This section compiles a fairly complete information about Taurus.
Sources and further recommended readings are given at the bottom of this page.

TAURUS, THE BULL

{excerpts from "Esoteric Astrology" by Alice Bailey (Pages 370,404)}

• Basis and Thoughts on Taurus
  
  
  
• Taurus ~ A Sign of Aspiration
  
  
• Fixed Cross Taurus ponderings
  
  
• Important to note
  
  
• Some Orthodox notes on Taurus
  
  
• Recommended Reading

Taurus by J. Bosschart

Basis and Thoughts on Taurus:

Excerpts mirror to SouledOut.org


Taurus ~ A Sign of Aspiration

In the sign of Taurus, when desire is transmuted into aspiration , darkness gives place to light and illumination . The eye of the bull, the spiritual third eye or the "single eye" of the New Testament, is opened. "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light," said the Christ (Matthew 6:22) . This single eye takes the place of the two eyes of the personal self. ( 1) As the attention of humanity becomes focused upon spiritual attainment, we tread the Way of Revelation .

Life is filled with revelation. The entire evolutionary process is essentially nothing but a growing revelation. The two concepts Evolution and Revelation go together. As we evolve, we perceive more than we ever knew was existent or perceptible, yet we are only perceiving what has always been there. The Way of Revelation is through the discovering and discarding of our own limitations. ( 2)

...the star Aldebaran, the "eye of the bull" in Taurus, is known as the place where the will of God is known. The evolved Taurean has an enormous capacity to visualize and manifest, powered up by their sun placement’s alignment with this stellar point of force. A potent blend of energies renders the Taurus individual capable of accomplishing much ... unfortunately, for many it is the acquisition of things that is the goal. The love of comfort and a sense of security through the possession of things are quite prevalent in many Taureans, and represent a major challenge.

In advanced humanity incarnating in Taurus, desire is ultimately transmuted into aspiration eventually leading to light and illumination. When the eye of the bull is opened (the spiritual third eye), "thy whole body shall be full of light," as Christ stated in the New Testament (Matthew 6:22) . This single eye takes the place of the two eyes of the personal self, as the attention becomes focussed upon spiritual attainment. When the soul acts as the controlling factor, and not the desiring personality, then the whole body becomes full of light.

The Buddha is associated with Taurus, said to have been born under this sign. A cornerstone of his teaching, the Buddha's 4 Noble Truths , is how to handle desire and gain liberation from the suffering caused by desiring anything. A wonderful mantram for Taurus is "giving it up to the universe," learning to surrender to the greater Will of Spirit and giving up control of the little personal will. In Taurus is also found a burning desire to know and to gain knowledge through experience. Again, we find a connection to the Buddha's teaching in his example of developing mind as a means to attain enlightenment.

Aries , Taurus, and Capricorn are the great transformers under the great creative plan, and act as catalysts. Each of them opens a door into one of the three divine centers of expression which are the symbols in the body of the planetary logos of the three higher centers in man: the head, the heart and the throat. Taurus, representing the Soul, opens the door into the Hierarchy and guards the secret of light and confers illumination upon the initiate.

Fertility and creativity are also keynotes of Taurus, and light, illumination and sound as expressions of this creative force are connected with this constellation. The "interpreter of the divine voice," as Taurus was called in ancient Egypt, can be paraphrased into Christian terminology and called the "Word made flesh." The end result of the work undertaken in Taurus, and the result of its influence, is the glorification of matter: the transmuting of the less than perfect parts of ourselves into material that in no way hinders the light of the soul pouring through.

When the vehicles have been purified completely, then the light does indeed shine through. This is why the moon is traditionally exalted in Taurus ... the lesser luminary represents the form or matter. The Taurean process ultimately produces the purified being, who radiates the light perfectly. Through the influence of Venus, the ruler of this sign and ever the symbol of earthly and heavenly love, and both spiritual aspiration and carnal desire, the evolved disciple born in Taurus ultimately embodies only the love aspect. No longer ruled by desire of any kind, they manifest love and create beauty through the arts or the quality of their lives. Because of this Venusian influence, Taurus embodies the second ray energy of Love and Wisdom.

...The Pleiades are the symbol of the soul around which the wheel of life revolves. Perhaps this helps explain the association of the Bull with "light." Taurus is literally plugged in to the enormous light of the seven hotly burning blue-white stars of the Pleiades, acting as a channel or gateway to the light of this tremendous center.

