The Sun enters The Labyrinth of Pisces I on 18 February 2025 at 5:07 am EST. Associated in Hellenistic-era religious practices with Okeanos the husband of Tethys (Gemini I), and lord of the world-encircling ocean, Pisces I is suggestive of the idea of taking the long-way-round to get where you’re going, but getting there eventually. Austin Coppock named this decan the Labyrinth, but T. Susan Chang, noting its relationship to the Eight of Cups in Tarot, named it The Farthest Shore — knowingly or unknowingly referencing a fantasy book of the same name by Ursula K. LeGuin, about repairing the relationships between the inner and outer realms so that all the elements of life — individuals, families, households, communities, and even nations and societies may thrive. The Sun will take nine days, twenty-two hours, and twenty-four minutes (9d 22h 24m) to reach 10° Pisces and the start of Pisces II, The Net.
I’ve written about Pisces I before, in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
A friend of mine once pointed out that there are at least three ways to walk a labyrinth. A labyrinth, despite its associations with Knossos, the minotaur child of Minos and Pashiphae, the machinations of Daedalus, and the heroics of Theseus… today is understood as a single meandering path with one entrance and one exit. If you follow the path, you’ll find no deviations of left or right, no confusing crossroads. Instead (to walk the first way), you can enter at the proper place, and walk the long and meandering path to the center, allowing it to take you closer to the inner ring and then back out again, over and over, until you reach the center. After a time of meditation, you can spiral out again in the same way that you went in.
Or you can start at the gate, and walk the path to the center, and then stop. In many labyrinths, the path is simply a symbolic layout of bricks or stones on a grassy lawn or a formal plaza. Once you reach the center, you can simply step across the path to the outside as though you were simply outdoors. And finally — you can pretend that the labyrinth is not there at all, or recognize that it is merely a symbol. And you can walk across it, side to side, right through the middle or along one chord, without ever treating the meandering path as “proper” or “meet and right.” You can see its potential mystery as an unlikely and un-taken experience.
The ruler of the first decan of Pisces is Jupiter, but its administrator is Saturn. Since Saturn has the same kind of authority in the last decan of Sagittarius, and rules both the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius, Saturn has the longest single stretch of uninterrupted rulership in the Zodiac overall — a total of eighty degrees where he’s either the ruling planet or a decan administrator. If we count triplicity rulership too (and we should), we can add all of Sagittarius to that arc, marking out a full 100° of arc from 0° Sagittarius to 9° Pisces 59′. Since Saturn is so slow, it’s worth remembering that Saturn entered that arc in September 2015, and only left it in March 2024. The last year has been the first taste of a world in which Saturn has been peregrine or “wandering without portfolio or responsibilities”, in almost a decade.
How’s that feeling?
The Neoplatonist Iamblichus, writing about 300 CE, wrote at length about spirit-beings he called Archons (which is simply the Greek word for “ruler”), which he distinguished in significant ways from Archons presently in charge, implying that even among immortal and deathless beings like Archons, that there were some who had charge over the current moment, and some who didn’t. The current moment has something of that flavor of an archon stepping down after a long stretch of time in power, does it not?
For people who came to understand what hardship could really mean in the previous decade or so, it’s worth remembering that Saturn is harsh and difficult. Yet he’s also the ruler of boundaries and edges, the god of scaffolding and structures and institutions. Finally, he’s the keeper of eldership and hard-won wisdom. These feel like exactly the sorts of things that seem to be collapsing as Saturn moves on through Pisces, acting as though he’s on a much-needed vacation after a long time in office. As he travels, we can see that all sorts of beliefs, trusts, and reliances have been poorly placed on individuals and institutions who were unwilling — or unable — to take the pressure.
