Mars in Cancer, Venus in Taurus, Sun in Taurus, Mercury in Taurus
We are approaching the season of Taurus, beginning on April 19th when the Sun reaches 30 degrees beyond the Vernal Equinox point. The inner planets, consisting of Mercury, Venus and Mars all shift signs within nine days of each other as well as the Sun.
The Sun being in Taurus by itself is far from the only factor of what we experience astrologically. Each year will be a bit different in its expression due to the sign locations and aspects of the planets during the season. But a general character or essence of what is coming up can be explored. In this article, I’ll be exploring the upcoming transits of the Sun and inner planets along with notable and historical figures that were born with the Sun, Mercury and Venus in Taurus and Mars in Cancer.
Taurus is a sign that has its essence rooted in the middle of spring when the colors of plants and birds are at a lush point. It is an active, sensually pleasing time and a real flowering of life itself. In people, Taurus represents receiving the pleasures and comforts of life, from personal intimacy to artistic expression with the physical realm.
Taurus is an experiential sign in the physical senses, deepening our understanding of aesthetics and sensuality. But it is also tied to the physical security of comforts and pleasures, including the resources to hold onto them. In Western Astrology (especially Sun-sign astrology), Taurus is typically seen as stubborn, unchangeable and materialistic. That is more of the “shadow” qualities of Taurus and only part of the sign’s reality.
A healthy Taurus energy is the ability to savor the pleasures of life without excess, knowing where to draw the line. Taurus is also a about subtleties in touch, sight, smell, taste and sound. It is in really knowing (in the body) what feels good from the sensation-functions (not to be confused with emotions).
Personalness is also a Taurus quality, especially in intimacy. In that process, which is broad in scope, Taurus connects with the chi of pleasures of sensations.
There is also polarity of Taurus that encompasses vanity and narcissism of varying degrees in the same astrological modalities as Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius (with different expressions of it). These generally show up in unhealthy ways, especially if taken to excess.
This Taurus period begins to ebb on May 3rd, when Mercury ingresses into the sign of Gemini, then May 8th when Venus joins Mercury in that sign.
Mars, symbolizing the masculine principle in shamanic astrology, enters the sign of Cancer on April 23rd (through June 11th). Cancer symbolizes family nourishment, compassion and empathy and this sign is a provider of safe, protective spaces. It is vastly different from Taurus in that it is a “giving” sign and is highly concerned with the health and safety of others, primarily in the community and family or tribe.
The sign of Cancer bears the cultural burden of caring for the culture itself. Cancer can take on those burdens personally as it fulfills their role in life. Known as the “mother” archetype, Cancer plays a critical role in families and communities and cultures survive with compassionate understanding where in many situations it may not exist. Cancer can also show up as a fierce defender of progeny and community as well as tradition.
It is quite a different contrast from the self-exploratory of pleasure that Taurus symbolizes. But Mars in the “giving” role through the heart may be helpful in combination with Taurus for a softer energy in the human collective. However, the shadow of Cancer in the masculine can be unyielding of a perceived notion of tradition and security to protect the tribe, even at the sacrifice of healthy change.
Another unhealthy side of Cancer can be (like Capricorn) taking on too much responsibility for the family, workplace and community. This can lead to breakdowns and illnesses when the Cancer archetype lacks balance.
With these inner planets (and the Sun) representing a short-term transit, they are operating within the astrological themes of a Uranus-Saturn square and Pluto-Eris square.
Article by Erik Roth. To see some notable people with this inner planet setup, click here to read more at Erik’s website.