In the Labors of Hercules , the second great test , that which pertained to Taurus, took place in the maze in which the Minotaur lived on the island of Crete. The maze has always been the symbol of the great illusion or the state of separation that bewilders and confuses unevolved humanity. The bull represented animal desire, and Hercules's task was to capture and deliver it to the mainland. From the disciple's point of view, the bull of desire has to be caught and mastered and chased from one point to another in the life of the separated self, until the time comes when the aspirant can do what Hercules succeeded in doing: ride the bull. To ride an animal, in the ancient myths, signifies control. The bull is not slaughtered, it is ridden and guided, and under the disciple's mastery.

Ride, control and master the bull reflects the phase when the disciple lives with group awareness and begins to consider the question, "What is best for the group with which I am associated?" It is by doing this that the bull is ridden to the mainland, and destructive desire, with its million distractions, conquered.

Fixed Cross Taurus ponderings

The secret of Taurus is revealed at the second initiation, the Baptism.* At this time one experiences the sudden removal or disappearance of the world of glamour in the blinding energy of light. This constitutes the final radiant activity of the Taurian force upon humanity during the long and cyclic journey to which humanity is committed. The individual enacts on a tiny scale what humanity—as a whole—will enact when it takes initiation in Taurus.

*With the second initiation of Baptism in Light, testing and struggle begins on the astral plane as one makes the effort to release the personality from emotional control. The light of reason enters and one continues to shift from the astral (emotional) plane to the mental plane. Self-consciousness begins to give way to group consciousness as the Will of the Soul begins to function. The first contact with Shamballa energy is experienced. The symbol of this stage is the Dove of Peace.

When we are talking about the crosses, are we talking about Taurus the sign or Taurus the constellation? They are interchangeable. The constellation empowers the sign.

Important to note

During the time we say the sun is in Gemini, this year from May 20 to June 20, 2009, due to the precession of the equinoxes, and from the earth's perspective, the Sun is actually traversing the zodiacal constellation Taurus.

Some Orthodox notes on Taurus

Excerpts, mirror to Makara.us

The mineral kingdom is governed astrologically by Taurus

The correspondences of fire, heat and pressure in the evolution of the human being are self-evident, and their work can be seen paralleling that in the mineral kingdom.

The mineral kingdom is governed astrologically by Taurus , and there is a symbolic relation between the "eye" in the head of the Bull, the third eye, the light in the head, and the diamond.  The consciousness of the Buddha has been called the "diamond-eye." (EP I 230)

Taurus and the New Group of World Servers

The initiate sees the New Group of World Servers brought under the illuminating power of Taurus , with the rest of humanity still under the influence of Pisces.  You have, consequently, the "over-shadowing raincloud of knowable things" hovering over humanity, just as the Hierarchy overshadows the New Group and just as the soul overshadows the personality of man; you have all the needed illumination and light upon all the coming problems, waiting to precipitate itself through the New Group of World Servers under the influence of Taurus , the nurturer of all illumination, and you have humanity, at the same time, conditioned and made sensitive by Piscean energy during the past two thousand years.  …

The group, therefore, which "serves as Aquarius indicates" is the Hierarchy; the group which is "speeded upon the upward Way" is the New Group of World Servers.  This group is ruled by Taurus , and to it that divine Taurian energy brings "illumination and the attainment of the vision."  This group is, figuratively speaking, the "bull, rushing forward upon a straight line with its one eye fixed upon the goal and beaming light."  But what is that goal?  It is not the goal of Self-illumination, for that lies far behind; it is the goal of providing a centre of light within the world of men and of holding up the vision to the sons of men.  Let this never be forgotten, and let the New Group of World Servers realise its mission and recognise the demands of humanity upon it.  What are these demands?  Let me enumerate them, and then let me ask you to take them in all simplicity and act upon them.  …

These objectives are not only individual objectives, but the goal for the entire group.  All who respond to the life-giving force of Aquarius and to the light-giving force of Taurus can and will work in the New Group of World Servers, even though they have no occult knowledge and have never heard of their co-workers under that name.  Forget this not. (RI 229, 232-33)

Rulership of Taurus

insert Tabulations IV and V from ARIES here – remove or change highlighting.

Hmmm, inconsistency with table numbers, here its IV and V, in Aries, V, VI, and VII – probably a numbering error, recheck and make consistent and the same for each sign/book.

TABULATION V.  THE UNORTHODOX ASTROLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP

TABULATION VI.

PLANETARY RULERS IN 3 TABULATIONS

TABULATION VII. 

UNORTHODOX

clarify any gap and references here:

Taurus and Pisces, through Vulcan and Pluto, are related to Ray 1. Transmutation of desire into sacrifice and of the individual will into the divine will.

