None of us has ever been tucked in at night.
Bulls need lots of loyalty and affection in order to be sure they’re loved and appreciated. Leos need lots of worship and compliments in order to be sure they’re loved and admired. Neither of them get quite enough proof that they’re cherished, even from compatible people who were born in their own elements (Taurus is Earth, Leo is Fire), and when they constantly demand to be emotionally tucked in by each other, they can really become frustrated.
These two Sun Signs are square, which means they don’t harmonize too well, unless the Sun and Moon in their respective charts are in mutually agreeable signs. As in all 4-10 Sun Sign Patterns, the square aspect (Taurus is 90 degrees away from Leo) is a tension maker. Yet, the 4-10 vibration bestows giant rewards of peace and harmony when the two involved have demonstrated the patience and selflessness to pass this karmic soul testing in a human love relationship.
With Taurus and Leo, the tension starts like this: Leo is much too self-centered to give the strong, silent Bulls the absolute devotion and obedience they insist on receiving most of the time. Taurus is much too stubborn to give the vain, proud Leos the unquestioning worship they demand continually. They’re both Fixed Signs, so they’re both good organizers, and they each possess an unusual amount of emotional dependability. But they’re also capable of being—well, Fixed. My Thesaurus offers the phrase pig-headed as a substitute for fixed. (Just for the record, the other two Fixed Signs are Aquarius and Scorpio.)
Sometimes, the fiery Leo will depend on the more tranquil, stable Taurus to cope with an unpleasant situation, then rob the Bull of all credit for the accomplishment. However, this doesn’t bother Taurus the way it would a more egotistical sign. The last thing Bulls are interested in is personal glory. They won’t turn their broad backs on it, should it be offered them, but they can take it or leave it alone. Taurus is more interested in cash appreciation and emotional peace of mind.
I know a Leo man who was tenderly devoted to his invalid Taurean wife for many years. She outlived most of the doctors who predicted her death every six months or so, and continued to manage household affairs from her bed for triple her life expectancy. The Lion took full credit for her amazing stamina. After all, wasn’t he giving her the best possible tender, loving, expert care, under conditions which would have put a weaker man flat on his back, or driven him into a mental breakdown? Yes, he was. But her Taurean iron will was at least partially responsible for her medical miracle.
Strangely, although they had many other areas of constant contention and argument, she quietly permitted him to take the credit for her courage without a trace of resentment. She well knew how much she owed him, and she also knew how much effort her strength and cheerfulness over the years cost her. But Taurus seldom fusses or quibbles about being overshadowed by the Leonine ego. She allowed him, even encouraged him, to take all the bows, and smiled to herself. Worship, however, she refused to give him, which made him a most unhappy monarch, and for which he perhaps never quite forgave her. But credit she willingly relinquished.
I once knew a Taurus man who worked as a registrar and assistant to the president of a Barber School in New Jersey. The president (the Bull’s superior, of course) was a warm-hearted, brilliant, generous, typically proud and arrogant Leo—a Lion, whose name was Dr. Andrew Julian, a name lettered in gold, stenciled, stitched or monogrammed on all his cuff links, shirts, briefcases, under-garments (allegedly), towels and silverware. My Taurus friend and Dr. Julian benefit from a harmonious Sun-Moon aspect between their birth charts, so they still fondly admire and respect one another, although they no longer work together. Nevertheless, their business association fairly bristled with daily examples of the 4-10 Leo-Taurus relationship, its mutual helpfulness—and its pitfalls.
There was the time Dr. Julian held a private conference with an investor who wished to buy an interest in his Barber School. The investor was a millionaire, and uncommonly loose and magnanimous with his cash. He didn’t care how much he invested, as long as he could visibly appear to run the operation—as long as the school would bear his name (never mind that he had no barbering experience).
Naturally, the Lion roared loudly at this double threat to his authority and affront to his prestige. For several hours, angry voices rose and fell from behind the closed door of the Lion’s plush den—which is the only way to describe any Leo office. A plush den.
Finally, the door opened, and Dr. Julian commanded imperiously, David! Come in here immediately! (Leos seldom ask, they command, as befits royalty.) When the cautious Bull slowly walked into the firing line, the Lion waved a disdainful hand toward the angry investor and directed majestically, Talk to him, David. Then Leo swirled around in his expensive swivel chair, pouting in injured dignity, and staring out the large picture window of his den—as though the other two men were not present. (The King did not deign to take any further notice of the peasants.)
