MOTTO: Build Life! Secure Self!
With Taurus rising, you present a stable and self-possessed type of identity to others when you are feeling supported. When you are not feeling energetically supported, you will likely express possessiveness and stubbornness in your interactions with others. Venus, the planet representing harmony and pleasure, is the planet that rules Taurus. Taurus is a sign composed of fixed, yin, and earth energies.
Fixed energy signs seek to secure and stabilize that which is important to them. With Taurus rising, you seek to secure and stabilize your personal resources so that you can be self-reliant. (Introduction to Evolutionary Astrology notes on modalities) Determination and persistence are representative of fixed energy. With Taurus rising, your energetic approach is to ponder your situation thoroughly before acting. When you do act, you do so cautiously. Yin energy is female energy. It is passive, contemplative, and receptive. It nurtures and flows. Earth energy grounds and establishes. It is practical and exacting.
With this combo of energies making up your Authentic Self’s personality expression, you project an air of calm stability and determined practicality to others. Figuratively speaking, the energetic cloak you put on to interact with and meet the demands of the world around you is conservative, practical, dependable, and sensual. It tells others that you are reliable and conventional. It also shows others your sensual side and desire for quality. Like you, it can withstand and endure the adversities of life.
With the Taurus energetic signature on your ascendant, you approach your everyday life with an instinctive “need to be useful and productive”. (The Astrology Directory, p. 35). You are inspired to build on what others have started. This is one of your strengths. While your Aries counterpart’s strength is initiating projects, yours is staying with the project until it is completed. Feeling that you are useful and productive provides a sense of security for you. If you know you are able to be useful and productive, you feel secure in the knowledge that you will survive whatever life brings you.
Survival is a basic motivating force in your life when you have Taurus rising. Your identity is tied to your sense of self-worth. You measure your self-worth by your ability to “garner the resources you need in order to survive.“ (Introduction to Evolutionary Astrology) When you are able to provide these resources for yourself through your own talents, skills, and abilities, you feel self-reliant and secure. This in turn provides you with the energy to be industrious, dependable, and stay on task. Valuing the tangible over the intangible, you prefer to see the concrete results of your efforts. You enjoy having something you can physically see and touch. It is tangible evidence to others and to yourself that you are worthy.
You are most productive as well as quite content when your everyday life is structured around routines and rules. Slow and steady is the pace you prefer to take as you go about your daily activities. Low-pressure and predictability in your environment is a key factor to supporting your energetic needs when you have Taurus rising. However, having a little variety in your routine will help prevent your natural Taurean tendency towards complacency and inertia that can result from too much habitual activity.
Complacency and inertia can be paralyzingly to you, creating a situation where you become too passive and inactive; and ultimately, unproductive. It is important that you take steps to prevent this situation from happening since being productive is directly linked to your sense of self-worth.
To encourage the fullest expression of your calm, useful, and productive Taurus personality, boost the supportive yin energy in your environment and add just enough yang energy to prevent stagnation from occurring through the following Feng Shui techniques.
Feng Shui tips for boosting yin energy:
To create an environment that is energetically yin in nature, accentuate the earth element in your home and work space. Of the five elements in Feng Shui (earth, wood, fire, water, and metal), earth is the most energetically yin element. Since the element for the Taurus sign is earth, boosting this element in your environment will energetically align your environment with your Taurean personality. Earth relates to the real, physical world, to what is tangible. It represents security and stability as well as the physical resources and materials needed to sustain life. Therefore, Earth energetically supports your needs for survival, stability, security and living in the here and now.
Creating earth energy in your environment will serve to energetically address these needs. The two areas in your home to focus on when adding the earth element are the Relationships area and the Health/Unity area.
