Linda Goodman's Sun Signs (10 page)

The sensuous bull is tranquilized by the color of the sky. Shades of blue bathe his emotions with peace; also rose and pink, in a lesser way, but never red, as any matador could tell you. The greens and browns of nature calm and soothe him too. Green paper money and a brownstone house will keep him perfectly contented.

Although Taurean ideas are always sensible, they can also sparkle with the clarity and depth of fifteen precious sapphires that add up to six kinds of good fortune, as he doubles his money under the benign smile of the gods. There's nothing small about Taurus, including his capacity for lasting love and his potential for wealth. Copper, the Taurean metal is an excellent conductor of electricity and heat, and it glows with burnished beauty through years of use and wear. Let the excitable ones scurry and squabble for first place. The bull's fixed nature needs no flaming torches to light the way to the security he seeks. Eventually success will come to him, and he will be ready. Because the far-off Venus showers him with the love of luxury, he pays dearly for his possessions and treasures them for a lifetime; yet he's the sworn enemy of waste and extravagance. His home is his castle—and let no man disturb the peace of the bull. Taurus is as patient as time itself, as deep as the forest, with a dependable strength that can move mountains.
But he's stubborn.

Famous Taurus Personalities

Perhaps you picture the typical Taurus man as a quiet, practical soul, as sensible and down-to-earth as an old pair of shoes. It's true—he is. You may also observe that he's slow to move to action, deliberate and careful. True again. Therefore, you deduce, it's only logical to assume he's not very romantic. Positively false.

Where did you get the idea you can analyze the Taurean nature by using pure logic alone? Probably from some Libra fellow who's trying to make an impression on you. Well, he's wrong. Logic isn't very helpful when you're trying to solve the riddle of a strong, masculine symbol like the bull, who's ruled by a loving, peaceful planet like Venus. Send that Libra man with his clever mind back to the library.

The bull may take a long time deciding if he wants you for his woman. He's not going to execute a flashy swan dive into the pool of romance and discover on the way down that someone forgot to fill it with water. But once he's made up his mind that you're the one, and once he sets his mind on winning you, he'll make the Libra lover look like a fumbler. He'll even put the smitten lion and the passionate Scorpio to shame. That sensible, practical, slow, determined Taurus male is capable of sending you one pink rose each day until you surrender to his proposal—of marriage—or whatever. He can even write a poetic song or verse, and bashfully mail it to you without signing it, knowing you'll guess the sender. Taurus can be a tender, gentle and protective lover. His sensual nature will make him vulnerable to your exotic perfume, the smoothness of your skin and softness of your hair. He may not say so in flowery language to your face, but he will find a way to convey the message. The Taurus sense of touch is a tangible thing.

This negative, fixed earth sign is full of contradictions in love. A Taurean will like to see you dress in luxurious clothing and rich colors. He may buy you a fragrant bunch of fresh, spring violets from the little old lady on the corner, and leave a large tip in her basket because she reminds him of his mother. (You, however, will definitely not remind him of either his mother or his sister—except when it comes to protecting you from the rude glances of other bulls who try to move in.) Music will stir his emotions and put him in the mood for love. He's almost sure to have a favorite song that reminds him of you each time he hears it. It's the one he keeps playing over and over.

If you need more proof of the romance in his soul, the typical Taurus man will help you build your hope chest with birthday gifts of china and silver, and at Christmas he'll remind you of Santa himself when he comes calling, loaded down with mysterious packages and sentimental trinkets. He'll suggest moonlight swims, picnics in cool, secluded woods, and walks down country lanes under the stars. His will be the largest, fanciest, most eloquent Valentine the postman ever delivered on February 14th. When a Taurus man courts you, he courts you. He doesn't fool around. You'll probably be taken to dine in glamorous restaurants, with soft lights and violins, and he'll never forget the date you first met or any other intimate anniversary between you. For the love of buttercups, how much romance do you need?

It's perfectly true that the bull isn't a wild dreamer like the Aquarian male. Taurus will never sweep you off your feet like a Leo, or promise to take you floating away to live with him in a fairy castle, drifting on pink clouds forever and a day, like an Aries. He's more likely to drop by on foot some Saturday night, with the architect's blueprints for the house he plans to build for you, out of real lumber and with real cash. He'll probably make the down payment on the property, or at the very least, on the apartment lease, before you become engaged. This man means business. When the bull lifts you across his threshold and plants you firmly in his substantial home, which won't bear the faintest resemblance to a fairy castle, you can be sure the mortgage is secure at the bank. That's hardly something to complain about. You'll wonder why you ever wanted to be wrapped in those pink clouds, once you've been warmly and snugly enfolded in the soft Taurean blanket of security. You'll be too busy enjoying your new furniture to weep for misty dreams that probably wouldn't have come true anyway. That is, if you're a female who appreciates solid value. Not every woman does, more's the pity. But sensible girls, from eighteen to eighty, value the peaceful, easygoing ways of the bull and his calm, stable nature. His sentimental gestures and pleasantly earthy wooing can be just as satisfying as the soulful, poetic sighs of more colorful lovers, or the dashing excitement of the flashier Don Juans, quite often even more so. Ask any woman who's been sensible enough to get herself good and loved by a strong Taurean. There are lots of contented cows and happy heifers around.