After a few minutes of quiet questioning, the Bull uncovered the basic problem. The potential investor was an Aries. A Ram. It was his money, and by golly, he was going to be boss, and his name would be on the school. Nobody was going to order him around. The Taurean explained patiently that Dr. Julian was loved by all his teachers and students (he really was, they adored him, pride, arrogance and all), that he was furthermore highly respected by all the companies which did business with the school, with whom he had established a warm rapport over the years (true).
Of course, these solid compliments were not missed by Leo. They rained like fragrant roses on the Lion’s head, which was still turned away and facing the window. Then the Bull’s rich, Taurean voice, deep and soothing, was heard by the secretary, floating over the transom, as he spoke calmly to the Aries investor. Don’t you think it would be smarter if Dr. Julian’s name were to remain on the outside of the building, in all the advertising, and on the school’s letterhead? Since he’s had over forty years’ experience running a Barber School, wouldn’t it be better if he continued to do so? However, it makes more sense, and it’s more practical for you, Sir, to be the one who signs all the checks, so the people at the bank will know you’re the Financial Backer and Advisor of the operation. Why should you spend twelve hours a day here, as Dr. Julian does, when you have more important things to do? Your time is too valuable for you to be tied down to a desk, as he is, from nearly dawn till midnight, seven days a week.
After that masterpiece of manipulation, the Aries investor beamed happily, like a child who has just been given a lollipop and told he could play hookey at the same time. He was delighted to be called Financial Backer and Advisor, to know he’d be respected by the bank and the bankers (however much cash they may possess, for some odd reason, Rams are seldom ever truly respected by bankers) and that he wouldn’t have to spend twelve hours a day, seven days a week, working. (He hadn’t thought of that—Aries never does.)
The Lion swirled back around on his padded, swivel throne then, and offered everyone a cigar to celebrate the closing of the deal. Later, after the new Aries partner had left, Dr. Julian, his dignity now completely restored, walked over to the busy Bull’s desk and remarked, with his large, handsome Leonine head and pride both held high, I certainly told him off, and let him know who runs this school. I think I handled the situation rather well, don’t you? The Bull, patiently and respectfully, allowed as how he certainly had.
One area of potential agreement between Taurus and Leo is promoting and building. Leo loves to promote grandiose schemes and large ideas, and all Bulls delight in contemplating the financial return of what might be the seeds of the Taurean empire they’re always building in their minds. The path Taurus follows is steady, purposeful and relentless. Obstacles don’t disturb or upset the Bulls as they do Leo, because Taureans accept limitation and delay as part of the price they have to pay for eventual success. One of the favorite mottos of the Bulls is: If a thing is worth doing at all, it’s worth doing well—and also worth waiting for.
Leos, who are fanatically fond of freedom, refuse to accept, or even to recognize, limitation. Their attitude is ever hopeful and determined. It never even occurs to them that they can’t win all the chips with one grand and glorious toss of the dice, whether the game the Lion or Lioness is playing is business, friendship, romance, matrimony or gambling. The Big Cats will almost always take a chance, and in Kipling’s words, make a heap of all their earnings, and risk them on one turn of pitch and toss—and lose, and start again at their beginnings—and never breathe a word about their loss.
The reason Leos never breathe a word about their loss is because they convince themselves they didn’t lose. It’s all a mirage. Taurus, to put it mildly, is not nearly so quick to take a chance, whether the Bulls are risking their money or their hearts. And when they lose, the memory of the loss will linger a long, long time—long enough for the Taureans to profit by the experience. Yet, when the chips are down, the Bull and the Lion or Lioness can match each other’s contempt for misfortune. Neither is inclined to make a big deal of it, although they both might shed some private tears of sharp anguish. Leo and Taurus equally dislike public weeping or open admissions of failure.
In the long run, the Bull believes the safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and place it back in your pocket. That pretty much sums up the Taurean philosophy about either romantic or financial gambling. When the Bulls are young, they think the security of having cash in the bank, combined with the devoted love of a member of the opposite sex, is the most important and vital thing in life. When they grow older, they’re positive it is.
The only thing Leos are that positive about is their own ability to make it happen. Not surprisingly, the Leonine warm-heartedness and nobility of spirit, when blended with their faith in themselves, draws others to them, including Lady Luck, who often showers upon them generous amounts of both love and gold.
