Pisces in the Major Arcana

As usual, let’s start our exploration of Pisces in the tarot with the Major Arcana. The card associated with Pisces is the eighteenth one, The Moon.  That often comes as a surprise – you might think that The Moon in the tarot would be associated with the Moon in the sky, but no, confusingly, the Moon that orbits the Earth is linked to the High Priestess. 

XVIII The Moon  (trimmed):

© Druid CraftTarot

So why The Moon?  Well, let’s think back to what we know about Pisces. It’s the mutable Water sign, the sign that puts no boundaries on emotions and feelings, the sign that merges conscious with unconscious, that’s linked to compassion, sensitivity, all-encompassing love and nurturing... all qualities that have become associated with the Moon.  Often referred to as a psychic sign, Pisces is interested in exploring the soul, the psyche. It opposes Virgo on the axis of ‘service’ – while Virgo wants to be of use on a practical level, Pisces wants to be involved on the spiritual level.  Pisces can feel restricted by the ‘mundanity’ of everyday life; it wants to transcend this, and does so through dreams (the daydream variety or in sleep) as well as through creative expression and the imagination.  The Moon card, too, is linked to intense dreams and the power of the imagination.

Pisces floats through life, flowing with the tides – another link to the Moon. The gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, combined with the effects of the rotation of the Earth, produce the rise and fall in sea level – the ebb and flow of the tides.  The Moon is also linked to cycles through its phases – new, waxing, full, waning, old.  

XVIII The Moon  (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

Depictions of The Moon card often show this – for example, we see in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli, the Druid Craft, and the Haindl decks the new, full and old, representing potential as unfulfilled (‘Maiden’), fulfilled (‘Mother’), and spent (‘Crone’) respectively. 

The Thoth’s Moon card shows us only the waning crescent moon, representing the journey into the depths of the soul, while the Shadowscapes’ Moon is a crescent suggestive of new birth - although there are two much larger, fuller moon-shapes behind it, which could represent the three phases. 

XVIII The Moon (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The shadow side of Pisces can be a tendency to escape into a fantasy world, a world of illusion – which can also lead to addiction.  The Moon card is often associated with illusion – that things are not what they seem. 

Rachel Pollack, in her Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled (Llewellyn Publications, 2005) talks about ‘the passage through the unknown’, and how this can refer to actual journeys as well as inner ones. Either can be adventures, journeys of discovery – but both involve uncertainty.  Sometimes the uncertainty can make us feel a little ‘mad’ – bringing us to the link between the Moon and lunacy (‘luna’ being Latin for ‘moon’).  The dog and wolf (jackal and wolf, in the Thoth) often depicted in the Moon card represent the wildness, the animal instinct to howl at the moon, to run wild, the ‘madness’ that needs to be released, the unconscious.  Have you noticed how rarely people are shown in this card, only animals?

The Moon (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

Those animals can also symbolize irrational fears of 'creatures of the night' and of things unseen or hidden, lost or buried in memory.

We often see water in the Moon card, another link back to the water sign of Pisces.  In the Sharman-Caselli deck, the water in the image is the Pool of Forgetfulness, representing not only the unconscious mind but also the experiences we want to forget, or the things we fear (also symbolized by the crayfish/crab, which – half in water, half on land – symbolizes the feelings that are never allowed to be made conscious).  By accepting the fears, the ‘madness’, the uncertainty, we gain access to instinct, to our unconscious – the goal of Pisces!

18 The Moon (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Water is also prevalent in the Wildwood Tarot's Moon on the Water. Here we have a Full Moon over a marshy landscape - this image makes me think of the Arthurian summerlands (perhaps because I live in that very landscape!).  The 'passage through the unknown', perhaps?  Again, more animal symbolism. The heron, a water bird, represents psychic ability as well as reflection - and there's plenty of reflection in the imagery! The heron also stands at the gateway between life and death, acting as mediator on the soul's journey to the  underworld. Or between conscious and unconscious? That makes me think of the jackals (or dogs, or wolves) in other images.   The horns of the aurochs represent the waxing and waning moon, as well as fertility - and there's the egg, waiting to be fertilized as we head towards Aries, the start of the astrological new 'year'.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Druid Craft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Gemini in the Minor Arcana: The Eight of Swords

In the system I follow, the first of the Minors that’s associated with Gemini is the Eight of Swords. This is linked to Jupiter in Gemini, as well as to the first ten days of the sign – so this year, from the 20^th to 30^th of May.

