Taurus Zodiac Sign: Dates, Traits, Mythology & Constellation

Taurus season runs from April 20 to May 20, and the bull has been keeping watch over spring skies for thousands of years. The Farmers’ Almanac has tracked the night sky and the old folk calendars since 1818, and Taurus sits at the intersection of both: a real constellation with a red-giant heart, and an astrological sign wrapped in Greek myth. Astrology is folklore, not science, and we say so plainly. The constellation, the mythology, and the cultural history behind Taurus, however, are well worth knowing.

Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac and the second constellation along the ecliptic. Its name is the Latin word for “bull.” Astrologically, the Sun is said to reside in the house of Taurus from April 20 to May 20 each year. The astrological symbol for Taurus is ♑, and the constellation sits in the sky between Aries and Gemini, with Auriga, Perseus, Cetus, Eridanus, and Orion nearby. Learn more about each zodiac sign here.

When Is Taurus Season?

Taurus season begins on April 20 and ends on May 20 in most years. The exact start and end can shift by a day depending on the calendar and your time zone, which is why people born on the cusp are sometimes told they share traits with neighboring signs.

• Start of Taurus season: April 20
• End of Taurus season: May 20
• Sign before Taurus: Aries (the Ram)
• Sign after Taurus: Gemini (the Twins)
• April Taurus birthstone: Diamond
• May Taurus birthstone: Emerald

If you were born inside that window, Taurus is your Sun sign under the traditional Western system. The Sun sign is only one piece of a full astrological chart, but it is the one most people know.

The Taurus Symbol: The Bull

The symbol for Taurus is a circle topped with a curved crescent: ♑. Look at it for a second and the picture comes through plainly. The circle is the bull’s face. The crescent is the horns. It is one of the most readable glyphs in the zodiac.

Bulls were considered sacred in many ancient cultures, and were often worshipped, sacrificed, or both. The animal stood for strength, fertility, and stubborn endurance, and that bundle of meanings followed the symbol into modern astrology.

The Mythology of Taurus

The Taurus story is older than most of the gods Greek myth eventually attached to it. Cultures from Mesopotamia to Crete to Rome saw a bull in this patch of sky, and each one told the story a little differently.

Zeus and Europa

Taurus is also often associated with the god Zeus, who took on the form of a white bull to abduct the Phoenician princess Europa. The story goes that Europa was gathering flowers near the shore when she noticed a calm white bull grazing among her father’s herd. She climbed onto its back, and the bull plunged into the sea and carried her across to the island of Crete, where Zeus revealed himself. The continent of Europe takes its name from her.

The Cretan Bull and Hercules

The constellation is most often associated with the Cretan bull captured by Hercules as the seventh of his Twelve Labors. Hercules snuck up behind the bull, grabbed it by the neck, and sent it to Eurystheus, the king who imposed the Twelve Labors on him. From there, the bull was released and wandered the city of Marathon, where it fathered a half-man, half-bull creature known as the Minotaur. Theseus, another Greek hero, eventually slew both the bull and the Minotaur.

Mithras and the Tauroctony

In the Roman mystery religion of Mithraism, the central image was the tauroctony, a scene of the god Mithras slaying a great bull. Carvings of this scene have been found across the old Roman Empire, from Britain to the Middle East. Scholars still argue about exactly what the bull-slaying meant, but the link between the constellation and a sacrificed bull was clearly part of the picture.

The Bull of Heaven

Long before the Greeks, the ancient Babylonians knew this constellation as the “Bull of Heaven,” and it shows up in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest surviving works of literature. The goddess Ishtar sends the Bull of Heaven down to attack Gilgamesh and Enkidu after Gilgamesh refuses her advances. The pair kill the bull, and the heavens object. Some historians believe this is the same celestial bull that became Taurus.

Taurus Personality Traits in Astrology

A quick honest note before the list. Astrology is folklore, not science, and we keep that line clear at the Farmers’ Almanac. There is no peer-reviewed evidence that the position of the Sun on your birthday shapes your personality. Still, the trait lists are part of the cultural tradition, and folks have been reading them for centuries, so here is what the tradition says about Taurus.

People born during this period have Taurus as their Sun sign. Proponents of astrological determinism believe that people born under the same Sun sign share certain character traits. Taurus people are most often described as strong, stable, dependable, loyal, compassionate, honest, realistic, and stubborn.

• Grounded: Traditional astrology calls Taurus an earth sign, paired with practicality and a steady temperament.
• Sensual: Ruled by Venus in the old system, Taurus is said to enjoy good food, comfort, and beauty.
• Patient: A fixed sign, Taurus is said to plant a stake and stay put.
• Loyal: Friends and family describe Taurus types as steady and reliable.
• Stubborn: The other side of fixed-sign patience. Once a Taurus has decided, the decision tends to stick.
• Possessive: The same Venus-ruled love of comfort can read as holding on too tightly.

Read these the way you would any folk character sketch. Useful for a wink at the family barbecue, not a substitute for actually getting to know somebody.

