Origins of the Zodiac: Pisces
ORIGINS OF THE ZODIAC
THE MYTHOLOGY OF PISCES
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Constellation: Pisces Archetype: The Fish Associations: Aphrodite and Eros Planetary Ruler: Neptune |
The constellation Pisces represents two fish, tied together by their tails, and swimming in different directions. Pisces originally shared its stars with three different Babylonian constellations, the Swallow, the Lady of Heaven and the Tails, before being merged into one zodiac sign. The Swallow and the Tails were sometimes viewed as The Swallow Tail. The Lady of Heaven referred to the goddess Annunitu, an epithet for the Akkadian goddess Ishtar in her warlike aspect. Next door, the modern constellation Aries was conceived of as the shepherd Dumuzi, the consort of Annuitu/Ishtar.
Although Pisces is one of the oldest known constellations, our modern conception of two fish is likely a more recent invention. Its appearance on the Dendera Zodiac, dated to around the first century of the common era, suggests that this image first crystallized in ancient Egypt before the Hellenistic age.
CONNECTION TO PISCES
PISCES: THE FISH
The Greek mythology of Pisces once more centers around an attack on the gods by the monster Typhon, (read more about Typhon in the Origins of the Zodiac: Capricorn blog here). According to legend, all but two gods fled from Typhon’s presence after they received a warning from the satyr Pan. Aphrodite and her son, Eros, both deities of love, assumed that compassion could sway Typhon’s wrath. However, it soon became obvious that their benevolence was no match for his rage. Just before Typhon was to strike, two fish arrived, ferrying Aphrodite and Eros to safety. In other tellings of the tale, Zeus transforms Aphrodite and Eros into two fish so they can make their escape.
Although we usually associate Aphrodite with her Roman counterpart Venus, she shares many similarities with the Mesopotamian Ishtar, goddess of passion, sexuality, and war. Aphrodite’s appearance in this Piscean origin story illustrates a mythological connection between two ages separated by time. Indeed, one of Aphrodite’s sacred animals is the swallow! Perhaps this Grecian symbolism, maintained in lore, but removed from the constellation Pisces, reflects a preserved aspect of Mesopotamian cultural memory.
THE INTUITION OF PISCES
The twelfth and final zodiac sign, Pisces is characteristic of transition. The final water sign and final Mutable sign, Pisces guards the threshold of the coming year. It therefore is symbolic of liminal spaces and in-betweens, where time stretches and boundaries dissolve (or where three constellations merge into one).
Pisces season offers an opportunity for contemplation, reverence and contact with the great beyond. As the sun transits Pisces, we abandon egoic concerns to act as a conduit for the universe’s will. Imagination, intuition, and belief become our tools. Like Aphrodite and Eros, our idealism during this season is high, and our compassion can sometimes be misplaced. We must be vigilant against naiveté, and recognize when certain dreams must be deferred, or when certain battles aren’t worth fighting. The ones that are will be resumed once the sun returns to Aries, where the cycle of experience continues.
MYTHS AS MAPS
In the quiet pull of the stars, there lies a map - spiralling back to our origins where myths and mysteries once intertwined with breath and bone. Reconnecting with these ancient stories in the realm of astrology is like stepping into an old song, whose melody we somehow remember yet cannot fully place. Each constellation a whisper, each planet a pulse, guiding us through a universe that knows us deeper than we know ourselves.
Here, myths are not merely tales but ancestral truths, woven into the fabric of our being, inviting us to reclaim fragments of ourselves lost in the modern rush. In the language of the heavens, we find our names written across epochs, asking us to listen, to remember, to understand that the vastness above is mirrored within. To know the stars is, in a profound way, to know ourselves.
Working with Pisces mythology
Working with Pisces mythology invites a journey into the depths of intuition, compassion and transcendence. Here are three ways to weave this wisdom into your story:
1. Swim in the dreamer’s ocean
2. Embrace Neptune’s mysteries
3. Walk the path of the mystic weaver
Pisces is tied to myths of interconnectedness, where the threads of all existence are woven into a greater tapestry. Let these stories guide you to see the divine in the mundane, mapping how your actions and choices ripple outward. Reflect on how you can weave compassion and creativity into the fabric of your life, uniting the personal and the universal.
PISCES JOURNALING PROMPTS
In your journal, let myth guide you to explore the below prompts during Pisces Season.
1. What vision benefits from release?
2. What vision deserves more of your attention?
3. Write the first five words that come to mind following this one-word prompt: INTUITION.
