Читать книгу Astrology For Dummies - Rae Orion - Страница 82

Mythology and religion teem with sacred bulls. So which one is Taurus? Is it the Egyptian bull god Apis? The immortal Nandi, loyal mount of the Hindu god Shiva? The Bull of Heaven, who fought with Gilgamesh in the great Sumerian epic? The Minotaur, who was imprisoned in a labyrinth? Medieval European astrologers looked to the sky god Zeus, who took the shape of a snow-white bull and approached the princess Europa as she dallied on the shore. Charmed by his seemingly gentle ways, Europa festooned him with flowers and playfully climbed onto his back. That was when he plunged into the Mediterranean and swam to Crete, Europa clinging to his back as he plowed through the waves. Ultimately, she gave her name to the continent, and Zeus cemented his reputation as a symbol of power and patriarchy.