Camp Thirlby’s Guide to Taking the Bull by the Horns this Taurus Season
Exclusive illustration ℅ Annika Bjerke
As the sun slipped from Aries to Taurus on April 19, you may have noticed an increased feeling of comfort and calm within whatever environment you currently call home. Or, like me, you might have felt yourself slip into an inescapable hole of stagnation and laziness. So is Taurus season, and so is quarantine.
In theory, Taurus season is one of the better times to find ourselves under continuing stay-at-home orders due to the COVID crisis. While cardinal, Mars-ruled Aries called us into action in a time where the most heroic thing many of us could do was continuing to plant ourselves on the couch, fixed, Venus-ruled Taurus instead asks us to refamiliarize ourselves with the things that bring us the most comfort.
As the first Earth sign of the new astrological year, Taurus urges us to redefine our relationship with the tangible world. More than the other earth signs, Virgo and Capricorn, Taurus is drawn to pleasure, similar to the other Venus-ruled sign Libra. Taureans are known for their taste in all sensory experiences, be it food, music, art, even sweatpants. They know what pleases them and they aren’t abashed in seeking it out.
If you’re feeling like me, pleasure is a bit hard to come by as the realities of mass death, economic collapse, and prolonged separation from loved ones are never far from our minds. Yet, the duality of life allows us to find some amount of release in even the most trying of times. And, if there’s one thing stubborn Taureans would hate, it would be for any of us to give up trying. So, without further ado, here is Camp Thirlby’s guide to taking the bull by the horns* this Taurus season.
*Okay, okay, so I went very obvious with the pun this month. The energy is low!
School and Work
This is a great time to stick with the projects and tasks you have already begun, as the fixed earth energy of Taurus possesses both the determination and rational perspective to see it through. Whether you are finishing up the semester at school or still adjusting to the changing environment at work or are one of the millions of young people who have lost employment during recent months and are figuring out the next steps, channel the steadfast nature of the bull to carry you forward.
Taureans are infamously opposed to change, so the turbulent nature of this time might be even more difficult to stomach. Do your best to stay rooted in the small comforts around you and find stability in the grounding support systems in your life. Remember that there is more to existence than productivity and instead, seek balance.
Relationships
As a Venus-ruled sign, Taurus is built for relationships. In love of all kinds, they bring dedicated care and unmatched loyalty. If you currently have a partner, whether or not you can psychically be together, seek to provide each other with a feeling of comfort and stability by expressing your desire to care for them and asking them the most effective ways to do so. While you’re at it, check-in with your partners’ senses of pleasure as well. Healthy and satisfying sexual relationships require a lot of open communication, so enjoy discussing what actions bring you and your partner pleasure… and how you plan to do them at the next opportunity.
While Virgo and Capricorn are quite known for tough-love, Taurus is the softie of the earth signs. Share tenderness with your loved ones, if not through physical affection, then through sweet affirmations, acts of service, or well-thought-out gifts. As a fixed sign, Taureans possess the miraculous talent of showing up, and now is an excellent time to prioritize showing up for those that you love, even if that just means sending them a text to check-in on their emotional well-being or face-timing them to share some laughs.
Free Time
There isn’t much to do with our free time these days other than veg, but the good news is Taurus season encourages you to do that now regardless. However, rather than mindlessly consuming food, movies, music, and the endless abyss of internet content, pay close attention to what sensory experiences actually bring you the most pleasure. Curating your personal sensibilities is sometimes work, but it’s work you’ll be thankful for when you can immerse yourself in sensory experiences that truly bring you joy rather than overloading your system with stimuli that don’t serve you. With Taurus’s close association with taste, there is no better time to cozy up to some Alison Roman recipes and treat yourself (and your quarantine companions, if you have them!) to some homemade luxury. Or, if you want to share this tasty experience with others you’re isolated from, try cooking the same recipe via FaceTime or Zoom with your best friends or online crushes and virtually enjoy the luxury together.
Self
In your relationship with yourself this month, as in your relationships with others, emphasize pleasure and care. The influence of Venus encourages you to find beauty in all things, including yourself. Devote time to pampering yourself and performing rituals that make you feel more at home in your body and that decorate your bodily home in a way that pleases you. Even more than that, immerse yourself in tangible items that comfort each one of your senses — think soft blankets, calming music, herbal candles, warm food, and the best view you can find (even if this just means re-organizing your bedroom). Pleasure is our birthright; don’t feel beat yourself up for feeling lazy and instead notice the small comforts around you, even in highly uncomfortable times.
About the Author
Victoria Middleton (she/her) is a third year student at The George Washington University studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in women’s, gender and sexuality studies. She discovered her love for writing as a little girl, typing fairytale stories on her parents old Dell and printing them out before taping them into glitter-glue-encrusted cardboard covers. These days, she thinks honest and fully developed stories about women are even better than fairy tales. When she’s not scheming against the male hegemony of the media industry, she can be found thrifting, watching cult films and TV and badly dancing to good music. She has been known to get overly excited about intersectional feminism, astrology and David Lynch.
