Combined Western and Chinese Zodiacs
Taurus Horse

In the Western zodiac life cycle, Taureans represent the last years of childhood and the beginning of adolescence. They have a simultaneous sense of growing independence and awareness of vulnerability. Gaining and protecting one’s own possessions is critically important for Taureans. So too is demonstrating their physical capabilities in play and love. As the Fixed modality of the Earth element, Taureans work tirelessly to safeguard what they have and build productively for the future. This can sometimes lead to quite reasonable accusations of stubbornness. However, their innate constructiveness means Taureans are often surprisingly accommodating in the interests of the common good. Ruled by Venus, this sign also has a profound aesthetic sensibility, a keen sensitivity to beauty and human achievements.

The seventh sign in the Eastern zodiac is the dazzling Horse. (Legend has it that fear of a cemetery caused the Horse to slow to a snail's pace during the Jade Emperor's race.) The Horse is by nature a performer: bewitching, idealistic, and fearless. Skilled orators with energy to burn, Horse natives are comfortable in any role where they are free to captivate an audience, from sports to the theater to politics. Above all else, the Horse craves independence. These free spirits are famously more intellectual than emotional. Indeed, they can occasionally be accused of insensitivity or selfishness. But given physical and emotional freedom to indulge their expansive personalities, they can be breathtaking performers, inspirational rebels, or—like that most famous of Horses, James Dean—both.