2 March 2024
This is a copy of the fortnightly newsletter that goes out to my mailing list every other weekend. If you’d like to receive this straight to inbox just drop me a line with your email address to be added to the mailing.
We’re about halfway through Pisces season, and the middle of last week was very intense with that triple conjunction of the Sun, Mercury and Saturn at 9 degrees of the sign. If you have natal planets or Angles at or very close to 9 Pisces or the opposite sign of Virgo then you will have your own story of challenges or hard won results to tell.
These major astrological lineups also work at a universal level – ie regardless of whether you’ve got anything at the same degree or not – and in my own client work and feedback from readers on social media that has been evident. Accounts of major dental work – Saturn rules the teeth – and plumbing problems (last week’s blog was titled “water water everywhere”!) were amongst the stories.
I also said in last week’s blog that I fully expected that triple conjunction to work out in the same way as we would see when Mercury is retrograde. Again, I heard stories of car problems including flat batteries, a doctors strike in the UK delaying treatment, difficult but necessary conversations and things coming to light in bizarre ways.
Next week we’ve got another triple lineup which I’ll talk about further on, but before we go any further here as promised is the writeup on Pisces as a Sun sign, taken from my book Essential Astrology:
SPOT THE PISCES
The typical Piscean bears a striking facial resemblance to their symbol the fish. Note the wide, full cheeked faces that usually run to fleshiness, especially in later years. Look too for the generous full lipped mouth, dreamy glinting eyes set wide apart that are often soft to the extent of being doe eyed and sometimes protruding. Those same sensitive eyes easily brim with tears at sad stories or hurtful comments.
Often there is something ethereal about Pisceans, either in their beauty or in the way that they move, sometimes giving the impression of being disconnected from their physical body. This sign rules the feet and they often have a distinctive walk.
Sea colours are favourites – greens, blues and aquamarines – and the style is often bohemian, romantic or artistic rather than conventional. Even in a suit a Piscean would find a way of softening the edges and adding a dash of glamour.
THE PISCES NATURE
As the sign of mutable water and co-ruled by Neptune, god of the sea, so is the Piscean nature free flowing. Their own personalities are somehow boundless and, in spite of what the textbooks might tell you, it is rare to find a Pisces of the seriously shy and retiring kind beyond childhood. They are often larger than life and hugely entertaining and charismatic, both in social and work scenarios. Both sexes tend to follow their instincts, to “go with the flow” and usually have a horror of being confined, contained or controlled.
There is a raw vulnerability to this sign, especially in their early defenseless years. Their fellow water signs of the Scorpion with its sting and the Crab with its shell and pincers have their attack and defence mechanisms but the Fish has no protection other than to wriggle away and swim faster than anyone else. In this respect Pisceans can be elusive, evasive, indirect, insincere or paranoid.
Like water Pisceans will take the shape of the vessel, easily or unconsciously fitting into other people’s moulds and expectations. If they confuse you that’s nothing compared to what they do to themselves. Finding their own firm sense of self is possibly their biggest challenge.
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Sensitive, imaginative, sympathetic on one hand, wounded, distrustful and suspicious on the other, the arena of personal intimacy can be an emotional minefield for this multifaceted sign. Relationships are usually built with a great deal of testing the water before taking the plunge and before revealing their true and innermost persona.
Pisceans are also natural rescuers. They will do anything for you, especially if you are in genuine need. They are also great at getting you to do things for them, in a subtle way that is not immediately obvious. To one extent or another there is a manipulative streak in every Pisces that they have to learn not to exploit, if only to avoid sabotaging the goal of building the authentic relationships that they need.
The attraction to those who suffer and the collapse of personal boundaries can unfortunately lead to all kinds of relationship disasters. Often their own need to be rescued is projected on to others and the lesson to be learned is that they cannot heal a lover’s early trauma or support the struggling artist forever. In romance they are far more likely to find happiness with someone with bags of common sense, who can provide emotional security and be their rock in life.
VOCATION
Dreamy Pisceans often struggle with the realities of physical, day to day life on dry land. They have to figure out a way of satisfying their creative appetites as well as paying the bills. Once they find their way upstream they can achieve great things, but until this turn is made they can only splash around in the shallows, small fishes in big ponds. It is vital for a Pisces, however, to find their true vocation. Although they are highly adaptable the grind of the average soulless 9 to 5 can make them depressed or ill. Usually they are born along with a natural gift, something innate that could never be taught.
Inside every Pisces is a thespian struggling to get out. Many wonderful actors are born under this sign, they can be whoever you want them to be, and you can also add an astounding number of theatre workers, musicians, writers, artists and poets to the list.
