Venus-ruled Taurus is the 2nd sign of the zodiac. It is the Earth sign representative of the Fixed modality. In the cycle of human life, Taurus represents the toddler, just reaching the stage of life where they are becoming aware of how it feels to be in a body.
This focus on embodiment is much of what makes up the bulk of Taurean characteristics: being rooted to the earth, steadfast, stubborn at times, taking care of themselves and others around them, and being dedicated to luxuriating in the sensations inside of that body.
Food, pleasure, luxury, and wealth are some things that Taurus is known to enjoy. But they don’t expect those things to just come to them; Taurus is one of the most hardworking of the zodiac signs.
They make great teammates and, though they can be slow to start, like a train, once they begin moving, it can be hard to get them to stop; and like a train, it can be hard to steer them off of the course when they have decided on it.
So, like the Taurus archetype, the Taurus spirit animal embodies these same qualities. Let’s take a look at Taurus and some of the animals who act as spirit guides for Taurus to learn and grow from.
Table of Contents
What is a Spirit Animal?
A zodiac spirit animal is an animal that embodies traits that are either comparable to the archetype of the zodiac sign, or traits that can help guide that sign through particular challenges that they might face due to their nature.
For instance, the Bear spirit animal, as we will discuss later, can highlight the Taurean’s tendency to get too comfortable in one spot, rather than move outside of their comfort zone in order to reach their goals, while the Chinchilla spirit animal perfectly represents the Taurean’s love of self-care and their ability to find the perfect method to keep themselves as soft and silky as possible.
There are no hard and fast rules that apply to any spirit animal described here, and the list is by no means comprehensive – but hopefully, it will give you an idea of the traits that Taurus embodies, or that, by embodying, can help Taurus reach their highest potential.
What are the Taurus Spirit Animals?
So, what are the animals that best embody Taurus? Out of the many that showcase the shiny and shadow sides of Taurus, we’ve narrowed it down to 5: the strong and sturdy bull, Taurus’ traditional animal symbol, the wise, dependable bear, the steadfast turtle, the luxuriously self-caring chinchilla, and the industrious ant.
What makes these animals the perfect representatives of Taurus? Keep reading to find out!
1. The Bull
The bull is Taurus’ traditional animal symbol – in fact, the Greek word for ‘bull’ is tauros, so the name Taurus literally means bull.
The name is no accident; Bulls were a symbol of virility and wealth in Ancient Greece, and Taurus is an earthy sign representing abundance and fertility (remember, its planetary ruler is Venus, named after the Roman goddess, the analog to the Greek goddess Aphrodite: goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and wealth).
Taurus is one of the oldest constellations, in fact, having been recognized as a bull as far back as Ancient Babylonian times.
The constellation is associated with the story of the Greek god Zeus, a renowned playboy, and how he changed himself into a handsome bull to lure the princess Europa into eventually riding on his back, where he absconded with her to the isle of Crete – a highly questionable act in this day and age, but par for the course in Ancient Greek mythology.
The Bull As Taurus Spirit Animal
Bulls are also known to be steadfast and stubborn animals. While a bull can be a mostly placid creature when left alone, if he doesn’t want to go somewhere, it will be quite the task to get him there. There are all sorts of platitudes involving bulls that illustrate these characteristics: “Mess with the bull, get the horns” and “bull in a china shop” come to mind.
Taurus, in the same way, can seem very agreeable and good natured, until you make them angry or try to get them to do something they don’t want to do, and then, watch out! While Taurus doesn’t necessarily have a hot temper, they are not pushovers by any means.
Bulls and Tauruses are also both very strong-willed. It can be very hard to get a Taurus to change their mind about something once they have made it up, even with evidence and reasoning. Sometimes, you just have to let a Taurus believe what they believe, just like you have to let the bull do what he wants to do.
2. The Bear
Leaving behind tradition, we meet one of Taurus’ true modern spirit animals, the bear. The bear is similar to the bull in appearance; they appear lovable and cuddly at first, but if you cross their boundaries, you’re in danger. Obviously, you’re not likely to be in real danger for crossing a Taurus’ boundaries, but you still shouldn’t try it.
Bears are practical and dependable – at least, metaphorically – and in tune with the rhythms of the seasons and needs of their own bodies. They also love to eat, a trait which they definitely share with Taurus.
During the summer season when the salmon spawn and it’s time to fatten themselves up for winter, grizzly bears will post up in their favorite spot in the river and gorge themselves to their heart’s content on the salmon swimming upstream.
Finding one spot to hang out in and waiting for your favorite food to come to you – indeed, almost to jump right into your mouth – if there’s something more Taurean, I’d like to know about it!
The Bear As Taurus Spirit Animal
The bear also has something to teach Taurus. Besides the aforementioned salmon spawn season, bears are an isolated animal that prefer to spend time alone.
While they make great teammates when working on a shared goal, Taurus can have a tendency to hole up on their own, or with a few comfort people, and block out the rest of the world when not working on work or community projects.
Torpor – the state the bear goes into when she hibernates for the winter, where her body systems slow down so that she can live in her cozy cave without venturing out into the world – works very well for bears, and might sound like an ideal situation for Taurus, but isn’t realistic. Even bears know to create community bonds so that they can feast safely in the summertime!
