Leviathans and lists: Pisces and a Virgo Full Moon
Last time we talked about the story of Pisces, season of the winter thaw and the spawning of fresh water fishes. And we looked at the Pisces Sun sign Archetype and the decans. You can view my previous post using this LINK
Now let’s take a quick look at the psychic weather, so to speak, in Pisces Season 2024
Key dates
(Variable depending on location)
Sunday, February 18/19:Â Sun enters Pisces
Thursday, February 22: conjunction Mars and Venus, seen by sky-watchers this morning before sunrise on the eastern horizon. The original romantic couple.
Friday, February 23:Â Mercury enters Pisces (Messenger planet Mercury is considered in detriment in Pisces)
Friday/Saturday, February 24/25: Full Moon in Virgo (with Venus square Jupiter)
Sunday, March 10: New Moon in Pisces
Monday, March 11:Â Venus enters Pisces
Wednesday, March 20: Spring Equinox at 03.06 degrees of Aries marks the end of Pisces season in Western astrology.
Saturn in Pisces meanwhile, is governing throughout. Saturn entered Pisces 7 March 2023 and does not leave for good until 13 February, 2026. Deep and fathomless Pisces, the sign of the Twelfth House of mysteries, secrets, enemies and confinement is currently subject to the full effect of iron Saturn the Taskmaster, planet of duty, responsibility, maturity, old age and family legacy. Like it or not, stuff gets cleared up. But right now- Saturn in Pisces is sextile Jupiter in Taurus until March 30. Great opportunities and leaps of progress are possible, then, this coming month.
However, there is also potential for added stress with the arrival of Mars in Pisces right after we move into Aries, Friday 22 March. On the wider stage there may be further big updates to do with King Charles, Prince William and/or the Church of England. Jupiter and unsettling Uranus are in conjunction with Taurus this month. Where Pisces represents Christianity, The Hierophant card of Taurus represents The Church as an establishment.
The Full Moon in Virgo 24/25 February indicates on-going high profile attention focused on critical food security, production and infrastructure, trade and import issues highlighted by events in the Red Sea, and further farmer’s protests around this time.
Mars, which enters the zodiac sign of Pisces at the closing of Pisces season, March 22 and stays there until April 30, can also be understood as the psychic detective. There will doubtless be further headlines to do with alleged cover-ups or legal cases.
General Tarot Reading
Smith Waite Centennial deck © U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
One size does not for all. Such a general treading can only be the equivalent of flying a wind sock or watching a weather vane. But, we do talk about such a thing as the zeitgeist, and it’s interesting the way the Tarot will chime with the astrology.
We have drawn three cards of water and earth. Best case scenario, new green shoots. Worst case scenario, wading through mud. One way and another, it looks as though we are being needed this month.
The Page of Cups represents any and all zodiac water signs. The Knight of Cups is the court card of Pisces, sitting centre stage, and The Hermit chimes with the Virgo energy of the approaching Full Moon 24/25 February. We move from a page to a major arcana card, hinting at an escalation in the scale of of significance or intensity in certain everyday matters as the month goes on
These cards -all randomly drawn- denote the healing grace and the creative expression of Pisces, with the planetary influences of Venus and Mercury added into the mix. The new, youthful energy of the Page is balanced by the appearance of the aged Hermit, exemplifying the healing power of duty and service, and the hard-won wisdom of inter-generational experience. The Hermit (male or female, it makes no difference) shines a light for others to follow.Â
The Hermit, the card of food production, harvest time, healthcare, medicine and charity, arts and crafts, lab techs and administration is governed by Mercury, the ruler of Virgo and the Sixth House. Health considerations may come to the fore in this Pisces season, for us or for a loved one. Virgo rules diet and digestion. And paperwork, including routine doctor’s letters.
Update: *Funnily enough, speaking of routine doctor’s letters and lab techs, as I re-read this, written 14 February, I am, as of today, 22/2/24, monitoring blood pressure twice daily for a week, doctor’s orders.
The February Full Moon, Eight of Cups & Eight of Pentacles
We are still in the first decan of Pisces, represented in the tarot by the Eight of Cups; a card of letting go and moving on. This months Full Moon is happening at about 5 degrees of Virgo. The corresponding Tarot card for this degree of Virgo is The Eight of Pentacles, signifying productivity; the worker, the artist, the crafts-person.
Two eights. The order of the day then, is the serious business of achieving and safeguarding our security and stability for the long term.
From the Illuminati Tarot
Workers are always juggling home and work. That goes without saying. But that balance is put under a spotlight around the time of this month’s Full Moon.
But it’s not all duty or drudgery. We could make all manner of professional, personal and creative breakthroughs during the transit of Mercury in Pisces. At the same time, there’s no dodging The Hermit.
Whether it is a health issue, or a matter of some other administrative task, The Hermit reflects our family priorities, and the duty we owe to others in the wider community. But we also need quiet time for ourselves. Going a walk in the countryside, feeding the birds, and spending time with pets is the Hermit’s own particular mercurial remedy for the times we are tired or feeling a bit low.
From The Golden Tarot
The countryside calls. This is backed up by the other card of Virgo, The Empress, ruled by Venus. Virgo is Ceres or Demeter, Earth Mother, the heavenly bearer of Spica, the star that represents a sheaf of wheat. We are likely examining our cuisine/healthy eating habits right now, and again, this comes back to the current -and critical political battles focused on farming and food production in general, and the balance of home grown food versus food imports.
You only need to look at the Hermit, and Demeter, to see that Virgo will always vote in favour of maximum self sufficiency.
Venus and Mars are in conjunction at the time of writing. Bring on the glamour, the social occasion, or conversely, maybe a fight with loved ones. Someone wants your attention, when maybe you’re feeling run ragged. Long-simmering relationship or family tensions may come to the surface, in particular for Pisces natives, but also for any other sun sign native during the course of Pisces season this year.
Neptunian hidden issues get fished up in the Piscean drag-net and hauled out into the daylight on the quayside. If this should happen, then The Hermit reminds us that Mercury keeps its cool and thinks on its feet, and that Saturn is not only a builder, but the Rock of Ages. Whatever the provocation, this is not the time to be smashing anything to smithereens.
We might do better in this situation to invoke the OTHER card of Pisces…The Hanged Man. The cards show we need a spot of fresh air and a bit of time to ourselves right now. But when duty calls, then, emergencies aside, we take our time in working out how best to respond. No knee jerk responses. Try looking at this situation from a different perspective. Consider where there is a bit of wriggle room and space for compromise.
On the world stage, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine is an Aquarius sun sign native, and though he may turn up as The King of Swords (and dirty birth data notwithstanding, President Putin turns up as The Queen of Swords) Zelenskyy also turns up in my readings as The Hanged Man. A sacrificial figure. As ever, only time will tell, but the resolution of this war could reflect Pisces timing in some way. Saturn entered Pisces March 7, 2023. It will carry on through until May 24, 2025, then from August 31, 2025 until the final ending of this cycle February 13 2026. Meantime Saturn goes retrograde in Pisces June 2024 till November 2024. In general, a Saturn retrograde in Pisces can bring the sternest of reality checks. Relationship matters could become intense.
The days either side of this emotional, possibly rather heavy feeling Full Moon could turn out to be the high point of Pisces season. The inspiration of something new, or else a turning point, marked by simultaneous conjunctions of the Sun, Saturn and Mercury and with Jupiter -the only planet visible in the evening sky, at lleast in the UK right now.
Thank you for reading.
Back soon.
That feels quite heavy