"Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take
care of themselves."
A travel bug friend of mine, who has been
everywhere at least twice, told me he will never forget
his first trip to southern Spain on a tramp steamer. One
day, while he was on deck admiring the view, a huge mass
of solid rock loomed ahead in the distance, rising
grandly out of the bright, blue Mediterranean. Someone
on the ship shouted, "Look! The Rock of Gibraltar!" Awed
and impressed, my friend snapped a picture of it for the
folks back home, then turned to a bored teenager in the
next deck chair, and waxed poetic. "Isn't it beautiful?"
he asked. "Tons of water have beaten against it through
the centuries, storms have lashed at it, armies have
assaulted it, civilizations have come and gone, but it
just sits there. Nothing ever changes it, and nothing
can make it move." The teenager yawned. "Yeah. Reminds
me of my old man."
His father was born in May. And that's how you
recognize Taurus, the bull. The most fertile places to
look for him would be a farm, a bank or a real estate
office, but you'll also find him grazing in other
pastures. There are Taurean engineers, movie stars,
clerks, gardeners, kings and queens, chimney sweeps,
butchers, bakers and candle-' stick makers. You can
always tell the bull by his strong, silent attitude.
Until you get to know him better, his lengthiest
monologues will probably be "Yep," "Nope," "Thanks," "So
long," and frequently "Uh-uh," a substitute for "Nope."
If he had a strong Gemini, Aries or Sagittarius
influence at birth, he may be a little gabbier and walk
with more bounce. But the typical Taurean prefers to
move deliberately and speak sparingly.
Like Gibraltar, he is solid and steady and nothing
disturbs his tranquility. You can throw water on him or
light a fire between his toes. You can beat on his chest
with clenched fists, glare at him hypnotically or shout
at the top of your lungs. Taurus won't budge an inch.
Once his mind is set, he folds his arms calmly and digs
in his heels. He sticks out his rather prominent chin,
flares his nostrils, pins back his ears and you've had
it.
The bull seldom rushes forward to stomp on your toes.
He simply wants to be left alone. Don't disturb him and
he'll remain contented. Press him and he becomes
obstinate. Shove too hard, tease too much, and be
prepared for violent rage. He can go for months and
years on end. exhibiting perfect poise and control,
inhaling the fragrance of the posies and ignoring the
nervous clacking and clucking all around him. Then some
unexpected day, a pushy person will pile one straw too
many on his broad back. He'll snort, begin to paw the
earth, narrow his eyes-and charge. Get out of the way as
fast as you can and run for your life! The Taurean
temper is seldom displayed impulsively, but when the
bull gets mad, he can destroy everything in his path, up
to and including Scorpios. Destroy is not the right
word. Demolish is better. It may be some time before the
dust settles and peace reigns again. Some Taureans have
such control that they only charge once or twice in. a
whole lifetime. Even the quick-tempered ones won't erupt
more than once or twice a year, if that often. Still,
it's best to remember that Taurus usually doesn't get
just a little mad or annoyed. If the incident is large
enough to rock his normally placid emotions, you can
count on blind fury, no ordinary anger.
I know one Taurus male whose wife had never seen him
angry during all the years of her marriage, until one
night in a crowded supper club. An obnoxious drunk
stumbled over to their table and made an off-color
remark. She expected her husband to handle the man
firmly, with his usual self-control, and she was as
shocked as the rest of the customers when the Taurean
suddenly stood up, shoved over two tables, lifted the
man in the air, and sent him flying to the other side of
the room, nearly demolishing the bandstand. Not a word
was exchanged. I trust this will make you properly
cautious. Before even winking at a strange woman, it
would be wise to know her escort's birthday.
You can expect many May people to actually resemble a
bull, the men that is, and the women born under the Sun
sign will have an intangible, elusive bovine quality
about them. The look in the female Taurean's eyes will
be serene and limpid, yet steady. She will move
gracefully, indolently, but with a suggestion of hidden
strength. As for the males, the neck will often be thick
or muscular, the shoulders, chest or back, or all three,
broad and strong. The entire body will be well
proportioned, whether short or tall. The ears are
usually small and close to the head. When they eat, they
chew slowly, and ordinarily have excellent digestions.
You may notice a lock of hair (resembling the bull's
forelock), or a curl that hangs in the center of the
forehead. Not all, but many Taureans have curly or wavy
hair. It's usually dark, like the eyes and skin. Even
the occasional blonde, light-eyed and fair-skinned
Taurus people will never suggest fragility of mind or
character.
Naturally, you can't expect every Taurean to look
like Ferdinand the bull or Elsie the cow. It's true that
they frequently have large, generous bodies, ranging
from muscular to plump to fat. But if you get that image
too set in your mind, you won't recognize the skinny
ones, and it's important to learn to spot them, too.
What are you going to do when you turn on television and
The Late, Late Show features Taureans Bing
Crosby, Fred Astaire or Gary Cooper? Don't let it throw
you. For all his Piscean lightness of foot, and his airy
Gemini charm, Fred Astaire is an earthy Taurus. The
other planetary influences in his chart can't change
that. Just ask his friend, choreographer Hermes Pan, or
anyone else close to the dancing legend. Ask them how
tough it is to get this Twinkle toes to go somewhere he
doesn't want to go or do something he doesn't want to
do. Bing Crosby is also famous for his unruffled
personality and his calm, easygoing manner. (That was
probably one of Bing's sons on the tramp steamer.) As
for Gary Cooper, take another look at the tall, lanky
frame of that hero of the vintage cowboy shows. His
solid feet seem to be growing right out of the ground as
if they were rooted there. He moves across your
television screen with slow deliberation, and the total
number of complete sentences the actor speaks in those
old westerns is roughly under a dozen. Actor? Following
the venerable Hollywood system of type casting, Gary
Cooper always superbly played Gary Cooper. And like many
another Taurean you'll meet away from stage and camera,
the Cooper love scenes feature a romantic girl, who
cries, "I love you madly, passionately. I can't live
without you. You're my whole life, darling. Tell me you
care. Say you feel the same way. Do you love me? Do
you?" What answer does the poor girl get for her torrent
of sentiment? "Yep." (But it can be strangely
comforting.)
Taurus is strongly attracted to the opposite sex, but
aggressive pursuit of any kind of pleasure isn't in his
bag of tricks. He prefers to attract people to him. Why
should he waste his energy chasing them over the
countryside? A short trip to a farm and some astute
observation of the laws of nature will make it clear how
the Taurean emotions are activated in both love and
friendship. Passivity is the typical behavior. Taureans
would rather entertain hospitably at home than go to
the trouble of visiting. The effort required for
scintillating popularity doesn't appeal to the bull's
nature. If you want him, you can call him. He'll be
there. Throw out the line of comradeship or romance, and
hell pick it up, if it interests him. He'll know what '
to do with it, too, which isn't always true of the more
gregarious signs.
Taurus seldom worries, frets or chews his nails. He
can pout and brood when things don't suit his fancy, but
he's not the nervous, twitchy type. It's his nature to
be stoic, and take things in his stride, and nothing
really alters this basic tendency.
I know a Taurean, who is both an attorney and a
certified public accountant, a double career that would
give anyone plenty to take in stride, especially at tax
time. Now, this Taurus may bite his nails a little. All
right, he bites them a lot. He talks faster than I do
(which is pretty fast), and he does have a couple of
worry creases in his forehead. But there's a heavy
Gemini influence in his natal chart that causes the
deceptive speed, and if you look behind the whirling
action of his dynamic outer image, you'll still discover
a Taurus. His brain may calculate like lightning, but
his derisions are made slowly and carefully. His actions
are predictable, his character is strong, and you can
ask his wife just how much of a pushover he is when she
tries to get him to dress up and go somewhere on the
nights he'd rather stay home. You can also ask his
clients who try to rush him into closing deals quickly.
He'll listen patiently and pleasantly, but the papers
don't get signed until the bull makes up his mind it's
the right move. Oh, yes, he's a Taurus, never mind the
Gemini wit and agility. Flighty action is not among his
vices. He rushes slowly, and that's not a non
sequitur.
Taurus people are home folks. There's scarcely a bull
who doesn't love to luxuriate under his own roof and
stretch out amid comfortable, familiar surroundings.
Change upsets him (unless there's a Gemini, Sagittarius
or Aquarius Moon or ascendant). If the Taurus you know
doesn't own his own home, he's dreaming about it, and he
will someday. He's close to the earth, and the love of
the land will come to him eventually, one way or
another. If he's forced to live in a crowded apartment
building, hell probably have a window box full of
geraniums or petunias. When the noisy clatter of the
city threatens to press in too close, hell determinedly
grab his fishing pole and head for a quiet, pastoral
spot. Let the world spin at too dizzy a pace for him,
and Taurus simply gets off for a spell until it slows
down. If he has no fishing pole or window box outlet, he
may dabble in real estate, and make arrangements for
other people's mortgages, which gets him out to the
suburbs occasionally. There's always a connection with
the land, however remote, like hanging around the race
track, or taking his Sunday stroll through the park and
drinking in the sights and fragrances of nature.
