Taurus is the sign of the bull. There are 242 breeds of cattle according to Oklahoma State University, and 800 according to Wikipedia. No matter, they all came from the one ancestor the aurochs. The last of this species was poached in the forest of Poland in 1627. This species of cattle is most likely what the Taurus’ bull looked like to the Greeks. It is taller and heavier than most of the domestic cattle we see today. There are two subspecies that evolved at separate times from the aurochs – the Indian species leading to the zebu and a Euraisia species that lead to the taurine. It is the many combinations of these two subspecies that lead to 242-800 breeds of cattle we know today.

The fiction behind the image of Taurus is about the myth of Poseidon making Pasiphae, Minos’s wife, fall madly in love with the Cretan Bull (this was due to her husband finding the bull beautiful and not sacrificing it – the curse seems a bit misdirected to me) and she then birthed the famed Minotaur from that coupling. Years after, Hercules captured the rampaging bull, then let it go, then Thesus caught the bull (now called the Marathon Bull) again, and then sacrificed it to Athena or Apollo. The Gods placed its image in the sky to honor it. I know Taurus have a reputation for being difficult; however, for me the bull that most personifies Taurus is Ferdinand. The peaceful bull that would not fight in the bull ring. Yes Taurus can be stubborn and when stung can look really mean and ferocious but ultimately they all would rather just smell the flowers and enjoy life in all its beauty.

P.S. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

*Aries – Wheel of Fortune – Ok this is a 1 out of 5,184 chance to happen. You got the Wheel of Fortune again. So you have one more week where the winds of fate are blowing in your direction. You have more time to learn which chances to take as long as the cost does not outweigh the loss.

 

*Taurus – The Sun – Another great card for your birthday month! The Sun card is a card of growth, joy and happiness. The Sun is here to remind you to shine, prosper and share your light. The challenge of The Sun is to identify the beauty in your life and figure out how to tend to its growth. The Sun also reminds you that the sun can casts shadows. These shadows can be from other people standing in your light or you outshining others. So be aware what can dim your light or how you dim others radiance.

 

Gemini – Queen of Cups – Yeah, you have another week to fill and raise your glass. The Queen of Cups personifies merriment. She loves a good party, she enjoys her friends, and she is giving of herself and her emotions. If you aren’t feeling the Queen of Cups in yourself this week then the court cards remind you to find the people in your life that have this quality and hang out with them. The only challenge with the Queen of Cups is, if you decide to be a social butterfly, to remember not to just flit from one thing to another, but spend some time tasting and honoring the nectar and beauty of each flower.

*Cancer – The Fool – The Fool advise you to follow your intuition this week. The challenge of The Fool is to make sure you don’t become dependent on planning everything out. The Fool teaches us there is a time for everything, so even inaction if it feels right is an action.

 

Leo – Nine of Swords – This week the Nine of Swords reminds you when opposition happens do not heed the negative voices in your head. The challenge with the Nine of Swords is to name the source of your negative thoughs (most likely it will be fear based and paradoxically connected to love). Once you have named it – figure out if you really can do something about or is it just part of love and life?

Virgo – Queen of Swords – Another Court Card this week which means people have been your focus last week and will continue this week.   The Queen of Swords lesson this week is around truth. The definition of truth is “accordance with fact or reality.” The Queen of Swords challenges you to only make decisions if you know all the facts or can clearly see the reality around the issue(s) because only then can you make a decision that is aligned to your integrity.

 

*Libra – Wheel of Fortune – Aries got The Wheel this week too! Last week I hope you were able to hang your “Do Not Disturb” sign at least once. This week The Wheel is here to create fortuitous events in your life. But you will need to get out there and spin the wheel. So that means- play lotto, go to new places, meet new people, etc… The challenge with The Wheel is to pick the chances where the cost does not weigh more than the loss.

Scorpio – Eight of Pentacles – The Eight of Pentacles reminds you to make sure that you care about the work you are doing not just the end result. The challenge from the Eight of Pentacles is to become a true master at your career/project you need to love the work itself. If you don’t like or care about what you are doing then in the long run the job/project will not add to your skill base or create something worthwhile. It doesn’t mean the job or project isn’t good it just you are not a right fit for it.

 

Sagittarius – King of Wands – The King of Wands reminds me of Sagittarians in general. He is energetic, kinetic, can be stubborn when passionate about something but also on the whole open minded, authentic and charismatic. The challenge from the King this week is pick one of these characteristic (I know you say “I can do all of these” but that is the challenging part to control your ADD) and polish it to perfection.

*Capricorn – The Hierophant – The Hierophant asks you to look at the structures in your life that society has dictated and decide whether they are harmful or helpful. Many of these societal structures have given us traditions from which we can root our personalities into- basic common starting point. However, if our thinking is bound to them they can be binding and stunt our growth. The Hierophant challenges you to differentiate these structures and ask – do these structures from society relieve you of responsibility which in the short run can give you peace but not resolution, or are they structures that strengthen the roots of who you are? (This can range from the mundane as wearing shoes that don’t fit for fashion sake or as heavy as wearing gender specific clothing that doesn’t fit who you actually are.)

 

Aquarius – Six of Swords – The Six of Swords is continuing this week to encourage you to find the time to take a walk or a drive by yourself and look out for useful information on these mini excursions. The challenge from the Six of Swords and your traveling is to achieve some distance and perspective so you can gain some insight and ease with your everyday life.

Pisces – Five of Swords – The Fives represent chaos in the tarot and swords represent thoughts. This week your challenge around the Five of Swords is to figure out when the chaos is worth the attention/fight or is it better to just walk away from the situation for now. One hint- if your ego is involved walk away, your mind will thank you for it.

May light be on you, light around you, and light within you,

Nina