The mythology of The Bull is ancient indeed, probably looking back to a time when the bull was a symbol of strength and fertility and was the principal cult animal of the eastern Mediterranean, the cradle of astrological beginnings. The Greeks took their mythology into the skies by identifying constellations with their gods and heroes.

Zodiac Origins

Taurus is the Zodiacal constellation between Aries and Gemini, and the second sign of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by The Bull. The myth of the bull appears in ancient Babylonian myths and, somewhat like the classic Taurean personality, is famous for its paradoxical characteristics of fearsome strength and graceful gentility, as well as its passionate sexuality. These paradoxical characteristics show something of a parallel with the paradoxical nature of the classic Taurean personality, where patience and strength combine, as do passion and sensuality.

The Greek myth of Zeus and Europa was known to Homer about 9 Centuries BC, an indication that the story is much older than this, being an oral tradition centuries before it appears in different written versions or is mentioned in other written works. In one version, when Zeus, king of the gods, fell in love with the beautiful Europa, he changed himself into a marvelous bull to gain her attention. She climbed on his back and he flew them across the sea to Crete, where he changed back into his god-form and mated with Europa, who bore him three sons. The Island of Crete, with its Minoan civilizations, is especially famous for the bull cult that existed there. Some historians believe that the figure of Zeus was grafted on to an ancient tradition, making the king of the gods the principal in a fertility ritual.