Zodiac element Earth Sign ruler Venus, Earth Element Earth Symbol Bull | Zodiac quality Fixed Time period 19 April – 20 May Ruling planet Venus | |
Duration (tropical, western) April 19 – May 20 (2017, UT1) Birthstones Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Garnet, Rose quartz Eminent personalities Dwayne Johnson, Megan Fox, Mark Zuckerberg, Elizabeth II, Adele | ||
Taurus (Latin for "the Bull"; symbol: , Unicode: ♉) is the second astrological sign in the present zodiac. It spans the 30–60th degree of the zodiac. The Sun is in the sign of Taurus from about April 21 until about May 21 (Western astrology) or from about May 16 to June 16 (Sidereal astrology). People born between these dates, depending on which system of astrology they subscribe to, may be called Taureans. The symbol of the bull is based on the Cretan Bull, the white bull that fathered the Minotaur who was killed by Theseus.
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History
Taurus was the second sign of the zodiac established among the ancient Mesopotamians – who knew it as the Bull of Heaven – because it was the constellation through which the sun rose on the vernal equinox at that time. Due to the precession of the equinox, it has since passed through the constellation Aries and into the constellation Pisces (hence our current era being known as the Age of Pisces). The Bull represents a strong-willed character with great perseverance and determination. In Egypt, Taurus was seen as the cow goddess Hathor. Hathor was the goddess of beauty, love, and happiness, and she represented all of the riches seen in cattle as the providers of nourishment. Roman astrologers considered Taurus ruled by Venus, the goddess of beauty, and Earth.