Each one of us is on our own unique individual journey from fear to love. How we experience that journey in this lifetime is largely indicated by our Rising sign (Ascendant). As we continue exploring the 12 zodiac signs from the perspective of the Rising sign, we will begin to understand that how we react when we are in fear is not the highest and best expression of our soul, and that to reach the highest potential of our soul sign we need to learn to respond from love in all of life’s challenges.

This series exploring the fear-based reactions and love-based expressions of each sign continues this month with Taurus. As we saw last month, our Rising sign is the indicator of our soul’s journey and purpose, because it indicates the prevailing energy at the time of our birth. It is how we entered the world and it is how we move forward into all new situations throughout our lives. According to Errol Weiner in his book Transpersonal Astrology, we can have the same soul sign for up to eight incarnations.*

It seems, then, that since we are already a Taurus soul, our soul carries the energetic signature of Taurus. When the time of our birth is approaching, and Taurus rises on the horizon (the rising sign is the sign that is rising on the horizon at the exact time of our birth), a “window of opportunity” opens, and because it already matches our soul vibration, we are able to “beam in” on that frequency to begin a new incarnation. I like to think that our Rising sign indicates the “beam of light” that we rode in on!

As such, our Rising sign is also indicating the pure vibrant spiritual energy that we brought with us to be expressed in this lifetime, and which serves the dual purpose of fulfilling our own personal spiritual development while at the same time making our own unique contribution to the spiritual upliftment of humanity and our beautiful Earth home. We are born at the precise place and time when a particular sign is rising on the horizon, because we already resonate with that frequency. It is our wavelength.

This is why birth is a very exciting time! It is literally the dawn of your life, and the birthing of new life on Earth is always filled with potential and possibility. All newborns carry their own unique and divine energy signature, so there will never be another you throughout all of eternity. With Taurus rising, you are part of a group of souls who share the same soul purpose, and you will express that purpose uniquely depending upon other factors in your chart, including your Sun and Moon signs.

According to Esoteric Astrology, if you have Taurus rising, you are here to realize the freedom that comes with releasing personal desire and attachment. This sacred sign is associated with the opening of the third eye and the highest spiritual illumination and realization, right up to full enlightenment. The Buddha was born, became enlightened, and passed into parinirvana during the time of Taurus. The association with Taurus and enlightenment cannot be ignored, and the power of this sign to bring spiritual illumination cannot be underestimated. But what do we mean by releasing desire and attachment? It sounds a bit impoverished and miserable, especially when you think that most Taureans love to indulge their sense-pleasures. More cake anyone?

To understand the spiritual path of Taurus, true freedom, and the liberation that the release of attachment brings, we can look to the teachings of Buddha himself. Why not? He was a Taurus after all! Dynamic Buddhist Nun Ven. Robina Courtin uses the analogy of chocolate cake to provide a clear, humorous, and eloquent explanation of what Buddha meant by attachment. It is not the pleasure of chocolate cake that causes us suffering, but our attachment to it.

When we are attached, we experience an exaggerated idea about the object of attachment – for example, chocolate cake – yet we believe this to be true. Then if we don’t get it we feel upset, and if we get too much we feel sick! Without this false exaggerated idea called attachment, we would enjoy the pleasure without the pain. Without attachment, we wouldn’t be upset if there was no chocolate cake, and we wouldn’t overindulge. The cake would have no power over us, and we would simply take it or leave it. In this example, we’re using cake to keep it simple, but you can substitute any of the things we humans get attached to: our homes, our friends, lovers, spouses, jobs, money, pets, etc.

The spiritual path of Taurus uses sensuality without attachment to explore spiritual heights and understand our true nature. Using our sense-perception for deep self-exploration, we become capable of examining the true nature of reality through direct perception. With this capacity we can see that the whole of humanity is one body, and the nature of that body is light. This is why the sign of Taurus is associated with illumination.

I see and when the Eye is opened, all is light.   ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Fear arises when we become caught in the illusion of ourselves as a separate entity, rather than anchored in the truth of our being as a unique individual within this body of humanity. We all experience this, and it is part of our human journey from being an innocent newborn, to pass through the experience of fear and separation, to once again return to a deeper spiritual connection. With fear comes attachment, as we try to hold onto the things we fear to lose. So for example, Taurus rising brings the capacity and predisposition to experience the physical world mainly though the senses. Sense perception is an innate ability. Sensuality is a way of experiencing life. When that sensuality is tainted by attachment, fear and possessiveness arises.

In our spiritual development we pass through stages (described by Patanjali as “bodies”). As we collectively pass through the mental/intellectual stage,** fear arises as a side effect of our capacity to create mental concepts. One such mental concept is the idea that “I” am separate. This concept then branches off into ideas of ownership: that this separate “I” possesses things. I, me, mine. When Taurus experiences fear, she becomes more avaricious and possessive, as though having more things would make the fear go away. When she releases fear and lives from love, she is able to enjoy all her senses without the pain of attachment.

If you have Taurus rising, you are here to release attachment and develop your senses for their highest purpose: to lead you to freedom, liberation, illumination and eventually enlightenment. Then your full spiritual potential will blossom and you will truly live from love.

Ruth

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Footnotes:

* Transpersonal Astrology, by Errol Weiner, is available on Amazon and can be ordered through all major bookstores. Errol can be contacted for Soul Astrology readings at rainbowzodiac@gmail.com.

** Patanjali associated manomay kosh (mental body) with the element of water, and we can see that throughout the Piscean Age (astrologically Pisces is the mutable water sign), which spanned from around the time of Christ to our modern era, the body of humanity has largely been cultivating, developing, and refining the intellect. Interestingly, Patanjali’s next stage is vigyanamay kosh (intuitive body), which he associates with the element of air. We are currently in a transitional period between the Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius. Since astrologically Aquarius is the fixed air sign, we can expect the next 2000 years to be a time in which the body of humanity will cultivate, develop, and refine the intuitive faculty.

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Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

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About the artist: Karen MacKenzie is working on a series of astrology inspired paintings using goddesses from different cultures. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art (her prints are very affordable).