Oceanic. Transcendent. As changing as the tides. As deep as the Marianas Trench. Pisces energy is many things all moving in swirlingly opposite directions. Like a school fish that seems to shift and twirl in a reflection of iridescent chaos, Pisces contains multitudes.
And at the root of the sign is ALL of us. Pisces is the culmination of the entire zodiacal wheel in one sign. It is the sum of its parts, but also different than the whole because of its complex nature.
In memes or on social media, you’ll likely see Pisces painted as spastic, moody, delusional, forgetful, a sarcastic loner, drunk, or downright depressed. But the kernel of truth beneath that all is a deep sensitivity that can at times feel isolating or lead to some emotional reactivity and…um, spontaneous expression. 😉
As you’ll soon get used to me saying, we all have Pisces in our charts, whether or not you identify as a Pisces Sun or Rising. Here’s a quick guide to where in your chart Pisces falls, based on your rising sign. (For any astrology newbies, your rising sign is the zodiacal sign that was on the horizon at the moment of your birth. You can find that easily on astrodienst.com! You just need the exact time, date, and place of your birth).
Aries: Your inner world and shadowy self that few others ever get to see
Taurus: How you show up in community, social groups, and friendships
Gemini: Your public persona, reputation and visible career.
Cancer: Your approach to higher learning, philosophy, travel, art, and culture.
Leo: The areas of life that are the most reciprocal and shared (sex, death, taxes)
Virgo: How you engage in long-term relationships of all kinds.
Libra: Your approach to health, wellness, and getting shit done.
Scorpio: The way you express yourself creatively and romantically.
Sagittarius: Your home, family, roots and ancestry. The places in life you feel safe.
Capricorn: The way you communicate, and how you relate to neighbors and siblings.
Aquarius: Your relationship to valuables and your values
Pisces: Your identity and the energy that life is driving you to embody
With all of that in mind, I’d like to offer up this Pisces-inspired tarot reading. This custom spread is designed to reflect the Pisces symbol itself: The Fishes.
The arch on the left represents our past experiences and the wisdom we’ve gained throughout our lives.
The arch on the right signifies what will be asked of us in the future, and the vision we’ll be working to manifest.
The connecting card in the middle is us in the present moment, a bridge between the past and future.
Your Pisces Season Tarot Spread
Experiences of the past that live as wisdom in us now
Cards: Nine of Wands Reversed, Seven of Swords, King of Crystals Reversed
We’ve dealt with a lot of sharpness in our lives. Whether that be sharp words (swords), edgy dreams (wands), or domineering authority figures (crystals), we have had to learn to harden our shells and thicken our skin to exist and thrive in the world.
We’ve also learned to cool our moods and keep a level head as a defense mechanism. The world we live in leaves little room for play, for fun, for letting go and feeling free to be our full selves. We’ve been so busy on breaking through barriers, claiming space for ourselves, and working to build sustainable structures that we often lost sight of just what vision we were building toward in the first place.
But the wisdom these experiences translate to is a deep knowledge of our resiliency. We know the places we feel safe, we know what we can overcome, and we know what lights our inner fire. Hold this wisdom and knowledge of your own strength close to your heart!
The future we’re being called to build, together
Cards: The High Priestess Reversed, Justice Reversed, Eight of Cups
I’m just going to be straight with you all. The future is asking a lot of us. I’m sure you’re all aware the state of general chaos we’re all existing in right now. Based on these cards, the chaos will continue. But the world has to be turned upside down in many ways should we seek to preserve the goodness and beauty that humans have it in us to create.
The first thing being turned on its head: the world’s relationship to feminine power. Witch hunts, sexism, and misogyny are all rooted in one thing: fear of feminine power. The future is saying “fuck that”. But it’s also reminding us that feminine power does not just belong to women. Everybody has feminine aspects within them. We are complex creatures (ain’t that right, Pisces?), and both men and women have both feminine and masculine elements to their personalities. The High Priestess is powerful card of intuition and spiritual devotion. The way that we relate to spirituality and magic is changing rapidly. And will continue to do so. Those of us who identify as intuitive, psychic, or witch may be asked to step out of the shadows and into the light.
The next thing being turned on its head: Justice. Justice is meant to be doled out with fairness and equality. But we all know that is an ideal, and not always true in practice. What is fair and just is as subjective and complex as the people who make the judgements, and the systems have many complexities and anachronism that make the enactment of justice even more complicated. The future is calling for us to change the systems. We’ve been leading with punishment and count that is fair and just. Could we instead lead with compassion and creativity? Can we move past the sword and focus on the scales?
The last card on this arch gives us some clues as to how we might approach these massive asks of the universe: approach it the same way you might plan a wedding. I know that sounds silly, but think about it. A big wedding has many details, complexities, personalities, and preferences. They’re massively expensive, involve many unfamiliar groups working together toward a common goal, have a pretty clear deadline, and likely mix together people who truly just do not get along. But they’re also about love. Couples put up with all this drama because they are in love and want to celebrate that love with the people that matter most to them. We need to let go of our attachments to the hurts, the wounds, the infected blood circulating between us. We need to release the identification with the wounded self and turn our sights to how we WANT the world to be, not how we wish it WASN’T.
What is being cultivated within us this Pisces season
Card: Ace of Wands
As we close out another zodiacal year, something new blossoms inside each of us. The Ace of Wands is a beautiful, powerful card to represent our current circumstances. In the tarot, Aces represent the spark of something new, like the seed of a willow tree that will blossom and grow into something magnificent and sheltering for many creatures large and small.
Pay close attention to your dreams and desires this Pisces season. They’re trying to tell you something important about your life’s purpose. This is not a time to sit on those dreams and gently journal about them. Get them out of the journal and into the world. Share them with somebody. Make a plan. Get going! The world is changing, and we need people with your passion and purpose to lead the way in 2022.