The World Saviour                            (EA 66-67)

Taurus and the transmutation of desire into aspiration

Going through the great cycle from Aries to Taurus , the man reenters the sign Aries again under the potent impression of Taurus , which at this stage of development feeds his ardent desire for the many material advantages of physical incarnation and of constant worldly under­takings; thus after a period of re-creation, he passes out into incarnation in Pisces and begins again the great round of manifested life, for Pisces is the ocean wherein he is "the fish," controlled by the laws of substance or material existence.

In the second great stage, he passes from Aries to Taurus , because desire has at last been transmuted into aspiration. After proving his steadfastness to the ideal of the spiritual life in the intervening signs, he passes again into Pisces, from the opposite direction to his usual procedure, having earned the right to mount the Cardinal Cross of the Heavens, the power to take a final planetary initiation and the privilege of passing on to one of the seven paths to which I have made reference in my other books; these eventually give him "the freedom of the seven solar systems," as it is called in contradistinction to "the freedom of the seven planetary spheres," which the experi­ence of initiation has guaranteed him, after a process of intensive training in one or other of the planetary schools (according to his ray type) and the path of service chosen. (EA 107-108)

Central star in Taurus

By the word "influencing" I here refer to the energies pouring from these three aspects of the Sun through the three Crosses to our planet. Ponder on this and remember also that our Sun is travelling through space (carrying our solar system along in its sphere of influence) around our own central and conditioning star which it has been rightly presumed exists in the constellation Taurus , the Bull, being found in the Pleiades. (EA 111)

Taurus and Anima Mundi

It is rather difficult for you also to grasp that the involutionary process for all the kingdoms of nature is related to the passage of the soul (this time the anima mundi or world soul) from Aries to Pisces, via Taurus and not vice versa. The anima mundi on the involutionary arc proceeds this way and not as the personality proceeds. The anima mundi passes to Pisces at the close of every great cycle and not to Taurus . It emerges into outer manifestation in Cancer, the sign of mass or group life, of mass or group activity; its diffused consciousness has not yet been individualised as has the consciousness of man. When the world soul after having progressed around the Great Wheel, reached Cancer and the time came for the fourth Creative Hierarchy to manifest through the fourth kingdom in nature, a reversal took place and then proceeded as now. (EA 112-113)

Taurus and the single Eye

In Taurus —Desire is transmuted into aspiration, darkness gives place to light and illumina­tion, the eye of the Bull is opened which is the spiritual third eye, or the "single eye" of the New Testament. "If thine eye be single," said the Christ, "thy whole body shall be full of light." This single eye takes the place of the two eyes of the personal self. The attention of the man becomes focussed upon spiritual attainment. He treads the Path of Discipleship. (EA 143)

Taurus and its polar opposite

Substance, the ocean of life, water, the symbol of desire and the impulse to incarnate are transmuted into soul light and light substance and the urge to tread consciously the path of return, plus the longing to serve. Desire is developed and focussed in Taurus when the man is upon the Mutable Cross and progressing around the zodiac. It is reoriented and repolarised in Taurus when the man has mounted the Fixed Cross and is eventually relinquished in that sign. In the polar opposite of Taurus , Scorpio, the personality is humbled and brought to grips with the soul; in that sign the personality is "occultly killed and then resurrected into air and light," in order to become from that moment the servant of the soul. In Leo, the individual awakens to his own identity, concentrates his purpose, learns the lessons and uses of selfish­ness (for that is one of the best ways to learn and to discover that it is contrary to the laws of the soul) and is eventually so cornered by the life processes that he becomes aware of the futility of self- interest. In Aquarius, the man awakens to the beauty of group life, group interest and his individual responsibility towards the group and begins to live his life and to spend himself in the service of humanity. (EA 144-145)

Liberation and Satisfaction of Taurus

The same basic mode of considering the three Crosses can be carried out with Gemini, Taurus , Aries or the reverse: Aries, Taurus and Gemini, remembering always that the Mutable Cross governs the wheel in ordinary progress and the Fixed Cross governs it on the reversed progress during discipleship. The Cardinal Cross in reality governs both processes but this is only understood when initiation has taken place.

Aries—Governs the Path of Discipleship. The Will to return to the Source. Determination to achieve liberation. The emanating cause of the changes upon the Mutable and Fixed Crosses.

Taurus —The desire to overcome desire. The longing for liberation. Transmutation of desire into Love.

Gemini—The fusion of the opposites; the intelligent work of at-one-ment; synthesis.

Upon the ordinary wheel, these signs bring about:

Gemini—Experience of the pairs of opposites. Pronounced and separative duality. The interplay between the Twins: Soul and form natures.

Taurus —The refocussing of the lower desires prior to another circling of the Great Wheel in search of personality satisfaction. The Prodigal Son journeys into a far country.