The Pisces connection to compassion, suffering and sacrifice shows in the domain of all work connected to charities and places of confinement, such as refuges, hospitals, hospices or prisons. Pubs, bars, the liquor trade and all marine work also belong to this sign.
HEALTH
Pisces is the sign of escapism, the retreat from the painful demands of a harsh world. This can take the form of meditation or mysticism but, as this sign also rules alcohol, drugs and all altered states of consciousness Pisceans are especially at risk of alcoholism or substance abuse. Like the other exuberant Jupiter sign of Sagittarius they find it hard to hit the brake pedal, but Sagittarians tend to do this in the spirit of joie de vivre, whereas Pisceans are more likely to drown their sorrows. Conversely, alcohol abuse in the family history can be the root of deep damage. The single most effective health remedy for this sign is to learn how to step out of victim role.
In the physical body Pisces rules the lymphatic system and the feet. Apart from injury problems include in-growing toenails, bunions or deformities from wearing ill fitting shoes in childhood. Many Piscean women in particular have a love affair with shoes, or hate them, the latter often arising from difficulty in finding anything to fit them properly.
In a nutshell: sensitive, empathic, artistic, addictive, instinctive, visionary.
TEXTBOOK PISCEANS
Glamourous, talented but troubled Elizabeth Taylor battled her way through multiple marriages and illnesses, alcoholism and prescription drug addiction. She also initiated many charity drives, including her own AIDS foundation.
Playwright Victor Hugo is best known for Les Misérables, the ultimate romantic drama of human suffering and redemption brought to the modern day musical stage. Over 1,000 other musical compositions have been inspired by Hugo’s works.
With his huge personality and theatrical style Steve Irwin, aka The Crocodile Hunter, turned his passion for wildlife into a global business. Tragically the sea was also his downfall as he died at the age of 44 from a stingray attack.
OTHER FAMOUS PISCEANS
As I commented in the weekly blog a couple of weeks ago there’s an extraordinarily long list of iconic thespians, artists, musicians, writers, composers and big thinkers born under this sign. Here are some of the big names I mentioned –
Einstein, Chopin, Johnny Cash, Elizabeth Taylor, George Harrison, James Taylor, Victor Hugo, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Copernicus, Galileo, Schopenhauer, George Washington, Nina Simone, John Steinbeck, Renoir, Sidney Poitier, Michael Caine, Julie Walters
NEXT WEEK’S BLOG
As we go into next week there’ll be no major aspects until next weekend, which is dominated by another triple act. This time it’s not a conjunction (all three in the same sign) but a tight formation between the Sun (in Pisces) Mars (in Aquarius) and Uranus in Taurus all arriving at 19 degrees of their respective signs. I’ll be exploring what this can signify, both at a personal level and out in the world.
This triple act is further underlined by falling less than 24 hours before the New Moon at 20 Pisces. So if you’ve got any natal planets or Angles at or very close to 19/20 degrees of the sensitive signs then next weekend carries themes of things like fresh starts or new arrangements, brought about by evolving circumstances or the arrival of a new face.
In this instance the most sensitive signs are the oppositions of Pisces/Virgo or Aquarius/Leo or Taurus/Scorpio.
Mercury will also be important next week with two major aspects to come, to Uranus at the beginning of the week and then to Neptune at the end of it, before changing sign just a few hours before the New Moon. Mercury will be moving into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, definitely underlining the theme of “newness” and even back to the drawing board clean slates.
Mercury is still moving at top speed and will be doing for another couple of weeks, but will then start the gradual slowing down in readiness for, you’ve guessed it, the next retrograde loop. Mercury will nearly get through the whole of Aries but in fact will get as far as 27 degrees and then turn back.
All of this translates into the fact that Mercury is going to be tracking a long and winding road through Aries until the middle of May. To put that in perspective, when this planet is at full speed he can whizz through a whole sign in about two weeks but when a retrograde loop is involved that becomes two months. What might this signify and how can we prepare for it?
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PISCES AS CHARITY WORK
Every year on the Full Moon in Leo (Feb) and the New Moon in Leo (August) the sign of the cat I do a lot of publicity around my fund raising for the sanctuary here on Lefkada. It is literally the ONLY place to take a sick or injured cat, and it’s run by one woman, Evie Soldatos.
The fundraiser for the cat sanctuary now stands at an amazing 2,900 Euros. This isn’t the current balance I hasten to add, but the amount raised over the last two years. Generosity this time around has been remarkable and an enormous amount of gratitude from Evie flowing our way, the difference this income is making is beyond words as of course the expenses never stop. There are over 40 cats up there as I write!
