The Pair of Fishes
February 19 - March 20
Pisces is the twelfth Sign of the Zodiac.
It is the final Sign in the cycle of the Zodiac, and it brings together all that is
learned by the first eleven Signs to help man reach the pinnacle of his potential.
Pisceans are selfless and spiritual, often strongly intuitive, and they are receptive to
the collective unconscious. Pisces is the Sign of dreams and secrets, and it represents
much that is hidden, both strengths and enemies. As the twelfth Sign, Pisces also rules
the twelfth House: the House of the Unconscious.
The Astrological Symbol of Pisces is the Pair of Fishes. They reflect the dual nature of life; each Fish swims in different directions, representing reality and non-reality, consciousness and the unconscious. On the other hand, they can be indirect and unfocused. Pisceans don't have a strong agenda; they tend to "go with the flow" and move where life takes them. In this way, Pisces exemplifies the Mutable Quality assigned to it. They are the chameleons of the Zodiac, receptive to the needs of others but sometimes getting lost themselves. Within the Zodiac, Pisces is opposite Virgo, the Sign of Health. While Virgo is about consciousness and physical life, Pisces tends to be about the unconscious and mental and emotional life. Both Signs are of service to others; Pisces is charitable and self-sacrificing, but may sometimes be too passive and gullible for their own good.
Pisces is ruled by the Planets Jupiter and Neptune. In ancient Roman mythology, Jupiter (and his Greek equivalent, Zeus) was the King of the Gods. Neptune (and his Greek equivalent, Poseidon) was the God of the Sea. Jupiter rules Pisces and Sagittarius; Pisces is the feminine, or night aspect and Sagittarius is the masculine, or day. Both Signs are spiritually oriented, but Sagittarius is a teacher and thinker while Pisces is more focused on compassion and service than knowledge. When Neptune was discovered, modern astrologers assigned it to be the ruler of Pisces. Neptune is about everything that isn't quite real: illusion and disillusionment, fantasy, drama and art, and spirituality. All of these things are important to people born under Pisces; they tend to be strongly spiritual (not necessarily religious) and artistic. They are idealistic, but sometimes their dreams are vague and impractical. When reality intrudes they can become pessimistic or lethargic, but they are very adaptive and broad-minded so they can rework their ideals when necessary.
The Element associated with Pisces is Water. Water Signs are emotional: they tend to respond to the world through emotion, rather than physical action, practicality, or intellect. In Pisces, Water becomes important because of its tie to the collective unconscious and intuition. Pisceans are compassionate, sensitive, and imaginative; they are sympathetic to the feelings of other people. They tend to be romantic and sentimental, but they may give in to escapism. They are devoted to their goals, but they can be disorganized or procrastinate when things become difficult. People born under Pisces are devoted and gentle, but they are fragile and may become timid if their emotions are abused too often.
Pisceans tend to be shy and quiet. They are sometimes elusive, refusing to show their real selves. They are modest and thoughtful, sometimes displaying remarkable musical talent. Because Pisces rules the twelfth House, which rules dreams, people born under this Sign may be fascinated with dreams and dream interpretation. They are also more susceptible than other Signs to the attraction of mind- or mood-altering drugs, as they may go through life with a feeling of non-reality that is magnified by these drugs.
In their leisure time, Pisces may work to alleviate their emotional stress through exercise. They especially enjoy sports that bring them into contact with their own Element of Water, such as swimming and sailing. They are very artistic, and may excel at music and drama. In love relationships, Pisces is caring, devoted, and romantic.
Pisces rules the feet. People born under Pisces may be more susceptible to sore and swollen feet than people of other Signs. Pisces' colors are white and purple.
The great strength of the Pisces-born is in their compassion. They reach out to other people more skillfully than most other Signs, and especially enjoy helping others reach their fullest potential. Their natural sensitivity makes them one of the most understanding characters of the Zodiac.