Eight of Swords (trimmed):

©Sharman-Caselli Tarot

Gemini is the mutable Air sign – exchange of knowledge and information through networks, through language and ideas.  It’s about communication, as well as the market place.  Jupiter brings the desire to grow and expand through developing a wider range of skills, through broadening our learning.  It takes Gemini’s need to dip into a variety of interests and turns that into a way to bring greater meaning to life.  Jupiter is in detriment in Gemini, though – so the faith and optimism that we tend to associate with Jupiter can be hindered by excessive worrying, or over-analysis – and even by the constantly changing curiosity of Gemini.  And that, for me, is the clue to Jupiter in Gemini’s association with the Eight of Swords.

The Eight of Swords has come to represent the idea of being restricted by our thoughts, about not being able to see (or choosing not to see) things as they really are. Most images show a woman blindfolded, but loosely bound, surrounded by eight swords. The ties that bind her do not necessarily prevent escape, and there is space between the swords so that she could walk away. 

Eight of Swords (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

The number ‘8’ is associated with re-birth/death or regeneration, both in tarot and in astrology, through the 8^th house, so we’re looking at ending old or invalid ideas and beliefs, and the beginning of something new. That ‘something new’ is symbolized by a single bird in the Sharman-Caselli deck (Beginners Guide to the Tarot), and by the new growth in the background in the DruidCraft Tarot – both hard to see if you’re blindfolded.  

That combination of blindfold, ties, and barrier of swords represents the excessive worrying, or the over-thinking of Jupiter in detriment in Gemini.  But remember that Jupiter is a gaseous planet – gas, when heated, expands – so there is a way out!  We need to take of the blindfold – develop our reasoning so that we can see the fears and worries for what they are, and allow ourselves to trust (also symbolized by the bird) in ourselves – to have faith in not only ourselves but also in life.

Eight of Arrows (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

In the Wildwood and Shadowscapes Tarot decks, the emphasis is the same, although the images are different. 

We see a figure struggling through the snow, cold and wind (Gemini being an Air sign) in the Wildwood.  The lantern represents the hope and faith of Jupiter that will help us make choices and overcome the fears and anxieties we encounter on the way.  

Eight of Swords (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

In the Shadowscapes, we see a swan surrounded by a barrier of swords.  She’s looking up at the sky, as if she’s aware that there’s an escape route – and if she wasn’t, there’s a little hummingbird above her, lighting the way. So what’s holding her back, apart from the brambles and swords around her? The thorny bramble over her head? The barbed wire at the top of the image? There’s a way out if you stop and breathe – taking a deep breath, expanding (Jupiter) the lungs (Gemini)!

Eight of Swords (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The Thoth emphasizes that idea of struggling to endure that comes from thinking too much to the point that we are ‘frozen’ by anxiety, doubt, and fear; there’s no longer the clarity to be able to make a decision or choice.  Gerd Zielger (Tarot: Mirror of the Soul, published by Weiser Books) writes about Jupiter being a ‘harbinger of the unforeseen and unexpected change for the better’, and that it’s this, rather than trying to come up with an ‘analytical’ (Gemini) solution to the problem, that will show us the way out.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington. Published by Connections.    

Pisces in the DruidCraft court cards

Last but not least, by any means – Pisces in the Druidcraft court cards. Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards.  Generally  (but not always!) these correspondences depend on how cardinality, fixity and mutability have been assigned.  As Pisces is the mutable Water sign, I’m looking for the Cups court card that’s associated with fluctuating emotions and changes within relationships of all kinds – romantic, platonic, familial.

Prince of Cups (trimmed):
DruidCraft Tarot

So what court card does this represent?  If you work with a system that assigns mutability to the Knights, as do most of the Rider-Waite-Smith-based decks, you’re looking at the Knight of Cups.  This Knight will react through his feelings – his heart will rule his head! He’s kind and sympathetic, with an affinity for the underdog.  Not one of the speedy Knights, the image usually depicts the Knight on horseback walking slowly, often beside water – letting things happen in their own time, not pushing or rushing – and that’s exactly what we see in the DruidCraft’s Prince of Cups.   A dreamer, one who longs for an all-encompassing, ideal love.