This is the last mention for the sanctuary for now but if you’d like to watch the progress of the fun, make a donation or do a share – can be very powerful btw – then here’s the link for you to save or forward:
https://gogetfunding.com/joanna-watters-for-cat-sanctuary-lefkas/
SUMMER SCHOOL IN GREECE 2024
Nidri, Lefkada
Destination Airport – Preveza (PVK), transfer time 45 minutes
And all of a sudden we’re into March! Historically flight prices are high in January and February, and that’s certainly been the case this year too. I’m watching the prices and waiting for them to come down, they always do. However, some students have found good package deals (flights & accommodation together) and the courses are filling up.
PLEASE DO NOT BOOK ANY ACCOMMODATION – SEPARATELY OR AS A PACKAGE – WITHOUT RUNNING IT BY ME FIRST. I NEED TO VOUCH FOR BOTH QUALITY & LOCATION.
Here are the links and the availability for each week. Do get in touch any time if you’d like to book a place, find out more information or ask any questions, no matter how small, we’re here to help.
All courses comprise 15 hours teaching time, and are held in the garden classroom in my own home. Transport to my house from your accommodation in Nidri is organized by me and included in your course fee of £375.00.
5 June – TAROT & ASTROLOGY with Joanna
5 of 10 places available
https://joannawatters.com/course/tarot-and-astrology/
12 June – QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS – HORARY ASTROLOGY with Elisabeth Brooke
4 of 10 places available
https://joannawatters.com/course/answer-questions-horary-astrology/
4 September – INTERMEDIATE ASTROLOGY – HOW TO DO READINGS with Joanna
5 of 10 places available
https://joannawatters.com/course/astrology-readings/
11 September – MEDIEVAL ASTROLOGY with Chris Mitchell
5 of 10 places available
https://joannawatters.com/course/medieval-astrology-secrets/
It’s been pointed out to me that not everyone is familiar with how Instagram works. It’s changed a lot since I first used it pre pandemic. I now use it from my desktop, which means loading a photo of your choice first and then adding text on the next page. So on any Instagram account you simply click on the photos to reveal the accompanying text.
You can now follow me on Instagram for free daily astrology posts –
https://www.instagram.com/joannawattersastrology/
You’ll also find these posts on my Facebook group The World of Astrology –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131108987086161
MOON IN CAPRICORN
Continuing the series of Moon signs you’ll find my write up on Moon in Capricorn next, but
MOON IN HER SIGN OF DETRIMENT
Note that any Moon – Saturn combination is tricky as signalled by their conflicting signs of dignity and detriment:
- The Moon is dignified in Cancer, Saturn’s sign of detriment.
- The Moon is in detriment in Capricorn, Saturn’s sign of dignity.
It is not always easy to connect with the real person behind this Moon. On the surface they are charm personified, often with an old-world type courtesy or chivalry. They listen intently and take a serious interest in everything you say. It is only when the conversation is over that you realize that they have volunteered virtually nothing personal. Feelings are markedly compartmentalized and some doors remained firmly closed and locked, even to themselves.
The textbooks would have you believe that these Moon people are cold, unfeeling and incapable of affection. This is a misrepresentation. More typically there is nearly always some early situation which, in some way, forced them to grow up too quickly.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova’s story is textbook. Her father embodied the parent as main carer (Moon) with ambition and responsibility (Capricorn) for their child prodigy, borrowing money to get them both to the US, and then slaving away at any job he could get. The absent mothering was a consequence of this as visa restrictions prevented Maria’s mother from joining them for two years.
My own clients include the man whose mother died when he was only 13, just as he was entering adolescence, and the woman whose “childhood” revolved around her mother’s alcoholism. Staying a child or learning intimacy skills tend to get delayed in such conditions. Choosing an older person as a life partner, especially the men, is a common occurrence for this Moon.
In a nutshell: private, honorable, self reliant.
CELEBRITIES WITH MOON IN CAPRICORN
I was struck by how many big names actually have this Moon and here are my top 20. Note how many of them have/had equally famous and respected partners. In the book section above I don’t actually refer to the physical appearance but, in the Sun in Capricorn section, I refer to the extremely common feature of angular faces and striking cheekbones. That doesn’t apply to everyone on this list but enough to be worth a mention –
- Amy Winehouse
- Brad Pitt
- Cher
- David Beckham
- Freddie Mercury
- George Clooney
- Greta Thunberg
- Indira Gandhi
- Johnny Depp
- Jon Bon Jovi
- Kate Hudson
- Melania Trump
- Michael Douglas
- Prince Albert of Monaco
- Prince George of Cambridge
- Reese Witherspoon
- René Angélil (was Celine Dion’s husband)
- Ryan Gosling
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Susan Sarandon