Stop what you’re doing and take a chill pill already. Taurus is in town, and it wants you to be fully in your body.

We’ve all heard the one about the sensual bull, but what is that actually supposed to convey, aside from conjuring images of a woman-robed-in-silk chocolate commercial? Bulls are well-known for their love of nice things, good smells, and foodie fare, but this goes deeper than liking creature comforts. That’s not to say you’ll never encounter straight-up materialism in a Taurus, but on a metaphysical level, this sign is all about experiencing the world through our five senses, much as a baby does immediately after it’s born — and we all know Aries has the birthing procedure on lock.

As it happens, babies also crave the security of mom, at least while they’re busy developing into a mobile, autonomous being. If Aries is the moment of conception, then Taurus is when the fertilized egg implants itself into the womb so it can stabilize and receive all that good nourishment. On an abstract level, we use the bravery of Aries when we get things started, but it’s the steady, material gains of Taurus that allow us to follow through on what we already initiated (and build security and comfort for ourselves).

Just take a look around you for a sense of what nature’s busy doing. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re probably surrounded by flowering trees and a landscape that seemingly sprung to life overnight. The first buds and shoots of spring got the sense that it’s safe to open up and keep doing their thing, and we’re quite literally being invited to stop and smell the flowers.

If Taurus had a catchphrase, “stop and smell the flowers” would probably hit the mark, and Ferdinand the Bull would be the mascot. If you needed any further convincing that we’re in ultimate Garden of Eden season, consider the holidays we observe during the month of Taurus: Earth Day, 420, May Day. The beauty of spring might be gone before we know it, but for now, our most pressing assignment is to ground ourselves in the present moment and actually, you know, be one with the Earth. Curiosity will always eventually follow stasis to disrupt the boredom of staying in place — or eat from the Tree of Knowledge — but that’s what Gemini is for.

Indeed, this fixed sign is famous for digging in its heels (or being downright difficult to move), but you don’t become a creature of habit unless you already spent a good deal of time arriving to your convictions. This plodding, methodical pace of life might frustrate some of the less patient among us, but we could all take a page out of the book of “slow and steady wins the race.” No one knows zen quite like Taurus does, whether they’re working like dogs, doing a billion things at once, or practically inventing the concept of Netflix & chill (but like, actually meaning it in a literal sense). Perhaps you know a Taurus who exudes enough calm to give the Xanax industry a run for its money, but there’s no denying that this energy — regardless of where you find it — is just downright comfortable.

This month, take a detour from the fast lane and enjoy where you’re at in the process, because you can’t know what that sort of focused attention can do until you give it an opportunity to blossom.

This post was originally published on 4/18/2017 on thedailyhunch.com.