Everywhere the power of winter is beginning to fade. The days are lengthening, the Sun grows warmer, and the chill begins to lose its bite. In my own home in western Pennsylvania, rain begins to melt weeks-old snow. The first inklings of new life in the natural world begin to stir.
Spring is on its way. The hegemony of winter is crumbling, and the electric current of life quickens and stirs within the natural world. A light shines at the end of the tunnel. Though it has not come to pass yet, the triumph of the Sun is close at hand.
Welcome to Pisces Season. The ingression of the Sun into Pisces on February 18th heralds the preparation of the natural world and our own lives for the new season - for the advent of Spring. As the Sun enters Pisces, the days begin to noticeably lengthen, the frost begins to thaw, and new warmth fills the rays of the Sun.
In the season of Pisces, the length of days has almost surpassed the length of night - the light is almost about to triumph over the darkness - but has not quite yet. For now the darkness still reigns supreme, and we must wait patiently until its power is broken, and the cleansing fire of triumphant Sun once again redeems and restores the material world from grip of winter.
Within this lies a great faith and hope in the inevitable triumph of goodness - the victory of the Sun. Sometimes this will demonstrate itself as a belief in the virtue of humanity, or faith in the ultimate the redemption of the world are squarely piscean attributes, or even unconditional faith in the validity of one’s own personal experience and felt sense of truth.
Fitting, then, that Pisces carries connotations of mysticism and the contemplative life. The mystic sits in quiet reflection, still entombed within the darkness of the material body and materiality, yet completely surrendered to the noetic, divine spark within that had originally descended into the material world, and will once again be free.
Pisces, like the sign of Sagittarius, is ruled by Jupiter, the lord of priests, pontiffs, swamis, lamas, and anyone vested with some kind of formal, ecclesiastical authority within a religious sect. Jupiter derivatively rules those will financial abundance and authority, in virtue of ruling those with spiritual abundance and authority.
In Pisces, we see Jupiter’s authoritarian role as the awakened mystic - one who has totally unified the personal self with the Divine self, and sits in contemplative stillness of its true nature as the flow underneath all things. Within Pisces lies a quiet confidence and assuredness in the truth of its own experience.
This privelaging of inner experience and the truth of the inner life is remiscient of the other two water signs, Cancer and Scorpio. As a water sign, Pisces has strong associations with the intuition, dreamtime, and the emotional realms. Pisces, however, is by far the weirdest about it - delving deeply into the realms of the unconscious and non-dual experiences.
On a purely internal level, this watery, Jupiterian season indicates greater intuitive depth and emotional emphasis in all our lives. Dreams will strengthen and people will become more reflective. Additionally, Jupiterian optimism and enthusiasm will slowly permeate our moods as we stride ever closer towards the new buds and growth of springtime.
On a more material, practical level, the placement of the Sun in Pisces gives strength to authority figures and maintainers of the status quo. Companies, organizations, and social circles receive an infusion of new energy, life, and enthusiasm. People start exhibits the first signs of positive change in their lives.
This is a good time to reflect on what new kinds of life you would like to see in your own life. Nothing is off the table during this zany period - now’s your time to just come up with ideas and see what your intuition brings you. Some of your best ideas (andthe ones that you will, ultimately, be the most successful in birthing) will be the ones that excite you the most.
We are extremely fortunate this Pisces season to have Jupiter himself forming a conjunction to the Sun during this period. This creates more opportunities to receive grace, wisdom, and teaching from above. The work that you do during this time will be more supported and productive. Business ventures will be greatly strengthened. If you are a strong Piscean person, I would expect a lot of new insight and clarity to come your way, especially if you have a Pisces Sun or Moon. Jupiter will go cazimi on March 3rd.
As always, I want to give you some tools and practices that you can use to integrate this astrological season.
Right now, the natural world is beginning to transition from the darkness-dominated half of the year to the light-dominated half of the year. Unless you prepare for this transition mindfull, this seasonal shift can weaken the immune system and disrupt the equilibrium of the emotional and mental sides of life.
To meet this shift gracefully, it is always helpful to more time outside than was possible during the wintertime, especially on sunseasonably warmer, sunnier days. Weather permitting, walking with your bare feet on the earth on warmer days will help you to acclimate to the seasonal shift.
You will have the opportunity to dream big for the next several weeks, attuning yourself to the expansivity of Jupiter. Do not, however, act immediately on any of the ideas that you have. Let them percolate, andsit with them for a time to do determine their true value. The more patiently you can wait now, the more long-term success you will achieve. Allow yourself to brainstorm and explore until the Sun ingresses into Aries and forms a sextile to Mars, lord of action.
Finally, any astrological work with Jupiter will be well supported during this month, especially after the new moon on March 3rd.