It is common knowledge that the zodiac begins with Aries. What is not-so-common knowledge is that it used to begin with Taurus, according to some. [click here for more info] It’s a pretty controversial topic and I think I know why: It makes more sense for the zodiac to begin with Taurus than Aries. Why do I say that?
First of all, because Aries is a fire sign. Fire alone is not conducive to creation. It is a destructive element, when left to its own devices. If you want to use fire to create, you must add something. Earth is an inherently creative element and Taurus is an earth sign. It makes more sense for the beginning to be rooted in earth than fire.
Second, Taurus’s basic energy and philosophy can be summed up in the phrase: I HAVE. For Aries, we use: I AM. This is an important point, so let me make sure I’m clear. In life, we begin as babies. All we know are our desires and needs, which are one and the same in the beginning. We see everything in the world as ours. Babies and toddlers grab and want to keep things that don’t belong to them. We don’t view this as mean or theivery. It is simply the nature of a being who has yet to mature. To an immature being, possessions are vital.
As we get older, we grow wiser. Ideally. We begin to see that everything is an extension of ourselves and so, we don’t need to possess as much. It is all me and I am all of it. We are all one. So, through the course of maturity, we move from a possessive nature (I HAVE) to an enlightened state (I AM). Why would the zodiac move differently?
It makes sense for the zodiac to start with I AM (Aries) if we consider the influence of the Abrahamic religions. The Abrahamic religions state that God is I AM. And, God is the beginning. But for most of us, the I AM realization takes a while to get to. We tend to start with I HAVE. This is especially important as it pertains to astrology, because astrology is about macrocosm turned microcosm. We humans are but a reflection of a greater reality, but we are material. We begin our journeys (emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical) on the material plane. I HAVE is material/earth energy. As bodies, it makes more sense that we would begin with material energy and move on from there.
Next, let’s look at duality. Aries is masculine, while Taurus is feminine. I’m going to offer another point right quick before I get to the nonsense of starting the zodiac with a masculine sign.
Tangent: Why is the Taurus symbol a bull? Taurus is a feminine sign, but bulls are male bovines. Does that make sense to anyone? Now, I can understand how, at some point in the distant past, someone saw the horned symbol of Taurus and said, “This must be a bull. It has horns.” I can understand it in light of our ignorance about bovines today. But, back then? I’m sure they were highly aware that cows had horns, too. Otherwise, why would Hathor’s headdress be horned?
I contend that the Taurus symbol is not a bull, but a cow. A sacred cow. Cows have always been significant to various human cultures and the symbolism is important. Cows do come with horns adorning their precious heads. And, cows are historically the symbol of plenty and nourishment. This falls in line with Taurus energy. Now, the bull stereotypically goes with the stubborn aspect, yes? Well, please don’t apply your patriarchal sexism to the zodiac. All bovines can be stubborn. It makes more sense that the Taurus symbol is a cow, given its feminine duality and its historical context.
Let’s get back to the utter ridiculousness of beginning the zodiac with a masculine sign.
Masculinity is not the gender of natural creation. I know, I know. “It’s a man’s world.” Stop channelling James Brown and think. We associate life creation with females. This makes sense, since females typically give birth/create life. Femininity is the classic creative force. Now, why would the zodiac begin from masculinity instead of femininity? This makes no sense given what we know of history and the way humans have doled out gender for thousands of years. It only makes sense if we, once again, take the Abrahamic religions into consideration. They like to say God is a male. And that a male God created the world all by himself. That goes against our basic understanding of the creation of life from thousands of years ago as well as today.
Then, we have the fun point of: Spring marks the beginning and Taurus is the sign of Spring, not Aries. (This applies to the northern hemisphere, of course.)
I could go on-and-on, but I’ll break now. If we look at the keywords associated with the signs, we see the natural, spiritual progression of humanity. But, only if we look beginning with Taurus. And, we are spiritual beings, after all. That progression is the one that makes the most sense, especially when dealing with astrology.
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