In Vedic (sidereal) astrology the Sun is in Vrishabha from about 14–15 May to 14–15 June; the Western "Sun in Taurus" (tropical) is a different window, 19–20 April to 20–21 May. Many people who read Taurus in a magazine therefore have a sidereal Aries Sun, and the Vedic Taurus Sun belongs mostly to Western Geminis. In this sign the Sun sits in the house of an enemy, Venus: the planet of will and authority learning to move at the pace of earth, value and patience.
What the Sun brings to Taurus
Taurus is an earth sign, fixed (sthira), even and feminine, ruled by Venus, with the bull as its symbol. It is the 2nd sign of the kalapurusha, the sign of the face, speech, family and what one accumulates. The Sun wants to shine and direct; Taurus wants to settle, preserve and enjoy. The meeting is not hostile so much as slow.
In a chart this commonly shows as:
- Steadiness. Once a decision is made it is hard to move. Authority is kept by holding, not by charging.
- Values as identity. Self-respect gets tied to what one owns, earns or stands for, and to one's family name.
- A careful voice. With the sign of the face and speech, the Sun can give weight to words; under strain, a fixed opinion.
- Taste and comfort. Venus's sign lends an eye for quality, even when the Sun would rather not admit that it cares.
Tradition connects Taurus with the face and throat. This is a symbolic mapping, not a claim about anyone's health.
Dignity: an enemy's sign
Taurus is an enemy's sign for the Sun across all 30 degrees. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra lists Venus and Saturn as the Sun's natural enemies, and here the dislike is mutual: the Sun regards Venus as an enemy and Venus returns the feeling. It is not debilitation, which for the Sun happens only in Libra, but it is one of the three signs (with Capricorn and Aquarius) where the Sun is least at ease.
What this means in practice depends heavily on Venus. A strong, dignified Venus gives the Sun a secure host even if the two are not friends; a troubled Venus makes the Sun's results harder won. Their temporary relationship in your own chart, based on the houses they occupy from each other, can soften or sharpen the natural enmity. Venus never strays far from the Sun in the sky, so the two are often close by, and a Venus in the same sign may be combust.
Three nakshatras, three tones
- Krittika, padas 2–4 (0°–10°, lord Sun): the Sun in its own nakshatra gives this slice more fire and directness than the rest of the sign. Ambition with an edge.
- Rohini (10°–23°20′, lord Moon): the Moon's favourite nakshatra, fertile and attractive. The Moon is the Sun's friend, so the Sun here tends toward warmth, creativity and a love of beautiful things.
- Mrigashira, padas 1–2 (23°20′–30°, lord Mars): searching and restless. Mars, another friend, lends curiosity and a readiness to look for something better.
Which house? That comes from the lagna
- Taurus lagna: the 1st house, with the Sun ruling the 4th. Home, mother and inner security become part of the identity.
- Aries lagna: the 2nd house, the sign's natural house, with the 5th lord here; family, speech and savings carry the Sun's stamp. See Sun in the 2nd house.
- Leo lagna: the 10th house, where the lagna lord gains digbala. A strong career signature despite the enemy sign; see Sun in the 10th house.
- Scorpio lagna: the 7th house, with the 10th lord there, linking work and partnership.
- Capricorn lagna: the 5th house, with the 8th lord in a trikona.
- Aquarius lagna: the 4th house, with the 7th lord at home.
From Taurus the Sun's single full aspect (drishti) falls on Scorpio, the 7th sign, a friend's sign ruled by Mars.
The yearly transit
The Sun's gochar through Taurus lasts about 31 days, beginning at Vrishabha Sankranti. Traditionally it is a month for consolidating rather than launching: finances, food, family matters and anything that needs patience. Read its personal effect from your Moon sign; the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th from the Moon are the houses tradition treats as supportive for the Sun. Current position and the next ingress are on the Sun transits page.
Different schools, common mistakes
- Tropical vs sidereal. Western astrology places the Sun in Taurus about three and a half weeks earlier. Both are internally consistent, but they are not interchangeable; see Vedic vs Western sun sign and the sidereal zodiac.
- Reading "enemy sign" as a curse. It describes friction between two principles, not a bad life. Plenty of accomplished people have the Sun here.
- Ignoring the whole chart. The lagna, the house the Sun rules, its aspects and conjunctions, the navamsa and the running dasha all change the result.
Compare the Sun's position either side: Sun in Aries, where it is exalted, and Sun in Gemini.
See where your Sun is
A free kundli shows your Sun's sign, house, nakshatra and dignity, along with Venus, so you can judge how comfortable the Sun really is in your Taurus.