Leos are all Big Cats, with huge hearts and splendid strength, who sometimes see themselves as neglected kittens when their own ego images aren’t constantly reflected back to them by others and kept alive by extravagant compliments. (But the compliments must be genuine—Leo sees through insincere flattery as shrewdly as any monarch who’s being appeased for favors—barring an afflicted natal Sun.)
Although Leo wants to lead, and the Lions or Lionesses sometimes impose on the Bulls’ patience unintentionally, these proud people also enjoy protecting those they love, and lavishing gifts and kindness upon them. Isn’t that the way all good kings and queens feel about their subjects? A Taurean will be secretly and deeply pleased by this Leonine protectiveness, demonstrative affection and concern over his—or her—welfare. However stubbornly they may deny it, no one needs or appreciates kindness and affection more than Taurus men, women and children. Their loyal, dependable hearts ache for it. That’s another nice similarity between these two. The Leo and the Taurus hearts are equally loyal. Often, the warm friendliness and interest projected by Leo will make Taurus feel all snuggly and secure. So they are attracted into the same circle of empathy.
It’s only when Leo starts giving those royal commands, which Taurus interprets as being shoved, that the trouble starts. After a time, Leo’s bright Fire may scorch the Bull’s endurance, until the Taurean buries the Lion or Lioness beneath a ton of earthy stubbornness and negative reaction. But Leo is ruled by the Sun, symbolizing warmth and light, the Great Life-Giving Force of the Universe. Taureans are softly ruled by Venus, symbolizing Peace, Love and the musical Harmony of the Spheres. Between them, these two heavenly bodies keep the world spinning. All the other planets are merely supportive. The Sun is Life. Venus is Love. Is there more?
Taurus Woman and Leo Man
She had believed in him at the time, but now that she was married and full of sense she quite doubted whether there was any such person.
Every Taurus woman has an affinity for music. She has a rich, musical voice, whether she’s singing Carmen at the Met or simply saying, I’ll take an extra shot of espresso today to the coffee barista. Some Taureans compose music, direct it, or sing it—and all of them bask in it. Listening to its soothing sounds has a tranquilizing effect on the Bulls.
So, how could there be friction when a Leo man, married to a Taurus woman, wants to play music? There can be. And that’s what astrology means by stating that their natal Suns are squared. This is the difficult and tense 4-10 Sun Sign Pattern, which may be a challenge, but which is more richly rewarding than all the others, if the challenges are courageously faced and conquered. Incidents which could never become unpleasant between any two other people, based on situations where harmony should naturally exist, can erupt into volcanos between a Leo and a Taurus, unless there’s an unusually favorable Sun-Moon aspect between them.
A couple of years ago, I was visiting in the home of a Carmel, California couple, who have been an unusually loyal and devoted pair for many years. She’s a Taurus. He’s a Leo. She’s a karate instructor. He’s a poet, and an Oriental art dealer. The evening I was there, after enjoying a delicious dinner cooked by the Taurean wife, the three of us were discussing music, and the Lion and I discovered we had a mutual love for a particular version of Ave Maria. When he selected the tune and turned up the volume, I leaned back in my chair, prepared to enjoy the music bouncing around the rafters from the many speakers the Lion had built and installed himself all over the house.
But as the opening chords swelled out to fill the room, I noticed the Taurus wife had disappeared. Suddenly, I heard a door slam—hard. Her husband, slightly abashed, explained: Louise can’t stand it when I play the stereo, so I guess she’s gone to bed. It shocked me so much I couldn’t concentrate on the recording. A normally gracious and hospitable Taurus woman being rude to a guest? A Venus-ruled woman who hates music? Astrologically impossible.
The next morning, at breakfast, she was her usual charming calm self, and when I asked her why she hated music, she replied calmly, Oh, I don’t hate it. I love music. I have, ever since I was a child.
Then why. .… I asked.
You mean last night, she sniffed, icily. I just can’t bear to be around when Larry plays his music. He insists on turning up the volume so high, it drowns out all the tones, and hurts my ears. It’s really a prostitution of music, I think, to play it that loudly, but you can’t reason with him about it, so that’s that. (The Taurus resignation to the inevitable.) Tell me, she said, since you’re an astrologer—does his horoscope indicate that he’s deaf? (The Taurean humor, never subtle.)
