Pisces

When any planet is in Pisces, or Pisces is on the cusp of any House, the matters covered by the planet or House will be affected by Piscean characteristics.

The symbol of Pisces, as we know, is the fish: the darting minnow, the glorious tropical, the adroit and beautiful White Marlin. Perhaps one of the best fish to illustrate the nature of Pisces, however, is the simple salmon. Generally content to swim lazily, letting the currents carry them along, salmon become odds-defying daredevil fish when it's time for spawning, fighting strong currents and rapids, swimming upstream, struggling heroically all the way, so they may reproduce according to the siren call of the place from whence they emerged.

While "spawning" for salmon involves reproduction, the word itself is from the Latin expandere, meaning "to expand." Pisces is probably the most expansive sign of the Zodiac. When engerdering, birthing, or giving rise to an idea, a plan, a work of art, or yes, even an actual child, the Pisces native will voluntarily put aside his or her general "go with the flow" nature and pursue the vision with determination and single-mindedness, often succeeding against staggering odds.

It's been said that Scorpio and Pisces are "mirror image signs." This doesn't mean they're complete opposites: rather, the intensity of gaze is focused inward for the Scorpio native, while for Pisces, the gaze turns outward, focusing on others.

Many astrologers have described Pisces as the "most feminine" of the signs (as Aries is described as the "most masculine"). This should in no way be construed as indicating that Pisces males are effeminate -- no more than Aries women are all buffed-out Amazon warriors. Rather, the description is a simplistic means of tying together supposed "masculine" and "feminine" traits in a rather old-fashioned (and perhaps somewhat insulting) manner. Modern people realize (or should) that males can be nurturing and compassionate, and females assertive, driven and physically active. Keep in mind that the "feminine" qualities of Pisces are based on outmoded ways of thinking about the qualities the genders "should" possess, and you'll do Ok, because many of the "feminine stereotypes," which are baseless and misguided when applied to actual incarnate human women, are, well, kinda true about the Pisces native of either gender.

Neptune's children are sensitive, not only to slights against themselves, but to slights against others. Pisces is by nature compassionate and empathetic, and very tuned-in to the moods and concerns of those around them. Unlike the Aquarian native, who walks the tightrope between idealism and reality, Pisces has a danger of becoming blinded by their own idealism. They can sometimes be naive to the point of gullibility, and have a tendency to feel personally hurt and disappointed when reality intrudes upon their dreamy visions of the way things could be, if only everyone would just act right!

Pisceans often have a certain amount of psychic ability, due to their strong intuitive natures, and their ability to zero in on the moods and feelings of others. Some have described the Pisces nature as "manipulative," and there's a degree of truth in that; however, Piscean manipulation is more along the lines of guile, wile, seduction, and an impeccable sense of timing. It is never done for greedy purposes of personal gain -- the Fish would simply rather drop clues, always at the appropriate time, of course, and allow you to have the enjoyable experience of putting them together. It's subtle ... and it's very beguiling.

Charing and good natured, sensitive and sensual, with an abundance of tolerance and empathy for others, the Pisces native is a dreamy and beautiful soul, with a hidden core of strength that enables him or her to buckle down and swim in any direction necessary. Always allowing for side-trips to one end of the stream or the other, exploratory journeys down hidden tributaries, and a few splashes in the eddies, just for fun -- after all, there are sights to be seen there, new visions and ideas, hidden dangers which become a game to avoid, while the Fish swims along the Waters of Life, unafraid (sometimes unheeding), playfully seeking expansion -- of personal limitations, narrow societal conventions, and most importantly, of his or her own inner seascape!

For information regarding the physical traits and characteristics of the Piscean native, please see our page on Physical Appearance and Astrology.

Artwork: The Triumph of Neptune; Haitian fish sculpture.