Taurus – the Ancient Greek Myth Behind the Zodiac Sign

Taurus the Bull

April 20 to May 20

The zodiac sign of Taurus, an Earth sign, depicted by a bull, is associated with the Greek myth of the abduction of Europa, a Phoenician princess, by Zeus, king of all Greek gods, when he transformed himself into a tame white bull to fool her into trusting him.

(Read the whole story further down this post)

Ancient Greece and the twelve signs of the zodiac

The 12 signs of the Zodiac

The mysterious night sky thrilled the ancient Greek astrologers who played a huge role in what we now know today about the shape and size of the Earth, the moon, the position of constellations and how they move, the orbital paths of planets and their correlation with the stars around them.

The ancient Greeks were able to use this information to make detailed predictions, what we know of today as horoscopes.

In ancient Greece, each one of the twelve signs of the zodiac (the word zodiac comes from a Greek word meaning, “The circle of animals” meaning all living creatures), related to one of the four elements: earth, air, fire and water and identified with twelve constellations, seen in the night sky at different times of the year.

With the exception of Libra, each zodiac sign relates to a Greek myth concerning animals or humans, telling how each group of stars arrived in the heavens.

The twelve zodiac signs and their symbols

The 12 signs of the Zodiac

Aries – Ram. March 21 – April 19

Taurus – Bull. April 20 – May 20

Gemini -The twins. May 21 – June 20

Cancer – Crab. June 21 – July 22

Leo – Lion. July 23 – August 22

Virgo – Virgin. August 23 – September 22

Libra – The scales. September 23 – October 22

Scorpio – Scorpion. October 23 – November 21

Sagittarius – Centaur. November 22 – December 21

Capricorn – Goat. December 22 – January 19

Aquarius – Water bearer. January 20 – February 18

Pisces – Fish. February 19 – March 20

The Zodiac Sign of Taurus

The star constellation Taurus, represented by a bull. Illustration from Firmamentum, by Hevelius 1690.

The Zodiac sign of Taurus, one of the oldest constellations dating back to the Bronze Age, when it marked the location of the Sun during the spring equinox, is symbolized by the bull.

The bull which figures in many world myths, is thought to be the bull depicted in a cave painting, at the Hall of the Bulls, in the caves at Lascaux, in Dordogne, southwestern France (Dated around 15,000 BC).

The constellation of Taurus lies in the northern sky between Aries and Gemini and contains the Crab Nebula and the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters.

Cave painting, at the Hall of the Bulls, in the caves at Lascaux, in Dordogne, southwestern France

2nd sign of the zodiac

April 20 – May 20

Symbol: Bull

Element: Earth

Ruling planet Venus

Taurus Constellation

The ancient Greek myth behind the zodiac sign of Taurus:

The abduction of Europa by Zeus:

The Rape of Europa by Titian (1562).

The Greek myth behind the Zodiac sign of Taurus is that of the abduction of Europa (after whom the continent Europe is named), a Phoenician princess.

Europa, one of the most sought after beauties of Phoenicia, had caught the eye of Zeus, king of all Greek gods, who at once began planning on how to claim her for his own.

One day as Europa was gathering flowers along the sea shore with her friends, Zeus saw his opportunity; there, grazing nearby, were here her father’s herd of cattle; as quick as a flash, Zeus transformed himself into a beautiful white bull and mingled amongst them.

Europa and the bull. Terracotta group from Athens, 480–460 BC.

Glancing over to make sure all was well with her father’s herd, Europa gasped in astonishment at the sight of a splendid white bull whose horns were adorned with precious gems.

Moving closer for a better look, Europa timidly stretched out her hand to stroke the bull’s silky white coat and realizing this was quite a tame bull, climbed upon its back.

Zeus saw his chance and with Europa clinging tightly around his neck, made for the sea and swam all the way to Crete.

Europa – George Frederic Watts (1817-1904).

Once on land, Zeus revealed to Europa his true identity, declared his love for her and presented her with three priceless gifts; Talos, a man of bronze, who was to guard her, a dog named Laelaps, which could hunt whatever she desired and a javelin with the power to accurately hit any target.

Eventually, Europa bore Zeus three sons: Minos (who became king of Crete and gave his name to the Minoan civilization), Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon, who, known for their integrity, after their deaths, became the three judges of the Underworld.