Okeanos has something of that flavor, too. A wild shape-changing Titan who lived out beyond the Pillars of Hercules, he makes only one strong appearance in Greek myth, in which Hercules (Cancer II) comes to his land during the tenth Labor, to seize the cattle of Geryon the grandson of Okeanos. Knowing Hercules’ errand, Okeanos flings great waves at the hero’s ship. But Hercules, being who he is, grabs the ocean-god and strangles the breath from him for a long time. In an effort to get free, Okeanos changes shape again and again, but is unable to frighten the hero into releasing his grip. Defeated, Okeanos surrenders and submits, and gives the hero safe passage to Geryon’s island where Hercules steals the cows. Like Saturn, Okeanos decides that it’s better to take some time off and let Geryon face his own challenges alone, than risk offending the mighty hero who will do what he wants — even if it’s nonsensical or stupid.
The dodeks of Pisces I are Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. They represent the challenge a person faces when their unexamined beliefs and philosophies are confronted by the fires of challenge and risk. The temptation of course is to dig in and refuse to move or bend — “the facts must bend to fit my beliefs!” cries the frustrated believer in the midst of crisis. Yet it is only the willingness to open one’s mind, and think new thoughts, that allows new life to flourish and for new and more relevant beliefs to be embraced.
House Delineations
The First House of self and self-presentation is Capricorn, ruled by a sextile Saturn in Pisces in the third house. Who you are is in part defined by who your closest friends, neighbors and allies are. You have the power and the influence to lead them, but you also must remember that the range of your leadership is local, relaxed, and easily limited.
The Second House of wealth and possessions is Aquarius, ruled by an inconjunct Saturn in Pisces in the third house, but hosting Pluto; and receiving ministerial support from detrimented Jupiter in Gemini. It’s a time for monitoring your wealth and credit and other instruments of wealth carefully; for attending to your vehicles, for washing and repairing your clothing carefully. Do these things daily.
The Third House of family and neighbors is Pisces, ruled by detrimented Jupiter in Gemini from the square; and hosting the Sun, Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune. Familial and neighborly matters are likely to be in some upheaval, and hard communication is unavoidable. Shine some light with rational care and honest speech on the problems of age and delusion within your own circles. It may be time to find the confusing blockages of misunderstanding, and dredge those channels of communication.
The Fourth House of home and household is Aries, ruled by exiled Mars from the square, and hosting Venus in her own term. Household matters are unstable and challenging. There may be arguments and contentions. However, ‘the good woman’ is in her element amid this uncertainty, and is likely to manage family affairs with grace and ease. Seek beauty, joy and warmth, and all may yet be well.
The Fifth House of pastimes and children is Taurus, ruled by inconjunct Venus and receiving ministerial support from an opposing exiled Moon and a sextile but exiled Mars — but also hosting Uranus and containing the Imum Coeli and Lot of Fortune. Contentment and joy are likely to be found through repetition of hands-on hobby activities rather than endless seeking of the new (or doom-scrolling). Helping children settle into standard routines may feel to them like counter-revolution, but it’s really trying to minimize pandemonium in their lives.
The Sixth House of work and labor is Gemini, ruled by Mercury in Pisces from the square, and hosting Jupiter in his own term. You’ll find your daily routines and efforts are improved by mental division of labor into ‘traditionally masculine or feminine’ tasks, but you shouldn’t spurn or refuse the work that’s done by a gender different than your own. See both home and workplace through the eyes of another person, and act on that perception to achieve more effective daily results.
The Seventh House of relationships is Cancer, ruled by the exiled Moon in Scorpio from the trine, but hosting exiled Mars by mutual reception. The idea of inviting a new person into your life is probably feeling right, right about now. Whether you’re currently single or contemplating an open relationship with a friend or acquaintance, though, there’s strong indicators that you haven’t talked it out nearly enough or understood what’s involved. Before you invite new people into your secret gardens, it’s worth examining if your garth is sufficiently well-tended to do that.
The Eighth House of responsibility and duty is Leo, ruled by the inconjunct Sun, and only receiving help from a detrimented Jupiter in his own term at the sextile. There’s a plodding dutifulness to your responsibilities and obligations this week — take things one day at a time, try to be both active in trying to complete your tasks, and receptive to shifts in scheduling.
The Ninth House of learning and travel is Virgo, ruled by opposing Mercury in Pisces. You’re going to have to stick close to home and study with a teacher to learn what you’re trying to learn; and lots of gallivanting around is likely to bring long-buried troubles and difficulties to the surface. Buckle down and watch that YouTube series to learn what you need to learn about spreadsheets, or sign up for that pottery class at the studio down the street.
