Zodiac Information: All About Taurus

The second sign of the zodiac is Taurus, the sign of the bull. People whose birthdays are between April 20 and May 20 were born under this sign. The ruling planet is Venus; Taurus is a negative, fixed earth sign. The key phrase is "I have."

The sign opposite Taurus in the zodiac is Aries. Beneficial foods for Taureans are natural yogurts and fresh fruits.

In Greek mythology, Taurus' roots are in the story of Zeus, who turned into a white bull so he could kidnap the object of his affections, Europa.

Centering colors for those born under this sign are light blue and mauve. The lucky metal is copper; lucky gem is the emerald. Lucky numbers are 4 and 6; day of the week is Friday. The tree that brings luck and centeredness to the Taurean is the apple tree; plants and flowers are roses, poppies, violets, sorrel and spearmint. Good vacation countries are Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden and Russia; cities include Dublin, Lucerne, Leipzig and St. Louis.

The parts of the body ruled by Taurus are the throat and neck. Because Taurus is a negative sign, Taureans who get sick have a hard time shaking ailments. Taureans are afraid of becoming sick, and hesitate to go around anyone who is. Taureans can be thick around the neck and the base of the skull, which can lead to swollen glands, polyps, tonsillitis and other diseases of the region.

The most important things to those born under the sign of the bull are money and status. Taurus people are adept at handling their finances, and it is rare to find one who has severe money troubles. Although they are materialistic and tend to spend wildly, they always know what they are doing and their sprees don't usually have lasting or detrimental effects. They want to be seen as people who have it all. To this end, they can sometimes become obsessive about having enough of what they believe is necessary.

In general, Taureans are pretty easygoing -- until they are angered. This happens slowly, but once it takes root, the temper can become explosive and very hard to control. Anger in a Taurean is usually unleashed by jealousy.

Positive characteristics of Taurus people include honesty, integrity and dependability. Of their anger is kept in check, Taureans are actually very docile and pleasant to be around. They are unshakably loyal to those who return the favor. It takes a Taurean a while to make friends, but once they do, those unions will often last a lifetime (on the downside, they can sometimes lean toward treating friends and loved ones as possessions).

The majority of the time, Taureans are loving, gentle and charming. They do not like taking risks and think things through for a long time before making decisions (those born under more spontaneous signs may consider Taureans dull). Once that decision is made, there is no changing it. Taureans have very strong opinions and can't be swayed once they've made up their minds.

The Taurean personality is marked by the willingness of people born under the sign to work behind the scenes. They are most comfortable in supporting rather than lead roles, and although they are typically gentle, quiet people, they have their own minds and opinions and know them bother well. They don't thrive on a lot of activity; in fact, too much can make them physically ill.

Taureans are, by and large, possessive but dependable people. They are self-minded people, and their basic needs are usually their first concern. They are driven more by affections than by true emotions. They are reserved, and work slowly and methodically. They are determined and have much self-discipline and will power.

Taureans are most pleased when efforts they have put forth alone achieve results. They want a sense of belonging. They want to be secure and know where they are and what they're doing are permanent.

Taureans do well in professions that deal with money, such as banking, investments, real estate and finance. They are also lovers of the earth, and excel in fields like architecture, development and gardening. They are often artistic and can do well as singers or craftsmen.

Famous Taureans include William Shakespeare, John James Audubon, Robert Browning, Charlotte Bronte, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Harry Truman, Irving Berlin, Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Barbra Streisand and Andre Agassi.