You know that you are strong, Taurus. You know that you have more perseverance than many, more sheer endurance than most, and more patience than almost anyone. These are your secret prides. But underestimating yourself is often another one of your traits, as is maintaining the status quo. So unless severe circumstances have put you through tough tests, you've probably never discovered some of your most effective inner power tools.

Your sun sign is ruled by the planet Venus. Look to her for your secret sources of strength. She rules art, wealth, beauty and LOVE. You have considerable ability to generate love - now, don't be modest - admit it. One of your most potent secret resources is sheer, unadulterated sensuality. Underneath the ambition, stubborn determination and much-discussed acquisitiveness, the Taurean is a genuinely gentle soul who wishes to live in a world of beauty. Others are drawn by your Venusian magic, and you frequently get away with being unabashedly selfish and ambitious, far beyond what might be permitted another. It's simply because you are so charming about your love of material possessions that others don't begrudge your having such a large share.

Venus also provides you with grace under pressure, a strength that sustains Taureans in all sorts of high-stress jobs where the more brilliant competition may fall by the wayside due to nervous burnout. Taurean performers such as the late Bing Crosby are noted for their relaxed style and long careers; we feel comfortable with a Taurean in charge, whether they're overseeing a stage, a corporation, a family or an election. Can you imagine that there was once a question whether Elizabeth II of England could handle the job? You have staying power, and when presented with an unexpected situation that requires a response, it's the unexpected part that challenges you. You prefer to build life one day at a time - working in a slow and steady, routine way is one of your secret strengths, as a matter of fact. You also have superb intuition. The world around you will continue to experience unpredictable upheavals, but you are tuning in to nature's little vibratory signals, and you'll use this great secret strength to stay on your feet and come out on top.

Your leadership qualities are often underestimated because you make it look so easy. Being underestimated by your competition is, in fact, another one of your secret strengths. While others try to make it to the top by outdoing, outdistancing and by being a go-getter extraordinaire, Taurus sort of gravitates upward (to coin a phrase), never appearing to hurry or break into a sweat, winding up quite inevitably at the seat of power. Not infrequently, it is the seat of enormous power. Consider this sampling from modern times: William Randolph Hearst, Nikolai Lenin and Ayatollah Khomeini. Not to mention two non-office holders who were nevertheless among the most powerful people of the 20th century: Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. You get the idea.

If your adversary is a Taurean, you're in big trouble. Taureans go a long, long way to avoid enmity. Most of them will shake off any number of slights or even insults, secure in their own strength. But if it oozes to a showdown, Taurus has no fear, physical or otherwise, and they make as formidable an enemy as any in the zodiac, frequently vanquishing even Scorpio, the zodiac's most lethal foe. They are single-minded, patient, dogged, relentless and tireless. A disproportionate number of boxing champions are Taureans. It's best to just skip the whole thing.

If you must oppose a Taurean, be quick about it. Their reaction time is not as fast as some. A volley of moves from several different directions at once may confound them, and it is certainly the best way to compete with them in business, which is their natural domain. You may out-promote them if competing for a job or a specific market share - they are not flashy. You may outmaneuver them for a fiscal quarter or two by picking up on the latest techniques or information systems before they do. They are slow to make changes. But never mistake the battle for the war. Taurus is prepared to lose a few battles to flash-in-the-pan types - they know that they are in the game for the duration, and they'll wait their chance. If you make management errors, overextend yourself or start to get careless, they move in for the kill.

By the way, Taurus is one of the grudge-bearing signs. Think carefully before you declare enmity to this sign: Are you prepared to have an enemy for life?