Jesus – the Taurus personality

20/04/09 | Posted by Steve Hollinghurst

Traditionally the symbol of St Luke’s Gospel is a bull or ox, and here very much not the ‘bull in a china shop’ but the strong dependable but sometimes immovable creature that is the mainstay of agricultural work in many parts of the world. Those we might call the strong and silent type are in mind here, but how might they reflect Jesus character and what lessons might Jesus have for such people?

 Taurus (traditionally 20th April - 21st May)

In the introduction to this series the elements the Zodiac signs represent are related to Jesus call to us to worship God with all our mind, all our heart, all our spirit and all our strength. The Taurus personality is the one most associated with the strength/earth dimension. Indeed in each case this is true for the animals associated with the gospel writers. People like this are down to earth practical and physical. They also are very loyal and loving and show affection physically with others. Whilst they are not talkative or sparky they can also be very artistic especially if it involves passionate expression in for instance singing or physical expression say in sculpture. Don’t expect these people to be the quick thinkers or leaders but they can always be depended on and they have extraordinary patience and pursue their goals slowly but surely until they are achieved.

One of the accounts that demonstrates these traits best in Jesus is that of his relationship with the family of Lazurus, Martha and Mary in Bethany. He clearly has a close tie with this family and we see him there on several occasions. Though he travels most of the time he would also touch base with these people who were important to him. As practical as he is he knows there are times to stop and reflect so he suggests to Martha when she is busy about the house work that she should in fact have followed the example of her sister who stopped to spend time with Jesus instead of complain she is being lazy. He is comfortable with the physical display of Mary anointing his feet when others would have found it too ‘touchy feely’. The story of Lazurus death shows a number of these personality traits. Firstly his patience when Lazurus is reported sick, and his trust that he is doing the right thing by waiting to go to Bethany. We then see his affection for the family and his friend when he weeps at his graveside, not afraid to show his emotion and love. Yet he knows what he is going to do and will not be deflected from opening the tomb and calling Lazurus to come back to life and come out from the tomb. Mary has been right to place her faith in him and that dependability and affection applies to us in our relationship with him as our spiritual guide and teacher.

Those with the Taurus personality also can show this negatively. Their patient perseverance can become an immovable stubbornness; refusing to change tack when it clearly has to be done and becoming an obstacle to others especially when change is needed. This connects to a weakness of becoming caught up in the pursuit of their own comfort and physical wellbeing that can make them insecure and also over indulgent in physical pleasures as part of a protection of themselves from the world around. These traits are best overcome by developing characteristics that come from the spirit/water area. These enable this personality type to see beyond the things of this world and be inspired by spiritual and heavenly insights. This importantly gets them focused on what they can do for great causes or for others and harnesses their strength to that rather than their own preservation. It is in Jesus determination to go to Jerusalem and face death for the sake of others we see this most at work. One of the connections the Early Church drew between the bull and St. Luke’s Gospel was that of it as a sacrificial animal. Jesus called his followers to live sacrificially, reminding them that those who sought to save their lives would lose them but those who surrendered their life for the sake of God’s Kingdom would find they had in fact received life in all its fullness. This lesson is especially important for the Taurus personality as it grows into the likeness of Jesus in whose image all are made.

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