The average bull is superbly healthy, with a strong
constitution. It takes a lot to put him on his back,
but once he's down, he may recuperate slowly, partially
due to his stubborn refusal to obey the doctor. His
natural inclinar tion to distrust optimism doesn't
promote speedy recovery, either. The sensitive areas for
accident and infection are the throat, neck, legs,
ankles, reproductive organs, the back and the spinal
area. Colds often turn into sore throats, and overweight
brought on by the legendary Taurean love of food and
drink, mostly food, can put a strain on the heart, and
plague the bull with poor circulation, weak ankles,
varicose veins and other chronic complaints. Gout is
another possibility. Most May people, however, can
easily stay healthier than the rest of us if they avoid
obesity, lethargy and kidney infections. Let's be blunt.
If the butt drinks to excess or gets fat and lazy, he'll
lose his splendid physique and his robust good health.
One of the main causes for his illnesses is a lack of
country air and exercise. His system always needs it,
even though his obstinate will may deny it.
Speaking of obstinacy, there's no use telling a
Taurean He (or she) is obstinate. In the bull's mind,
he's not stubborn at all. He's patient. It's a matter
of semantics. He's not hardheaded-he's just sensible and
firm. For the life of him, he can't see why people judge
him so unfairly.
The truth is that Taurus is as stubborn as a human
can be and not actually turn into solid stone. Taurean
men and women seem to be glued to both their seats and
their opinions. A Taurus husband will refuse to
accompany his wife to a friend's house if there are no
comfortable chairs there for him to sit in. She can
plead in vain. He just won't go. A Taurus woman who
doesn't approve of her husband's cronies simply will
not talk to them. Still, the bulls can also claim the
virtue of patience with justification. Many a Taurean
bears emotional and physical burdens in silence for
years without complaint. The higher the troubles pile
up, the more strength Taurus finds to bear them. His
loyalty and devotion to family and friends often surpass
all understanding. Lots of Taurus men and women deserve
gold medals for courage under blows of fate that would
have long ago broken the back of those born under other
Sun signs. Fine. I'll go along with awarding a blue
ribbon in recognition of the Taurus fortitude. But
he's still stubborn.
There's very little that turns his appetite faint.
The bull can usually eat anything from fried peppers to
chocolate whipped cream cake, sour pickles and
turnips-all at the same meal-without a trace of
indigestion. Steak and beef-are usually his favorites,
and he loves to clean up the leftovers. If alcohol is
added, the Taurean can closely. resemble King Henry
VIII, happily gorging at a royal banquet. (Of course, a
Virgo ascendant can keep him on raw carrots and lettuce,
washed down with prune juice.)
The Taureans' funny bones are tickled by broad and
slapstick comedy. Many of them fail to catch subtle
satire, but they'll howl when someone slips on a banana
peel or gets a custard pie in the face. Taurus humor is
warm and earthy, playful and reminiscent of Falstaff.
These people are seldom, if ever, really cruel or
vindictive. It's a strange fact that cruel Taureans
often have many planets in Aries at birth. The two signs
don't seem to mix well in the same horoscopes. Hitler is
a good example.
Now, about the subject of money-the bull and his
money are seldom parted. Not every Taurean is a
millionaire, but you won't find many of them standing
in line for free soup. Taurus likes to build empires
slowly and surely. He starts with a solid foundation,
then gradually adds a story at a time, until he's built
a stable business and a bank account with muscles.
Oddly, Taurus likes to accumulate power, along with
cash, but simply for the sensual enjoyment of possessing
it. They often turn over the action to subordinates.
Just knowing the power is there along with the dollars
seems to satisfy the Taurean need for security. Why
should he be bothered with the effort of manipulating
all the strings? There are Capricorns and Cancerians
around to do that, while he snoozes, smells a daisy or
eyes the pretty girls. It's enough that everybody knows
who owns the pasture. Sooner or later, money will come
to Taurus, and it usually sticks like glue when it does.
The bull prizes his cash and his possessions as he does
his family, but he's not stingy. The Taurean generous
heart and pockets are wide open to real friends in real
trouble.
He's impressed by bigness. The larger a building, the
grander it is to him, and he'll walk right past the
monkeys at the zoo to stare in fascination at the
powerful elephants. Taurus will face huge animals with
magnificent courage, but he fears a mouse. A tiger on
the loose won't cause the bull to flicker an eyelash,
while a tiny wasp can send him climbing up the nearest
tree in nervous panic.
Fine paintings and great symphonies stir him deeply.
Every Taurean owns some evidence of the Venus love for
art and music, if it's only an old Caruso record, or a
museum postcard of an early Van Gogh tucked under the
sweat shirts he wears when he's out jogging on weekends.
Many Taurus men and women have beautiful voices. Some of
them sing professionally; others warble in the bath,
soak in rich oils and dream of gilt-edged security.
Music will always touch their lives in some way, and
drawing or painting are often either hobbies or careers.
The sensuous bull is tranquilized by the color of the
sky. Shades of blue bathe his emotions with peace; also
rose and pink, in a lesser way, but never red, as any
matador could tell you. The greens and browns of nature
calm and soothe him too. Green paper money and a
brownstone house will keep him perfectly contented.
Although Taurean ideas are always sensible, they can
also sparkle with the clarity and depth of fifteen
precious sapphires that add up to six kinds of good
fortune, as he doubles his money under the benign smile
of the gods. There's nothing small about Taurus,
including his capacity for lasting love and his
potential for wealth. Copper, the Taurean metal, is an
excellent conductor of electricity and heat, and it
glows with burnished beauty through years of use and
wear. Let the excitable ones scurry and squabble for
first place. The bull's fixed nature needs no flaming
torches to light the way to the security he seeks.
Eventually success will come to him, and he will be
ready. Because the far-off Venus showers him with the
love of luxury, he pays dearly for his possessions and
treasures them for a lifetime; yet he's the sworn enemy
of waste and extravagance. His home is his castle-and
let no man disturb the peace of the bull. Taurus is as
patient as time itself, as deep as the forest, with a
dependable strength that can move mountains. But he's
stubborn.
Famous Taurus Personalities
Fred Astaire Balzac
Lionel Barrymore Irving Berlin Johannes Brahms
Catherine, the Great Perry Como Gary Cooper Oliver
Cromwell Bing Crosby Salvador Dali Stephen A. Douglas
Queen Elizabeth U Duke Ellington Ella Fitzgerald Henry
Fonda Margot Fonteyn Sigmund Freud Ulysses S. Grant
William R. Hearst Audrey Hepburn Hitler
Henry J. Kaiser Willie Mays Yehudi Menuhin Vladimir
Nabokov Robespierre Sugar Ray Robinson Bertrand Russell
William Shakespeare Bishop Fulfon Sheen Toots Shor Kate
Smith Barbra Streisand Norma Talmadge Shirley Temple
Harry S. Truman Orson Welles.
TOP
"Why, I wouldn't say anything about it, even if I
fell off the top of the housel"
". . . Only you'd better not come very
close I generally hit everything I can see- when I get
really excited."
Perhaps you picture the typical Taurus man as a
quiet, practical soul, as sensible and down-to-earth as
an old pair of shoes. It's true-he is. You may also
observe that he's slow to move to action, deliberate and
careful. True again. Therefore, you deduce, it's only
logical to assume he's not very romantic. Positively
false.
Where did you get the idea you can analyze the
Taurean nature by using pure logic alone? Probably from
some Libra fellow who's trying to make an impression on
you. Well, he's wrong. Logic isn't very helpful when
you're trying to solve the riddle of a strong, masculine
symbol like the bull, who's ruled by a loving, peaceful
planet like Venus. Send that Libra man with his clever
mind back to the library.
The bull may take a long time deciding if he wants
you for his woman. He's not going to execute a flashy
swan dive into the pool of romance and discover on the
way down that someone forgot to fill it with water. But
once he's made up his mind that you're the one, and once
he sets his mind on winning you, he'll make the Libra
lover look like a fumbler. He'll even put the smitten
lion and the passionate Scorpio to shame. That sensible,
practical, slow, determined Taurus male is capable of
sending you one pink rose each day until you surrender
to his proposal-of marriage-or whatever. He can even
write a poetic song or verse, and bashfully mail it to
you without signing it, knowing you'll guess the sender.
Taurus can be a tender, gentle and protective lover. His
sensual nature will make him vulnerable to your exotic
perfume, the smoothness of your skin and softness of
your hair. He may not say so in flowery language to your
face, but he will find a way to convey the message. The
Taurus sense of touch is a tangible thing.
This negative, fixed earth sign is full of
contradictions in love. A Taurean will like to see you
dress in luxurious furs and rich colors. He may buy you
a fragrant bunch of fresh, spring violets for your furs
from the little old lady on the corner, and leave a
large tip in her basket because she reminds him of his
mother. (You, however, will definitely not remind him of
either his mother or his sister -except when it comes to
protecting you from the rude glances of other bulls who
try to move in.) Music will stir his emotions and put
him in the mood for love. He's almost sure to have a
favorite song that reminds him of you each time he hears
it. It's the one he keeps playing on the juke box.