No, he wasn’t deaf. He was expressing his Leo urge to do everything on a grand scale, even though this particular Lion is the Shy Pussycat type. Whatever type he is, a Leo man can’t bear to do things by half measures, and this compulsion is completely unrelated to his manner (if he’s one of the quieter, less flamboyant Leos, in his outward personality). If it’s a house, it must be large and luxurious, with a private den for him (his royal throne room, in a manner of speaking). If it’s a woman, she must be both beautiful and intelligent. If it’s a ring, it must be glittery, and visible across the room. When the Lion weeps, he sheds great torrents of tears. When he laughs, he laughs long and loudly. When he listens to music, he needs to hear it soar gloriously, to fill his heart and soul and ears. And when he’s hurt, he either roars dramatically, or blushes furiously in humiliated frustration—as my Leo host, Larry, did rather frequently during my visit with him and his Bull wife, Louise.
Ordinarily, a Taurus female would never object to her husband’s playing music, whatever the volume. Yet, I know another Taurus woman who sighed in ecstasy when her Lion courted her with a ukulele, in West Virginia, during their college courting days—then became bored each time he played and sang for her after they were married. You see, it’s not a Taurean antipathy for music these two lady Bulls were displaying. Music, in both cases, simply became the channel for the square of tension between them, and their Leo mates.
Whether or not any individual Leo male possesses the emotional poise to deserve his astrological comparison to a King, this is nevertheless his private ambition—to rule those around him, most definitely including the Lion’s own mate. A Taurus woman instinctively desires to submit to her man, to stick by his side faithfully and loyally through all seasons. But being ruled sounds suspiciously to her like being pushed, and no Bull will tolerate being pushed. Although Taurus women are capable of deep, lasting devotion and a warm-hearted love, they don’t toss around careless compliments, they have no use at all for flattery, and they think worship is for the weak-minded. Since all Lions require and demand compliments, flattery and worship, you can see what’s often missing in the relationship.
Leos are fiercely proud, fiery people, who brandish their own batons and refuse to play second fiddle to anyone. Even the Shy Pussycat Leo smolders with resentment when he’s denied his rightful placé in the Sun, preferably a few miles ahead and beyond anyone else who may be soaking up its rays. After all, the Sun is his ruler, which is why he’s so noble and generous, despite his occasional arrogance and freezing attitude of superiority. To him, the Sun is not the center of the Universe, around which all the other planets revolve. Leo is the center of the Universe, around which his family (and hopefully, his friends) revolve—or they’d better, if they don’t want to be frozen and ignored for the sin of not paying due respect at court.
Although this man’s disposition is undeniably masterful, and therefore sometimes a shade tyrannical, he’s a gentle, magnanimous lover, after a quarrel. His Leonine nobility of spirit makes it natural for him to want to kiss and make up. Verbal apologies he can’t handle gracefully. They destroy his vanity. But he’ll show he’s sincerely sorry with a variety of romantic overtures. That’s why these two often sense more empathy and mutual harmony in their sexual relationship than when they’re trying to play the banjo together.
A physical and tangible display of affection is sometimes the only way to reconcile an argument with a Taurus woman. She’ll remain stone-faced and immune to flowery words and persuasive arguments. Long conversations bore her, because she feels only through her senses. Taurus wants action, not words. So she’ll respond beautifully to his passionate acts of love, and it all works out fine. They often reconcile after a squabble without the proud Lion ever having to lose his dignity. Making love is never beneath his dignity, no matter how violently he’s been fighting with the loved one—or how recently. He needs a woman who can both accept and contain the depth of affection and passion he’s capable of giving, and this one can. Her sensual talents for eroticism certainly won’t displease him either. They’ll make him feel like a King, an expression many Leos use to describe their sexual fulfillment with the right woman.
However, her quality of conserving words isn’t quite as soothing to the Lion, outside the bedroom. She may be less than ecstatic when he becomes emotionally aroused, and desperately needs an attentive, approving audience. She may even yawn in the middle of one of his dramatic speeches or lectures, and nothing can so cruelly destroy this man’s sensitive ego so much as an obvious sign of boredom from a rebellious subject—especially from the woman he loves. If she really wants to keep this man forever (and every Taurus woman seeks the security of romantic permanence) she’d better drink pots of black coffee, and make sure she remains wide awake when her Lion is on stage.
