Conservatism: the toxic trait of Taurus and Scorpio.
Yes, you read that right. Taurus and Scorpio are the zodiac’s most conservative signs.
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It’s not Leo, not Virgo, not Cancer, not even Capricorn. It’s Taurus and Scorpio.
First of all, there are symbols and imagery associated with these signs, which can give us an idea of how “backwards” they sometimes become. Perhaps the most obvious (with regards to conservatism) would be Taurus: it’s a bull. Ya know… The animal who just wants to be left alone grazing and defending its territory. “Cattle” is an insult akin to “crowd pleaser who dislikes thinking for themselves” in certain languages (in English that would be “sheep” instead — but you can apply the same idea here).
Scorpio, on the other hand, isn’t as obvious when it comes to conservatism: it’s symbolised by a scorpion, that treacherous arachnid most people are afraid of (and for good reason, unlike arachnophobia, which is usually irrational). Indeed, Scorpio is a sign that explores a lot the idea of facing your fears head on and diving deep into your psyche to enable positive transformation… So you’d think it would be FOR out-of-the-box thinking? — Yeah, no. Think again. I mean, sure, in theory (and I haven’t seen it manifest in reality yet, but feel free to prove me wrong), a mentally healthy Scorpio would be all for open-mindedness. The ones I’ve met so far, however, were anything but that. They don’t like letting go of the power they acquire over others — and that’s because deep down they still have unaddressed fears and insecurities they’re (probably) unwilling to look at. And what’s the best way to stay in power and keep having the upper hand over others? Why, of course, stay on the safe side. Don’t take any risks ever. Be… conservative. It’s not a default place for them (like it would be for Taurus), but they end up there nonetheless if their ego is unaddressed.
If you’re a Taurus or a Scorpio and feel butthurt at this article, by the way, I don’t care. Go on, try insulting me in the comments. You’ll see what happens if you do that. :) Also, before trying to silence me, think long and hard about what kind of person you are. Chances are, if any of this resonates, perhaps shooting the messenger isn’t the most effective strategy to make it “go away”, is it?
This is a place where I feel free to write what I want — which naturally includes personal articles about my experiences with people.
No, FYI, I don’t go around asking people’s charts (or even birth dates and places). There are a lot of harmless people in my life whose planet placements I haven’t a clue about, and tons of hurtful people whose charts I don’t have either. This is why I keep an open mind… But nonetheless, the pattern I’m talking about exists.
Am I bitter? Yes. There’s no need to even ask, I’m giving you the answer right here. I am tired of trying with certain people — and coincidence or not, these people I’m tired of always end up being a Taurus or Scorpio sun, or having menacing things like a Taurus mars, Scorpio moon etc with harsh aspects on their charts (in case I know it at all). I wouldn’t go as far as hating these people (I mean, I don’t even hate my MOTHER. That should give you an idea about how hard it is to make me hate you), but what I will say is I’m starting to avoid them whenever I can get away with avoiding them. This blog, and many other places of the Internet I’ve been to, are full of examples of me trying to get on well with / trying to compliment and encourage and see the bright side of Taurus and Scorpio… And failing at it. I fail not for lack of trying; it’s because the more I give, the more they want. They at best take my effort for granted, and at worst become entitled. They won’t even go as far as moving a goddamn finger to stop judging ME so much. No, not even that. Zero effort. Just takers all the way… I know, “not every Taurus and not every Scorpio”, even ’cause it’d be unrealistic for me to know every single one in the world — but the thing is, the ones I did know, did interact with, did try my very hardest to make them see their bad first impression of me wasn’t necessary… Walked all over me and played with my feelings like puppets nonetheless. So maybe I should go ahead and say I’m tired. I’m a human being, guys. I have my limits too.
Edit: actually… There was one exception. One Taurus guy so far in my entire existence who I got on okay with. Taurus sun, but full of Gemini elsewhere. Hm. Interesting. (Still zero Scorpios I can stand, as of writing this article).
But who cares about my sob stories?
*Crickets on the background*
Aye, that’s what I thought. Let’s instead focus on Astrological theory, and take a look at the possible reasons why Taurus and Scorpio are so into conservatism:
Does conservatism come from inflexibility?
If you know the basics of Astrology (especially tropical Astrology, the one that came from Greece and is popular here in the west), you’re likely to be aware that both Taurus and Scorpio are “fixed” signs (as are Aquarius and Leo). But what does that truly mean?
When we say “fixed”, we automatically think of inflexible; structured; robust; stationed in one place. This is no different in Astrology, however metaphorical it may become: fixed signs are, after all, representative of the times of the year when the seasons have already reached their highest point, but somehow stay in full force for a while (as if they were “fixed” or never going to be over).
- The sun is in Taurus when spring is in full force, everything is blooming, it feels like it should be summer already but for some reason springtime is dragging on.