Aries—Again the beginning as well as the end.  (EA 151-152)

Taurus related to Aquarius

Aquarius relates humanity to the Pleiades and therefore to Taurus in an unusual manner. The key to this relation is to he found in the word desire, leading, through the transmutative processes of life experience, to aspiration and finally the relinquishing of desire in Scorpio. Aquarius, Alcyone and Humanity constitute a most interesting triangle of force. Alcyone is one of the seven Pleiades and is called the "star of the Individual" and sometimes the "star of intelligence." (EA 200)

Taurus and the Buddha

In Scorpio—Hercules became the triumphant disciple.

In Taurus —The Buddha achieved victory over desire and arrived at illumination. …
Scorpio carries the test right down into the physical plane life, and then, when it is faced and handled there, the life of the man is carried up into heaven, and the problem which the test involved is solved by the use of the reasoning mind.

Taurus governs desire and carries the test into the emotional or astral plane, and carries desire-sensitivity up from the form side of life into that world of sensitive perception which we call the intuitional plane. (EA 204-205)

Taurus and Scorpio as a pair of opposites

There is little for me to add here in connection with the fact that Scorpio is upon one of the four arms of the Fixed Cross. In the study of previous signs, much anent the Fixed Cross has already been covered and there is no need for me to repeat the information here. Desire in Taurus becomes spiritual aspiration in Scorpio. The darkness of the experience in Scorpio becomes illumination in Taurus , for it must never be forgotten that where the pairs of opposites are concerned they gain and profit from each other, for there is a direct line of force and of contact between the two. This is a fact which is seldom recognised. (EA 209)

Taurus and the arms of the Fixed Cross

In connection with the vertical and the horizontal life of the Fixed Cross, it is instructive to note that the vertical life of the man upon that Cross (no matter in what sign his sun may temporarily find position), is ever Aquarius-Leo. This indicates that the self-centred indi­vidual in Leo learns the lesson of the Cross and becomes decentralised, group conscious, and given to service. The horizontal arm is Taurus -Scorpio, indicating that desire for materiality is finally superseded by desire for the spiritual values, and this is demonstrated through the tests in Scorpio. Earth and water ( Taurus and Scorpio) must be blended and related and it is this truth connected with these two signs of the zodiac which lies behind all teaching upon baptism and purification. The earthly material desires of Taurus must in due time be brought under the influence of the purifying water in Scorpio. Baptism by water (a name for the second initiation) needs a preparatory period of testing and purification, and this the experi­ence in Scorpio is intended to give. Likewise, fire and air (Aquarius and Leo) must also be blended and thus the four elements as well as six out of the seven rays must all play their part in conditioning the man in Scorpio for the final stages of the Path. (EA 223-224)

Taurus and the will-to-illumine

The will-to-illumine is that which drives all Leo people on to experiment and so to gain knowledge; it is this which links them with Taurus , which "carries the fair jewel which gives light upon its forehead." In the relationship of Taurus -Leo-Aquarius, you have a significant and important zodiacal triangle as far as man is concerned and it is peculiarly significant to the fourth Creative Hierarchy, the human Hierarchy. You have, therefore:

Taurus .—The incentive towards experience in order to gain knowledge.

Leo.—The expression of experience in order to justify knowledge.

Aquarius.—The use of experience in order to make the gained knowledge a factor in service. (EA 289-290)

Taurus and the Buddha

Hercules comprehended the true meaning of the Mutable Cross and, with full knowledge, mounted the Fixed Cross, with all its attendant difficulties and labours. The Buddha compre­hended, through complete illumination, the meaning of both the Mutable and the Fixed Crosses, for the secret of revelation in Taurus was His, just as the secret of directed energy in Scorpio was the source of the strength of Hercules. But the Christ, knowing both the above secrets, also understood with a living compre­hension, the mystery of the Cardinal Cross, because the light of the Transfiguration (undergone in Capricorn) revealed to Him the glory and transcendent mystery. (EA 315)

Taurus , Venus and desire

Venus also establishes an interplay between Taurus , Gemini, Libra and Capricorn, which again (because the Earth is one of the rulers of Gemini) produces the "desperate conflict of the imprisoned soul upon the astral plane" which characterises our planetary life. These four-fold influences and relationships produce the minor initiations of the astral plane which ever precede the major initiations in Capricorn, in their turn prepared for in Scorpio. Taurus pours the energy stimulating desire, via Venus, onto our Earth; Gemini, via Venus, awakens in human­ity (the focal point of our planetary effort) the sense of duality which is the basic factor in the conflict between desire and spiritual will; in Libra this reaches a point of balance wherein the one who struggles sees the issues clearly and achieves a desirable point of equilibrium through the wise use of the Mercury-Venus mind, ensuring the success of its final efforts in Capricorn. (EA 362)

