What dates does the Sun spend in Taurus?

Roughly April 20 to May 20. These are tropical-zodiac dates, measured from the equinox rather than from the constellation of the same name, and the exact ingress moves by up to a day or so between years because the tropical year is not a whole number of days. If a birth falls within a day of either boundary, the sign has to be computed for that specific date and time - a fixed date table will get some of those cases wrong.

Which planet rules Taurus?

Venus, in both the classical and the modern scheme. Taurus is one of the signs whose rulership was never reassigned after the outer planets were found, so traditional and modern sources agree here.

What does it mean that Taurus is a fixed earth sign?

Taurus belongs to the earth triplicity, described as cold and dry, which it shares with Virgo and Capricorn. Fixed signs sit at the middle of a season, when it is most established. The pairing of one element with one modality is unique to each sign - twelve signs, four elements, three modalities - so earth plus fixed identifies Taurus and no other sign. Polarity is receptive, alternating around the zodiac so that every sign sits between its two opposites in polarity.

Which planets are strong or weak in Taurus?

Moon is exalted in Taurus, Mars is in fall here, Mars is in detriment here. Exaltation and fall are a fixed table inherited from Hellenistic astrology, not a judgment computed from the chart: they say a planet is easier or harder to work with in that sign regardless of anything else in the figure. Detriment is simply the sign opposite the one a planet rules. A planet with no listed dignity in Taurus is called peregrine, which means unaspected by dignity rather than weak.

What are the three decans of Taurus?

0 to 10 degrees is subruled by Taurus (Venus); 10 to 20 degrees is subruled by Virgo (Mercury); 20 to 30 degrees is subruled by Capricorn (Saturn). This is the triplicity system, where a sign's three decans go to the three signs of its own element in zodiacal order, starting with itself. A competing Chaldean system assigns decan rulers by planetary order instead and produces different rulers for the same degrees, so a decan reading is only meaningful once you know which of the two systems it came from.

Taurus

04-20 - 05-20 · earth · fixed · receptive

Dignities

Ruler: ♀ Venus
Exaltation: ☽ Moon
Fall: ♂ Mars
Detriment: ♂ Mars
Symbol: Bull

Hellenistic tradition

Taurus is the nocturnal domicile of Venus and exaltation of the Moon. Fixed earth, traditionally tied to material substance and value.

Modern Western reading

Modern Western astrology reads Taurus as relating to embodiment, value, and stability.

Same element

Decans

Planets in Taurus

Compatibility with all signs

All Taurus compatibility detail →

Questions

What dates does the Sun spend in Taurus?: Roughly April 20 to May 20. These are tropical-zodiac dates, measured from the equinox rather than from the constellation of the same name, and the exact ingress moves by up to a day or so between years because the tropical year is not a whole number of days. If a birth falls within a day of either boundary, the sign has to be computed for that specific date and time - a fixed date table will get some of those cases wrong.
Which planet rules Taurus?: Venus, in both the classical and the modern scheme. Taurus is one of the signs whose rulership was never reassigned after the outer planets were found, so traditional and modern sources agree here.
What does it mean that Taurus is a fixed earth sign?: Taurus belongs to the earth triplicity, described as cold and dry, which it shares with Virgo and Capricorn. Fixed signs sit at the middle of a season, when it is most established. The pairing of one element with one modality is unique to each sign - twelve signs, four elements, three modalities - so earth plus fixed identifies Taurus and no other sign. Polarity is receptive, alternating around the zodiac so that every sign sits between its two opposites in polarity.
Which planets are strong or weak in Taurus?: Moon is exalted in Taurus, Mars is in fall here, Mars is in detriment here. Exaltation and fall are a fixed table inherited from Hellenistic astrology, not a judgment computed from the chart: they say a planet is easier or harder to work with in that sign regardless of anything else in the figure. Detriment is simply the sign opposite the one a planet rules. A planet with no listed dignity in Taurus is called peregrine, which means unaspected by dignity rather than weak.
What are the three decans of Taurus?: 0 to 10 degrees is subruled by Taurus (Venus); 10 to 20 degrees is subruled by Virgo (Mercury); 20 to 30 degrees is subruled by Capricorn (Saturn). This is the triplicity system, where a sign's three decans go to the three signs of its own element in zodiacal order, starting with itself. A competing Chaldean system assigns decan rulers by planetary order instead and produces different rulers for the same degrees, so a decan reading is only meaningful once you know which of the two systems it came from.

Reference, not advice

This is cultural and astronomical reference, not personal prediction or advice.

Tropical zodiac dates are astronomical conventions. Traditional interpretations are paraphrased from primary classical and modern sources. See sources and methodology.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-05-28.