PISCES, the sign of The Fishes, represents a state of being that can elude clear definition. It is at the same time both fluid and formless, profound and capricious. It is as vast and eternal as the ocean, but as intangible and ephemeral as the fog. It cares deeply for others, feels a connection with all life, and yet needs personal space and privacy.

As the twelfth sign of the zodiac, Pisces marks the ending of a cycle. The month that the Sun travels through Pisces each year represents a time of completion, where we are meant to release, forgive, find closure, and surrender what has been, in preparation for the astrological New Year that begins at the March Equinox.

THESE PISCEAN QUALITIES and directives are all enhanced this coming week, as the Sun, Venus, and Neptune travel closely together in Pisces. When the Sun exactly conjoins Neptune on Wednesday, our emotional and spiritual sensitivity increases, and we can more easily express compassion and selflessness. The humility and patience that are characteristic of Pisces may be a helpful counter-balance to the mentally stimulating and potentially argumentative Mercury-Eris sextile that also perfects on that day.

Once the Moon enters Pisces on Thursday, March 11, at 6:44 a.m. PST (2:44 p.m. GMT), there will be four planets plus the asteroid Pallas Athene in the twelfth sign. This overload of planets in Pisces will further increase our emotional and psychic sensitivity, so be sure to give yourself some of the space and privacy that the sign requires.

OUR CAPACITY for sympathy and our desire to be of service is heightened with all this Pisces influence, but so is a tendency to go into self-sacrifice or martyrdom. Balance and self-awareness are key in this regard. This will be especially important to remember as we move into the last half of the week, with Venus being exactly conjunct Neptune on Saturday.

There are many benefits of this Venus-Neptune conjunction: personal relationships can be enhanced, as we can deepen our intuitive understanding of another person and our ability to trust on a soul level. Our creativity and imagination are also heightened, helping us create mystical and magical works of art. And, taken on a purely spiritual level, this alignment can help us grow in our relationship with our Higher Self or a spiritual guide.

But, there are some hazards to be aware of as we navigate the energies this week.

DISCERNMENT SKILLS may not be very acute when we're "under the influence" of Pisces and Neptune. It can be easy to overidealize a loved one, or to not see them clearly. We may ignore red flags in a relationship, or convince ourselves that we should forgive "just one more time." The danger here is that of taking on a rescuer or victim role, perhaps because we can see a loved one's soul and know that they really are good at heart.

And, with Venus representing money issues, we may overspend because we overestimate the value of something. If possible, delay any commitments of the heart or pocketbook until we are clear of any fog that may be wafting across our path this week.

BE ESPECIALLY AWARE of any tendency to try to take on another's pain, in the hope that it will help them in some way. Many times, even though we want to "make" the other person feel better, what serves the highest good is to simply hold a compassionate space for them while they feel and move through their pain.

If you start to feel overwhelmed, or get an intuitive feeling that something "isn't quite right," it is usually a sign that you are doing more than what is best for you, which means you are also doing more than what is best for the other person. That which is truly for the Highest Good is for the highest good for all. If an action depletes your energy, it is actually inhibiting another's growth potential as well.

LUNA'S INGRESS into Pisces on Thursday sets the scene for a "cazimi" New Moon on Saturday. The lunation occurs on March 13 at 2:21 a.m. PST (10:21 a.m. GMT), when the Sun and Moon conjoin at 23°03´ Pisces. 

The astro.com website explains that when another planet is within 17 arc minutes of the Sun, it is called cazimi and "is in a position of the greatest accidental strength imaginable." A cazimi Moon is said to increase intuition and beneficial outcomes, with its effects being the strongest for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the exact Sun-Moon alignment. If you plan to do a ritual for this new lunar cycle, see how it feels to do it within a half hour on either side of the exact lunation.

AT THE TIME of the New Moon, the Sun and Moon are positioned at the midpoint between Saturn and Uranus, triggering the effects of the Saturn-Uranus square. Because of this activation, we might "expect" unexpected or disruptive events to occur, ones that will have ripple effects over the next four weeks.

These events are likely woven into the lessons described by the Sabian symbol for the New Moon, which occurs in the twenty-fourth degree of Pisces:  

"On a small island surrounded by the vast expanse of the sea, people are seen living in close interaction: The need to consciously accept one’s own personal limitations in order to concentrate one’s energies and to live a centered and fulfilled life."

IT IS AMAZING how well this image describes our current situation! The global pandemic continues to limit our activities, but we can see that higher purposes in this situation might be to help us "concentrate our energies and live a more centered and fulfilled life." At the same time, it is difficult for most of us to "consciously accept" limitations that we feel are mandated by others, and thus the Saturn-Uranus reactivity is triggered as individuals rebel against restriction. However, we are "living in close interaction," so each person's choices and actions do affect the whole. We are individuals, yes, but we are learning through this pandemic that no one is an island.

Astrologer Dane Rudhyar's interpretation of this Sabian symbol explains:

"The first duty of any man or woman is to be truly what he or she is as an individual. But this individual has a particular dharma — a place and function in a vaster whole. The island’s inhabitants get subsistence from the sea, and in time learn to navigate this sea and interact with other islanders — and all eventually will come to realize their oneness within the whole Earth, which includes everything."

Awareness of the interconnectedness of all life is a very Piscean lesson — one we are asked to embrace this week and beyond.

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Your sense of personal identity continues to morph this year, especially as manifested through your relationships or your creative expressions. There is a surreal quality to life that will serve you, as it helps you allow the tides to come in and go out. You are learning to trust the process, to trust the universe, and to be more in sync with your own spiritual purposes in life. You may be especially sensitive to those in need this year, and motivated even more than usual by your compassion and a need to be of service to the greater good. (Solar Return Sun conjunct Venus, conjunct Neptune)

In Gratitude and Light,

Pam

Aspects of Note This Week:

All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Greenwich Mean Time, add 7 hours.

• MON: Mercury semisquare Ceres

• TUE: Venus square nodal axis, Mercury semisquare Chiron

• WED: Mercury sextile Eris, Sun conjunct Neptune

• SAT: New Moon 2:21 a.m. PST, Sun semisquare Uranus, Venus conjunct Neptune