The most common complaint of the Lion against a Taurus woman is that she lacks enthusiasm. He often feels like shaking her into action, and shouting, Say something! Do something! Anything at all. But don’t just sit there. Her most common complaint against him can be summed up in four Shakespearean household words, Much ado about nothing.
He’ll love the way she can turn a leaky tent into a cozy castle, her talent for making a dollar stretch like Silly Putty, and her rich humor—though he won’t appreciate her jokes that ridicule his dignity, or puncture large holes in his ego. She’ll warm up to her Lion’s bear hugs, and intensely admire his ability to organize his dreams into the marble and alabaster of reality. She will not, of course, be at all happy about his extravagant tendencies, or his need to go out and review the troops when he feels the need for a little extra applause from the crowd. They’ll always have their periodic tugs of tension. After all, they are both Fixed. Yet, the secret respect they feel for one another sometimes creates an unexpectedly soft, soothing carpet beneath their differences of opinion.
This lady doesn’t allow herself to display visible anger often. She’s patient, good humored, and willing to bear a great deal of silliness, along with Life’s sadness, without evidencing excessive emotion. But when she does become angry—good and angry—it’s best to get out of her way. Like, across town. Or maybe even another city or state, until she cools off and calms down—which she’ll never fail to do eventually. A Taurus woman is always deeply ashamed of her own weakness, after she’s given in to an emotional tantrum (during which her creamy-smooth Venus voice will more resemble that of a drill sergeant who trained for the operatic stage in youth—loud and forceful), and so she may be extra shy and affectionately loving later in trying to balance her act. But the Lion shouldn’t let her sweetness following a disagreement fool him. She remembers what it was he did to arouse her Bull-like fury, and she’ll remember it for years … and years … and years. Taureans tear into a wild and furious rampage of anger only very rarely—sometimes only once or twice during a lifetime. But it isn’t the quantity of Taurus anger that matters—it’s the quality. Volcanic.
A lady Bull shows her temper more frequently than just mentioned only if she’s constantly and continually goaded by the domineering ways of a Leo who lectures her and scolds her periodically, and then, when she won’t obey his every whim, turns away from her and pouts for long periods. That sort of behavior can rumble any Earth Sign into furious frustration, if it’s prolonged over a long period of time.
This woman is made of more than her Taurean temper and stubbornness. She’s also made of steadiness, courage, warmth, unswerving devotion, placidity, calmness and deep, deep emotions. She’s enormously affectionate and giving, and her natural ability to laugh at herself is one of her most endearing qualities (unless she has a Leo, Scorpio or Capricorn Moon Sign or Ascendent—in which case she’ll find it hard to chuckle when the joke’s on her). There’s no nonsense about this lady. She’s sensible, down-to-earth, and she never pretends to be something she’s not. She’s real and genuine, honest and reliable—rather worth keeping.
As for him, he’s made of more than his pride, vanity and self-centeredness. He’s also made of sunshine and hope and confidence. His wisdom and benevolence are unmatched, when he feels he’s really needed. The Lion will stand bravely against an army, to defend what he believes in his heart is right and true—just as he’ll fight any force that threatens to harm the woman he loves, however uneven the battle may seem, even when the odds seem to be hopelessly against him. Whatever kind of pain she feels, whether it’s physical or emotional, her pain is Leo’s sworn enemy—something he must defeat, to prove his worth to his lady. Very much like the Knights who fought for King Arthur. Except that Leo is both Knight and King.
In his imagination, he lives in the Age of Chivalry, the Age of Romance. He belongs to another century, another time … when there were still worlds left to conquer, visions to follow, and dreams to dream. He tries hard to make the best of being lost somewhere on the time track, in a strange country where his leadership is not needed, and his ideals are not cheered. Even his white horse is gone. And the Holy Grail is only a memory from long ago. Leo, the Lion-Hearted, is therefore more wounded and lonely in spirit than those who see only his surface armour of arrogance ever guess.
No matter how many obstacles this man and woman face in achieving emotional harmony together, they’ll stand by each other, against the whole world, if necessary. When fate brings sorrow or tragedy, neither of them will fail the test of loyalty. And that can be love’s most enduring song—with or without the background music.
Taurus Man and Leo Woman
Alas, he would not listen. He was determined to show who was master in that house.