Europa later married Asterius, king of Crete, who made her his Queen, the first ever of Crete and adopted her three sons.

Legend has it that when Europa died, Zeus transformed her into a star constellation; he, once again took the shape of the white bull, intermingled with Europa and together they became the Constellation of Taurus.

Sculpture depicting Zeus and Europa. Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) Crete 2012. Photo by Cross Duck. Flickr.

Personality traits of Taurus

By courtesy of Ganeshspeaks.com

Taurus is one of the most reliable and dependable signs of the zodiac. You are enthusiastic, stoic, determined and materialistic. Your stubbornness is due to the strong will and determination. You are strong and unwavering. You are deeply caring, smart and wise. You are the best representation of growth and development. You secured the life of your closed ones. You are ruled by the planet Venus, which will create inclination for love, luxury, and comfort in you. Taurus individuals don’t like to be pushed or have changes in life and love their home comforts and routine life.

Taurus. The good and the bad

Taurus Positive Traits

Logical

You are often called upon for advice by others because you are full of common sense. You are methodical about your approach to actions and famous for your logical thinking. This is why your closed ones seek advice from you when they are in tough situations or have to make major decisions in life. You give them a healthy dose of common sense in dealing with it.

Generous and Trustworthy

You are very generous with the people around you. You are loyal individuals who love to maintain relationships till the end after you earn trust from them. You are highly caring and compassionate. You don’t play games and tend to be direct and honest with the people around you. You keep the inner secret of everyone.

Determined

You are very focused, determined and diligent in your work. You very well know how to hustle. Your dedication to work is endearing. You are industrious and stretch yourself to any extent to finish the task successfully. You are consistent in your work and stay long years on a single project.

Understanding

A natural-born team leader, you possess strong observational and understanding skills. Taurus individuals have the ability to map out, strategize and solve problems or implement plans. You are realistic and deal with facts and not fiction. You have the ability to screen out the individuals who are right for the project.

Kind

You are very kind, and because of this open-armed kindness, people find it wonderfully comfortable to be with you. Care and possessiveness for your loved ones is your innate qualities. You are considered to be very rooted and earthy nurturers.

Organized

You are well organized and handle everything well. You see keen details and finer things before strategizing any project or event. You are a good finisher and face all the hardships. You know how to use your diplomacy and resourcefulness to move out the things in the right direction.

Patient

You are neither afraid to wait nor have the anxiety for it. You live life at a slower pace. You are very patient with your work. You have a deep-held desire to ponder things and consider your move after analyzing it from all angles. Hence you are extremely clear and committed to your action. You have the patience to wait for the results. You patiently assess the project or task to know whether it is worth investing time and money in it. This will help you to attain success in most of your projects.

Taurus Negative Traits

Taurus. The bad

Jealous

You tend to be very dependent on relationships, very jealous and overly concerned with acquiring wealth in order to make your life more comfortable. You become very jealous when someone threatens you for the things close to you. You are naturally jealous when it comes to physical pleasures and appearances.

Lazy

You are chilled out and quite lazy and laid back for the most part. You have a calm attitude and presence of mind. You love to take time away from the daily chores to relax and enjoy life.

Stubborn

You are stubborn at times, especially when you truly believe that you are right. It can take a lot to change your mind once you settle down in your routine. You are very strong-minded and tend to stick to your guns.

Dependant

You often struggle to find out your autonomy. You should really learn to take care of yourself independently. You should understand that your near and closed ones can’t revolve around you all the time. You can’t always be the center of attraction for everyone.

Imbalanced

You are a procrastinator. You find difficulty in balancing your t

ime in work and relaxation. You love work as well as leisure time but don’t have the craving of both at the same time. You are either in action doing hard work or you are having leisure time.

Materialistic

You always strive for comfort and a luxurious life. You are full of grand plans to make it big and want to live a good and wealthy life. You often have a taste for the finer things in life. You usually work hard so that they see no problem with indulging yourselves from time to time. You tend to spend your money and resources in excess for the sake of comforts and luxuries in life.

Possessive

Sometimes, your connection to the material world can make you a bit possessive with both people and things. You lack maturity and have low self-esteem. You simply hate when someone checks out or praises your partner. You tend to be possessive for all things that are necessary for you. The people might think your possession as self-indulgent and greedy if they don’t understand that your craving for material things is actually for security.