While it isn’t necessary for Taurus to always be out and about, networking and making connections – leave that to Gemini, the next sign – only being part of the community when there is work involved can be a wear on the spirit.
If Taurus begins to feel too isolated, they could join nature-based fun communities, like a hiking group – or park gatherings around the picnic basket.
3. The Turtle
The turtle is a Taurus spirit animal that speaks to the Taurus’ connection to the earth and their slow-moving nature. Obviously, Turtle’s number one claim to fame is his speed, or lack thereof. Slow and steady wins the race, and all that.
This works for Taurus. It can take a lot to get Taurus up and moving, unlike their preceding sign, Aries, and following sign, Gemini. These signs are up and going almost before they even know what they’re doing, while Taurus is still hitting the snooze button.
The thing is, those signs are well known for not finishing what they start, and Taurus is known for dependability and steadfastness. Even with a slow start, Taurus nearly always finishes, and in fact it is very hard to push them off course once they have begun something. This isn’t limited to tasks and projects; Taurus is known for sticking to their convictions as well – stubbornness is one trait that almost always comes up when listing Taurus traits.
The Turtle As Taurus Spirit Animal
In Native mythology, the earth is carried on the back of a turtle. Indeed, the Americas are known to Indigenous people as Turtle Island. Turtles are thought of in many cultures as wise, steadfast creatures, which is what makes them a perfect Taurus spirit animal; one that Taurus can learn from.
The wisdom that a Taurus can learn from a turtle is this: Do not mistake stubbornness for strength. It is wise to stay the course, but turtles are amphibious creatures, so a Taurus should learn to move between earth and water as well, and go with the flow sometimes.
4. The Chinchilla
The Chinchilla might be a surprising choice for a Taurus spirit animal, but when you think about it, they’re really not. Chinchillas are adorable little rodents with very soft fur; so soft, in fact, that they’ve been bred for years to be used as fur for humans to wear.
Taurus is a sign whose sweet, placid nature is easy to take for granted. Despite being known for being stubborn and immovable, they are mostly calm and agreeable, and this can be taken for granted by those wishing to use their good nature and work ethic for their own gain; for, while Taurus is hardworking, they aren’t always necessarily very ambitious – this is, of course, dependent on their other natal placements.
The Chinchilla As Taurus Spirit Animal
Taurus works hard because they want to play hard, and they want to be able to enjoy their time off just as much. The chinchilla, when left to her own devices, is a perfect symbol for one of the most iconic of Taurean archetypes which is self-care.
Most animals have a self-cleaning routine, but the chinchilla’s is uniquely Taurean in that it involves the earth itself. Rather than licking themselves clean, chinchillas give themselves dust baths. This helps to keep their fur silky and soft – which, of course, is what makes them so desirable as fur coats in the first place.
In the wild, chinchillas bathe in the volcanic ash of their native climate in South America. This has an added zodiac synchronicity: Taurus is an earth sign following a fire sign, Aries, and volcanic ash is earthen dust created from fire.
5. The Ant
The Ant might also seem like an odd choice for a Taurus spirit animal as well, simply because they are so fast moving and until now the Taurus thru line has been that of a slow-moving, good-natured, yet steadfast creature.
However, ants only seem to be moving fast to us because we are so much larger than them. To an ant, they probably think they could be moving a lot faster and getting a lot more done.
Ants are a symbol of perseverance and teamwork, something that Taurus embodies. Ants understand that to get things done, you must function as a well-oiled unit with your team.
If this seems contrary to the isolation mentioned with the bear, keep in mind that there are a myriad of ways that any zodiac sign’s traits can be expressed. Since we all have unique natal charts, we all have unique personalities and one Taurus is not the same as every other.
The Ants As Taurus Spirit Animal
Ants will stop at almost nothing to reach their goal, which is to serve their queen and bring food back to their hive (bringing food home – another very Taurean trait!). Some ants, like red ants, will even work together to attack a threat to their hill by engulfing their victim and biting all at once, communicating through pheromones.
Ants will also release a trail of pheromones for their friends to follow, to avenge them when they are killed, and, as they go out in search of food, in order to bring precious crumbs back to their nest. This is teamwork at its finest; each ant knows that it has its place in the hill and its actions will be mutually beneficial for itself and everyone else around it.
Taureans are great friends to have, and once you have bonded with your Taurus, you will have a loyal and steadfast friend for life, one who will fight for you, if need be, no matter what.
Which Taurus Spirit Animal Are You?
The bull, the bear, the turtle, the chinchilla, and the ant are 5 animals that embody the spirit of the Taurus. Whether it be steadfastness, stubbornness, practicality, wisdom, perseverance, a knack for self-care, loyalty, or a deep-rooted connection to the earth, these animals express the traits of Taurus in a way that all of us can learn from, not just those of us with strong personal planet placements in this earthy sign.
Did any of these Taurus spirit animals resonate with you? Which Taurus spirit animal are you, and what other animals can you think of that showcase the Taurus spirit?
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7orjIraulnaOlrrO3zp%2BhqLFemLyue9OarKuto2LAsbXRoqtmmZ6euqK4jg%3D%3D