All the fixed signs possess tremendous strength, for they represent the fullest power of their respective elements. This is neither the fresh surge of youth nor the fading fire of advancing years, but the strength of maturity at its zenith. There is an energy for beginning, and another for persevering and bringing things to completion. All the fixed signs possess this great capacity for endurance.
Although Taurus represents the least active of the elements, and its planetary influences, Venus and the Moon, are passive, the fixed nature of the sign is strong enough to lend a decidedly active quality to the character of those born under it. For example, the influence of earth in Taurus makes the native intensely conservative. Yet this is not the conservatism of idleness or lazy contentment, but a firm conviction that things are as they are and ought not to be changed. Those with Taurus rising are therefore always on their guard against influences that encourage so-called reforms.
Their mental attitude resembles that of the landowner or farmer in older civilisations who, feeling that things have gone reasonably well for centuries, is determined to resist radical changes, fearing that even a desirable reform might set a destructive chain of events in motion. For this reason, those with Taurus rising are often considered stupid, especially by Gemini, who sees nothing but pure logic in every situation.
The degraded Taurean type is exceedingly lazy, sensual and self-indulgent. The tendency towards excessive eating in those with Taurus rising is also connected with the sign’s rulership of the throat. Even the sensual excesses that sometimes characterise the lower expression of this sign are most often the result of too much food and drink. With the more aggressive type, the situation is quite different. Such a person likes to work for his pleasures. He delights in conquest, and his other pleasures are of secondary importance. People of this type therefore make very good workers, for once their interest is engaged, nothing can frighten them or divert them from their chosen goals. Obstacles merely spur them to greater activity. This makes them good servants or employees. The great difficulty for those with Taurus rising, however, is getting started. Neither the planets, the element nor the nature of the sign gives them any initiative. They invariably need training and must be shown exactly what to do; once taught, they can carry on indefinitely. When given a new task, their stubbornness may cause difficulties. There is also a wilfulness that makes persuasion harder still. Loyalty and fidelity are outstanding Taurean qualities. Their devotion is almost like that of a dog.
These people are also highly constructive, but exceedingly cautious. They always take care that a superstructure, however elegant, does not compromise the building or framework upon which it rests. Their chief concern is the stability of the foundations. They have a good sense of beauty, but care little for mere decoration without some basis in usefulness. Their ambitions are strong, yet they insist on advancing gradually, never skipping a step. They never gamble, but are content to do their work and reap its rewards in due course, and it is very rare for any misfortune to throw them entirely off balance. When their life’s work has been all but destroyed, they carry on calmly, almost as though nothing had happened, and this approach is very often rewarded with eventual success. In this way, Taureans earn the respect even of those naturally inclined to despise their dullness.
In money matters, those with Taurus rising are trustworthy and honest. They are not spendthrifts, but rather what we might call sensible, conservative financiers.
In the management of household affairs, all these qualities are especially constructive. The Taurus native is often quite ineffectual when dealing with the vulgar and immoral intrigues so often dignified by the name of diplomacy, whether in business or politics. He has no particular gift for speaking or writing. He finds it difficult to express himself, although he feels things very deeply.
He is deeply attached to his home and birthplace, further evidence of his generally conservative nature. His domestic life should be peaceful and, on the whole, happy; indeed, he is an ideal marriage partner, being far more inclined towards a conventional sexual life than towards less conventional behaviour, and he is also very fond of children.
Those with Taurus rising are very loyal and kind-hearted in their friendships. The Taurus native is patient and self-controlled, but if provoked he may reach a point at which he erupts in the most violent and dangerous manner. He seems so charming and gentle that it appears impossible to anger him. Thoughtless people often rely on these qualities and test them to the limit, only to find themselves swept away by a fury that, in the moment, always seems irrational to them.