If you need more proof of the romance in his soul,
the typical Taurus man will help you build your hope
chest with birthday gifts of china and silver, and at
Christmas he'll remind you of Santa himself when he
comes calling, loaded down with mysterious packages and
sentimental trinkets. He'll suggest moonlight swims,
picnics in cool, secluded woods, and walks down country
lanes under the stars. His will be the largest,
fanciest, most eloquent Valentine the postman ever
delivered on February 14th. When a Taurus man courts
you, he courts you. He doesn't fool around. You'll
probably be taken to dine in glamorous restaurants, with
soft lights and violins, and he'll never forget the date
you first met or any other intimate anniversary between
you. For the love of buttercups, how much romance do you
need?
It's perfectly true that the bull isn't a wild
dreamer like the Aquarian male. Taurus will never sweep
you off your feet like a Leo, or promise to take you
floating away to live with him in a fairy castle,
drifting on pink clouds forever and a day, like an
Aries. He's more likely to drop by on foot some Saturday
night, with the architect's blueprints for the house he
plans to build for you, out of real lumber and with real
cash. He'll probably make the down payment on the
property, or at the very least, on the apartment lease,
before you become engaged. This man means business. When
the bull lifts you across his threshold and plants you
firmly in his substantial home, which won't bear the
faintest resemblance to a fairy castle, you can be sure
the mortgage is secure at the bank. That's hardly
something to complain about. You'll wonder why you ever
wanted to be wrapped in those pink clouds, once you've
been warmly and snugly enfolded in the soft Taurean
blanket of security. You'll be too busy enjoying your
new furniture and checking account (or the certainty
that they're just around the corner) to weep for misty
dreams that probably wouldn't have come true anyway.
That is, if you're a female who appreciates solid value.
Not every woman does, more's the pity. But sensible
girls, from eighteen to eighty, value the peaceful,
easygoing ways of the bull and his calm, stable nature.
His sentimental gestures and pleasantly earthy wooing
can be just as satisfying as the soulful, poetic sighs
of more colorful lovers, or the dashing excitement of
the flashier Don Juans, quite often even more so. Ask
any woman who's been sensible enough to get herself good
and loved by a strong Taurean. There are lots of
contented cows and happy heifers around.
A Taurus man plans for tomorrow carefully. As the
squirrel stores his nuts when they're plentiful in the
summer, to provide security for the cold, barren
winter-the temporary pleasures of a bright afternoon
will never distract Taurus from preparing for the days
when the slush piles up at the curb. It's a funny thing,
but the husbands who are financially able to take or
send their wives to Florida in January are often born in
May.
Naturally, there are drawbacks to a romantic escapade
with a Taurus male-all is not peaches and perfection.
For one thing, you'll have to brush up on your ladylike
behavior. No Taurus man is going to put up with a loud,
masculine female who cracks a whip like an animal
trainer. If you have any forceful opinions, don't shove
them down his throat or brag about your brainpower in
public. Privately, he respects a female with
intelligence (though he places a higher premium on plain
common sense), but you'd just better let him be the
bright one of the team when you're out together dancing
cheek to cheek-even if you're just sitting in a
restaurant, knee to knee. Make like the emancipated
woman in front of his friends and he'll have one of two
reactions. If he's a primitive Taurean (and you'd be
surprised how many of those there are), he's likely to
give you a shove and a shaking, maybe even a good smack
in the right place when you get home-or worse, before
you get home. If he's a more sophisticated type, he'll
simply clam up on you in front of everyone and sit there
like a large chunk of cold stone, refusing to speak a
word the rest of the night, until you're so embarrassed
you wish the floor would swallow you. Your friends will
be most uncomfortable, too. It can really dampen an
evening, not to mention cramp your style.
Your first impulse will be to try to undo the damage,
but trying to jolly him out of his stubborn mood before
it's run its course is literally impossible. It's like
trying to move the Rock of Gibraltar. As a matter of
fact, if you attempt to tease him back into normal
social behavior, you may wish you had just let him sulk.
A hunk of cold stone is infinitely more acceptable than
his reaction to your coaxing after you've angered him.
Push him too far and he'll turn from a silent sphinx
into a bellowing bull, who may very well let loose some
mighty earthy language, which will cause your cheeks to
flame even pinker. Either that, or he'll say calmly to
the group, "Excuse me for breaking up the party, but I
have to drag this woman with the tent flap mouth home
and teach her a few lessons." You'll hide from everyone
you know for weeks afterwards. And all because, when
he's holding the group spellbound with his summary of
the political scene, you interrupt him with a remark
like, "Oh honey, don't be so naive. Everyone knows
Utterbach takes bribes. With his record he couldn't get
elected chairman of the Boy Scout cookie sale, let alone
Congressman. You don't know what you're talking about,"
at which point he'll dig in those heels, fold his arms
across that beefy chest, and begin to pout-or clobber
you- whichever. If you see him reach for his coat, you
might as well put on yours, too. A Taurus man will
seldom leave his woman alone with the wolves,
unprotected, no matter how angry she's made him. He'll
take her along, by the hair, if necessary. So don't get
any ideas of staying behind to get sympathy from the
others. When he leaves, you leave. And I would strongly
advise you to apologize before you get home. He won't.
Running to Mama's arms won't do any good. You share his
bed and board, as long as he pays the rent.
Mother-in-law interference is about the last thing the
typical bull will stand for. The first time you try that
"running home to Mother" routine will probably be the
last. After they once experience his fury, your parents
wll prefer to keep the door locked and let you handle
your own problems.
I know a Taurus man with an aggressive wife who found
unique solution. He simply refuses to go out with her in
public. Her irresistible force met an immovable object-
tm. She can go out and rob other men of their
masculinity all she wants, not Taurus, the bull. He's
very fond o: his positive mate, and they have rather a
nice team gong in many ways; they respect each other
tremendously -but until she learns to submit, keep her
mouth closed, aid let him be the man, she's forced to go
to parties, meetings and the theater without an escort.
This particular Taurean has refused to accompany her
ever since the time they joined several other couples
for dinner at a fancy place. His wife grabbed the menu
from him and ordered for the whole group. She made
unflattering remarks about his haircut and his tie
during the first course, and supplied the punch line to
three of his jokes during the entree. So now she goes to
social functions alone, while her Taurus mate refuses to
budge from his castle. You can't really blame the bull.
He's just being true to his Sun sign. It's sill a solid
marriage, but you may not be so lucky. So don't tempt
your Taurean by shoving him around.
He's extremely patient, but he won't wear a ring in
his nose. He doesn't necessarily want a clinging vine,
either. H's too practical, and he likes his freedom too
much to enjoy a female who sticks to him like rubber
cement and cries at the drop of a hanky. He doesn't mind
a woman with some fire and spunk. It intrigues him and
balances his own steadier maturity. With a smile of
detached amusement he'll watch her cheerfully scampering
around in typical feminine fashion, as one would watch a
beloved, petty kitten playing with a brightly colored
ball of yam. Just so kitty knows when the bull gives a
strong tug on the yarn, it's time to stop the fun and
games and listen to the voice of her master. No one can
be kinder, more gentle aid truly tolerant than a Taurus
man, when his masculinity is secure. He'll do anything
in the world for the woman he loves except allow her to
wear the pants. Taurus may sometimes behave like a
clumsy circus bear, aid his humor is often rough and
ridiculous. But he will not play the role of the fool
after the party is over.
The bull enjoys shopping around and he'll seldom rush
head long into a serious courtship. The puzzled girl
he's been taking to the movies every Saturday night for
a year may wonder if he's ever going to catch fire. It
takes time for him to work up enough steam in the boiler
to get the engine going at full speed, but once he's set
his sights on a particular female, he can't be
sidetracked. He may even forget to be sensible and
cautious. The typical Taurus man is blind to any
warnings of incompatibility when he's been pierced by
Cupid's arrow. The more his friends point out possible
stumbling blocks, the more obstinate he gets, and you
know how obstinate that can be. Consequently, the
Taurean frequently makes the mistake of getting tangled
up with fire and air signs, when he's better off with
earth and water, in most cases. Sometimes, it works out
beneficially. Opposites can attract, and stay attracted.
But when it doesn't, Taurus will take a long time to get
over the scars of a divorce before he's ready to settle
down again with a wife who more closely matches his own
disposition and outlook.
The financial picture with a Taurus man is usually
excellent. Paint it pink and rosy. Few Taureans will
fail to accumulate at least security, if not wealth.
Some of them play the game of Monopoly with real money.
And they win. Both real estate and cash are easily
conquered by the bull.
He probably loves the country, football, fishing and
camping. If none of these, he likes flowers, gardening
or long walks. He prefers to read books about the
dashing heroes of olden days or the biographies of
empire builders, rather than sophisticated fiction or
deep philosophy. Most Taurus males subscribe to several
men's magazines, some earthy and practical, others
featuring glossy pages of feminine pulchritude.
He's the ultimate in a man's man, so don't ever serve
him those dainty tea sandwiches with the crusts sliced
off. He likes good, old-fashioned home cooking, with.
plenty of potatoes and gravy, and apple pie like Mom
used to make. Get yourself a good cookbook. He'll also
be willing to take you out to dine frequently. Typical
Taureans don't expect their wives to be kitchen slaves.
(But he may mess up your pots and pans when he plays
Sunday chef and expects you to play bus boy.)
As a parent, he's a perfect delight. He'll think it's
important to have a son to carry on the family name, but
hell love the little girls with special tenderness.
