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From mid-February to mid-March, the world can feel quiet as we collectively dip into hibernation. Months of bundling up and going to bat against snow, sleet, or storms can take a toll and stir us to lean into our imaginations, dreaming of a warm respite from the wintertime slog. We might also embrace escapism and all the opportunities to celebrate, from St. Patrick's Day to March Madness and the Jewish festival holiday Purim. This dreamy, dramatic, in-your-feelings season is brought to you by Pisces. Annually, between February 19 to March 20, the sun moves through the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac, Pisces, symbolized by the Fish.
Pisces season is a time for hazy thinking, getting caught up on Zs, and working through deep-rooted feelings that seem to dovetail with the gray skies that tend to fill the weather report this time of year. These traits are owed to Pisces' ruling planet, Neptune, which oversees spirituality, fantasies, escapism, dreams, intuition, psychic ability, and magic.
A few famous Piscean dreamers and artists: Rihanna, Drew Barrymore, Eva Mendes, Rashida Jones, Olivia Wilde, Emily Blunt, Lupita Nyong'o, and Rebel Wilson. These celebs are astrologically wired to channel their deeply-felt empathy and creativity into their work and efforts to promote compassion.
Here, everything you need to know about the emotional, expressive water sign.
Pisces Personality Traits
The artist of the zodiac
Those born between February 19 and March 20 can generally assume that their sun sign is Pisces. (It's not definitive, because the sun moves between signs on different days annually.) Also note that while we tend to refer to ourselves as our sun sign, it's just one detail of a natal chart, which is basically a unique snapshot of the sky when you were born. But it's a detail that helps color your core sense of self, identity, personal style, self-esteem, and confidence.
Typical sun in Pisces traits include being compassionate, romantic, artistic, intensely empathic, and sensitive. They're the obvious creatives of the zodiac; when they channel their emotions into their favorite art form, they feel more centered and enlightened. This could mean they're into, and perhaps even excel at, a wide variety of forms of creative self-expression — from dance to music to writing or reading poetry and acting on stage or screen. (In fact, astrology holds that the motion picture industry is a Neptunian realm.) And because they feel so very deeply and might struggle with blue moods, they might also be drawn to psychology and metaphysical or energetic practices (think Reiki, acupuncture, or aromatherapy). They also tend to have an innate psychic ability.
These characteristics reflect many themes covered by the Twelfth House of Spirituality, which Pisces rules. While some astrologers think of it as the "trash bin of the zodiac," because they say it encompasses everything that the previous 11 houses don't, it's a bit more nuanced and complex than that. It deals with your true, deep-rooted identity, your subconscious, and your spiritual side. It covers how you handle the hardest-to-heal emotional wounds that you're meant to work through and evolve from over the course of your life. It covers psychology, secrets, hidden weaknesses, private affairs, dreams, institutions, jails, and hospitals.
Compassionate, artistic, deeply emotional, especially empathic, at least a little bit psychic, and often inclined to throw themselves into caring for others at all costs, the Pisces in your life are some of the most magical people you'll ever come in contact with.
The mutable water sign
Every sign is assigned a quality (cardinal, mutable, or fixed), which explains the sign's basic energy. There's a cardinal, mutable, and fixed sign within every element (fire, earth, air, water). Pisces is the mutable one of the water group, meaning they are flexible, open to going with the flow, and typically willing to hear all sides of an issue before making a decision, much like Virgo (earth), as well as Gemini (air) and Sagittarius (fire).
Pisces’ best personality traits:
Compassionate, artistic, deeply emotional, especially empathic, at least a little bit psychic, and often inclined to throw themselves into caring for others at all costs, the Pisces in your life are some of the most magical people you'll ever come in contact with. When it comes to their artistic impulses, sensitivity, and spirituality, they're operating on a whole other level. (In fact, they might find they can't help but pursue a path as an unofficial or full-on professional psychic, astrologer, or medium.) They swim in the deep end of emotions and psychology as a rule, and whatever energy they're around, they tend to soak up like a sponge. This could mean they carry deep emotional wounds through life, but they also excel at channeling that pain into therapeutic, creative outlets. They're also true artists who tend to not only have a deep, lifelong appreciation of film, theater, dance, music, etc., but who can create it almost effortlessly, as if they were born with a special gift. They're the longtime friend whose shoulder you can sob on without any fear of judgment. And they're the healer who you seem to have found at precisely the right time, who intuitively understands what you're going through and whose warm, spiritual presence can feel like a soothing balm in and of itself.
Pisces’ worst personality traits:
The mutable water sign's empathic nature is a double-edged sword, as all of those deeply-felt emotions — many of them not even a Pisces' own — and harbored wounds can pile up, setting a gloomy tone. Prone to take a passive approach to life — versus feeling like they have the power to make things happen — the Fish might find themselves wading in the depths of hopelessness, despair, self-pity, and pessimism. And if they struggle to set boundaries, they might feel like they're constantly being taken advantage of for caring about and for others. They might be inclined to paint themselves a martyr. All of this can feed into a propensity toward problematic forms of escapism (like addiction or burying their head in the sand when there's a troubling issue that requires action on their part). Their Neptunian influence can also lead to a general spaciness, and they might struggle to accept or discern fact from fiction.