A Taurus man plans for tomorrow carefully. As the squirrel stores his nuts when they're plentiful in the summer, to provide security for the cold, barren winter—the temporary pleasures of a bright afternoon will never distract Taurus from preparing for the days when the slush piles up at the curb. It's a funny thing, but the men who are financially able to treat their wife to Florida in January are often born in May.

Naturally, there are drawbacks to a romantic escapade with a Taurus male—all is not peaches and perfection. For one thing, you'll have to brush up on your ladylike behavior. No Taurus man is going to put up with a loud, masculine female, who cracks a whip like an animal trainer. If you have any forceful opinions, don't shove them down his throat or brag about your brainpower in public. Privately, he respects a female with intelligence (though he places a higher premium on plain common sense), but you'd just better let him be the bright one of the team when you're out together dancing cheek to cheek—even if you're just sitting in a restaurant, knee to knee. Make like the emancipated woman in front of his friends and he'll have one of two reactions. If he's a primitive Taurean (and you'd be surprised how many of those there are), he's likely to give you a shove and a shaking, maybe even a good smack in the right place when you get home—or worse, before you get home. If he's a more sophisticated type, he'll simply clam up on you in front of everyone and sit there like a large chunk of cold stone, refusing to speak a word the rest of the night, until you're so embarrassed you wish the floor would swallow you. Your friends will be most uncomfortable, too. It can really dampen an evening, not to mention cramp your style.

Your first impulse will be to try to undo the damage, but trying to jolly him out of his stubborn mood before it's run its course is literally impossible. It's like trying to move the Rock of Gibraltar. As a matter of fact, if you attempt to tease him back into normal social behavior, you may wish you had just let him sulk. A hunk of cold stone is infinitely more acceptable than his reaction to your coaxing after you've angered him. Push him too far and he'll turn from a silent sphinx into a bellowing bull, who may very well let loose some mighty earthy language, which will cause your cheeks to flame even pinker. Either that, or he'll say calmly to the group, “Excuse me for breaking up the party, but I have to drag this woman with the tent flap mouth home and teach her a few lessons.” You'll hide from everyone you know for weeks afterwards. And all because, when he's holding the group spellbound with his summary of the political scene, you interrupt him with a remark like, “Oh, honey, don't be so naive. Everyone knows Utterbach takes bribes. With his record he couldn't get elected chairman of the Boy Scout cookie sale, let alone Congressman. You don't know what you're talking about,” at which point he'll dig in those heels, fold his arms across that beefy chest, and begin to pout—or clobber you—whichever. If you see him reach for his coat, you might as well put on yours, too. A Taurus man will seldom leave his woman alone with the wolves, unprotected, no matter how angry she's made him. He'll take her along, by the hair, if necessary. So don't get any ideas of staying behind to get sympathy from the others. When he leaves, you leave. And I would strongly advise you to apologize before you get home. He won't. Running to Mama's arms won't do any good. You share his bed and board, as long as he pays the rent. Mother-in-law interference is about the last thing the typical bull will stand for. The first time you try that “running home to Mother” routine will probably be the last. After they once experience his fury, your parents will prefer to keep the door locked and let you handle your own problems.

I know a Taurus man with an aggressive wife who found a unique solution. He simply refuses to go out with her in public. Her irresistible force met an immovable object—him. She can go out and rob other men of their masculinity all she wants, not Taurus, the bull. He's very fond of his positive mate, and they have rather a nice team going in many ways; they respect each other tremendously—but until she learns to submit, keep her mouth closed, and let him be the man, she's forced to go to parties, meetings and the theater without an escort. This particular Taurean has refused to accompany her ever since the time they joined several other couples for dinner at a fancy restaurant. His wife grabbed the menu from him and ordered for the whole group. She made unflattering remarks about his haircut and his tie during the first course, and supplied the punch line to three of his jokes during the entree. Now she goes to social functions alone, while her Taurus mate refuses to budge from his castle. You can't really blame the bull. He's just being true to his Sun sign. It's still a solid marriage, but you may not be so lucky. So don't tempt your Taurean by shoving him around.

He's extremely patient, but he won't wear a ring in his nose. He doesn't necessarily want a clinging vine, either. He's too practical, and he likes his freedom too much to enjoy a female who sticks to him like rubber cement and cries at the drop of a hanky. He doesn't mind a woman with some fire and spunk. It intrigues him and balances his own steadier maturity. With a smile of detached amusement, he'll watch her cheerfully scampering around in typical feminine fashion, as one would watch a beloved, pretty kitten playing with a brightly colored ball of yarn. Just so kitty knows when the bull gives a strong tug on the yarn, it's time to stop the fun and games and listen to the voice of her master. No one can be kinder, more gentle and truly tolerant than a Taurus man, when his masculinity is secure. He'll do anything in the world for the woman he loves except allow her to wear the pants. Taurus may sometimes behave like a clumsy circus bear, and his humor is often rough and ridiculous. But he will not play the role of the fool after the party is over.