Knights are often associated with quests: this one will be in search of love, or in pursuit of dreams and ideals, and will be willing to make sacrifices.  Full of good intentions, but with a tendency to lose himself in Piscean idealism or romanticism...

‘Emotional integrity’ is a good phrase for a Piscean court card; could this be the object of the quest?

The shadow side of this Knight/Prince could be a tendency to be moody, or to becoming lost in a dream world – possibly to the point of becoming addicted to something in the quest to lose oneself, to escape the reality of daily life.

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections 2004

Pisces in the DruidCraft Minor Arcana: The Ten of Cups

The Ten of Cups, in the astrological correspondence system I follow, is linked to Mars in Pisces, and the final third of Pisces (10^th-19^th March this year). 
 
First of all, what qualities does Mars bring to Pisces?  Fire and Water... Mars is assertive and determined, and takes the initiative – so in Pisces, we could be looking for assertiveness in terms of ideals or ideology. Assertive, but at the same time compassionate and kind.  The initiative and drive we associate with Mars will be softened by the sensitivity of Pisces.  Desires and dreams are achieved by following instinct, or those moments of inspiration. The shadow side of this could manifest in emotional vulnerability.

DruidCraft Tarot

And in the Ten of Cups?  Well, in the DruidCraft Tarot we see a fairly traditional (as in Rider-Waite-Smith tradition) image – the family sitting around the ten cups, but are they content?  To me the man seems to have an element of boredom in his expression, rather than contentment, and his son looks a bit on the wistful side.  Are they now looking for something new? That could be the Mars energy – the drive to push ahead, but in the Pisces world those Martian qualities might radiate more gently.  

That helps me to see the more permanent sense of contentment that we’ve come to associate with the Ten of Cups – as opposed to the moment of ‘bliss’ of the Nine.  With the Ten, we have a sense of completion – emotional fulfilment in relationships, be they romantic, familial, platonic.  To achieve and maintain this sense of fulfilment we need the effort and drive of Mars, allowing us to turn our dreams into reality, rather than let them stay a Piscean vision.

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections 2004

Pisces in the DruidCraft Minor Arcana: The Nine of Cups

Today we move on to the Nine of Cups, which - in the system I use - is linked to Jupiter in Pisces, as well as the  middle third of Pisces (28^th February to 9^th March).  Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces, so already we have a sense of how this might play out! Jupiter, the ‘Greater Benefic’, expansive, generous, jovial... and in Pisces, described so well by William Blake’s “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" (from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell). Jupiter in Pisces is compassionate and sensitive, and has great faith or trust in a higher power (and the self).  It wants to grow by living according to its ideals – it’s high-minded, yet its generosity of spirit makes it sympathetic to everyone and everything. 

Nine of Cups (trimmed)
DruidCraft Tarot

Jupiter’s expansiveness gives rise to a sense of benevolence and of being satiated. In Pisces, it’s all about bliss, deep joy, overflowing love... without restrictions.  In the image in the DruidCraft, we can see that this man’s emotions are nourished, the senses are satisfied (symbolized by the spread of food and cups). It’s a time for indulging, to enjoy dreams now fulfilled – “a full and rewarding emotional life”, as the creators of the deck write in the accompanying book.

Jupiter in Pisces also reflects imagination and creativity, which might also be in full Piscean flow. Things really do seem to be going swimmingly! There’s also the sense of ‘blessedness’ that comes from deep-rooted, absolute joy.

The shadow side of Jupiter in Pisces, and the Nine of Cups, is the tendency towards escapism, and losing focus. Not that escapism is always a bad thing, but Jupiter takes things to excess, so what might be healthy escapism runs the risk of becoming an addiction. It could be difficult to deal with the outpouring of emotions, to the point where the emotions end up becoming blocked for fear of the consequences.  There’s also the risk of becoming complacent or lazy in our contentment – the hot-air balloon of Jupiter, the nebulous depths of Pisces...it can be hard to stay grounded!

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections 2004