The Bull

[Fool Coyote]

The Bull

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It probably won't come as much of a suprize for some to learn that the bull is one of my totems, it is my totem of the land. The Bull/cow was so important to the Celts that they had around 100 words which translate to cow or Bull, the bull also had many symbolisms attatched to it. Firstly its association is with wealth. In Pagan Celtic countries the measure of a person's wealth was shown by how many cattle someone would own, as given evidence in the Táin Bó Cúailnge with the pillow talk between Maev and Ailill. This Irish epic is based on a marriage between two people who prided their relationship as being on of equality, but later, when the couple find that Ailill has a bull of which cannot be matched by Queen Maev, the epic battle with Ulster begins.

Cow's milk is also important as it was believed to have healing qualities, for men and women in their sexual potency. The bull was also a strong sexual totem for men, as the cow was for women. The Bull and cow could be seen above the bed chambers as well as on robes, and sheets and the like. The Bull is said to enhance the mental expieriance thus creating a strong sexual mentality.

Also in certain texts there were said to be three Bulls arose from the sea, their colors white, red, and black called Bo-finn, Bo-ruadh, and Bo-dhubh. There are entire collections of lore based on the Crodh Shith (Faery cows) who were believed to live benieth the sea. Like dogs and cats they were often speckled in color or white in color with red ears, and sometimes hornless.

"Black cow, brown cow, crooked horn, Progeny of the red hornless cow,
That never left the fold alone
White headed cow, O white of face"

Now, let's not forget the term "bull headedness". As the Bull certainly represents that little trait as well. More than anything the bull represents unbending strong will. The Bull is an uncomprimizing creature when his mind is made up. It represents stubborn personality traits...Go figure.

Anyway, the Bull had many representations to divination as well, especially since Druids would wrap themselves in Bull hides to have a vision of future kings called Tarb Fes.

Is amlaid dognithe in tarbfes sin .i. tarb find do marbad & óenfer do cathim a satha día eóil & da enbruithi. & cotlud dó fón saith sin. & ór firindi do cantain do cethri druidib fair & atchíthe dó i n-aslingi innas ind fir no fígfaide and asa deilb & asa turascbail & innas ind oprid dognith (LU 3450-3454).

This is how that bull-feast used to be made: to kill a white bull, and for one man to eat his fill of its flesh and its broth, and to sleep after that meal; and for four druids to chant a spell of truth over him. And the form of the man to be made king used to be shown to him in a dream, his shape and his description, and the manner of work that he was doing.

(From Dillon, Myles. "The Wasting Sickness of Cú Chulainn." Scottish Gaelic Studies VII (1953): 47-89. 56).


The bull is is a totem of many flows, it is a complex individual which has many associations which still resonate within our being today. The bull can be hard to know at times, but by putting yourself in his place and "becoming" as the Poet Amergin became one with his three cosmos's one can lean to use this totem in a very powerful way.

Senbecc

[ladyanastasia]

I am a bull of seven battles
The Song of Amergin

[ladyanastasia]

In the early ritual of Tarbfhess ("bull sleep") the king of Tara was chosen in the following way: a bull was ritually slain, and a medium ate the flesh and drank the broth in which the meat had been cooked. As the medium slept, wrapped in the bull's hide, a truth-spell was chanted over him by four Druids, and a dream-vision was given in which the rightful king appeared.

The slaying of bulls was clearly deeply significant to the Celts: the Gundestrup cauldron shows three bulls being killed, and it seems that at some times "gateway ceremonies" were performed which involved the sacrifice of bulls, and their burial by the entrance. At the Gaulish sanctuary of Gornay the evidence shows that the animals were old -- ten years or more -- before their slaughter.

In Scottish tradition, to dream of a bull was said to be a sign of help about to arrive, and in Pliny it is recorded that two white bulls were ritually slain at the foot of an oak tree, when the mistletoe was cur from its boughs by the Druids. A memory of this archaic rite may linger in the naming of great hollow oaks in England as "Bull Oaks." But country folk say taht they are so-called because bulls shelter inside them -- in this way bringing together two of the major symbols of the god Taranis: oak and bull.

From the Druid Animal Oracle

[ladyanastasia]

Bull-Tarb: wealth, Potency, Beneficence

Tarb mediates the influence of Taranis, whose beneficence and expansiveness can bring you the opportunity for a rich and abundant life...

The Bull is a symbol of wealth, and as such it is auspicious to draw this card when considering financial matters. But, remember that the ancient ones were wise enough to understand that true wealth is to be found in the heart and the soul first and only then in the material world.

The Bull represents fertility, potency, abundance, and prosperity, but these things sometimes take awhile to achieve... If you need to work steadfastly in trying circumstances for a considerable period of time in order to achieve your goals, the bull will help you to do this with out becoming drained or depressed...


Reversed-

This card may indicate that you are having difficulty in feeling motivated, there is no animal more stubborn than a bull who refuses to move and it may be important for you to look at the roots of your lack of motivation- You may be making more of a choice about life than you believe...

You may also need to ask yourself if you are sufficiently sensitive to others needs... Do you perhaps act like "A Bull in a China Shop" when confronted with certain situations? A bull’s power when harnessed and channeled can be awesome, but, when a bull is maddened he can become dangerous. You may need to attend to the way in which you might be tempted to use your personal power as "Power Over" others



Tradition of the Bull

The Bull indicates power, prosperity and fertility

The Bull is most definitely and earth animal, though he is also tied to the Stars.. The Bulls horns form the shape of the Crescent Moon, and point to the sky connecting him to the stars...