- We have a Leo sun when the solstice is well past behind us, temperatures have soared and don’t seem to be going to cool down just yet. Some people have restarted school or come back from holidays already, but it feels like summer is never-ending.
- A Scorpio sun happens at the height of autumn: everywhere you look, there’s decay and/or fallen leaves (depending where you live). It does not feel like winter at all despite its proximity.
- Aquarius is where the sun is at when we’re drowning in snow, or sometimes it’s not even snowing anymore and everything looks grey and dull, but no sign of spring to cheer us up.
You get the idea. We don’t get summer holidays during Leo season (or not normally, anyway) because when it FINALLY arrives, we’re already sick of the heat; We don’t celebrate a jolly winter with feasts and music during Aquarius season because, again, we’re already fed up with the cold by then. This is a common pet peeve a lot of people have with fixed signs: “oh my god can you move on already?”
Fixed signs are called “fixed” not because of what is in the sky, but because of what is all around us on Earth DURING the period the sun reaches these “sectors” of the sky. This takes into account the changes in our environment as a result of the amount of sunlight hours we get. That’s the big focus of tropical Astrology and what makes it stand out from other Astrological systems.
But if the quality of a sign (fixed, during “fixed” seasons — as opposed to changing seasons) was the only factor to take into account here, we’d have to postulate that Aquarius and Leo are also conservative. We can’t, though, because their archetypes go very against conservatism. They’re fixed… But different from Taurus and Scorpio.
There is another factor at play: elemental qualities.
The following is not about seasons. I’ll just use “frozen” as a metaphor of “fixed” because it’s quite visual and easy to imagine:
If we make a fire in a snowy winter… Which of the 4 elements in the scene are static? And which ones are dynamic? Look at the photo above, if it helps. What moves? What doesn’t move as much?
Well… I hope the following is clear:
- Water and earth are static. Water doesn’t “enjoy” being static, but in winter it is, because it’s frozen. Earth is more used to staying in one place, but one could say the earth “moves” a bit in spring and summer (or even in autumn, with the fungi growing)… However, if it’s frozen, nothing grows from it and it just rests there.
- Fire and air are dynamic. Ever felt a cold blizzard? Yup, it’s quite aggressive and restless. You could say air is “fixed” in a cold place because it doesn’t expand as much as it does in the heat, but it’s still moving, you can feel the effects of that, and it’s probably the reason why you made a fire. Now, on to fire: can you freeze fire? No. Either it’s burning hot, or it’s non-existent. Metaphorically, when I think of fixed fire (Leo), I actually just think of a controlled fire. Bonfires, hearth fires, candles. It’s different from a wild fire (Aries) or a bunch of embers/lava (Sagittarius). Leo is the fire you WANT. But although it’s controlled, it’s not “conservative”. It does not stay stationary waiting for external commands or convention and tradition. No, it burns on its own… Just like any fire. It’s in the nature of the element itself.
“But Meron”, you’ll say, “neither Taurus or Scorpio are in winter” — to which I’ll repeat that the above is just a comparison. It’s not REALLY about seasons. But, fine, if you want me to bore you with theory, here we go:
Taurus doesn’t necessarily happen during a frozen time, but it’s still fixed because there’s nothing new trying to erupt from the ground during Taurus season. As I said, everything is ALREADY blooming. No surprises. So in a way, the earth itself feels similar to the frozen earth: immobile and secure.
Scorpio isn’t a wintery sign either, but its fixed quality rests on the fact it represents autumn dragging on. Again, no major changes or surprises. Scorpio’s element is water, and the fact it’s “preparing” itself to freeze when it’s Scorpio season is very telling.
“We’re full, no more input please”.
So, we’re talking about water and earth — in and of themselves, already elements that “feel” comfortable without disruption. When you add a fixed quality to them, it only emphasises their conservatism.
This is why you can’t say Capricorn is the most conservative earth sign. Yes, it’s Earth, and yes, the archetype relates it to Saturn (the planet of bureaucracy and rules), but it’s CARDINAL. You can convince a Capricorn to embrace a very crazy innovation, no matter how conservative is this Capricorn person on the surface, as long as you tell them it’s beneficial for a new project they’re working on, or for their family (tapping into that Cancer shadow), etc. Capricorns seem serious and inflexible on the surface, but they have an ambition BIGGER than any amount of stubbornness.
Same goes for Virgo — a lot of people say Virgos are “conservative”… But are they? I don’t think so. I think Virgo is cautious. It’s neurotic in a way, it wants to be useful and efficient, and worries about all the ways in which they’re wasting time and/or resources unwittingly (hence the neuroticism). But to say they’re conservative? Come on… Virgos are the biggest fans of things like alternative medicine, fashionable diets, medical advice, etc. As long as you tell them an innovation is good for their health, they’ll at least give it a try (and make an honest review, at worst). They’re not the most conservative in the zodiac by a long shot.
