One of the primary purposes in life for the spiritually oriented person, whose Sun or rising sign is Taurus, has to do with the principle of the illumination of matter. This begins of course with the incarnation of the soul at birth in the physical body. "Carne" comes from the Latin word meaning, "meat" or "flesh." Thus, "in-carn-ation" = "the state of being in the flesh." In fact, in Spanish this same word, carne, refers specifically to beef. It is interesting to think that political correctness notwithstanding, the traditional national Spanish "sport" of bull fighting is symbolic of the need for man to dominate the flesh.

Indeed, the task of Taurus is to irradiate the physical world and thus uplift the material plane. This is accomplished through the penetrating Light of Divine Will expressed as consciousness. The testing ground for Taurus, for all people actually, has to do with not becoming trapped by the very same physical plane (and its sensory world) that Taurus seeks to enLighten. No easy task!! The Ancient Wisdom Teachings tells us that Taurus is the sign that embodies the major incentives to life on earth. This is due to the fact that Taurus is the embodiment of desire in all of its forms—physical, astral, and mental. This is in essence, the world of the personality. (Sorry Scorpio, you are not the sign of desires, but the sign through which desires are transformed!). In is in this capacity that Taurus on the personality level is known by the phrase: "I have therefore I am."

Taurus is especially connected to the Buddha, whose main Teachings speak about desire being the primary source for human suffering and that the release of desire brings one to a Nirvanic state of Union with the Cosmos. Just as the passion of the Christ is symbolized by Pisces (and in a very esoteric sense, between Pisces and Capricorn), Guatama the Buddha is said to have been born, reached enlightenment, and died in the sign of the Celestial Bull. These events are celebrated each year at the Full Moon in Taurus, a day that is known as Wesak.

The Buddha taught that the path of detachment from desire is the vehicle for the entrance of Light; that is, of the Creative Will and the energies of the First Ray. He did this through those methods that impart the means to awaken the Third Eye—the "Bull's Eye." This awakening brings into one's daily life a consciousness through which the focus of human consciousness is centered in the intuitive (or "Buddhic") plane. This level of awakening allows a person to be able to perceive the quality of Light/ Life/ Consciousness in every and all forms of life and brings forth the expression of our true humanness as it is then that the heart chakra is opened. An example of this would be for one to enter an art gallery and see a painting whose form and colors appeal via the two physical eyes to the senses. But the Third Eye, the Bull's Eye can see into the consciousness of the artist and then a person can decide if they wish to have that "quality of consciousness" hanging in their living room. Of course in an ideal world, it is great if the consciousness within the painting also matches the color of our walls!

Taurus is only found on the Fourth Ray of manifestation, "Harmony through Conflict." But this Fourth Ray has some interesting correspondences: the Buddhic/Intuitive is the fourth plane of consciousness (the first three are the physical, emotional/astral, and the mental). The fourth chakra is the heart center, the very core of human expression. When the heart center is not opened, one is a human animal (no matter how nice a creature one might be). It is only when the heart chakra is opening that one becomes a Human Being. This opening of the heart center is synonymous with the opening of the Third Eye or brow center. As the heart is the Christ center and the brow is the Buddhic center, a very special relationship occurs. It is now that Love can merge with Wisdom and Love/Wisdom is the core of enlightenment for a Human Being.

Traditional and more psychological interpretation for Taurus rising in the natal chart:

The individual has a great need to make the most out of his or her personal abilities and resources, both financial and creative. Life is based on what one values, and Taurus-rising people do their utmost to anchor these values in material form. If there is a lack of self-esteem, the person is likely to feel thwarted and restricted by material circumstances. This can manifest as a sense of "never having enough" and consequently, "never being good enough to have enough" for the situations/desires at hand. If a healthy sense of self-worth is present, then one feels that there is "always enough." Magnetism is a potent force inherent within the fabric of the personality for Venus, the ruling planet is the embodiment of the "Law of Attraction." This often expresses as the urge to create in physical form the orientation of one's sensual attractions. Therefore, it is very important for the Taurus-ruled person (rising sign or Sun) to develop a sense of discrimination, since what is focused upon generally takes form. As the individual matures and develops, there is a cyclic destruction of forms that are of inferior value, leading to a definite refinement in all aspects of one's life. If this does not take place, life becomes an increasing chaos of blocked and crowded materializations.