On Saturday, the 18th of February, at 22:34 UT, the Sun moved (in the
Tropical System of astrology) into the zodiac sign of Pisces. The twelfth sign of the zodiac spans 330°-360°
of celestial longitude, although strictly speaking this region of the zodiac is
now covered mostly by the constellation of Aquarius, due to the precession from
the point when both the constellation and sign of Pisces coincided*.
(*In Sidereal astrology, the sun currently transits Pisces
from approximately 15th March to 14th April.)
In the northern hemisphere, at mid-latitudes, this is the
time of year when the ice and snow starts to melt. Water begins to flow as it’s released from
its frozen, crystalline (Aquarian!) state. Boundaries melt. It’s a time of release,
of letting go, of merging. A time to learn to accept what can’t be changed or
controlled, as well as a time to surrender to change that is beyond our
control. Unsurprisingly, then, we find
that the sign of Pisces is one of the three Water signs. We’ve already met
Cancer, the cardinal Water sign, and Scorpio, the fixed Water sign. Pisces –
the mutable Water sign - completes the triplicity. In many ways, I think this
is the easiest of the three triplicities to understand – after all, water in
its natural state is free-flowing, and can be found in many forms (mutable
meaning the ability to transform).
The astrological glyph for Pisces is said to symbolize two
fish held together by a string. In the constellation, the fish are usually
‘seen’ as swimming away from each other (image from Atlas Coelestis). Alpha Piscium, the star at the point
corresponding to the knot in the cord joining the two fish, is also known as
Alrescha, from the Arabic al-Risa – the “well-rope” or “the cord”. The glyph’s
symbolism can be extended to represent our dual nature - one fish could be seen
as swimming upwards towards the heavens as if looking for spiritual guidance,
while the other continues along the path of the Sun (the elliptic),
concentrating on more earthly or material pursuits.
In Greek mythology, Pisces has many associations with
Aphrodite (Venus in the Roman pantheon), who - as a reward to the fish who
rescued her - placed the fish into the night sky. In astrological terms, Venus
(the planet) is said to be exalted in Pisces, expressing all-encompassing love and
compassion.
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Jupiter (courtesy NASA)
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The traditional ruler of Pisces is the planet Jupiter. Jupiter, as you may remember, is a huge
planet comprised mainly of hot gas. Known as the ‘Greater Benefic’ (Venus being
the ‘Lesser Benefic’), Jupiter is associated with growth, expansiveness,
benevolence and laughter (Jove, the Roman version of Jupiter giving rise to the
word ‘jovial’). It’s also linked to
higher learning, to philosophy, law, and religion (in the broadest sense of the
word) – to expanding our horizons, lifting us to new heights (think of a
hot-air balloon!). With Pisces, it’s expressed by living through our ideals,
by being compassionate and sensitive, and by developing faith in the universe
as well as the self. William Blake
wrote, in his The Marriage of Heaven and
Hell, that “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" – a
wonderful description of Jupiter in Pisces!
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Neptune (courtesy of NASA)
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Pisces also has a modern ruler, Neptune. This planet was ‘discovered’ (or identified!)
in 1846, and was named after the Roman god of the sea. Neptune is associated astrologically with
compassion and empathy, and is said to show us the areas in our lives where we
want to merge, rather than stand out. It’s linked to dreams and visions, and
our highest ideals. Imaginative, but not a lover of boundaries – it wants to
transcend limits.