Cancer — some people say Cancer is conservative (opposite of Capricorn, therefore same “spectrum”). Again, to begin with, Cancer is cardinal. This pioneering quality makes it at least SOMEWHAT flexible. Sure, your Cancer friend won’t be the first to dive head-first into some crazy endeavour they know nothing about… But if they’re convinced it’s a nurturing/community-building thing, they’ll be interested. I have a lot of Cancer friends who never hesitate in learning from strangers, trying new food or experiences, etc — as long as it’s in a comfortable environment. So, perhaps it’s a somewhat conservative sign, but it’s by no means the most.
Leo is also sometimes accused of conservatism (probably just because it’s fixed?), but it’s far from that. First of all, Leo is fire. In and of itself, it’s the least cautionary element in the zodiac. Secondly, it’s concerned with creativity (often side-eyeing Aquarius, its opposite who loves science and disregards all else), and in order to be creative you need to get out of the comfort zone every now and then. So, no, Leo doesn’t even make the list of conservative signs. Not in my book anyway.
Taurus and Scorpio are the signs that would be most comfortable in a period of stagnation.
Remember I toyed above with the idea of “introducing an innovation” to signs commonly considered conservative? Yeah, with Taurus and Scorpio this wouldn’t fly.
You CANNOT (I’ll repeat: you absolutely CANNOT) convince a Taurus or a Scorpio to get out of an episode of stubbornness. It’s impossible. The only way out is to wait for them to DECIDE to move on from it, by themselves; Without any external input, no matter how alluring. They are completely impenetrable, both of them.
Dumb example ahead, but bear with me: If a Taurus stubbornly decides it’s not going places, it. Is. Not. Going. Places. Ever — until it decides to get out of that episode of stubbornness, of course. But you’ll have had no influence on it whatsoever. Sure, not every Taurus does that, I’m only talking about those resolutions that come from a place of stubbornness. Maybe your Taurus friend is actually very into visiting people and/or travelling — but if so, he/she/they only does it because it’s not something they’ve DECIDED AGAINST. If it were a thing they’ve decided against, nothing on Earth would make them change their minds. Not even an emergency. I’m giving you a dumb example (“travel”) because if I got into more serious stuff, a bunch of people would come trying to attack me for opening my mouth. So, I’ll leave you wondering the things Tauruses in my life got stubborn about, even to their own detriment. The problem isn’t the resolution itself — it’s the stubbornness. And it comes from a place of pride. It’s not like Capricorn stubbornness (coming from fear or determination), it’s not Virgo stubbornness (coming from woes or indecision), it’s not Cancer stubbornness (coming from intuition or panic)… No. It’s pride. Plain and simple. The “sin” itself. The ego wound that won’t let you “give in” to anyone because apparently you’re “being submissive” if you do so. Correct a Virgo and they’ll go like “oh no… I made a mistake. The evidence doesn’t lie. I’m so sorry”; Correct a Taurus and they’ll keep insisting in the error. Never mind that sometimes changing your mind is plain and simple the right thing to do. Oh, “BUt wHaT aBoUt My UppEr HaNd OvEr OtHeRs”, subconsciously they probably think…
I swear, I just can’t make heads or tails of what goes through the minds of Taurus and Scorpio people. It seems to me as though they’re constantly in a hunting game with everyone, or perhaps enacting adult scenarios (if you get me) at inappropriate times in real life. “Oh if I’m not being submissive, I’m dominating this person”, they probably think — more common with Scorpio, by the way, but both are guilty of it. Taurus just sugarcoats it, but it’s nonetheless domineering. My child, please chill. Just chill already. What about seeing people as equals? Has this ever crossed their minds? Unlikely.
*Sigh*
Back on topic: given the above, I wouldn’t be surprised if their relentless, unshakeable stubbornness… Comes from a need for comfort. Perhaps they just value comfort above all else in life (which would also explain Scorpios’ tendency to settle once they find a circle of people they don’t feel threatened by).
Whereas Leos are commonly restless trying to pursue this and that creative endeavour… And Aquariuses are never satisfied with the knowledge they already have, constantly in search of more… Maybe there is a lesson for them in the “stagnation” of Scorpio and Taurus. Something along the lines of “enjoy and protect what you have at all costs”.
“Oh but I’m a Scorpio and I actively defend animal rights”; “I’m a Taurus and I volunteer at a women’s shelter” — Well… I didn’t say it wasn’t a thing. Life is made of shades of grey. But what I’m saying (with basis on Astrology only) is that Taurus and Scorpio people, when liberal, won’t be the MOST liberal within that group; when conservative (politically), are in real danger of becoming the MOST conservative within that group. This has nothing to do with character — zodiac sign does not dictate character. I wish it was that simple! — this is just a general tendency I’ve been observing.
As always, though, feel free to prove me wrong. I honestly hope I’m wrong… But I’m not so certain this hope will last forever.
