The Oracle’s Library concludes the seasons with the last zodiac sign—Pisces. The astrological sign Pisces draws an end to the astrological year when the hours of daylight seem to triumph over the night with a quickening pace. It is often suggested that the Earth entered the Age of Pisces on the spring equinox around the year zero to give rise to a new astrological epoch that is currently coming to a close. Pisces is the ‘Fishes’ in Latin—the twelfth and final Tropical Zodiac. Pisces spans from 330° to 360° on the Zodiac Belt, as it concludes the sequence of twelve constellations each year.

Pisces Zodiac Sign Profile

In Sidereal Astrology, if you were born between March 15th and April 14th your Sun sign is Pisces. This means the Sun transited through the constellation Pisces at the given time of birth. In Tropical Astrology, the sign Pisces is given to anyone born from the dates February 19th to March 20th.

Pisces is a Water Sign that welcomes the heavy spring rains, as nature is blessed by life-giving water that falls from the heavens. At this time, the Sun is transitioning back to the spring season, and both flora and fauna are awakened by the storm. The tropical zodiac Pisces was once ruled by Jupiter, but this role is now given to the planet Neptune. Those born under Pisces often come across as rather reserved, but they make up for their restricted surface nature through flowing artistic statements. Pisceans can survive the day without a peep—as they prefer the interior of their own minds filled with delicate reason and vivid dreams.

The Myths and Legends of the Fishes

The astrological sign Pisces is as old as Egyptian legend—the fishes appeared on a sarcophagus lid that dates back to the 3rd millennium BCE. In Christian teaching, the fish is often associated with the coming of Christ, who appeared just after the turn of the age into Pisces. In ancient Babylon, Pisces held the place of ‘the fish cord or ribbon’ named ‘Rikisnumi’.

In ancient Greece, Pisces was associated with Aphrodite and Eros who morphed into fishes to escape from Typhon—the ‘father of monsters’ who threatened the gods. This legend is continued by the Romans with Venus and Cupid who bound themselves by a rope signifed by Alpha Piscium or the Arabic ‘Al-Rischa’—the well rope or cord. Similarly in early Syrian myth, the two fishes known as the ‘Ichthyes’ rescued the pair of gods. Later this myth was modified with two half-men, half-fish beings Aphros and Bythos who brought a mysterious egg out Euphrates and hatched Ashtarte, Aphrodite’s Syrian counterpart.

Stargazing the Constellation Aries

The constellation Pisces is another faint collection stars in the celestial sea. Van Maanen’s Star is one notable object amongst the differing deep space objects located in Pisces. The spiral galaxy M74 with a world of clusters, young stars and nebulae is located at 30 million light-years away—a great source to view early star formation. In June 2003, a supernovae was spotted at the edge of M74 as the brilliant explosion of a red supergiant. At the location of CL 0024 and 1654 a colossal galaxy cluster creates an arch in front of a galaxy behind. The cluster of elliptical and spiral galaxies over three billion light-years away skews our vision to the galaxy hiding in the background at nearly over five and a half billion light-years away!

From July 16th to August 13th the Alpha Pisces Australids meteor shower illuminates the sky with shooting stars born out of Pisces. This meteor shower peaks on July 30th with slow, white falling stars at a maximum of three to five meteors per hour. Pisces is located between Aquarius and Aries. To spot the constellation Pisces, look for the large V shape topped with the Circlet of Pisces south of the Square of Pegasus. The constellation Pisces is best viewed on a dark autumn night in the Northern Hemisphere.

Thank you for reading at the Oracle’s Library! Are you a Pisces? Please comment and share your thoughts on the Fishes.

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