What Pisces Are Like in Love & Bed
Pisces’ romance style
If your date is sensitive, has a penchant for painting or reading poetry or writing screenplays, meditates, and is proposing that you check out a concert in the park versus going to a fancy restaurant, you might just be about to connect with a Pisces. The water sign is an old-school and intuitive romantic, which appeals to anyone who doesn't mind wading in the deep end of all the emotions.
If you're looking to connect with a Pisces in a lasting way, you'll need to be comfortable with the fact that they struggle to take charge and tend to embrace a quiet, more passive flow in life. On the other hand, their Neptunian style means wearing rose-colored glasses and sweeping you off your feet with their dreamy, idealistic perspective.
Pisces bring their body and spirituality into the bedroom — not to mention their desire to escape from reality. Taking in or creating art with their lover is another form of foreplay, as is spending any time near or in water.
Pisces’ sexual style
They'll be the first ones to suggest spending the weekend bingeing a favorite fantasy franchise (like Game of Thrones), wine tasting, experimenting with CBD mocktails (or lube), or planning a beachy getaway that feels like a time-out from the daily grind. Taking in or creating art with their lover is another form of foreplay, as is spending any time near or in water. And they might also adore setting the stage for lovemaking with a bit of pampering, like a couples' massage — complete with aromatherapy oils and energy-healing crystals, of course. And because of their mutable nature, they might enjoy taking the submissive role when experimenting with power play. Like all water signs, though, feeling emotionally in sync with their partner is an instant turn-on and a straight shot to fostering intense intimacy.
Pisces Compatibility
Wondering how Pisces matches up with your sign as a friend, a lover, a colleague, or in terms of any other one-on-one relationship? Here, their most harmonious partners, as well as conflict-triggering pairings:
Most compatible:
Signs that share the same element tend to be the most in sync (e.g. two earth signs, like Taurus and Capricorn). This is especially the case for two water signs, both of whom lead with their emotions.
Water is also traditionally compatible with earth, because the two elements complement one another. The two elements share certain attributes, like being loyal, service-oriented, and invested in nurturing their home life. That said, a Pisces often sparks with a fellow sentimental Cancer, deeply-feeling Scorpio, or similarly mellow Taurus.
Least compatible:
As with most of the zodiac signs, opposites can attract — and Virgo and Pisces often bond over being empaths who care almost too much for others (and perhaps one another) at times. This can make for a deep, otherworldly connection, but as watery Pisces is ruled by spiritual, dreamy, and escapist Neptune and Virgo is informed by Mercury and guided by facts, constant analysis, and concrete data, they might struggle against their core natures to get in sync.
Pisces is also square (the most challenging angle that can exist between two signs) curious Gemini and philosophizing Sagittarius. Unless they have other positive aspects in their natal charts, Pisces can respect the other mutable signs for their adaptability and a similar love of learning, but emotionally, Pisces might wince at Gemini's tendency to focus on surface-level matters and interpret Sag's unfiltered preachiness as insensitivity.
What If You Have Pisces Elsewhere in Your Chart?
As mentioned previously, the sun sign is one of many aspects of a natal chart. When you were born, the moon and all the planets in our solar system were in one of the 12 signs and a particular position — all of which help to inform your personality and areas of your life. Here's what it means if Aquarius shows up in any of the main areas of your chart:
Pisces Moon
The moon, which spends about two to three days in each sign, influences your emotions and intuition. If it was in Pisces at the time of your birth, you're a dreamer and idealist at your core. You might struggle to think rationally about how you feel, more inclined to get swept away by your emotions than to take a step back and observe them.
Pisces Mercury
Mercury, which spends about two to three weeks in a sign, shapes your communication style. If it was in Pisces when you were born, you are incredibly creative, warm, and empathetic when engaging with others. You're not one to get in the weeds of facts, figures, and details, instead preferring to let emotion lead the way.
Pisces Venus
Venus, which remains in a sign for about three to five weeks, influences how you behave in relationships and how you attract others. If you were born with the planet of love and beauty in Pisces, you have a sensitive, tender heart, are a true romantic, can't help but pick up on — and often even take on — other people's emotions, and you're driven to heal others with your relentless compassion.
Pisces Mars
Mars, which remains in a sign for six or seven weeks, affects your energy, strength, sexual style, and how you experience courage. If you were born while the fiery, dynamic, fighter planet was in mutable, watery Pisces, you prefer to take a chilled out, even passive approach when pursuing your desires. You'll likely dodge conflict, as you're pretty much the opposite of a fighter. But this could also mean you struggle to assert yourself and might benefit from self-work on hidden anger.
Pisces Ascendant (or Rising)
Your ascendant or rising sign influences how you present yourself to the world. As a Pisces ascendant, you come off as gentle, humanitarian, kind, empathetic, and creative.
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