Zodiac Sign

Taurus

April 20 – May 20 · Earth · Venus (traditional), Earth (modern by some schools)

Traditional BirthstoneSapphire (in ancient Hebrew and Roman traditions), Emerald

Modern BirthstoneEmerald

ElementEarth

Ruling PlanetVenus (traditional), Earth (modern by some schools)

Associated crystals

EmeraldOpen in the Dictionary Rose QuartzOpen in the Dictionary MalachiteOpen in the Dictionary PyriteOpen in the Dictionary Red Tiger's EyeOpen in the Dictionary

Associated herbs

PeppermintOpen in the Dictionary HibiscusOpen in the Dictionary ThymeOpen in the Dictionary SageOpen in the Dictionary MugwortOpen in the Dictionary

Source Tradition

In Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, Taurus is the house of Venus and the exaltation of the Moon, part of the Earth-triplicity (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) ruled by Venus by day and the Moon by night. Emerald's association with Venus—and by extension Taurus—appears in the 5th-century Hindu Ratna Pariksha and medieval European lapidaries. The emerald as May birthstone was solidified in the 1912 Jewelers of America list.

Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, Book I; Ratna Pariksha, 5th century CE; George Frederick Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, 1913Explore sourcing notes in the Appendix