Artful Astrology on Taurus Season: Get Back to Nature, But Make It Weird
Hilma af Klint
Astrology is based on a geocentric point of view, i.e. from our view here on Earth, and the earth is so close to us that we sometimes can’t see it. Taurus season commenced on April 20th and during the middle of spring in the northern hemisphere, it’s often impossible not to pay a little more attention to the planet on which we walk, eat, live, exist. Flowers are in bloom, trees are getting lush, and we’re in the middle of spring. Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, pulses with an earthy and bodily energy that urges us, if gently, to look at how we interact with our planet, selves, and fellow earthlings. The wildcard of the zodiac, Uranus, recently entered Taurus and so this season is infused with Uranian innovation and a get-in-touch-with-your-inner-weirdness beat.
Taurus is of the earth and for the earth. I think of it as the earthiest of the earth signs, when the ground is fertile and even those of us who don’t fancy ourselves outdoorsy are marveling at what sounds, smells, and sights our planet offers. Taurus is slow, feminine, receptive. Think: Mother Earth. Think of the stubbornness and strength of a bull. Venus, the planetary ruler of Taurus, is an internal beauty-barometer. The Venus in us navigates based on aesthetics and the way how what we see with our eyes translates to bodily sensations. The Venusian impulse is sensual and intuitive, craves harmony, and knows that humans are not just of nature, we are nature. But the Venusian intuition is easily muddied by contemporary culture and all that it throws at our overburdened nervous systems. Taurus says stop, look, and ask the earth what she needs.
Whereas its preceding sign, Aries, is an energy-generator, Taurus contains that energy and holds space for growth. As we transitioned from Aries to Taurus on the zodiacal wheel, our attention moved from identifying ourselves to identifying that which we possess, consume, value, and how we use, abuse, conserve, and value our resources. The word depletion comes to mind. Example: Industrial agriculture depletes our soil and so our bodies are depleted of minerals and vital nutrients.
When I say possessions, values, and resources, I mean absolutely anything that can be considered an exchangeable form of energy — money, earthly possessions, time, space, food, attention, labor of any kind, etc. Aries (the energy that preceded Taurus) signifies the birth of spring, a fiery impulse that propels us forward even if we’re not comfortable with that move. Aries has ninety-nine problems, but aversion to change is not one. Enter: Taurus, who wants to conserve, preserve, and allow the nutrients to build. On April 20th, the modality shifted from cardinal fire (momentum, energy-generating) to fixed earth (slow and steady wins the race).
It’s hard to talk about Taurus without talking about Uranus, which recently took up residence in this sign of the bull and will transit for the next seven years. Uranus is the great disruptor, the electrical force that propels humanity forward and as such, the most difficult (impossible) planetary energy to predict or control. Uranian electricity moves us forward and destroys structures that aren’t serving humanity. It was last seen in Taurus from 1934-1942, when the following was happening: The Dust Bowl, the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, World War II, the Golden Gate Bridge, Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds broadcast, regular commercial television, automatic transmission in cars, and the attack on Pearl Harbor. To name a few.
Are you noticing a theme? Uranus loves technological advances (the planet of electricity and mental health studies) and doesn’t love structures that aren’t for humanity. Pro-humanity. Uranus wants us to innovate the earth, to make our agricultural systems sustainable, and to accept our innate uniqueness. In short: Get innovative, imaginative, and radical. I can’t tell you what the next eight years will bring but we can look back at 1934-1942 and note the darkness but so too the innovation and radical transformation. With a Uranian-infused Taurus season, we can get revolutionary about the way we use space (rooftop gardens, sustainable food practices), make art, and connect.
Trust Uranus and its electrical impulses, its propensity to propel us out of darkness, as its Taurean placement will bring increased attention to that which we (and our planet) needs to move forward. The sun will be in Taurus until May 21st, urging us to get out of our heads and into our bodies, to recognize the sensual nature of ourselves and our planet. Look to where Taurus falls in your natal chart for intel on how this energy is interacting with you.
About the Author
Emmalea Russo (she/her) is an artist, writer, and astrologer. After her whole system got shocked by her first grand mal seizure at age 19, she started to wonder how the stars and planets influence our minds and bodies. Her interdisciplinary work focuses on edge spaces in human consciousness, art, and epilepsy. Her books, which combine visual art and writing, are G (2018) and Wave Archive (2019). She received her MFA from Pratt Institute and has been an artist in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and 18th Street Arts Center. She has taught classes and workshops on the creative process at RA MA Institute, Parsons School of Design, The Art Institute of Cincinnati, and elsewhere. She writes about astrology, art, and culture at The Avant-Galaxy Journal and hosts The Avant-Galaxy Podcast. She lives between the New Jersey shore and Los Angeles. Book a chart reading or astroplanning session with her here. A version of this piece first appeared on Emmalea’s journal, The Avant-Galaxy.
