoarding, and the desire for more and more material wealth and possessions. Spending time outdoors supports our immune system and helps us stay happy and healthy.

♉︎   Find spiritual meaning in your day-to-day life. Taurus’ function is to love and appreciate spirit in physical form. It recognizes that spirit infuses all matter on earth, and through its spiritual awareness finds meaning in its physicality. When we are calm, centered and grounded, we allow Spirit to come through, and are able to receive Uranian downloads of wisdom, comfort and insight.

“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.” – John Muir

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Symbology of Venus

The planet Venus is named after the Roman goddess of beauty and love. To the Greeks she was known as Aphrodite. She is perhaps the most ancient and primal of all the goddesses around the world, and has had many names over the millennia. She is often referred to as the Goddess of Love, and the Goddess of Generation due to her creative powers of attraction, abundance and prosperity. She is associated with the lush fertile greenness on our planet, and the life giving force it provides to animals and humankind.

Venus expresses love in the world by drawing to her the prima materia to bring Spirit into physical form. She provides warmth and substance. She holds, cares and preserves the seed: the embryo form of beauty gestating in our earthly world. As an archetypal figure Venus embodies the power of spirit to attract and animate matter. Venus represents our ability, as spiritual beings having a human experience, to manifest the beauty of spirit through our corporeal selves and by working with material resources in the world to create tangible objects of practical beauty.

The glyph for Venus, sometimes called the “Mirror of Venus,” is the circle of spirit over the cross of matter. It represents the infusion of spirit into the material world through cosmic love. Martin Schulman in his book Venus, The Gift of Love explains with spirit presiding above matter, the law of what is above pouring into what is below can manifest. Spiritual essence is always elevated above physical existence. When the two are connected and integrated in our life we experience beauty. If we identify too much with the cross of matter, we distance our self from our own spiritual nature. If we identify too much with spirit, we have difficulty grounding our self and finding outlets for spirit to express itself through our physicality.

Venus is the ruling planet of the sign of Taurus. Through Venus we connect to the world around us via our physical body and its senses. Glenn Perry in The Zodiac as a Developmental Stage Model correlates Taurus with the very early stage of life when we develop an awareness of our body and its functions. We begin to develop some level of control over it while experiencing pleasure through its senses. We become aware that the world external to our self can be unpredictable, changeable, frustrating, and even unsafe. In response, we develop an urge or need to feel secure, safe, and to seek stability and constancy. We develop an appreciation of and attachment to objects that provide us with a feeling of security. We want to acquire and possess them as our own, so we can feel permanence and stability, peace and serenity.

Venus determines our natural instinctual physical needs and desires. She defines our ability to experience comfort and contentment in the physical world. She reveals our natural talent for experiencing pleasure. She indicates the tangible possessions and material goods we are attracted to for the abundance and security they represent to us. She defines what we find valuable. She represents what we appreciate and love for the beauty and physical connections they provide in our life.

Venus rules prosperity and our capacity for enjoyment. She gives us the power to draw towards us what we desire. She encourages us to validate and fulfill our personal needs and desires for sensual and sexual gratification. She wants us to receive pleasure, to delight in the good things of life, and feel good about it. If we do not feel prosperous we may become jealous, possessive and greedy. If we are too attached to the material world we can become vain, self-indulgent and lazy. If our Venus urge is denied or unfulfilled we can become covetous, lustful and even vindictive.

Venus rules the early stages of sexual attraction and union. She determines our personal desires and receptivity to a potential sexual partner. In a woman Venus represents what is important to feel feminine, sensual and attractive. Venus is often projected in a man’s chart. It represents what he needs in a woman to feel attracted to her and help him understand his anima, his own Venus energy. The first stage of sexual attraction involves personal magnetism, pheromones and hormones. The unconscious biochemical attraction or repulsion we feel towards others is the initial “Venus phase” of a relationship. When we experience the right “chemistry” and are attracted to another, we experience an urge to gratify our Venusian needs and experience pleasure. The Venus phase of a relationship usually lasts 6 months to a year, one cycle of the planet Venus through the zodiac. Once this early stage of relationship is over, other forces and drives must come into play for a relationship to continue and blossom.