Taurus men make loving, affectionate, warm and
sympathetic fathers. He'll set high standards for the
children and expect them to respect property and
possessions. The Taurean dad is patient. He won't mind
if the children learn their lessons slowly, so long as
they get them correctly. His attitude is that young
minds should be trained gradually toward maturity. You
may find that he puts too much emphasis on material
matters and showers them with expensive gifts that spoil
them. But he'll also shower them with his time and
devotion, and the firm hand of discipline will be there
when it's needed. In general, life with father, if he
was born in May, can be a warm experience, overflowing
with love-except for those rare occasions when the bull
charges in blind, furious anger, and the whole family
has to hide behind the piano.
The typical Taurean husband is generous to a fault
with his wife. He won't deny you nice clothes, perfume
and baubles; attractive but practical furniture and a
full pantry. The bull seldom skimps on furnishings,
clothing or food. Still, money won't bum any noticeable
holes in his pockets (unless there are impulsive
financial aspects in his natal chart). He loves luxury,
but he's just as enamored with value, and he'll make
sure his cash buys more than a salesman's hot air.
This man will work hard and need lots of rest. See
that he gets it, because he can be quite a grumpy grouch
when he's tired and out of sorts. Don't ever nag him or
accuse him of being lazy. That's like waving a red flag
in his face. He lives life at his own leisurely pace,
and he won't be rushed or pushed. His speedometer is set
at one speed-deliberate. Attempts to make him spin
merrily through a continual round of whirlwind social
activity are doomed to failure. He will enjoy
entertaining in his own home, but he'll prefer a few
people of compatible interests to large crowds. Invite
old friends, or those who have serious goals and
ambitions, and he'll behave pleasantly and hospitably.
If you insist on cluttering his castle with empty
headed, frivolous Go-Go types, he may just disappear
from the scene-sometimes permanently.
Buy him one of those papa bear chairs that stretches
out into a reclining position. No loud noises, blaring
radios and TV sets, chaos and scattered toys, please.
Keep your home full of music, beauty and peace. Remember
that the trousers fit him better than they do you. Be
his woman, and you couldn't ask for a better man. No one
else will ever treat you with such gracious
consideration. He really deserves to be respected for
it. Taurus love is simple, plain and honest. His
affectionate nature and flattering attention will make
you sure you are loved, in spite of all your little
faults and failings that other men would constantly
criticize. Taurus gives enduring loyalty and devotion,
with a faithful heart. That adds up to emotional
security. Combined with financial security and romance,
there's little else to ask for. So all right, he's
stubborn, but remember that stubbornness turned upside
down is patience, and that's a rare virtue.
Get a nice, furry, fluffy blanket (Taurus loves
things that feel soft to the touch), tuck it around him
when he's in his papa bear chair, and read him the stock
market report. Be sure he gets his hot bath with scented
oils and lots of fragrant soap. Serve him a big bowl of
rich porridge. Then you're sure to have a strong, gentle
man, who will protect you from all the storms.
Contentment is the word. Doesn't it have a cozy sound?
TOP
TOP
Without, the frost-the blinding snow, The
storm-wind's moody madness- Within, the firelight's
ruddy glow, And childhood's nest of gladness.
I remember a conversation I once had with a writer
whose mother had been born in May. In discussing her
parent's habits and character, the girl happened to
mention that "Mother was a tall woman." "You must take
after your father then," I remarked, since the girl
herself was only of average height. She smiled. And I
shall never forget what she said. "I didn't mean in
inches. Mother was shorter than I am. That was just soul
talk." The girl was a Pisces, the sign that looks deep
inside you.
She was right. A Taurus female is a tall woman. Even
if she measures under five feet, she can reach tall
enough to meet almost any emergency life chooses to
throw h? way. In many ways, the Taurean female is the
salt of the earth, a combination of most of the sterling
qualities every male looks for and seldom finds. She may
have a violent temper that would frighten a strong man
into running for the woods (or at least ducking under a
table), but she won't go on a raging rampage without god
provocation. Ordinarily, if you don't torment her beyond
human endurance, or if Fate doesn't hand her a really
rough bunch of cards, she'll play the game of life
fairly, with cool, admirable calm. Her candor and 'basic
honesty are undiluted with normal feminine tricks ay
tears. The Taurean girl has more moral and emotional
courage than many a tough male, but she has enough
confidence in her own sex to let you be the boss, if you
want the job. If you don't fill it, she may grab control
and run things herself, but she'd much rather have it
the other way around. She seeks a real man. That's
because she knows she's a real woman, and she's proud of
it. To her, being a woman doesn't necessarily mean being
an incorrigible flirt, a mental fluff ball or a mewing
kitten who pretends to be weak to get her own way. It
won't be long before you see she has a mind of her own,
and it's quite strong enough not to have to resort to
teasing to gain an objective.
There's enough self-control in the average Taurus
woman make-up to hold back a team of horses (a fair idea
of the force of her hidden will), if she chooses to
exercise it. Let's hope she does. With an Aries or Leo
ascendant 01 Moon, she may be capable of occasional
cruelty or frequent emotional storms and with heavy
Pisces or Qmini influences in her natal chart, she may
be more restless and wavering-but the typical Taurean
female practices self restraint in all areas at most
times. It's a good thing, because her normally placid
exterior conceals a sensual nature that could stand a
little checking.
Men always appreciate her gracious tendency to take
People as they are, without quibbling. She's as much at
home with a scientist who studies tsetse flies in the
Congo as with the sword swallower in the side
show. They're doing what comes naturally; they're not
phonies and that's what counts with her. Her close
friends may be weird Matures straight out of the world
of Toulouse-Lautrec, 01 they may be Norman Rockwell
paintings come to life.
But they will be real people, not stuffed shirts or
statues. When she runs across someone she dislikes, she
doesn't start a big campaign to destroy him or challenge
his ideals and motives. She simply avoids him. The
Taurus woman can show frigid indifference to her
enemies, but if she counts you as a friend, she'll be
loyal through all your ups and downs. Her determination
to stick with you would make the relationship between
Damon and Pythias look like a casual acquaintance.
You can drive a Maxwell, climb a flag pole, get
locked up in the pokey or wear daisies in your hair. You
are her friend, and somehow she'll justify your actions.
There's just a small catch here. She'll doggedly expect
you to return her blind allegiance and unswerving
loyalty. If you don't give her your complete devotion in
return, she can sulk in the comer like a gloomy, gray
cloud of repressed resentment.
This isn't the same thing as jealousy, however. The
average Taurus woman will take the masculine hobby of
girl watching in stride. Unlike the Aries or Leo woman,
she won't turn scarlet with rage every time you openly
admire a pretty girl. It takes more than a casual
flirtation or kissing a good (female) friend goodnight
on the cheek to arouse her Taurean anger. If you go
beyond the bounds of her idea of fair play, she can be a
holy terror on wheels, but the line is drawn with
generous strokes. She'll have to be really pressed to
the wall in some way to explode in typical Taurus fury.
You can go ahead and wink at that attractive cashier,
but don't test her patience too far. It does have a
limit, boundless as it appears to be. If you've never
seen her mad, leave well enough alone.
These women aren't dominated by strictly mental
goals. That's not meant to imply that the Taurus female
isn't smart and clever. She can match brains with the
brightest men and women, but she's not fiercely
interested in figuring out the theory of relativity or
delving into abstractions. Multiple university degrees
don't impress or thrill her. Just one is sufficient to
gain her respect. Practical common sense and the ability
to understand the fundamentals of any subject is, to
her, essential. But the typical Taurean girl isn't an
intellectual who reads the philosophers for kicks, and
intricate ideologies are not her forte. She's a solid,
practical thinker, with no frills or showy mental
gymnastics. Her feet are planted on terra firma, and
there are definitely no wings attached to her solid
heels. Taurus women are seldom restless-they keep their
heads and their balance. The Taurean perspective remains
normally straight and true, with no twists and turns or
distortions (though a Gemini Moon can put her in a bit
of a whirl).
She's strictly a physical creature. That will
undoubtedly interest you, but to interest her, an
object or an idea has to appeal to her finely tuned
senses. She doesn't want to hear that it's "good for
her," that "everybody else is doing it," or that it will
"stimulate her mentally." That sort of persuasion will
make her yawn. To respond with genuine excitement, she
has to derive some sensual satisfaction from everything
she does.
You'll seldom see a Taurus woman stuffing a few
artificial blooms in a vase. Her flowers must be real,
and have am honest feel or fragrance. She'll gather huge
bunches off pussywillow and bittersweet in the spring
and fall, and fill the house with sturdy mums and
dahlias in the summer. Her perfume will usually be
exotic and lingering, though some Taurean women lean in
the opposite direction, and prefer the odor of squeaking
clean hair and skin. Taurus girls will be visibly moved
by freshly washed sheets saturated with the sweet smell
of sunshine or the delicious aroma of bread baking in
the oven. She's spiritually aroused by the scent of the
morning paper, the intoxicating odor of newly cut grass
after a spring rain, burning wax candles or the smoke
from a pile of smoldering autumn leaves. This should
clue you to use a good brand of shaving lotion, rub some
damp newsprint on your ears, tack a burned leaf in your
lapel and turn on the sprinklers just before you kiss
her goodnight. Unpleasant odors affect her just as
drastically, in a reverse way. This is not a girl who
will appreciate a pet skunk, even if he has been
deodorized. Don't take her on a fish fry unless you
take along a can of floral spray. It's the cooking odor
that causes the problem. The fragrance of fish fresh out
of the stream is different; that's natural. The stables
won't offend her delicate nostrils, either. Mother
Nature again. You may have to make a careful list if you
want to woo her with olfactory success.