Taurus is the symbol of desire in all its phases

It is also the second sign which—after the reorientation preceding discipleship—produces changes and opportunity for the disciple. We come also to the sign which is called "the sign of the major life incentive," because Taurus is the symbol of desire in all its phases. Whether the subjective man is impelled by desire, or the disciple is driven forth upon the path of return by the urge of aspiration, or whether the initiate is controlled by the will to cooperate with the Plan, he is, nevertheless, being responsive to the most potent manifestation of a little known and understood aspect of divinity, to which we give the inadequate name of the Will of God. (EA 370-371)

The Taurian influence

… particularly from the angle of the subjective spiritual values; it is Taurus which is the ruler and the guiding influence of that which is occurring everywhere.

I would like here to call your attention to the fact that this sign is a synthetic sign in the sense that it brings expression of an inner urge of some definite nature upon the physical plane. This it does, because its basic quality demonstrates as desire in the mass of men and as will or directed purpose in the disciple or the initiate. It manifests as stubbornness in the average man (and this is literally wilful adherence to personality aims) or as intelligently expressed will—actuated by the impulse of love—in the advanced man. This connotes adherence to soul purpose. People who are Taurians naturally and by natal inclination would do well to consider this statement and thus test all their major determining activities by the question: Is my present attitude, my work or intention actuated by personality desire or am I working and planning directly under soul urge and incentive? This should give the keynote of all Taurian problems.

The entire secret of divine purpose and planning is hidden in this sign, owing fun­damentally to the relation of the Pleiades to the constellation, the Great Bear, and to our solar system. This constitutes one of the most important triangles in our entire cosmic series of relation­ships and this importance is also enhanced by the fact that the "eye of the Bull" is the eye of revelation. The underlying goal of the evolutionary process—"the onward rush of the Bull of God," as it is esoterically called—reveals steadily and without cessation the stu­pend­ous and sublime plan of Deity. This is the subject which light reveals. (EA 375-376)

Taurus and the Purposes of Deity

There is at this time, owing to the influx of the Shamballa force, the establishing of a peculiar relation or alignment between the constellation, Taurus (with its own specific alignment with the Pleiades and Great Bear) the planet, Pluto, and our Earth. This produces much of the present world difficulty and one which the modern astrologer would do well to consider. It constitutes a major cosmic triangle at this time, conditioning much that is now happening.

This Shamballa force is that which "fans or intensifies the light by the removal of obstruct­ions and proceeds from far distant places, pouring through the eye of illumination into those spheres of influence upon the sorrowful planet, the Earth, impelling the Bull upon its onward rush." So speaks the Old Commentary. The import of this is that the energy of will—newly released by Sanat Kumara upon our planet—emanates, via the head centre of the planetary Logos, from the Great Bear; it is stepped down in vibration via one of the Pleiades (hence its influence upon matter and hence also its pronounced Taurian effects upon humanity) and so enters into the solar system. It is there absorbed by that major centre of our planetary life to which we give the name, Shamballa. Its effect is necessarily twofold. It produces in certain nations, races and individuals, a welling up of the self-will or of the will-to-power which is characteristic of the developed lower nature, the personality aspect of integrated selfhood. It produces—though less readily—a stimulation of the will-to-serve the plan as it is grasped by the world aspirants, the world disciples and initiates. Thus are the purposes of Deity material­ised. (EA 376-377)

The onward rush and powerful movement of Taurus

In the first case, Capricorn marks the point of greatest density and concrete expression and shows the life divine as deeply imbedded in substance. This is the true state of death as far as the life is concerned; it is captivity in form. In Virgo, however, that life makes its inner pressure felt and the movement—faint yet real—of the hidden life begins to pulsate within the concrete form, producing in Taurus that reaction to desire and that onward rush and powerful movement which distinguishes the evolutionary progress of the individual, working under the impulse of desire. Forget not, that the first thrill or response of the Christ life is to the pull, urge or suggestion of the form nature wherein it finds itself. Then later, when all the resources of the form nature (drawn out through desire), are exhausted and the Christ life is exceedingly strong and ready to reveal itself through the death of the Mother, the form, then and not till then is the progress of the wheel arrested and "revolution" takes place with the life aspect reversing itself upon the wheel. Then the disciple (an expression of the Christ life in its early manifested stages), having transmuted desire into aspiration, begins his career—objectively and in full consciousness—in the sign Taurus and "on the wings of aspiration" proceeds towards Virgo and "being both the Mother and the Child enters into the House of Labour." From that house, the disciple in due time arrives at Capricorn where he finally subdues matter, form or concrete expression to divine uses and purposes, and thus demonstrates the triumph and the potency of the Christ life. (EA 379-380)

The Qualities of Taurus

Ponder on this. In this sign we have consequently the following qualities or aspects in juxtaposition:

Desire—leading to aspiration upon the reversed wheel.