May a Bull aspire to own a queen? Most Bulls are more at home in a china shop than in the presence of royalty, and you know how flustered they are in a china shop. They’re not frightened by the pomp and pageantry, but all that bowing and scraping and riding around in golden carriages—and coronations that last for days, while everyone gets tipsy, and stops working—is just plain too much fuss and feathers for the sensible Taurus man.
He isn’t unappreciative of beauty. Most Taureans have a latent (or exposed) talent for artistic form, through painting, dancing, sculpting or music. But his biggest talent is looking at the world through practical glasses. He saves both his money and his emotions for a good cause, and throwing either away on red carpets and crowns is not, to his way of thinking, a good cause.
A Leo woman is looking for a man who recognizes her as a Queen, who can (in addition to cherishing and adoring her) provide her with the kind of life she knows she deserves. She wants a lover or mate who will allow her to live in the style to which she would like to become accustomed, surrounded by luxury and literate friends … an existence overflowing with beautiful clothes, parties and brainy conversations, with rings on her fingers, bells on her toes, and maybe even an occasional photographic safari to Africa—or summers on the Riviera. July and August are so unpleasant in Manhattan (or Los Angeles) don’t you agree? All those tourists. (Translation: peasants.)
You can understand then, why she feels a little tense and restless if the Taurus man she loves expects her to hang around in a small apartment, bringing him his beer and pretzels, while he watches television and reads the Wall Street Journal in his stocking feet. How mundane and plebeian. So she surprises him one night. She brings him a pitcher of ice cold Perrier water, with a slice of lime, and a delicate china plateful of triscuits, spread with caviar—hands him New York magazine, folded to the back pages of the homes-for-sale listings (beginning at around $200,000) and lovingly tucks a cozy, comfy—and modish—pair of house slippers from Saks’ on his feet. He mumbles his gratitude softly, and smiles at her affectionately.
The next night, when she comes home from the hair salon late (because he didn’t give her money for a cab, and the subways were crowded), he’s still sitting there, grumbling over her tardiness, with his beer and pretzels, watching the six o’clock news on TV, in his stocking feet. The slippers were too tight, and anyway, he thinks men who wear house slippers are sissified. New York magazine? What magazine? House listings? What house listings? Later, she finds the magazine spread out neatly under the kitty litter box in the pantry. Obviously, something has to give. It won’t be the Bull.
Bulls don’t back away. They either hold their ground—or they charge. She’s better off resigning herself to her Taurean lover or mate’s holding his ground, than to risk goading him into charging. Believe me. Still, if she’s willing to wait, and not rush him, he may someday provide her with all those things she seeks, including the rings on her fingers and bells on her toes—maybe even a lovely home in the suburbs, or a wonderfully warm and beautiful remodeled barn in the country, complete with fireplaces, beams or rafters, and the sweet scent of new-mown hay drifting through the windows each morning. He may not reach his goal of security overnight, but she’ll never find a man with a better chance (counting her invaluable help) to someday present her with her very own kingdom over which to rule. Just give him time, and don’t nag him.
When I visited the Hearst castle in California, the estate of the late William Randolph Hearst (a Sun Sign Taurus), the image of the Bull was everywhere. A determined Taurean male, slowly but surely building a newspaper empire, stacking up millions, then creating—from a private dream of love in his incurably romantic heart—a solid, tangible faerie-tale castle, not imaginary in any sense of the word. The furniture in the several-hundred-odd rooms is massive. Everything in and on the estate is bigger than Life, bigger than it need be, typical of the Taurean admiration for plain and simple hugeness. The larger, the better, for the Bull. Wherever I looked, I could see the Venus taste for life’s necessary luxuries, like the gold bathroom fixtures, pure silk wallpaper, thick Persian rugs, and ornate (large, of course) expensive marble statuary.
Every male Bull should drop by the Hearst castle to see what Taurus dreams look like when they finally come true. If he’s in love with a Lioness, by all means, he should take her along. She’ll be enthralled, and purr like a kitten all the way home. It will perhaps then dawn on her that his stocking feet are leading him in the same direction—and if she helps, not hinders, his plodding path, he’ll get there. This could be just the male who might someday give the Lioness her very own yacht for her birthday. (Maybe she’d better image that occasion as their anniversary. He’ll probably be much more sentimental about the latter date than the former.)