The Relationships area represents earth and yin energy, which complements your Taurus rising sign. It is located in the rear right area (Western) or southwest side (Classical) of your home. Focusing your Feng Shui adjustments on this area will manifest positive connectedness energy, helping to offset your natural inclination to narrowly focus your energies on survival and your self-worth. You will be activating the qualities of this area, which are receptivity, openness, and trust. (Journey to Mastery, Feng Shui for Life, p.32)
Activate your Relationships area with pairs of anything, with round and square shaped objects, and with objects made with earthen materials. Flowers, images of harmony and happy relationships as well as the colors red, pink, and white will support and enhance the energy of this area. If you have any pictures or symbols that symbolize loneliness, aloneness, or conflict in this area, remove them.
The Health/Unity area represents the balance of yin and yang energy. It is located in the center of your home (Western and Classical). It relates to health and living in balance with all the areas of your life as depicted by the eight sections of the bagua surrounding the center. Energizing this area will not only strengthen your positive Taurean traits of calm stability and determined practicality, it will also add some yang energy to keep you from becoming too inflexible and immovable.
To enhance the earth element in this location, add earthy colors, such as terra-cotta and warm yellow, and earthy materials, such as pottery and stone. To activate the yang energy here, remove obstacles and clutter that prevent a smooth flow of energy through and around this area. To foster the yin qualities of inclusiveness and inter-dependency, arrange the furniture in this area in a way that no one feels left out.
Focusing on these two areas will strengthen receiving and embracing energy, which in turn provides the necessary support for your Authentic personality to flourish.
Feng Shui Corrections for an Overly Yin Environment:
If after these adjustments, you are still feeling lethargic and uninspired, your home may have too much yin energy.
The first indication of excessive yin energy is clutter, especially unproductive clutter that has been piling up. If this is the case for you, begin the process of clearing away clutter to get the chi flowing freely again. The first step to this is organization. Going room by room–or if extremely cluttered, section by section of each room–organize your clutter in three piles. In one pile, place items that are broken or that no longer have a useful purpose (like obsolete keys and power cords). If the item no longer serves you and cannot be used by someone else, then it belongs in this pile. This is the pile of clutter that you will discard. In the next pile, place items that are still useable but are not actively used by you or family members. These are items you have kept “just in case” you might have use for them at some unknown time in the future. Items such as your “skinny” or “fat” clothes, should go in this pile. This pile will be your giveaway pile. Finally, in the third pile, place items you use or that provide a service for you. Organize these items according to the best method that works for you. By this process of assessing what you really need and want from what is just accumulated clutter, you will be able to free your home of unproductive clutter. By reducing the clutter in your home, you reduce the negative yin impact that clutter has on your energy level. Instead of feeling lethargic and uninspired, you will feel more alert and motivated.
If clutter is not an issue, but you are feeling unproductive and stagnant, then increase the yang energy in your environment by adding some bright, warm colors like red and yellow or by adding more light to your space. Metal is yang energy so adding metal objects will increase the vibrancy of your space as well. (Practical Feng Shui Solutions, p.25). Just keep in mind that too much yang energy will create discord to your instinctively yin nature. You want to add just enough of the vibrancy of the yang chi to keep you moving; to keep you from getting stagnant and being unproductive. In this way, you can feel grounded and secure while at the same time feeling inspired and productive.
The key phrase for Taureans is “I Have”. (A Spiritual Approach to Astrology, p.40). It is the sign of sensuality. (The Secrets of your Rising Sign, p.56) So, while your approach to everyday life is practical, there is also a quality of sensuousness about you when you have Taurus rising. With this earthy, sensual sign on your ascendant, you have a desire to indulge your senses in all earthly delights from the possessions you own to the food you eat and the sights you see. Taking pleasure in the best that life has to offer, you want the best of everything. (Astrology for the Light side of the Brain, p.66) Accumulating possessions that provide you with physical comfort and sensual pleasure is very important to your sense of well-being.