Blindness—leading eventually to sight.

Darkness—leading finally to light.

Death—leading at last to liberation.

In the last analysis, we come back to the eternal dualities, leading as they ever do to the interplay of the polar opposites, to the cyclic ebb and flow of the inner life and the outer periphery of expression, and to that attraction and repulsion which leads to a steady shift of the attracting force to an ever higher and wider appeal. It is the secret of eventual synthesis, which is the final illumination, seen through the eye of Taurus . It is for this reason that this sign is regarded as being one of universal movement, of great and constant activity under the impulse of material desire or the urge of the divine will, when recognised and sensed. The triangle of expression is one of potent energies:

1. Desire          aspiration          will.

2. Man             the disciple       the initiate.

3. Materiality    duality              divinity.

4. Form            Soul                 Spirit.

5. Humanity      Hierarchy         Shamballa.   (EA 380-381)

The rulers of Taurus

We come now to a brief study of the Rulers of this sign. As Taurus is so close, esoterically speaking, to the sign Aries which—in this world cycle—is the sign of beginning, it con­sti­tutes, relatively speaking, a very complex aggregation of forces, being related not only to Aries with its cosmic contacts, but also to the Pleiades and the Great Bear. Yet at the same time, it is very simple in its expression for it is governed by only two planets. Venus is its exoteric ruler and Vulcan its esoteric and hierarchical ruler. …

Today, however, Taurus , Venus and the Earth have a very close karmic relation and a very definite dharma to work out together. Just what that karma and relationship may prove eventually to be lies beyond ordinary human understanding but some idea of it may be gained by relating in your mind the words: Will, Desire, Light and Plan. In voicing it thus, I but step down and distort the relation, but until men can think in simple symbols and without words and can interpret these hitherto unrecognised symbols correctly, more it is not possible to add. (EA 382-383)

The esoteric ruler of Taurus is Vulcan

The esoteric ruler of Taurus is Vulcan, the forger of metals, the one who works in the densest, most concrete expression of the natural world (from the human angle). He is the one who goes down into the depths to find the material upon which to expend his innate art and to fashion that which is beautiful and useful. Vulcan is, therefore, that which stands for the soul, the individual, inner, spiritual man; in his activity we find the key to the soul's task upon the eternal round of the wheel of life. You will remember how Hercules upon the Fixed Cross had to fashion his own weapons before he succeeded in the struggle. This is in reality a reference to the art of Vulcan who rules the inner man and guides his fashioning.

Vulcan also rules nations at a certain stage of embryonic soul expression, such as the present, and governs their activities, fashioning the instruments of war when war and conflict are the only means whereby liberation can come, though woe betide those through whom wars come. Vulcan then takes hold and—since the Middle Ages—has brought the mineral kingdom, "the depths from which supply must come," under human control. (EA 385-386)

Taurus and the initial impact of energy upon form

It is the subjectivity of this sign which makes the understanding of it so difficult. It will not be until humanity has grasped the nature of the will that the true significance of the Taurian influence will be grasped. Both the sign, Aries, and the sign, Taurus , are concerned with the initial impact of energy upon form or of energies upon the soul. Man today is becoming slowly aware of the distinction to be found between the opposites and is grasping vaguely the true nature of desire. But he is still in the vale of illusion and—whilst there—cannot see with clarity. One of the first opposites which the disciple has to grasp is that of the subjective and the objective worlds. (EA 387)

The secret of Taurus

The secret of Taurus is revealed at the second initiation by the sudden removal or disappear­ance of world glamour in the blinding energy of light. This constitutes the final radiant activity which consummates the play of the Taurian force upon humanity during the long and cyclic journey to which man is committed. The individual enacts on a tiny scale what humanity—as a whole—will enact when it takes initiation in Taurus . (EA 388)

Taurus and the outward expression

This digression was necessary at this point because it is essential that esoteric astrologers should realise that these three signs, Aries, Taurus and Gemini are (from the standpoint of the disciple and initiate) purely subjective in their effects within the life of these signs. They can only find outward expression in the life of the subject and be consciously directed and con­trolled in Cancer, thus leading to the great liberation which takes place in the polar opposite to Cancer, Capricorn and also in Aquarius and Pisces. This of course refers to effects upon man upon the reversed wheel. In a certain sense these six signs constitute two major triangles of force. (EA 389)