The Taurus Constellation in the Night Sky

Taurus is one of the most prominent and recognizable constellations in the night sky. It contains 132 stars, including 19 main stars that are most often depicted as the horns and front hooves of a charging bull. Its brightest star is Aldebaran, a giant orange star, about 40 times larger than our own Sun, located on the bull’s head.

Taurus contains two well-known Messier objects, deep sky objects identified by French astronomer Charles Messier during the 18th Century: the Crab Nebula (M1) and the star cluster known as the Pleiades (M45). The Pleiades, a bright cluster of blue stars, have been known since ancient times. In addition, Taurus contains two other star clusters: the Hyades, and Hind’s Variable Nebula (NGC 1555).

How to Find Taurus

Taurus is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere from late autumn through early spring, with peak viewing in December and January. To find it, locate Orion’s belt and trace it up and to the right. The first bright reddish-orange star you hit is Aldebaran, the bull’s eye. The V-shaped cluster of stars around Aldebaran is the Hyades, forming the bull’s face. A little further along, the tight cluster of bluish stars is the Pleiades, riding on the bull’s shoulder. The full constellation is officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union and tracked by NASA.

Taurus Compatibility (Folklore Edition)

Tradition says Taurus tends to get along best with the other earth signs and the water signs, and tends to clash with the fire signs. None of this is a prediction. It is a folk pattern that astrologers have been drawing for a long time, and reasonable people can take it or leave it.

• Often compatible (folklore): Virgo, Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces
• Often challenging (folklore): Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio
• Wildcards: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius

The honest read: a thoughtful person of any sign can have a steady relationship with a Taurus. Shared values, communication, and patience matter more than a birthday chart.

Taurus Birthstones

Because Taurus straddles two months, Taurus folks claim two birthstones. April-born Taurus shares the diamond. May-born Taurus claims the emerald. Both stones have their own deep folk traditions.

• Diamond (April Taurus): Traditionally linked to clarity, strength, and lasting love. See our full guide to the April birthstone.
• Emerald (May Taurus): Traditionally linked to renewal, fertility, and the green of spring. See our full guide to the May birthstone.

Famous People Born Under Taurus

Plenty of well-known folks share the bull as their Sun sign. Whether that means anything is a separate question, but the list is fun to read either way.

• William Shakespeare (April 23)
• Queen Elizabeth II (April 21)
• Audrey Hepburn (May 4)
• Willie Nelson (April 29)
• Stevie Wonder (May 13)
• Adele (May 5)
• George Clooney (May 6)
• Cher (May 20)

Read the list as a party trick, not as evidence for the trait sketches above.

Astronomy vs. Astrology: Why the Sun Is Not Really in Taurus

Here is the part most pop-astrology articles skip. The Western zodiac dates were fixed roughly two thousand years ago, and the Earth has wobbled on its axis since then. The wobble is called precession of the equinoxes, and it has shifted the constellations against the calendar by about one full sign. When astrology says the Sun is in Taurus from April 20 to May 20, the Sun is actually in front of the constellation Aries during most of that window.

Astronomers and astrologers handle this gap differently. Astronomers track where the Sun actually is. Astrologers stick with the tropical calendar that was set in antiquity. Both are internally consistent. Only one is making physical claims about the universe. For more, see our piece on astronomy vs. astrology.

Taurus FAQ

What are the dates for the Taurus zodiac sign?

Taurus runs from April 20 to May 20. Anyone born inside that window is a Taurus under the traditional Western zodiac.

What is the Taurus symbol and what does it mean?

The Taurus symbol is ♑, a circle topped by a curved crescent. The circle is the bull’s face and the crescent is the horns. The bull stood for strength, fertility, and stubborn endurance in many ancient cultures.

What planet rules Taurus?

Traditional Western astrology assigns Venus as the ruling planet of Taurus. That is folklore, not science, but it is the reason Taurus is often linked to comfort, beauty, and sensual pleasures in trait lists.

What is the brightest star in the Taurus constellation?

Aldebaran. It is a giant orange star located on the bull’s head, and it sits about 40 times larger than our own Sun. It is one of the easiest bright stars to find in the winter night sky.

Are Taurus personality traits real?

There is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence that Sun sign predicts personality. The Taurus trait list is folklore and tradition. Plenty of people enjoy reading it as a character sketch. We list it here because it is part of the cultural record, not because we are claiming it as fact.

What are the Taurus birthstones?

Because Taurus straddles two months, there are two: diamond for April-born Taurus and emerald for May-born Taurus. Both stones carry their own long folk traditions around clarity, love, fertility, and renewal.

Is the Sun really in Taurus during Taurus season?

No. Because of the precession of the equinoxes, the Sun is actually in front of the constellation Aries during most of the traditional Taurus dates. Astrology uses the tropical calendar fixed in antiquity. Astronomy tracks where the Sun actually is. They have drifted about one full sign apart.

What other constellations are near Taurus?

Taurus sits between Aries and Gemini along the zodiac. Nearby constellations include Auriga, Perseus, Cetus, Eridanus, and Orion. Orion’s belt is a useful pointer to find Aldebaran.

Join The Discussion

Is Taurus your zodiac sign?

Do you believe in the character traits listed above?

Have you ever seen the Taurus constellation in the sky?

Let us know in the comments below!

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