Opposites Attract: Balancing Scorpio by embracing the gifts of Taurus- Presence, Sensuality and Eart
After delving into the depths of Scorpio in my last article, I felt I would lighten the mood by exploring Scorpio’s opposite sign- Taurus. The relationship between opposite signs is often misunderstood. Opposite signs are not enemies, or entirely different for that matter. Opposite signs can be compared to masculine and feminine energies, Yang and Yin, black and white. While they might seem different and incompatible separately, when united they create a perfect whole. Opposite signs have enough differences and similarities to create the perfect synergy and balance, just like any good relationship. For this reason, looking to opposite signs can give you an understanding of how to bring balance to your life, especially if you’re struggling to express the most positive aspects of a sign.
This couldn’t be truer for Scorpio and Taurus, whose shared stubbornness can keep them trapped in a prison of their own making. While the density and limitations of the physical world become Taurus’ jail cell, Scorpio can find themselves held hostage in the dark recesses of the psyche, battling emotional demons. Taurus can teach Scorpio to enjoy life more, savour the sweetness in the moment, connect with the Earth to help release emotional build up and use music, singing and dance to express emotion. Scorpio can teach Taurus to acknowledge emotions, see behind the veil and deal with the subconscious to add depth and meaning to their life, preventing the repression of emotions. But enough about Scorpio! Let’s breathe a sigh of relief and enter the world of Taurus!
This might be a surprise to some people, but Taurus is an incredibly spiritual sign when expressed at its highest octave. In fact, I would say Taurus people make the best Yogis, excelling at meditation. I suspect Buddha himself was a Taurus, but let’s not start that debate! This is because Taurus energy encourages one to naturally practice mindfulness by enjoying the moment, staying present and coming from the heart. While it’s important to face our shadows, continue to work on self-exploration, healing and transformation, it is also equally important to enjoy our lives and stay present, not allowing our minds to race forward or backwards. Taurus people are masters at this! By paying attention to the sweetness of life, the smell of a flower, the slight touch of a lover and the feel of their body, they stay grounded in the present. This ultimately provides the space for greater appreciation, heart opening and spiritual connection.
Taurus is also strongly connected to Mother Earth. They respect and embody the earthly processes and cycles. The combination of appreciating the beauty in life, giving generously with an open heart and honouring the physical laws, gives them the key to abundance. Taurus understands the bounty of the Earth is limitless if natural cycles are honoured and nurtured. From this space, they can share generously, which further increases their abundance by virtue of the law of attraction, creating a continuous cycle of growth and expansion. Their generosity and appreciation attracts abundance, they share generously, and then more resources come rolling in! Their Venusian grace and charm also gives them great people skills. They love sharing company with like-minded people and enjoy parties and gatherings. In fact, they make wonderful hosts, often opening their home up to close friends and family, happily sharing the bounty of their harvest. At these gatherings you’ll often find plenty of good food, copious quantities of wine, music, dancing and delightful conversation!
Their connection to the receptive energy of the Earth combined with the feminine charms of Venus gives Taurus people a strong sensuality. This is especially the case for women with Taurus placements, who often embody a divine Goddess like energy. Not surprisingly, Taurus people make great lovers, relishing in the sensations that come along with sexual expression. In fact, all types of expression are important to these people. Taurus is especially invested in pure, uninhibited expression, in all its divine beauty. They are able to remain centred in their bodies, rather than indulging thoughts and concerns regarding others opinions of them. This tends to make them the least self-conscious when it comes to sexual intimacy, as well as creative expression. Taurus is linked to both the throat chakra and the sacral chakra. Many professional musicians, dancers and singers have prominent Taurus placements in their chart. Even if a Taurus person isn’t a singer or musician themselves, there’s no doubt they’ll have a strong appreciation for art and music and often refined artistic tastes.
When I personally think of Taurus, I envision Goddesses singing and dancing barefoot and naked outside under the moonlight, frolicking amongst animals, eating fruit and having sex at leisure. Although, this might not be surprising given my Moon is in Taurus. Come full Moon time I often dance barefoot outside, worshipping the Earth, the Moon and the divine feminine within. This imagery is reminiscent of Pagan traditions, reminding us of a time before the rules and restrictions enforced by modern religion and governments. Taurus allows the expression of primal urges. If it feels good, do it! This is the motto of Taurus. Understandably, they do tend to have a special liking for food and sex! However, there is a profound beauty in this. Shaming is less effective with Taurus, giving these people the greatest chance of freeing themselves from the shackles of guilt, denial and repression. In this way they can serve as beacons, shining lights of liberation, for all those people who have sadly rejected their bodies, sexuality and desires. In many ways, I feel Taurus people can also make excellent wiccans, herbal healers and Earth intuitives, healing people using their instinctive understanding of the Earth. This is especially true if they also have Scorpio placements in their chart.