Colors send her senses soaring, too, the richer the
better. Every shade of blue, from powder to indigo, will
weaken her strong resistance. So will rose and pink.
Wear a blue tie and a shocking pink shirt when you visit
her, but not at the same time. Remember, she also has a
sense of harmony, and you don't want to look like a
co-ed nursery.
Her food must taste just right, and she'll usually
sprinkle on the seasoning generously (unless she has a
Virgo or Capricorn ascendant). Be sure to take her to
places with the best chefs, because flat hamburgers and
bland pea soup leave her emotionally cold. If you're
lucky, she'll invite you for a home-cooked meal, and you
may propose before dessert is served. When this girl
ties on an apron, it's not just to make cinnamon toast.
It's always a good idea to drop in on her with an empty
stomach. A typical Taurus woman can cook her way right
into your heart, and her kitchen is a real man trap.
Harmonious sounds and beautiful visual effects draw
her like a magnet. Most Taurean women have a marked
talent for, or an appreciation of music and art. Her
doodles on the telephone pad are often very clever
drawings. Concerts and art exhibits are a good bet on
dates, and Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon are the
best choices for a honeymoon. She'll be ecstatic at the
sight of nature's grandeur.
If you can't afford Niagara, take her to an amusement
park. She'll probably love to ride on a ferns wheel,
feel the sharp wind across her cheeks, watch the colored
lights and listen to the calliope music. (The roller
coaster will appeal more to her Aries and Gemini
sisters.) It's a rare Taurus girl who has never been on
a farm nor hiked in the country-who doesn't love
horseback riding and fishing. With all her sensuality,
the Taurean female is a tomboy at heart. The earth
beckons her with a seductive call-and she responds by
throwing her arms around Mother Nature in honest
rapture. If you want her to throw her arms around you in
honest rapture, be sure you don't play raucous music on
your record machine, eat garlic without gargling or wear
clashing colors.
Finally, there's the sense of touch. Taurus women are
the ones who complain that your sweater is "scratchy."
It doesn't "feel nice." They can almost tell the color
of a fabric by stroking it with their eyes closed. The
materials she wears will be soft and luxurious to the
touch, never irritating, and she'll probably dress with
simplicity and taste. Her sensuous nature may not
stretch to include fussy lingerie and dainty clothing
(barring a Pisces or Leo ascendant or Moon). She prefers
sportswear and plain, expensive outfits with no excess
trimmings, and she dresses mostly for comfort; her
practical nature taking over in the costume department.
If she happens to have a heavy Aquarian influence in her
chart, she can go a little cuckoo in stores on occasion,
but even then her offbeat selections will serve a
utilitarian purpose.
As you get to know her better, you'll realize that
this girl can be a tower of strength. She's seldom
demanding, except in the area of loyalty, and her
disposition is generally even, down-to-earth and
pleasant. People love her straightforward, easy-going
manner-it's as relaxing as a warm bath. She's probably
fond of warm baths herself, with lots of lotions and
oils and bubbles. Taurean bathrooms often look like
Cleopatra's private quarters. You keep expecting to see
a slave appear and start waving a palm leaf fan.
You might have to find out the hard way that a Taurus
woman doesn't like to be contradicted, especially in
public, but why do that, when you can learn the easy way
by understanding her Sun sign? Remember that she likes
to do things slowly. If you hurry her or rush her,
she'll become angry, and it isn't wise to make a Taurean
female angry. Her tempo ranges from slow to deliberate
and steady; it seldom raises to impulsive, but it can
reach violent, when she's goaded too far.
Motherhood becomes her nicely. It blends smoothly
with her serene disposition and matches her bovine
nature beautifully. She'll cuddle little babies and
adore toddlers, but as the youngsters grow older, she
may be too strict and demanding. There's an unbending,
stubborn streak in Taurean females that makes it hard
for them to accept easily the multiple and confusing
changes of adolescence. The Taurus mother becomes angry
when her discipline is thwarted. She won't stand for
disobedience or defiance. All the fury of the bull is
aroused. She'll also find it difficult to tolerate
laziness or sloppiness, and the children will probably
keep their rooms neat-or else.
The Taurean love of beauty and harmony prevents calm
acceptance of untidy habits. Messy youngsters and sloppy
surroundings can make her see red. Outside of these few
failings, she'll probably be a good parent, more of a
friend to her children than a mother image as the years
pass. Most offspring of a May-born woman remember her
'as a warm, maternal image in the early years and a pal
with a sense of humor in their later years. The
in-between years-when youthful impatience clashes with
the bull's , firm determination-may leave a few
unpleasant memories. She'll fiercely and loyally defend
them from outside hurts |and teach them to imitate her
own honest courage.
( Taurus females are never sissies. They seldom whine
or | complain. This is a woman who will quietly take a
job to | support a husband in medical school or work at
home if | there's a temporary financial crisis in the
family. She ' doesn't have a lazy bone in her body,
despite her often I slow, deliberate movements and need
for frequent rest periods. Taurus females are hard
workers. She can climb ! a stepladder to
paint or scrub the walls with the strength of : a man,
but she needs that afternoon nap to keep her sturdy.
: She'll walk proudly beside her man, and seldom try
to pass him or stand in his shadow. Many a Taurean wife
helps her husband with his studies, if he's taking
special courses in a professional career, or types up
the business correspondence he brings home from the
office. She's an excellent helpmate in these areas.
Taureans never expect to be supported without
contributing their share, and they're miserable with a
man who doesn't contribute his, though they'll try to
make the best of it. Taurus women dislike weakness in
any form.
Her impassivity to pain and emotional stress is
almost : miraculous, often even surpassing that of the
Scorpio iv-male. I remember a scene I once
watched in a hospital. A Taurus woman was going upstairs
for serious surgery, so serious that her chances of
surviving the operation were very small, and she knew
it. It was a calculated risk. As her husband watched her
being placed on the cart that would wheel her to the
operating area, she noticed the tears in his eyes. But
she never commented. She made jokes instead, until the
nurses giggled and even the doctor smiled. The last
thing her family heard her say as the orderlies were
pushing and pulling, trying to get the cart into the
elevator, was typically Taurean. Instead of glancing
back at her loved ones with a tearful look of farewell,
she raised up on one elbow and spoke to the young men
firmly. "Before you put me back on this thing again, get
some oil and grease those damned wheels." A Taurus woman
never lets sentiment interfere with practicality.
A man who marries a female born in May won't marry a
cry baby or a gold digger. She'll expect him to provide
for her and manage the family finances sensibly. She'll
also want the best quality when it comes to food and
furnishings. But she'll always keep a sharp eye out for
bargains, and be willing to wait for the luxuries she
craves.
Quick fortunes without a solid foundation don't
appeal to her sense of stability. She'd rather see you
build carefully for the future. Making a good impression
is important to her, and lots of Taurean women encourage
their husbands to aim for a secure future by inviting
influential people to dinner. A Taurus wife is the soul
of hospitality.
This is a girl who will stay up night after night
with a sick child and pray him back to health with a
rock-bound faith-the kind of woman who can tenderly
replenish a man's store of hope when the world has
defeated him, infusing him with her own brave,
dauntless example. She's as dependable and predictable
as a grandfather clock, as capable of patching a broken
pipe or fixing a blown fuse as she is of baking a cherry
pie or sewing on a missing button. There's always room
enough and love enough in her heart to welcome strangers
and relatives to her hearth, and her house will warm you
when you've just come in out of a storm. Like my friend
said, a Taurus female is "a tall woman."
TOP
"It'll be no use putting their heads down and
saying, 'Come up again, dear!' . . . // / tike
being that person, fll come up:
If not, I'll stay down here. ..."
It may begin to be evident that your newborn baby is
a Taurean when you try to dress him to take him home
from the hospital. "Put your little arms inside your
nice sweater Grandma knit for you," you'll murmur in
tender, maternal tones. "Why are you clenching your
little fists and holding your arms so stiff? Let go,
like a good little baby. Please, let go."
"Let me try," says your husband. "Okay, come on now,
Kid. Let's get those arms in the sleeves. Easy does it.
Hey! Did you hear me, Charlie? Let go. Move your arms.
Move them!"
The nurse comes in. "Don't be upset," she .says.
"It's always hard to dress them when they're little. My,
what a good baby. Wide awake, but he doesn't make a
sound."
"Yes, he's quiet," says your husband. "But he keeps
folding his arms across his chest, and I can't pull them
apart He's so strong, I can't even pry them apart."
"I don't think he wants his sweater on," you remark
uneasily, a mother's intuition beginning to rise.
The nurse approaches your little bull with
professional efficiency. "I'll do it. All right now,
upsy daisy! In the sleeve-fist first-that's the way."
She forces the tiny arm through the opening in the
sweater. Suddenly, your small bull's face turns a deep,
bluish-purple-red color, and a wail is heard that brings
every nurse on the floor rushing into the room. (It's
more of a roar than a wail. The intern down the hall
thought the boiler had exploded in the basement.) Your
Taurus baby is just announcing that he doesn't
appreciate being pushed. It's a warning. And it will be
repeated.
