The History of the Taurus Sign

Have you ever wondered where the star sign of Taurus originated? Let’s take a brief look into its history.

The constellation

Taurus is actually one of the oldest known constellations. There are two open clusters of stars within the Taurus constellation: Pleiades and Hyades. They are primarily located at the end of the Taurus sign and the beginning of the zodiac sign of Gemini.

The Taurus constellation has been depicted in cave paintings that go as far back as 15000 BC but it was during the Babylonian astronomy that it was first represented by the bull. It was known as various names including ‘The Bull of Heaven’ and ‘The Bull In Front.’ Taurus was important for the agricultural calendar and so it influenced various bull figures in numerous mythologies, including Babylon, Akkad, Egypt, Greece and Rome.

The symbol

The symbol for Taurus is the face and horns of a bull. But the sign symbolises much more than that. It is associated with spring – when nature brings us gifts to harvest. It is for this reason that it is a symbol of growth, fertility and the presents given to us by planet Earth.

Greek mythology

Taurus is linked to Zeus in Greek mythology. Zeus fell in love with Europa, a legendary Phoenician princess. Whilst she was having fun with her friends on a sea shore, he approached her disguised as a white bull. Kneeling down in front of her, Europa was attracted to the meekness and the beauty of the bull. She jumped on his back and he swam across the water to Crete. It was here that she gave birth to three sons.

Taurus as a star sign

The sign of Taurus is ruled by Venus, which was the named by the Romans after their goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and desire.

If your star sign is Taurus, you are a reliable and practical person who is devoted to those around you. You are seen as a responsible person and more often than not you’ll be part of a stable, long-term relationship. However, you can be a little possessive and your stubbornness and unwillingness to compromise can hold you back in life.