The Enchanted Tarot

Astrology

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Astrological Symbol: Two fish, one swimming upstream, the other down February 20 to March 20

The symbol for Pisces reminds us of the point where one year was dying while another was being born. The ideals of Aquarius were tempered by the sad realities of Pisces. It was an emotional time, a time to discover how dependable your friends were when you needed them. It was the end of winter and supplies were at their lowest point. The strong and the compassionate were required to do without so that the children, the elderly and the less fortunate could survive. Sometimes people even gave their lives so that others would live. The reason for the survival of our race from ancient times until now may be our capacity for self-denial, sometimes even martyrdom. Early Christians used the sign of the Fish as a means of identifying their secret meeting places.

Associations
Pisces rules the negation of the individual ego and this can happen by positive means like self-sacrifice, philanthropy and faith in an all-powerful force, or through negative ego-denial like escapism, drugs and alcohol. Other examples of ego-denial are large institutions that deny the supremacy of the individual ego such as large corporations, the government bureaucracy, the military, hospitals, prisons, and some religions. The part of the body ruled by Pisces is our feet, which connect us to the Earth and everything connected to it.

People born during the sign of Pisces function best when they feel that, in some way, they are serving and connected to All-There-Is (a term used to describe the sum total of everything in existence) in this world and the next. Pisces is also associated with the concept of telepathy. The fish of Pisces swim in the ocean that covers and unites the landmasses of our planet. Put your foot in the ocean and you are connected to all the land that the oceans of the world touch. According to a growing body of research, people with so-called extrasensory perception, like Edgar Cayce and many others, are thought to have somehow developed an ability we all possess to tune into the Universal Ocean of thought possessed by All-There-Is. Dr Albert Einstein (born under the sign of Pisces) formulated his Theory of Relativity (E=MC1/42), which proved that at a fundamental level, all Matter is made of the same Energy. At that level, we can communicate with All-There-Is because we are directly and inseparably connected to All-There-Is.

The Challenge of Being a Pisces
Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac. Because it is the last of the twelve signs, it contains a bit of all of them. This is one explanation of why Pisces people are so easily able to understand how other people are feeling. In fact, Pisceans are so sensitive to the feelings of others that it is not good for them to be near people who are angry, sad, or disturbed. Sometimes, it is hard for those born during the time of Pisces to understand why they are feeling the way they are. If they take the time to investigate a little, they often realize that they are literally picking up on the feelings of others.

Pisces is associated with both empathy and telepathy. This natural ability to be invisibly connected to those around them and those around the world is both the blessing and the curse of all Pisceans. It enables them to feel exactly how to help those they care about, which is a Piscean specialty. It also exhausting and hard on a Piscean person's emotions to have other people's lives intrude so on their own.

Sometimes, naturally, there is a strong desire to escape from doing the double duty of experiencing both their own emotions and the emotions of those around them. This is why Pisceans often develop a means to escape from their sensitiveness. No sign is as good at creating their own fantasy world, either through writing and the visual arts, through mood-altering substances, or through making enough money to make their world as isolated and comfortable as possible. They get into trouble when they use drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, religious zealotries, and any other escape devices that overwhelm their common sense and senses, and block out the real world.

When they turn their sensitivity to the real world, Pisceans have the capacity to make incredible amounts of money in business ventures. If you think that seems unlikely given Pisces' reputation for dreaminess and escapism, remember that as the last sign, Pisces contains a bit of all the other ones. They have the ability to achieve an overview of any business situation and their sensitivity to others enables them to know how others will feel and act. That enables them to make accurate predictions that tell them how to act to reap the greatest rewards.

The lesson for Pisces centers on the important reason why their lives do not provide them with as many opportunities to use their unique sensitivity to others to gain the appreciation and respect of those they would most like to help and associate with. They have come into this world born under the astrological sign Pisces because they want to learn how to get close enough to people to be of assistance to them, yet without becoming overwhelmed by their needs and actions.

The more honest and honorable Pisceans are, the more they hesitate. They seem to fear that they may not be able to fulfill their promises, or that the world will expect more of them than they can give.

Pisceans are most aware of both the things that unite us all and the immense differences between people. This is one of their great strengths, but if they let themselves be totally ruled by their emotions or let the sorrow of the human condition push them to escapist behavior, it can turn into a great weakness. When they learn to balance their innate intuitive skills with a logical approach that does not ignore what is real but unpleasant, they can accomplish great things.

The Cycle Ends and Begins Again

The return of the Sun to the portion of the zodiac occupied by the constellation Aries marked the return of spring, and so the cycle began again.

For thousands of years astrologers of every advanced culture observed the relationship of specific types of celestial phenomena with specific events of nature, nations and the rulers of nations. Astrology advanced to the point where it was discovered that a map made to show the position of the planets at the moment the ruler of a nation was born could be interpreted to reveal much about that individuals tendencies and could even be used to predict and time the situations the ruler and his nation would face at various times in their life. When astrologers eventually constructed horoscopes (from Greek: skopos, meaning 'watcher' and hora, meaning 'hour') for individuals other than the rulers of nations, the first steps toward the recognition of the rights of all had been taken.

Another contribution to humanity came about from the efforts of astrologers seeking ever more accurate methods of plotting planetary positions. Until the outbreak of this age of 'Scientific Realism' some three hundred years ago, Astrology and Astronomy were so close as to be indistinguishable. And this is how, or some believe, Sir Isaac Newton discovered the principles of calculus and his laws of Motion during his quest to produce more accurate horoscopes, though it's a rare 'scientist' that will admit to this. So if any of your 'scientific' friends ask why you're interested in the study of Astrology, you can quote the words of one of their own. When comet discoverer Sir Edmund Halley questioned the belief in Astrology of Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Isaac is said to have replied:

Aquarius The Water-Bearer		The Sun