Your neighbors will hear the same sound every time
you try to press your May child into doing something he
doesn't want to do. There will be lots of little
problems like trying to stuff oatmeal into a mouth
that's glued shut, pressing an iron leg into a pair of
rubber panties, and trying to force a chubby, pink body,
suddenly turned to unyielding cement, into the bathtub.
You'll lose lots of weight and develop strong muscular
control. Mothers of Taurus children always have muscles
like Popeye, though they often look as haggard as Olive
Oyl.
Outside of being just plain pig-headed, the Taurus
baby is a delight to raise. Parents of Taurean boys and
girls will find their youngsters cuddly and loving. They
adore being squeezed and hugged and petted. The little
bull with a cowlick or curly forelock will jump up on
your lap to get a kiss and leave you out of breath with
his bear hugs. He'll give your friends the same
affectionate treatment, if he trusts them. The tiny
Taurus girl will flirt from the high chair to get an
extra helping of dessert. She's probably Daddy's little
girl. He'll find it hard to resist her limpid charm, as
difficult as Mommy finds it to resist her Taurean son's
quiet sweetness. The children of both sexes will be
strong, healthy and athletically inclined. The boys will
be all boys, sometimes little terrors, full of fun,
sturdy and tough. The little girls will be all female,
taking care of their dolls like small mothers, keeping
things tidy and playing house. Some of them will be
tomboys, and you'll catch them climbing trees or
shooting marbles with the boys; but essentially, they
have all the charms of femininity to call on when they
choose, and they'll choose often.
Taurus youngsters seem to be generally more
competent, even as toddlers, than other children. For
one thing, they're emotionally stable, seldom subject to
deep moods of depression, fits of impulsiveness or
show-off tendencies. They can be negative and stubborn,
sometimes shy and timid, but there are few of the normal
hang-ups and growing pains. Taurean dispositions are
normally calm and pleasant. They're not easily ruffled
or disturbed. Except when they balk at being pushed too
far or too hard, their personalities are smooth,
cheerful and quite predictable. There's a maturity about
them that children born under other Sun signs (except
Capricorn and Scorpio) lack. Even the very young
Taureans are usually quite well-behaved in front of
company, but they'll act as if the cat got their tongues
if they're forced to be the center of attention. Leave
them alone to play in the comer and the chances are that
visitors will be impressed at how well they've been
trained.
A Taurean youngster quietly minds his own business,
and the young bull will seldom embarrass you by rudeness
or a smart-alecky attitude. However, if you challenge
his temper by teasing him (which he can't stand), by
applying steady pressure, or demanding that he do
something his mind is dead set against-he can turn
belligerent. The only way out of such defiance is love.
Never force. A Taurean child who's been forced by older
people too often may turn into a silent, moody, cruel
adult. Remember that he can't remain stubborn against
physical demonstrations of affection. A loving squeeze
or a big, friendly kiss and a cheerful smile will coax
him out of his obstinacy. Always speak gently and
logically. Yelling and harsh voices raised in command
will just make him shut his eyes and ears. He can resist
discipline and orders until doomsday. He cant
resist affection for a minute.
Even when he's very young, his mind will respond to
common sense. If it sounds reasonable to him, hell do
it- but he'll want a practical explanation. Nothing
complicated. Just the plain, honest, unvarnished truth.
"You have to go to bed now because I say so," will get
you nowhere at all. That's neither sensible nor
reasonable to him. However, a softly spoken declaration
like, "You have to go to bed now because we're going to
turn out the lights. If you don't, we can't let you go
out to play tomorrow, because you'll be too tired," will
probably get him into his sleepers and ready for the
sandman. It also works to say, "Hop into your warm bed
now, between your nice, clean sheets, while I tuck in
your soft baby bear blanket. Then I'll read you a little
story." No matter how stubborn he has been, he'll almost
always turn into a docile angel at those words. His is a
very sensual nature, and describing the feel of things
seldom fails to strike a responsive chord. Pushing him
to give in to your demands is both futile and dangerous
to his future personality.
Colors and sounds will affect his disposition and his
emotions deeply. Bright, clashing oranges and reds in
his room will make him restless and obstinate. Pastel
shades, especially pink, rose and all tones of blue,
will produce almost magical results. This child will
react to colors visibly. If they're harmonious to his
Taurean vibrations, he'll remain tranquil. If they're
discordant, they can literally damage his emotional
stability. Loud noises will have the same effect.
It's a good idea to give a Taurus child music or
singing lessons as soon as possible. Almost every one of
them will have a low, soft, melodious voice, and many of
them have considerable vocal or musical talent, and
you'll want to discover it while he's young enough to be
trained in the right direction. Even if he's not going
to make music his career, he'll enjoy listening to it on
his own little record player in his room. He may prefer
the classics to modem sounds or nursery rhymes. He'll
probably like to draw, color or paint, and the chances
are good that he may have some real artistic ability. Be
sure your Taurus has lots of. paper and colored pencils.
It's his favorite way of expressing himself.
Teachers usually find the Taurus child a credit to
the class. Unless there are afflicting planet positions
in the nativity, Taurean boys and girls will be
industrious in school, learn their lessons methodically
and have excellent powers of concentration. They're not
whiz kids like the Gemini and Aquarian or Aries
students, but they probably won't be tardy or throw spit
balls in study hall, though they may break up if Teacher
gets her finger caught in the pencil sharpener. The
Taurus youngster is ordinarily quite obedient. His mind
absorbs slowly, but he never forgets what he's learned,
once a fact or date is mastered. These boys and girls
usually do well on tests, because they prepare for them
carefully. They're often chosen leaders of group
activities, due to their love of fair play-and also due
to their obvious common sense and good judgment.
The Taurus child may give his elders a few bad
moments because of his stubbornness, but they'll be few
and far between. One mother of a young Taurean I know
took her son to school one day and was sorry she didn't
stay home and keep out of it. The little bull had
insulted his teacher by insisting her facts were wrong.
So was the author of the textbook, naturally. The next
day, his mother marched him to the teacher's desk with
the firm command, "Apologize to Miss Applegarden,
Sammy." That was about nine o'clock in the morning. At
noon, in the principal's office, the mother was heard
wearily repeating the order, "Apologize to Miss
Applegarden, Sammy." Later in the day, after the
students had been dismissed, the janitor was gathering
up trash baskets. As he passed the office, he heard a
strange, faraway, trembling voice, almost ghost-like,
floating from the inner sanctum. "Apologize to Miss
Applegarden, Sammy," it said. "For the last time,
apologize." Through the closed door came the hollow
sound of a wooden paddle being applied. Then silence.
The next day, the little boy was back at his desk. He
had outlasted the teacher, his mother and the principal.
He never did apologize. But he made the honor roll.
Once you're resigned to the knowledge that nothing
this side of a derrick will move your Taurus youngster
when he digs his sturdy toes in the earth, you'll enjoy
watching him grow up. Hell probably get tons of dirt on
his clothes playing with his toy trucks and tractors-and
the hair of little Taurean boys has the oddest way of
smelling like a warm bird's nest, no matter how often
you wash it-but he won't lose his report card or his
marbles. He won't drive Dad's car too fast and end up
wrapping it around a telephone pole when he's older. He
may raid the refrigerator, and eat the fried chicken
you were saving for dinner, or be tough on the new
furniture. But he'll be mighty easy on your heart when
he gets big. And he won't forget your birthday. Your
little Taurus girl may tear her party dress climbing
into her tree house, or go into a rage when someone
breaks one of her precious possessions. But she'll help
you bake gingerbread men, and you'll always be welcome
in her lovely home after she's happily 'settled down
with her own family. Your grandchildren will probably be
well-behaved, in either case.
Raise your little bull or heifer in a cozy, snug
atmosphere of love. Surround him with visible affection
instead of invisible barbed wire fences. Don't pull on
his hors too hard, and let him graze at his own calm
tempo. Fill his ears with music and his eyes with
beauty, and he'll fill your heart with peace someday.
Even Miss Applegarden will forgive him.
TOP
"Haw the creatures order one about, and make one
repeat lessons!"
"I sent to them again to say It will be better to
obey."
You say you have one of those sweet Taurus bosses who
never nags or fusses, and you don't need any advice or
tips on how to handle that complacent, dear, docile
creature? You have him just where you want him-in the
palm of your hand? Well, you're certainly learning your
Sun signs just in time to avoid a disaster. Before it's
too late, you'd better memorize the one major rule for
dealing with a Taurean executive: Don't try his
patience too far.
It's a tougher rule than it seems. If he's a typical
Taurus boss, he has such enormous patience, it's
downright tempting to try it. His manner is so peaceful
and his disposition so laid back you're apt to think of
him as "good old Mr. Bearimple." Then you'll start
treating him like a nice, shaggy bear, who's a little
stubborn perhaps, but kindly and perfectly harmless.
You'll remember the happy ending to the Goldilocks
story, and let your guard down. That's just what you
should not do. It could be the beginning of the end.