When the Bull has finally accomplished his mission in life—a comfortable home, and a large collection of Washingtons, Lincolns and Jeffersons (not paintings—green bills), the Lioness will surround him with her own touches of richness. She’ll see that he’s comfy and cozy, padding around in his stocking feet on thick carpets, under soft lights, to the sound of stereophonic violins, smothered with constant attention and bathed in a smooth, serene existence. Nothing could make him happier.
But while he’s still laying the foundation and digging the hole for the cornerstone, he won’t want to take the time to dally at court. He’ll resent being expected to run around to parties, play politics with her friends, wait on her royal whims and feather dust her throne. All that foolishness of continually pampering her pride and plumping up her ego seems to him like a shameful waste of time, and Bulls do not like to waste time, any more than they like to waste money (which, as you know by now, is not at all).
Although these two Sun Signs are square, and therefore capable of clashing violently over their differences, if they hang in there until the clouds start showing their silver linings, it could be super. They’ll find each other great company as they wander through the tower rooms, feed the swans on the lake, share romantic dinners by candlelight, pull up the drawbridge over the moat, and pull on velvet ropes for the servants to turn down the satin sheets on their imported canopy beds. Yes, I said beds—plural. They’ll probably have separate boudoirs, because the Lioness will likely want her own dressing room. She has to have, after all, some place to keep her creams, lotions, perfumes, bath oils and manes (hairpieces).
If they’re patient.… well, Taurus is patient, so at least half the problem is solved. She, however, is a Fire Sign, and Fire Signs are all a little short on patience. It makes the preliminary period of castle building somewhat fraught with fretting and tricky tensions, all the way from minor molehills to major mountains. In the interim, while they’re dreaming of their two monograms entwined inside a heart etched on their Fostoria, silver, linens and fine china, they can idle away what few leisure hours the Bull can afford, making love. It could be one of the few times when they’ll be in complete agreement. On the other hand, it could not. Much depends on the Moon-Sun relationship between their horoscopes.
On the positive side of the Luminary harmony in their nativities, there’s the physical compatibility they can reach together. A Leo woman is proud and aloof, even distant, with strangers. But when she’s wrapped up in the arms of the man she truly loves, she becomes a fierce Lioness, who fairly oozes affection and sex appeal. The Bull won’t fight with her when she’s running her gentle hands through his hair, smoothing his skin, massaging his back, kissing his ear, and stroking his hand.
A Taurus man is almost helplessly vulnerable to the touch, the sound and the scent of his woman, and since Leo females nearly all adore perfume, he’ll whiff away contentedly, like the peaceful Disney Ferdinand the Bull, in his most blissful state of ecstasy. His strength is awesome, yet this man is always in danger of becoming a Samson in the clutches of a sensuous, Leonine Delilah. He’s ruled by Venus, and nothing brings him more peace of mind and spirit than fulfilling his deep, earthy romantic desires with a passionate Lioness—unless it’s counting a stack of fresh, new green bills, or sniffing a home-baked apple pie, just out of the oven.
On the negative side, if the exchange of energies from the Sun and the Moon in their respective birth charts is square or opposed, there must be some heavy adjustments made in relation to the sexual harmony they achieve. He may slowly and gradually, but very finally, tire of trying to please her and to feed her insatiable ego, if he’s forced to frequently sleep alone—or face her bored back in bed—when he hasn’t made her feel cherished enough during the day to make her feel he deserves her royal favors at night.
Or perhaps she’s the one who will slowly and gradually, but very finally, become weary of secretly wishing he’d try harder to fulfill her physical needs by making her feel adored and intensely desired, sexually. The Bull’s sensual, down-to-earth, and sometimes unimaginative lovemaking may leave her lying awake beside him, hour after hour, dreaming of the Prince who never comes to claim her waiting heart … shedding quiet tears she’s too proud to let him see, or to ever tell him about. And after a while, the warm-hearted, high-spirited and affectionate Lioness may become totally frigid.
Frigidity is ever a lurking danger with the instinctively passionate Leo woman. If she’s continually neglected, from her fiery dreams and desires of youth she’ll freeze into the cool detachment of the Leonine nature, a defense mechanism that’s not natural, and is always very sad. Detachment because—what Queen would allow anyone to guess she isn’t completely worshiped? Not even the Prince Consort who has so tragically failed her will be permitted to glimpse her broken heart, or be made aware of her terrible emptiness and loneliness. False pride is every Leo’s Waterloo.