Reflecting on Taurus also makes me think of the movie ‘Chocolat’. If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend it- especially if you want to see Johnny Depp playing a gypsy! The film follows the story of Vianne, a non-conformist, gypsy pagan who opens a chocolate shop during lent in a highly conservative French town during the 1950’s. As Vianne’s influence increases within the town we see the villagers leave their restrictive rules behind to embrace life’s simply pleasures and reclaim their sensuality and unique expression. There’s also a lot of CHOCOLATE - which alone is enough to explain the films connection to Taurus!
At heart, Taurus people aren’t just about indulging the senses though. They are also incredibly responsible, reliable and strong. They value hard work and diligence, understanding that one will always be provided for if they put in the work. More so, there is a great appreciation for natural laws, especially those that pertain to the idea that you reap what you sow.
Taurus people are also masters of pace and timing. They are grounded enough to attend to the day’s demands, but also in touch with their own desires, allowing them to move onto fun when the day’s work is done. Achievement is the result of a series of actions done consistently. Taurus can pace themselves. People who live in their minds, always racing forward, racing back and constantly worrying, ultimately confuse themselves. They either tire out too quickly by doing too much too soon or live disorganised lives as they jump all over the place, making very little progress. Taurus people set achievable goals, never wavering in their consistency.
Taurus also makes one an exceptional parent and a very committed romantic partner. They enjoy family life and sharing the bounty of their achievements with the ones they love. There can be an especially strong gratification that comes from providing financially for their family. They enjoy the earthly pleasures that come from family bonding too- sharing a well-cooked meal together or a cosy night in watching a DVD. The home is important to Taurus people- both for the comfort it provides and the people who live there. Taurus people will often have beautiful homes, stylishly decorated and furnished with high quality items, which provide them with the beauty and comfort they value so dearly. They can also enjoy past times such as decorating and gardening, which is ideal as they can express themselves artistically while simultaneously making their surroundings more comfortable!
For the remainder of this article, I am going to explore the characteristics of Taurus when expressed at its most negative. I feel this is an incredibly important topic at this time, as people with strong Taurus placements are more likely to get out of balance living in modern society. In fact, when they’re not standing in their truth they appear to reflect many of the distorted beliefs held by society today. In particular, the mass consumerism and obsession with money can have a more pronounced effect on Taurus. Taurus is NOT a greedy sign! In balance, Taurus is one of the most generous signs. There is no doubt a Taurus person is out of alignment if they are stingy and constantly worried about their material security. Unfortunately, many Taurus people are living this very reality. For this reason, I believe that Taurus energy has been misjudged and misinterpreted by many.
It’s interesting to me that Taurus represents the divine feminine in many ways, which for too long has been supressed on this planet. Just like many women are starting to reclaim their power at this time, I feel Taurus people need to rediscover and reclaim the essential knowledge that underpins their gifts. Namely, Taurus people need to understand that their power comes from the Earth. If they lose their connection to the Earth, as so many across the world have done, they will suffer. Taurus’ success, good health and material abundance has always been a direct result of embracing and embodying Earth energy. How can this disconnection be remedied? Go outside! Immediately! Take of your shoes, notice how nature moves and flows, feel the support of the Earth under your feet.
If you have Taurus or 2nd house placements, it is also essential that you understand that there will always be enough- abundance will come your way when you work hard and operate from a space of love. This brings me to my next point. Please, Taurus, never do a ‘job’ just for money. You have too many skills to offer this world, to be doing a job you hate. If you think this is the path to success, you will find you are highly mistaken. Such a mentality will only get you by for so long.
Taurus people will be the most successful when they generously share their skills and talents with the world, take pride in their work and come from a place of love and appreciation. From this space they will be able to build and build, their material abundance continually increasing.
Other signs that Taurus energy isn’t being expressed optimally include a chronic sore throat, inhibited sexual expression, stubbornness, an overly serious attitude and excessive concern about doing the ‘right thing’. These are all signs of blocked creative and expressive energies. If you relate to this, put on some music, move your hips, feel that divine, sensual flow move through you as you sway. Sing, laugh, be silly. Get out of your mind and back into the body! Lighten up! Know too, that expressive energy NEEDS an outlet. If this is not allowed for in positive ways, this energy will become blocked or worse, released through negative, destructive behaviours.
Taurus people generally take care of their health, simply because it feels good to eat well and move. Remember I mentioned earlier that Taurus follows the motto ‘if it feels good, do it’? Rather than hindering their health as some may suspect, this way of being actually allows these people to listen to their body’s needs. While they won’t deny themselves, it generally doesn’t feel good to eat a whole block of chocolate, or not exercise, so why would they do that? The exception to this occurs, however, when a Taurus person isn’t expressing their creative energy in constructive ways. Their reliance on the senses can lead to overeating, abusing food, drink and sex as a way to avoid life rather than embrace it. And embracing life is what Taurus is all about. Their appreciation for the vast beauty present on Earth is perhaps their most profound gift, imbuing life with a unique sweetness and joy.
Audrey Hepburn
Sun, Jupiter, North Node and
Chiron in Taurus
Roy Orbison Uma Thurman
Sun, Mercury, Mars and Sun, Mercury, Saturn and
Uranus in Taurus Midheaven in Taurus