Yes, I know that Goldilocks got away with eating Papa
Bear's porridge, sitting in his big chair, and napping
on his bed. But bears are not bulls. Don't confuse your
animals. Just because they get them mixed up in the stoc1.
market doesn't mean you should get them mixed up in tie
office. Bears live in the woods, and sometimes go after:
honey. Bulls live on the farm, and sometimes go after
pushy people. Bears can squeeze strangers hard in a
spirit of fin, but they mean no harm. They're playful.
Bulls can destroy trespassers and china shops in blind
fury, on purpose. They're dangerous. End of zoology
lesson.
Today, you're safe. But who knows what tomorrow may
brings? It may bring you sudden regret that you tried
the patience of your Taurus boss too far. You may wish
you hadn't imposed on his good nature with such casual
confident. It's not hard to see how you got on the
wrong path. It happens all the time to people who work
for Taurean executives. He's so meek and understanding
when you turn in i letter that's sloppily typed, you may
not bother to check your spelling too often afterwards.
He's so considerate when you mess up the figures on
your semiannual report, you may be a little careless
with your math on other papers. Since he doesn't yell
and glare at you when you take an extra half hour at
lunch, you may try for an extra hour the next week, and
gradually stretch it to two hours. It's so easy to slide
into a fool's paradise. Have you allowed yourself to
drift into these lazy habits under the spell of your
Taurean boss's easy-going personality and quiet manner?
You'd better hang one of those "Danger-Ferocious Bull"
signs (the kind you see out in the country) over your
desk. It might save your life very sod, or at least your
job, and sometimes one is pretty synonymous with the
other. You can't very well say to your landlord, "I'm
sorry I'm three months behind on my ret:, but I haven't
found a new job yet. I got fired from my last one with
no notice, because, you see, I had this boss who was
born in May-and I didn't understand about theTaurean
temper because of the Venus rulership. It was that
darned Venus that fooled me." If you find a landlord who
won't give you an immediate eviction notice after that
explanation, you must live in the land of Oz.
It's much easier to practice your Sun sign knowledge
in the beginning. The reason your boss was so nice and
unruffled when you typed that letter, made those
mistakes in the report and lingered so long over your
lunch hour, was not because he's a nice, shaggy bear
pushover. Nor was it because he's too shy and timid to
express his wishes or exert his authority. Frankly, he
didn't see any point in embarrassing you by making a
big fuss over one or two or even a few goofs. He figured
you had enough common sense (remember that phrase) not
to repeat yourself like a broken record. He decided to
watch you patiently to see if you were practical enough
to profit by past errors on your own. Aye! There's the
rub! His patience was carefully calculated toward a
definite purpose-to test you, and to give you a chance
to prove your mettle. He admires people who learn the
knack of disciplining themselves. He's a self-made man.
Why shouldn't you be? He's willing to give you the
opportunity.
He is determined to give everyone a fair break. He
won't judge hastily. He won't expect miracles overnight,
nor will he mind if you're a little slow in catching on
to his methods and his very set procedures. You'll be
given a chance to find your way around, and hell look
the other way more than once if you stumble in the dark.
But make no innocent, naive mistakes about his ultimate
goal. He wants things done his way. His way could
conceivably be the way things were done when the Smith
Brothers got together and decided to cure coughs, but
to him, it's the tried and true, proven method. Besides
those fellows still cure his coughs! As long as
his methods keep making money, he's going to be loyal to
them. He's willing to waste plenty of his huge supply of
patience to find employees who fit his cement mold.
However, once you've pressed his patience too far, he
will first balk, then snort in anger, and finally shout,
"You're fired!"-possibly at the top of his lungs. (At
least it will seem loud, because it will be so
emphatic.) Your only warning will probably will be that
he failed to answer your cheerful, unsuspecting, "Good
morning," the previous day. Know beyond any doubt that
he's not going to change his mind after he's decided to
sack you. Nothing changes the Taurus mind, once it's
made up. He may give you a generous slice of severance
pay, because he doesn't want that cold-hearted landlord
to throw you and your sick grandmother and the twelve
children out in the snow. But he won't give you any
more chances once he's firmly convinced himself that
you're dead weight to the company he cherishes only a
shade less than he does his wife. It's not that he is
unkind. Your memory is short if you think that. His is
not. Recall, as you read the classified ads for a new
job, how kind he was for all those months when you were
so carefully taking advantage of his faith in you.
The Taurean boss is a thoroughly practical soul.
Although he needs to feel that his business allows him
to express the beauty in his nature creatively, he
needs even more to succeed materially. Taurus men are
never satisfied to run a small business. They want to
build it into a possible empire. The Taurus boss won't
be content without some expansion, however minor. There
will be no dramatic, sweeping changes, and progress
will proceed one step at a time. Hell build gradually,
without flash or fanfare, but he'll build. He sticks to
anything he starts and finishes what he begins, and
he'll expect you to do the same thing.
Don't try too many short cuts. He wants his facts
plain, not fancy. Taurus bosses have no more patience
with the art of gilding the lily than Capricorn
executives. One of his favorite phrases will be, "Get to
the point," but he'll say it without rancor or sarcasm.
Lengthy preliminaries in explaining ideas make him
nervous, though he'll retain his outward immobility.
It will be frustrating when he refuses to budge an
inch for your most exciting concepts, and when he won't
let you try out that new system you read about in
Fortune (or picked up from your brother-in-law,
who's such a crackerjack promoter). Granted, sometimes
he's wrong for refusing to listen to progressive ideas,
and you'll feel smug when another company tries them
first successfully. But over the long haul, when the
final score is tallied, hell come out ahead. What if
that new gadget he stubbornly rejected as "a harebrained
abortion of some schizophrenic's daydream" runs into a
snag, and the company that zoomed ahead by using it
suddenly goes bankrupt when the gadget backfires? Then
your smugness will be replaced by a foolish feeling, and
finally by respect for this sometimes grumpy, often
obstinate, but kindly and understanding boss, who has
such a practical head on his sturdy shoulders.
Taurus executives usually prefer football to
baseball, and peace to noisy arguments. He'll always try
quiet common. sense discussions to avoid emotional
scenes. Remember, common sense is his key phrase. But
that doesn't mean he's lacking in imagination or
appreciation of the finer things in life. You'll be
pretty sure to make a large hit with him if you wear
good perfume and polish your nails with a rosy tint (if
you're a girl, that is). He loves nice smells and
soothing, pastel colors. You'll also please him if you
occasionally bring him a jar of home-made vichyssoise
your mother cooked-but you'd better call it potato soup.
Fancy names and titles don't impress him as much as they
make him uneasy. Men who work for a Taurean should wear
quiet, blue ties, sensible shoes, and keep their feet on
the ground, not on his desk.
You may chafe at his stubborn, bull-headed attitude
at least once a week, but remember this about your
Taurus -boss: he's also stubborn about being loyal to
people who never let him down. Be one of those people,
and you'll never have to fear the dangerous bull. He's
really quite gentle if the red flag of defiance isn't
waved in his face too often. Grab some concrete blocks,
and help him build his empire. He'll be glad to share it
with you, if you deserve it. Promotion he understands.
Featherbedding he does not. "Good old Mr. Bearumple"
will expect you to carry your own weight, but he'll
always give you a lift when the load gets heavy. He's
strong and dependable. He says what he means and he
means what he says. You won't need an interpreter. If he
says you're a blockhead, leave quickly and quietly and
don't quibble. If he says "You'll do well enough," you
have real job security. That means you've passed his
test of loyalty, sincerity, ability and potential. Move
to the head of the class. You've made the honor roll.
Congratulations! Don't let it swell your hat size, and
you have a promising future ahead of you.
TOP
"Well, I never heard it before ... but it sounds
uncommon nonsense.1
First of all, I hope you don't have your Taurus
employee working for you as a salesman. If you do, have
his horoscope checked as soon as you can. He may have
some planets in Gemini, Aries, Leo or Pisces. In that
case, you can safely let him continue to peddle your
wares. Otherwise, you each would be better off if you
gently eased him (for goodness sakes, don't push him)
into some other position with your company.
As a promoter or salesman, he may not make the best
possible impression on your clients. In giving a spiel
to a customer, his normal attitude would be, "If you
want it, take it. If you don't, move along." The average
Taurus employee isn't about to perform a fast buck and
wing for a prospective buyer. Nor is he noted for his
golden tongue and outpouring of imaginative, descriptive
phrases. Unless you call "Umph" and "Gumph" and "Mmm
Hmm" and "Mumph" imaginative, descriptive phrases. Not
that he doesn't have many sterling qualities. He does.
But they're usually not the kind to sway people or press
them into signing on the dotted line. He's far more
likely to tell them why they shouldn't get involved.
The most important reason Taurean's seldom gravitate
to selling, however, is related to the basic Taurus need
for security. He must feel a sense of security in his
work, or his potential for success-which can be
tremendous-will be markedly diluted. No matter how large
the possible reward may be, if it fluctuates, the Taurus
employee will prefer the safety of knowing how many
dollar bills he can count each week. A Taurean on
straight commission is usually one of the unhappiest
human beings in the world. A set salary, plus a bonus
incentive for sales, would come closer to giving him
the sense of achievement he needs, but even so the
position of salesman isn't the ideal spot for the bull.
Of course, there are a few exceptions to the rule, in
addition to the aforementioned planetary influences.
