At 23.49 yesterday, the 18th of February,
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 the northern hemisphere, at
mid-latitudes, it’s 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).
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| From Atlas Coelestis |
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. 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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©Alison Coals
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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 (remember that 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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©Alison Coals
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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.
So, where does Pisces fit into the
tarot? Stay tuned for an exploration of
the final zodiac sign in the cards...
*In Sidereal astrology, the sun currently
transits Pisces from approximately 15th March to 14th
April.
