Keywords & Taurus in a Nutshell (including a bit of technical stuff)
Do you have a difficult relationship with pleasure… any and all physical pleasures? For instance, if you’re a foodie, you may very well have prominent Taurus placements in your birth chart. Taurus is one of the most embodied signs of the zodiac. Taurus is symbolized by the bull and it moves slowly, but steadily. And as the old adage says, slow but steady wins the race. In some ways, Taurus serves a corrective purpose, challenging the impulsivity of the previous sign, Aries.
This sign is ruled by Venus, goddess of love, and it is associated with all things beautiful, especially gardens, architecture, arts and crafts, and even cooking! This isn’t a book, but the Great British Baking Show is very Taurean (albeit not in terms of its pacing). Have you ever seen the famous medieval unicorn tapestries housed at the Met Cloisters in NYC? These are the epitome of Taurean beauty. By contrast, while Libra is also ruled by Venus, as an air sign it represents the less earthy and more ethereal arts, especially music! Finally, Taurus is a fixed earth sign, meaning it can be immovable (i.e.: stubborn like a bull), but it is also very reliable, stable, and grounded. A Taurus would make a very trustworthy friend or confidante, someone you could truly lean on during difficult or tumultuous times. 🙂
Unicorn Rests in a Garden (ca. 1495-1505)
If you are into the unicorn tapestries, you may enjoy Tracy Chevalier’s (herself a Libra rather than a Taurus) 2004 historical novel about medieval tapestry artists, The Lady and the Unicorn.
Were you born during Taurus season (April 19th – May 20th)? If not, do you have other prominent Taurus placements, besides the Sun, in your chart? Take a look at your Moon, Ascendant/Rising Sign, and Ascendant Ruler (the planet ruling your rising sign). For instance, if you were born with Cancer rising, this sign falls under the Moon’s domain. Perhaps the Moon in your birth chart is in Taurus. See if this archetype really speaks to you!
Don’t know which planets rule which signs? Check out this chart (also captured below) which enumerates planetary rulerships, both ancient and modern:
Positive attributes:
- Artistic
- Grounded
- Reliable
Negative attributes (the shadow side of Taurus…stubborn, immovable, and resistant to change):
- Greedy
- Lazy
- Predictable
For more keywords, see here.
6 Renowned Taurus Writers (Fiction)
- Angela Carter (born May 7, 1940, died in 1992)
- Tana French (born May 10, 1973)
- Sue Grafton (born April 24, 1940, died in 2017)
- Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926, died in 2016)
- Terry Pratchett (born April 28, 1948, died in 2015)
- William Shakespeare (born April 23, 1564, died in 1616 – on his birthday!)
For more Taurus writers, both fiction and nonfiction, check out this list.
6 Fiction Recommendations
| TITLE | AUTHOR | Call No./# of Minerva copies | Why is this a Taurus read? |
| Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies (Bk. 1) (2023)
|
Fawcett, Heather | FAW Bk. 1 | What’s more Taurean than fairies (primordial nature spirits of the Celtic/British isles)? This book launches a whimsical series, with some darker undertones, all about a human scholar studying the fae and her infuriating fae partner. What infuriates her the most is her unwanted attraction to him. |
| Kitchens of the Great Midwest (2015)
|
Stradal, J. Ryan | STR | A fantastic novel for a foodie. All about a woman who left her husband to launch her career as a star chef in Minnesota. You’ll be salivating by the end of this book!
This would pair well with Ina Garten’s recent memoir.
|
| The Language of Flowers (2012)
|
Diffenbaugh, Vanessa | DIF | A coming of age story of a troubled teen and her connection with flowers and the Victorian language thereof. Aside from the floral references, a main theme of this novel is found or chosen family. Since Taurus is associated with the home and more domestic matters as well as with flowers, what a perfect read for this season! |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1600, 2009 ed.)
|
Shakespeare, William
(a Taurus author, born on April 23, 1564 & died in 1616 – on his birthday!) |
822.3 SHA | If you’re up to reading Shakespeare, this play of his is perfect for Taurus season: more fairies (including Titania, a fairy queen), mythical woodland creatures, and comedic chaos ensuing in a magical forest.
If you really love it, check out a filmed production of this play, like this one (one of many), featuring music by Mendelssohn.
|
| The Searcher (Bk. 1) (2020)
|
French, Tana
(another Taurus author, born May 10, 1973) |
MYS | A quaint picaresque Irish village becomes the site of a missing child case. Darkness lurks behind the beautiful facade. (Such is the case with the sign of Taurus as well. Think of the Greek myth of Ariadne and the Minotaur, the fearful bull-headed beast lurking in the Minoan palace’s labyrinth).
|
| The Wedding People (2024)
|
Espach, Alison | ESP | A young widow attends her friend’s destination wedding in Rhode Island with high expectations for a nice relaxing mini-vacation. She’s determined to splurge on herself, even though her late husband can’t be there with her.