Your possessions are directly tied to your personal view of life. The more you have, the more stable and secure you feel. What you “have” defines you, your self-reliance, and ultimately your self-worth. According to A Spiritual Approach to Astrology, Taureans “don’t feel emotionally secure unless they can see and touch the objects they own.” (P.40)
The very real pitfall of placing so much emotional attachment to your possessions is the danger of identifying who you are with what you have. This can lead to the accumulation of possessions becoming an end itself, locking you in the “world of matter” so to speak. (A Spiritual Approach to Astrology, p.41). Although this can motivate you to be productive, it can also negatively impact your sense of emotional security and well-being when the ownership of your material things is threatened. You are vulnerable to the fear that comes with this perceived threat. Fear is limiting and disempowering. It replaces your feelings of stability, contentment, and well-being with feelings of insecurity and discontent. Your instinctive generous, cooperative, serene nature falls prey to the shadow side of the Taurean nature. You become possessive, obstinate, jealous, unreasonable, and/or greedy. These are the negative traits of the Taurus sign.
Knowing that this is a vulnerability when you have Taurus rising, you can take steps to fortify against this fear of loss by implementing the following Feng Shui remedies.
Feng Shui Remedies to Reduce Fear of Loss:
The first thing you can do is energize your environment in a way that creates an atmosphere of abundance and prosperity. Creating an atmosphere of abundance and prosperity sets the intention that you are worthy enough to receive the bounties of life. Instead of being overwhelmed and emotionally paralyzed by fear of loss, the practical and productive nature of your Taurus rising sign will be energized.
In Feng Shui, the best place to start setting this intention is the Wealth and Prosperity area of your home. It is located in the rear left area (Western) or southeast side (Classical) of your home. This area of your house “must be clean, uncluttered, and well maintained.” (Feng Shui Demystified, p.72) Fix or remove anything that is broken, dirty, or faded. Also, remove any unhealthy plants from this location. Placing things here that represent wealth and abundance to you (they do not have to be expensive things) intensifies the feeling of prosperity. The best colors to use in this area to represent wealth and abundance are purple, blue, red, and green. These colors should be rich and vibrant not faded or muted. A water feature such as a fountain or aquarium placed here will increase the energy in this area. (Feng Shui Demystified, pp. 72 and 73). The exception to this is when a bedroom is in the rear left area or southeast side of your home. Fountains and aquariums are considered to have a negative influence when placed in bedrooms.
Attaching your self-worth solely to the material possessions you own not only overemphasizes the physical, it also narrows your focus in life. It limits your ability to focus on developing your sense of self-worth through other means that are more enduring and empowering. To expand your self-worth horizons, activate the Knowledge/Self-Cultivation area in your home. It is located in the front left area (Western) or northeast side of your home (Classical).
This area represents “quiet contemplation and inner serenity“. Its element is earth. Mountains embody the earth element. Mountains are stable and symbolize repose and stillness in Feng Shui. By quieting your mind and going within, you will be able to become more aware of what your emotions and feelings are and deal with those that are holding you back or making you fearful. This area represents the power that is beyond the physical. It represents giving you the power “to control your emotions, mind, body, relationships, health and even your finances“. It refocuses you to develop a sense of self-worth through the power of the Spirit within, which is available to all of us. (Journey to Mastery, Feng Shui for Life, Inner Knowledge chapter).
Embrace the abundance of Spirit in your life by energizing this Knowledge/Self-Cultivation area of your home. Pictures of mountains, deep blue and earth colors (soft green, brown, ochre, pale yellow), books, and anything that represents cultivating knowledge & wisdom, abundance of spirit, and quiet contemplation are energetic enhancements for this area.
When you can take concrete actions such as described above, you are able to feel confident about your ability to sustain and preserve abundance and stability in your life. Instead of feeling paralyzed and fearful, you feel empowered. This, in turn, goes a long way in strengthening your sense of well-being, of being self-sufficient and self-reliant.
You are learning about yourself through the reactions of and responses from others to your behavior as you go about your daily life. Their feedback to you regarding your actions will be either positive or negative. You will experience positive feedback when you operate from a calm, practical, reliable, industrious approach in your everyday activities. Negative feedback will occur when you are possessive, unreasonable, jealous, or too stubborn. Regardless of the type of feedback you receive, you will continue to grow, and your authentic self will continue to discover something new about itself. (Introduction to Evolutionary Astrology, discussion on the archetype of the 1st house/ascendant/rising sign)
Feng Shui for your Rising Sign 