Venus and Taurus connections

It is of interest to note that Taurus is, therefore, related to the Mutable Cross by a linking stream of energy, via Venus, but is at the same time linked in a dual sense with two arms of the Cardinal Cross, by a Venusian connection with Libra and Capricorn. There is therefore to the true Taurian who reaches illumination one link with the body and soul aspects of expres­sion and two links with soul and spirit—the higher octave of manifestation. Thus is shown the perfection of the sublimation process, for aspiration has entirely superseded desire as a motivating agency. The soul is linked with form but its major link is with the spirit. It is for this reason that in Taurus , the man comes to the point wherein the real goal or the true vision appears. Desire in its lowest expression is linked with the form in Taurus . Aspirational idealism in its highest possible expression is also achieved in Taurus . Aspiration is linked, however, in its lowest expression with the soul and in its highest with spirit. Self-will relates man to form; the will of God relates the soul of the man to the spirit. It takes three initiations to make this clear to the disciple.

Looking at the matter from another angle: Venus, the mind or the soul in Libra reveals to man the exoteric significance and results of desire. In Gemini, Venus reveals the desire of the pairs of opposites for each other for this is the underlying theme of the entire creative and evolutionary process—the interplay of the opposites. In Capricorn, Venus reveals to man that desire for the whole, for the universal, which is the hallmark of the initiate and the true expression of the spiritual life. (EA 391-392)

Taurus , Vulcan and Illumination

Vulcan is the ray or planet of isolation for, in a peculiar sense, it governs the fourth initiation wherein the depths of aloneness are plumbed and the man stands completely isolated. He stands detached from "that which is above and this which is below." There comes a dramatic moment when all desire is renounced; the will of God or the Plan is seen as the only desirable objective but as yet the man has not proved to himself, to the world of men or to his Master whether he has the strength to move forward along the line of service. There is revealed to him (as there was revealed to the Christ at the fourth great initiatory crisis in His life) some definite, active undertaking which embodies that aspect of the will of God which it is his peculiar function to appropriate and make possible of expression. This has been called in the Christian phraseology, "the Gethsemane experience." The Christ, kneeling beside the rock (symbolic of the depths of the mineral kingdom and of the activity of Vulcan, the fashioner), raises His eyes upward to where the light of revelation breaks forth and knows at that moment what it is He has to do.

Such is the test of Vulcan, ruling Taurus , of the soul, ruling desire, of the Son of God, fashioning His instrument of expression in the depths, grasping the divine purpose and so bending the will of the little self to that of the greater Self. The depths have been reached and there is no more to be done. The light from the eye of the Bull which with ever increasing radiance has guided the struggling soul must give place eventually to the light of the Sun, for Vulcan is a substitute for the Sun; it is spoken of sometimes as being veiled by the Sun and at others it stands for the Sun itself. It stands between the man and the Sun, the soul. Therefore, we have in this connection three symbols of the light:

Taurus .—The eye of illumination or light. The Bull's eye. Illumination. Exoterically—the physical Sun.

Vulcan.—The one who reveals that which is deeply hidden and brings it up into the light. Esoterically—the heart of the Sun.

The Sun.—The great Illuminator. Spiritually—the central spiritual Sun.

Thus from every angle, illumination remains the theme of this sign. (EA 392-393)

Taurian methods

The Taurian upon the way of liberation would do well to employ the method of directed and motivated speech of an outgoing and explanatory nature in order to transform himself from one who goes wilfully on his person­ality way into a wise cooperator with the Plan. By this I mean that, as man translates his ideals into words and acts, he brings about transformation, transmutation and eventually translation upon the mountain top of Initiation. The results of this creative work of material­ising the vision must be carried to the point of effectual demonstration in Scorpio in which sign the final tests are applied to prove that the energy is flowing freely and without impedi­ment and obstruction between the throat and sacral centres; to show that right direction has been achieved and that there is no longer any fear that the Taurian subject will blunder blindly forward again in his own self-interest but will, in the future, move intelligently upon the Way of Liberation—the way that brings about his own release and at the same time sweeps him into those activities which bring about the release of others. In Scorpio, the man who has mastered his lessons in Taurus must demonstrate that creativity which will work under the inspiration of aspiration and vision and constructively attempt to express the beauty which all forms intrinsically veil, thus bringing to all revelation of that underlying purpose which motivates all events and forms.