Aside from the grief element, this book is very Taurean in its themes: destination weddings, extravagant vacations, and just a lot of decadence across the board. 🙂 |
6 Renowned Taurus Writers (Nonfiction & Poetry)
- Naomi Klein (born May 8, 1970)
- Jon Meacham (born May 20, 1969)
- Adrienne Rich (born May 16, 1929, died in 2012)
- Rick Steves (born May 10, 1955)
- Jeannette Walls (born April 21, 1960)
- Alice Waters (born April 28, 1944)
For more Taurus writers, both fiction and nonfiction, check out this list.
6 Nonfiction Recommendations (including Poetry)
| TITLE | AUTHOR | Call No./# of Minerva copies | Why is this a Taurus read? |
| The Art of Board: Fun & Fancy Snack Boards, Recipes & Ideas for Entertaining All Year (2022)
|
Carney, Olivia | COOKING 641.5 CAR | Are you hosting a big party or a lovely intimate gathering and do you want delicious and artfully displayed finger food? If so, this book, full of photographs, is perfect for you and perfect for a Taurus spring-time soiree. 🙂 |
| The Book of Delights (2019)
|
Gay, Ross | 814 GAY | Award-winning BIPOC poet, Ross Gay, offers a fantastic book of essays written during a tumultuous year all about finding joy in the little pleasures of life even amidst chaos and crisis.
Taurus and Taureans are ALL about the small/simple pleasures of life, so this book is perfect for these folks and for this season. |
| Botanical Style: Inspirational Decorating with Nature, Plants and Florals (2023)
|
Lake, Selina with photography by Rachel Whiting | GALLERY 747.9 LAK | Dig into some nature-inspired interior decorating, combining two Taurus themes: the art of the home and nature (Gaia herself). |
| On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal (2019)
|
Klein, Naomi
(another Taurus author, born May 8, 1970) |
363.7 KLE | There are SO MANY incredible books by acclaimed journalist and writer Klein, herself a Taurus, but I selected this one as a perfect fit for Taurus season since it’s all about environmentalism and activism on behalf of our one and only home planet.
In this vein, check out my coworker Mike’s fantastic new Climate Action Book Group (first meeting on Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 7pm).
|
| The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth (2024)
|
Schlanger, Zoë | 571.2 SCH | Speaking of Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis (postulating that the earth is a sentient being in her own right and that we ought to treat her as such), check out this recent book all about the weird and fantastical world of plants and plant consciousness. Once again, this book is the epitome of the Taurus archetype. |
| This Is Your Mind on Plants (2021)
|
Pollan, Michael | 581.6 POL | Sticking with the Taurean themes of plants and consciousness, this book explores the radical realm of psychedelics (including psilocybin, a.k.a., the “magic mushroom”), how these plants alter human consciousness, and their potential healing qualities. Could plants be beneficial for mental health? Read on to find out what Pollan thinks.
For more on this topic, check out this eye-opening, beautifully filmed documentary, Fantastic Fungi (also a book edited by Paul Stamets), which similarly explores this controversial topic of psychedelic therapy.
|
Genre-Specific
Do you wish to dig deeper into the Taurean realm (fun…another pun!)? If so, here are some suggestions for reading, listening, and/or watching material organized by genre (in alphabetical order):
- Arts & Crafts
- Cooking/Cookbooks
- Environmentalism and Climate Justice (and here’s a recommended booklist!)
- Gardening/Landscaping
- Interior Design/Home Decor
- Romance (fiction) – not to worry for LGBTQ+ folks out there, romance is for you too (see here).
- Science books about nature (botany, etc.)
- Sewing, Knitting, and Crocheting, oh my!)
Speaking of gardening, come to MML on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 11am for an hour-long presentation about the Yarmouth Community Garden and how to get involved. Gardening isn’t just about planting yummy veggies or beautiful blooms, but is also about cultivating community (pun intended).
The next day, Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 2pm there will be a film screening of A Peace of Forest. Check it out, but do note that pre-registration is required and restricted to Yarmouth residents. Contact Judy Clark (jclark@yarmouthlibrary.org) for more information.
As you can see, we’ve got plenty of fantastic programming that’s perfectly aligned with Taurean values during Taurus season.
