Aries Taurus Cusp

While April 18^th to April 23^rd are the days when the Sun can change signs, the Aries-Taurus cusp date range is longer, from April 16^th to April 22^nd. If you happen to be born on one of those days, you are “on the cusp” of Aries and Taurus.

Leading with Aries

If you happen to be born “on the side of” Aries, then Aries traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Aries is the ram. As the Cardinal Fire sign, these individuals initiate by taking action; they lead by doing. They are at their best striving to be free, acting independently, and pursuing maverick opportunities. They need to learn self-discipline to make the most of their life journey. Being near Taurus provides determination and consistency, which helps these Aries individuals finish most things they start.

Strengths of Sun in Aries on the Cusp of Taurus

Unlike full-on Aries individuals, these people can finish more of what they start and can self-regulate. Positively, they will be less reckless and more persistent, which can help them stay on task and build relationships and careers that last longer than what you might see with a typical Aries.

Weaknesses of the Sun in Aries on the Cusp of Taurus

“He or she who hesitates is lost” is a proverb that can happen when an Aries Sun is on the cusp of Taurus. An Aries Sun near Taurus can pick up some of the security and needs concerns of Taurus, which can rob Aries of his or her fearlessness, and create anxiety that a full on Aries would not experience.

Leading with Taurus

If you happen to be born “on the side of” Taurus, then Taurus traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Taurus is the bull. As the Fixed Earth sign, these individuals work hard to establish traditions, security, and reliability; they form the bedrock of society. They are at their best in routines, taking care of necessities, and making sure their needs and the needs of others are met in practical ways. They need to learn some degree of flexibility to make the most of their life journey. Being near Aries gives them some maverick and risk-taking energy, which helps these Taurus individuals try new things.

Strengths of Sun in Taurus on the Cusp of Aries

Unlike full-on Taurus individuals, these people can take the initiative and try new things. Positively, they will be less stubborn and more adventurous, which can help them handle change and seek out new relationships and experiences more so than what you might see with a typical Taurus.

Weaknesses of the Sun in Taurus on the Cusp of Aries

“Those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it” is a quote from George Santayana (1905) that can happen when a Taurus Sun is on the cusp of Aries. A Taurus Sun near Aries can pick up some of the impulsiveness and shortsightedness of Aries, which can rob Taurus of his or her natural need to make safe and secure choices, leading to irresponsible behavior full-on Taurus would not allow.

The Points Involved: Mars and Venus

Each sign has a ruling astronomical point. Mars rules Aries and Venus rules Taurus. So, the Aries-Taurus cusp individuals merge or blend Mars/Venus.

Mars represents your Way of Desire. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals how we assert ourselves, where our aggression comes out, and where we are willing to fight for what we want.

Venus represents your Way of Relating. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals how we appreciate pleasure, beauty, art, creativity, our interactions with our environment, and our interactions with the people in our lives.

These individuals will slightly favor masculine energy over feminine energy because Venus is a feminine and masculine point; it rules both Taurus (a feminine sign) and Libra (a masculine sign). So, the full formula for this cusp individual would be:

M (Mars) + M (Aries) + F/M (Venus) + F (Taurus), resulting in 3M/2F.

Therefore, these individuals will be attracted to more masculine energy signs than feminine ones.

Aries-Taurus Cusp Compatibility

Here we discover why the simple model of compatibility or incompatibility is insufficient to explain real relationships out in the world. There is a good chance that “cusp sign” individuals are involved where two signs that should work well together do not, and two signs that should struggle together, actually work.

In the first case, the influence from one of the extra signs causes friction; and in the second, case one of the extra signs smooths out the friction. Therefore, basic compatibility measures are just starting points for understanding how any two people might relate.

The Aries-Taurus individuals have a much wider range of compatibility because they can work well with fire and earth signs. And they can complement air and water signs. If they happen to lead with Aries, they will favor the fire and air sign connections (Leo, Sagittarius, Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius). If they happen to lead with Taurus, then they will favor earth and water connections (Capricorn, Virgo, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces).

The Bridge Between

Cusp individuals can work very well in relationships because they have a connection to two energies as part of their natural design. Imagine that each sign has its own language. A “pure” Aries individual talking to a “pure” Taurus individual may really struggle to communicate, the same way someone who only speaks English might struggle with someone who only speaks Japanese. The cusp individual is bilingual and can speak both languages, which makes them very valuable in society. Essentially, they can translate between signs.

One useful way to understand the progression of the signs, starting with Aries and going all the way through to Pisces, is to see them as a series of evolving steps. Aries is the “I am” sign of the Zodiac and Taurus is the “I need” sign. Individuals with Sun signs in the middle dates and degrees of the sign are here to work on the central energy of that sign. But individuals born on the cusp are here to work on the transition from one energy to another.

Therefore, the Aries-Taurus cusp individuals are here to learn how to become aware of how they need to act to “be themselves” in the world and get “what they need” from the world. On the positive side, this “in-between” cusp energy gives them a broader view. On the negative side, they can feel “caught” in-between, making it harder for them to find a place that is a perfect fit.

• Taurus Gemini cusp: May 17 to May 23
• Gemini Cancer cusp: June 17 to June 23
• Cancer Leo cusp: July 19 to July 25
• Leo Virgo cusp: August 19 to August 25
• Virgo Libra cusp: September 19 to September 25
• Libra Scorpio cusp: October 19 to October 25
• Scorpio Sagittarius cusp: November 18 to November 24
• Sagittarius Capricorn cusp: December 18 to December 24
• Capricorn Aquarius cusp: January 16 to January 22
• Aquarius Pisces cusp: February 15 to February 21
• Pisces Aries cusp: March 17 to March 23