All these aspects of basic change in purpose, interest and orientation must manifest in Scorpio, thus proving the effectiveness of the evolutionary processes undergone in the great repeated transition from Scorpio to Taurus and from Taurus to Scorpio. This cycle of moves constitutes (with the greater cycle) a rhythm of experience of tremendous moment. These seven signs are pre-eminently life-experience signs. The pre­ceding sign of Aries is the "sign of institution" whilst the four which come after Scorpio prove to be signs of discipleship and initiation. This is on the reversed wheel and the impli­cations along the same line on the ordinary wheel can easily be applied by you. (EA 398-399)

Decanates of Taurus

This is curiously emphasised by the rulers of the decanates in this sign. Both the astrologers, Leo and Sepharial, practically and to all intents and purposes, agree in their assignment of planets to govern the triple aspects of the sign. They only vary exoterically on one point for Sepharial gives the Moon as governing the second decan whilst Leo gives Venus as ruling the first decan. However, Venus and the Moon are often used interchangeably and both express or emanate the same basic energy of active intelligence in its higher and lower aspects. One expresses intelligent love and the other the intelligence of matter; this dual emphasis is con­cerned with the dominance of the form nature in the Taurian subject and his release through the Venusian Son of Mind. The Moon or Venus, Mercury and Saturn control the decanates and our consideration of these planets in the other signs will have indicated to you their right interpretation, both here and elsewhere. Form life, intelligent activity, and intense struggle summarises the Taurian problem, whilst Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods, reminds the struggling man that he must become ever what he essentially is, thus escaping from illusion and entering into light. (EA 402)

Keynotes of Taurus

Keynotes of this sign are, as usual, clear in their implications. One states the note of the form aspect, "Let struggle be undismayed." The Word of the form is to take, grasp and go courageously after that which is desired. The Word of the Soul is, "I see and when the Eye is opened, all is light." The eye of the cosmic Bull of God is open and from it light pours radiantly forth upon the sons of men. The eye of vision of the individual man must likewise open in response to this cosmic light. Hence victory is inevitable for the potency of cosmic energy will unfailingly and in time subdue and re-orient the energy of humanity. (EA 402-403)

Taurus , the eye and the ”light energy”

When the human being is manifest but is not yet truly manifested, the triangles which symbolise this manifestation are the two eyes and the third eye:

The right eye—the eye of buddhi, of wisdom and of vision.

The left eye—the eye of mind, of the commonsense and of sight.

The eye of Shiva—the all-seeing eye, the eye which directs the will and purposes of Deity.

These three are, in reality,

The eye of the Father—carrying light from the Great Bear.

The eye of the Son—carrying light from Sirius.

The eye of the Mother—carrying light from the Pleiades.

and it is this latter "light energy" which is necessarily peculiarity active when the sign of Taurus is dominant in any planetary and individual horoscope. (EA 429-430)

Illumination through struggle in Taurus

Hercules—Scorpio.—Strength through testing.

Buddha— Taurus .—Illumination through struggle.

Christ—Pisces.—Resurrection through sacrifice. (EA 487)

Taurus incites towards experience and towards the gaining of knowledge

Taurus incites towards experience and towards the gaining of knowledge; Leo leads to the expression of that experience in daily life and to the effort to justify knowledge; Aquarius takes that experience and the knowledge gained thereby, and turns it to conscious use in the service of the group. We might phrase it thus:

Taurus —in the final stage of development demonstrates as the illumined consciousness.

Leo—produces the truly Self-conscious man.

Aquarius—is the man of spirit, of life, and of consecration to the divine expression of service. (EA 488)

Taurus and the 2nd house

The other ten houses you can work out for yourselves. It is interesting to note, for instance, in connection with the second house (and the same idea can be applied to all of them) that Taurus , the mother of illumination, and Venus, the endower of mind plus the embodied soul, are related and active in this house. The light of matter and the light of the soul are both involved in the use of energy and in the problem of what is desired, what is regarded as loss, and what shall be the gained objective. It is, therefore, the house of values—material or spiritual. (EA 511)

Taurus and the single eye

Taurus .—Christ said (as have all the Sons of God Who know the true significance of the Fixed Cross), "I am the Light of the world," and he added, "if thine eye be single thy whole body shall he full of light." Taurus is, as you have heard, the Mother of Illumination, and the "eye of the Bull" is the symbol of the eye to which Christ made reference. (EA 565-566)

TAURUS , THE BULL—THE SECOND SIGN OF THE ZODIAC

References in The Secret Doctrine

"All the Sun-Gods ... have been mystically connected with the constellation Taurus and were called the First." (I. 720)

Taurus is regarded as the central group of the Milky Way.

Note: The Pleiades as the central group of the Bull and Alcyone, one of the 7 pleiades, is supposed to be the star around which our universe revolves. (EA 678-679)

(1) Esoteric Astrology , Alice A. Bailey, p. 143
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(2) Discipleship in the New Age Vol. II , Alice A. Bailey , p. 437
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Sources and Recommended articles on Taurus:
- WorldServiceGroup.com