It’s his bull-headedness and her false pride combined that keeps them both restless (or resigned) and unfulfilled. Somehow, there’s a lack of honest communication between them. So they never discuss their individual lovemaking disappointments with one another—until love solidifies into nothing but a sort of comfortable familiarity and companionship—or shatters into divorce. Sometimes one or the other of these two lovers or mates will find escape through drink, drugs or casual affairs. But usually not. They’re both too basically honorable to be disloyal, too conscious of their reputations to make public fools of themselves—yet too stubborn (him) and too proud (her) to seek a solution, tenderly and gently … together. But it’s never too late for mutual confession and humility to create an unexpected miracle. They should both begin by remembering how it was between them when they first fell in love. The memory will soften them … and they can progress from there.
This is not a man who will appreciate his woman serving him dainty food, or pressing him into fastidious behavior at home or in public. She’ll discover that the first time he yells at her, during dinner, Where’s the ketchup bottle? You call that a sandwich? Take it back to the kitchen and add a few layers. Or—How about a coffee mug, woman? These little china things give me the willies.
Don’t ask where he got the word willies. Taureans have a way of manufacturing words that have a soft, cuddly sound, whether they’re insulting or complimentary. Did you ever have a Bull call you Honey? It’s an experience in total sensuality, which is no wonder, when they all have those deep, mellow, buttery voices, unmatched by any other man, except Scorpio.
She’ll accuse him of being sometimes slightly uncouth, and nearly always obstinate, as, of course, he definitely is. He’ll accuse her of being haughty, high-and-mighty, and snobbish, as, of course she definitely is. What do you do, when one’s worst complaints against the other are justified and true? It’s simple. (Not easy, but simple.) She’ll have to comprehend that his lack of couth is simply indicative of his earthy, rather dependable nature, his contempt for the frivolous and the non-genuine—the phony. She’d do well to imitate it. She’ll also have to recognize that his obstinacy indicates his strength of character, and stop deliberately inciting it by behaving like a spoiled Queen, who pouts when she doesn’t win her own way. She can always get around his obstinacy if she tries, with amazing ease, simply by hugging and kissing and squeezing him into contentment again.
He must realize that her haughtiness is nothing but her inbred protection against exposing her fears of imagined inadequacy, therefore losing face and subjecting herself to painful ridicule—and stop deliberately causing it by refusing to acknowledge her very real superiority as a woman—and her deep need to be drenched in extravagant compliments. He can always get around her quite easily, by taking her out to sparkle in public more often, and showing her—especially telling her—that he’s aware of how lucky he is to have married a very super lady, in all ways. (Every Leo woman is just that, never mind her little failings.) His Lioness is enormously capable of both giving and receiving love, if only she’s properly appreciated … … and loved in return.
Whatever age the Bull may be, he’s a Teddy Bear at heart, the chubby, high-chair-stage symbolic Baby of the zodiac (as described in The Twelve Mysteries of Love, in the front of this book). I once knew a Leo woman who could not see her Taurus husband as any sort of Teddy Bear, or cuddly in any way. She saw him only as a stubborn, mature man, who believed in nothing but the practical, and who thought all sentiment was silly, sentimental rubbish. One day, I coaxed her into taking home to him a large stuffed, furry Bull. The kind of toy one normally gives to—yes, to a baby. He grunted.
That was it. Didn’t even say thanks. He completely ignored the furry image of himself—for weeks. The hurt and wounded Lioness placed it on the television, where he’d be sure to see it constantly, and still—not a word from the phlegmatic, undemonstrative Taurean. Then he became ill. During his illness, while he was asleep one morning, she happened to unthinkingly move the toy Bull from the television while she was cleaning. When her Taurus husband awoke from his nap, his roar could be heard all over the house. WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BULL? WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY BULL?!!! he shouted. She’ll learn.
The Bull and the Lioness will have to start listening to each other’s silent, pleading hearts … .… when what she’s really saying, beneath her haughtiness, is—Please, show me how much you love me … … and what he’s really saying, beneath his stony stubbornness, is—Please, promise me you’ll stay, and never leave me.
| Taurus | Virgo |
| Earth—Fixed—Negative | Earth—Mutable—Negative |
| Ruled by Venus | Ruled by Mercury |
| Symbol: The Bull | Symbol: The Virgin |
| Night Forces—Feminine | Night Forces—Feminine |