Most Taurean's can handle certain low-pressure sales
pitches with distinction, if the product is solid and
stable, with built-in security. But the list is short.
Farm equipment, tractors, manure spreaders, trucks and
mowing machines or such would be right up his alley.
Those he could sell. He talks the same language as the
people who buy them. Money is another item he can handle
on either side of the desk, and selling cash may even be
a specialty. Translated, that means he's a super man to
have in charge of the loan department, if your business
is banking. But let's be truthful, how much persuasion
is needed to convince an insolvent man he needs money?
There may be a couple of other categories where he
could shine as a salesman. Real estate, for instance. A
Taurean is perfectly at home showing people through
houses or telling them about the value of the land.
He'll point to the view and say, "Umph." Then hell
describe the landscaping possibilities with an ecstatic
"Grumph." After that, he'll demonstrate the plumbing and
closet space with "Mmm Hmm," and finally discuss the
financing with a firm "Mumph." Hard as it may be to
believe, the answer from the prospective home buyer will
probably be, "Yep. I'll take it." After which the Taurus
salesman will answer, "Okay. You've got it." Or
something similar. The trick here is that the Taurean
honesty and obvious dependability impresses people who
are socking down enough money for a house. Then there's
the field of education. He believes in firm foundations
and facts with such fervor, and he has such faith in
preparing for the future, along with a positive distaste
for ignorance, that he could talk a girl into taking the
engineering course at M.I.T. He wouldn't see anything
silly at all about a female studying engineering. To
him, practical is practical, regardless of sex.
There's also a possibility that a Taurean with a
Gemini ascendant or Mars in Gemini would make a superior
radio or TV announcer. The typical, musical tones of
Taurean speech coupled with Gemini charm and glibness
can make him a natural in such media. Then, too, if the
right planets were in Aries at birth, their influence
could conceivably combine with his Taurus Sun to give
him exceptional promotional or public relations
abilities, though he would never be a high-pressure
type. I'm afraid that just about covers the territory
for a Taurus salesman. In most other areas, and without
the proper additional planetary influences, he's much
better off doing things that come more naturally to his
imperturbable nature.
One of those things is known in politics as holding
the center together, an ability which is also extremely
valuable in the business world. Whatever desk he's
assigned to, he'll root himself behind it with
determination to succeed, and he probably will. He'll
work slowly and aim for perfection, which he usually
achieves if he's left alone and not pushed too fast. The
more responsibility the position requires of him, the
smarter you'll be to put him in charge. You'll seldom
enjoy the services of a more dependable, trustworthy
and honest employee. Hell seek to help your company
expand, not his own ego. A successful Taurean wear» the
same hat size as he did when he was still trying.
Much as he dislikes change, if he's an exceptional
Taurus, you won't keep him forever. He won't leave
because he's flighty, but for a basic reason that's
part of his nature. Once he's established the growth of
your company, he's not the type to remain there and run
it for you. Taurus is more interested in building power
and wealth. He likes his freedom too much to be tied to
the constant manipulations of guiding a complicated
business, or of being the unseen cog. He's reliable and
content to stick, but he wants to be free to continue to
build instead of being tied up with intricate details.
When there's no more incentive to grow with your firm,
he'll feel the legendary Taurean itch to lay his own
foundation and erect his own empire, minor or major.
A Taurus employee, whether he's exceptional or
average, is always an outstanding worker, and one of his
most endearing qualities is his willingness to take
orders without resentment. The reason behind it is
simple. He has an inner conviction that the way to
become a boss who gives orders is to be first a cheerful
subordinate who takes orders. His respect for authority
is based on his knowledge that when he becomes an
executive, he'll expect his employees to follow his
directions. As a boss himself, hell have definite and
probably rigidly set ideas and methods. Therefore. he
finds nothing strange or unpleasant about your
insistence on adhering to a fixed pattern when he works
for you. As far as he's concerned, you're in charge.
Such an attitude is obviously quite a bonus, but
don't let his kindly disposition nor his sensible
acquiescence to superiors fool you into thinking he can
be easily shoved around. He has a sort of Machiavellian
detachment toward those who think they're manipulating
him, and he'll handle them with smooth tact and
diplomacy. Yet, if you look closely, you'll see his
tongue is in his cheek while he's humoring the
aggressive people who try to drive him. In the end,
Taurus will have his own way. His success is even more
assured by his ability to wait as long as necessary
until he wins out over the pushy types. However, when
his personal emotions are trampled on or his deep pride
is hurt, his cool steadiness may disappear and be
replaced by a childish stubbornness. Remember, that
while he's pouting, he's combustible, and liable to
explode finally in a fierce display of temper. It won't
last long, and the bull will be ominously quiet after
such a "charge," but if the cause isn't rectified
immediately, he'll simply leave, and he won't glance
behind him. When a Taurus goes out the door, he has
left. There won't be any sheepish returns to try again.
The back of his broad shoulders will be the last you see
of him. Nothing you can say or do will persuade him to
reconsider. The bull makes up his mind so slowly in the
first place, there's never any need to take a second
look at the matter. Taurean foresight precludes the need
for hindsight. Since his is such a sensual, loving
nature, you can probably find plenty of ex-sweethearts
who will sadly tell you that when he waves goodbye he
doesn't come back for encores. In both love and
business, people frequently make the mistake of thinking
the Taurean's patience is eternal, just because it takes
him so long to lose it.
The female Taurean employee is usually a real jewel.
If she's a typical Taurus, she'll have a quiet,
low-pitched voice and soothing manner. These women
normally make great executive secretaries. Emergencies
don't throw them off balance. A crisis brings out the
best in them, and that's considerable. She may be a bit
slower than the others with typing and dictation. She's
not exactly a fireball, and you'll never see her riding
a motorcycle to work, but her job will get done. Well
done. Like the males, she feels that if a job is worth
doing at all it's worth doing well, to the very best of
her ability. Every May person has that motto chiseled
somewhere permanently. This girl won't yawn in your face
when you're expounding your pet theories. If the ideas
are practical, shell probably converse with you about
them like a man. Her views will be worth bearing, and
her approach will be sensible and logical. But don't let
that give you the impression she's not a real female.
Be careful. This is not a woman who will ordinarily
become involved in casual office flirtations. She can
cut up and be loads of laughs, but underneath her warm,
bovine humor is a mind firmly set on marriage. If she
accepts a dinner invitation twice, she's probably
already sizing you up as a good provider for a lifetime,
not just an exciting date for a rainy Thursday. These
women are quite serious about the stakes in any romantic
game. If you fit the qualifications of a Taurean female
as husband material, you're not an ordinary man by
anybody's slide rule. The man in the company who's the
recipient of the Taurus woman's attentions is the man to
watch. He's going somewhere. If it happens to be
yourself, you may soon lose a peach of a secretary, but
you'll get a wife in a million, which should bring you
out ahead.
Female Taurus employees are pleasant to have around
because they smell nice, they look nice, they're
gracious and they don't smoke cigars, among other
things. (Unless you happen to have one with an Aries
Moon or ascendant, who would smell and look just as
nice, but who might very well smoke cigars and shout a
little.)
Taurus people of both sexes hate to sleep in strange
beds, a phrase they're fond of repeating. Therefore,
most Taurean men and women prefer to spend their
vacations at home. Barring a Gemini Moon or Sagittarius
ascendant, the grass will always look both greener and
thicker in the bull's own backyard. When he's on
vacation, sensually sipping lemonade and inhaling the
scent of flowers from his hammock, you can safely call
him in for an office emergency. Hell probably oblige
with a good-natured grin, and even feel it's his duty to
help out. But don't impose too often. There's a limit to
his patient acceptance of repeated impositions, and it's
foolhardy to risk making him angry to discover that
limit. Stop while you're ahead.
The bull works happily as a florist, in the livestock
or poultry industry, in supermarkets or in the wholesale
food industry. He makes a good doctor or engineer, too.
And he can be quite contented in an artistic career. The
sound of music and the visual hypnotism of art pull him
magnetically. He's never more at home than when he's
expressing himself creatively, through his senses, as
long as the financial rewards are sound and the
foundation isn't shaky.
A Taurus songwriter is usually miserable, especially
during the lean years, before he writes his first big
hit. But when he combines his creative talent with the
more stable, secure task of producing records or
arranging scores, he's in his own element. You'll find
that every Taurean singer or composer, without
exception, eventually ends up in the production end of
the music business to some degree.
After the bull has found the right meadow, where the
opportunities grow plentifully, he seldom seeks change
or new fields to conquer. He'll weigh, balance and soak
up knowledge of his career through years of devotion to
it. He can put up with a lot, if he's convinced himself
there's a future, and if the occupation fits him snugly
or "feels good" to him. Taurus is incredibly capable of
persevering until the reward comes, but only when he's
at the center of things, never when he's insecurely
chewing around the edges and hoping for a break. Once he
feels the necessary sense of achievement and security
beneath him, and once he's planted himself in a position
where he can build ever higher, he moves forward with
confidence. Then he becomes irresistible to the elusive,
fickle goddess of success. It won't turn his head. He'll
stay faithful to her, but he'll put her in her place-and
it will be a lifelong love affair.
TOP
*'// takes all the running you can do,
to keep in the same place.
If you want to get somewhere else,
you must run at least twice as fast as that*
TOP