The Tenth House of career and reputation is Libra, ruled by opposing, detrimented Venus in Aries in her own term. Bring down the axe on the sharp dividing line between “work” and “home”, and recognize where your priorities are. You may need the job, and to be honored in your workplace, in order to bring home the bacon — but bringing home the bacon and cooking it to your household’s preferred crispness, should be the priority this week. Don’t forget that.
The Eleventh House of allies and associates is Scorpio, ruled by trining, exiled Mars, in mutual reception with the present Moon (departing from the Lunar Apogee). There are some easy lines to cross this week when it comes to flirtatious and potentially sexual statements, but making those sorts of comments can get you in trouble with professional colleagues, more casual friends, and even with your spouse. Be wary of filling your cup too much with New romantic explorations.
The Twelfth House of obstacles and opportunities is Sagittarius, ruled by opposing, detrimented Jupiter in his term. Your daily errands and routines, and maybe some medical appointments will tend to get in the way of your long-range visions and plans. Remember to relax, yes — but also recognize that nothing of your big dreams gets done without a little extra “plan your work and work your plan” time.
Horoscopes by Rising Sign
Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.
I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.
Capricorn: You tend to want to be self-reliant, of course — but now’s the time to think about who’s in your squad, and how their capacities extend your own. You’ll need a visionary storyteller whose future dreams you respect, naturally; but you also need a hard nosed Gandalf type to keep their utopian imagination firmly grounded in reality. And you’ll need an effective communicator, who’s able to design a messaging system for helping people trace their way through the mazes of the next week, even in the dark. who’s on the team, and how will you lead them? Worth attending to any rising argument, too, between you and a significant other about people in your friendly orbit. Remember: not everyone you’re friendly with, is a friend. Some of your routine hobby-times may have to be rescheduled.
Aquarius: There will be tight restrictions on your money and resources in the next week, so plan carefully and keep an eye on those bank account balances. Be suspicious of billionaire efforts to pick your pocket, and think more like a rich peasant than an embarrassed aristocrat this week — show cunning in how you spend your money, and in how you shield it from prying eyes and hands. A boss or supervisor may have big plans for downsizing you or your colleagues, and it may be worth breaking a few norms to show up a rival or a foe. But be wary, for the same dirty tricks will be played on you! In some business environments your ethics will count for much; in others, that and a $5 bill will get you a cup of coffee. Know your environment and keep your guard up.
Pisces: The Sun comes today to your sign, bringing clear sight and powerful communication skills to bear on all other issues in your life — except self-reflection. Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune are all present, too, along with the North Node. It will be incredibly easy to say “I believe” for the next month: I believe I’ll have the cherry cheesecake. I believe I need to set better boundaries with this person. I believe this is a bargain. I believe this thing that everyone else is saying. It shouldn’t be an astrologer who tells you this, because all your serious friends will tell you that astrologers don’t know what they’re talking about… But don’t believe everything you hear or see this month. Test both the ordinary and the ridiculous with your own fact-finding. And if you must spend resources, spend them on what’s good for your household or family, not just yourself.
Aries: For this next week, never leave the house looking like a schlub. I mean, I know you don’t, right?? But all the same, bring your fashion A-game. Look your best, and serve that killer look. If you have two or more social engagements in the same day, one business and one social… change between them. Haircut needed? Maybe. Nails done? possibly. But see if you can rope a friend into these events as your sidekick. Make it better by getting a friend who can treat for you both. You’ll need to spend some time in the command chair at work this week, as well. Be careful that you don’t let your beliefs and desires override the long-term vision or the actual data, though, either in work or play. An argument at home should be treated seriously and honorably, but the temptation is to turn words into weapons.
Taurus: Check in with your kids and see to their contentment, but expect that there are still going to be some big feelings, and some big hearted instabilities, in their lives right at the moment. It’s up to you whether or not to step in and try to solve these challenges for them (as you would with a little one) or whether to advise and guide and then step back and let them do it for themselves (No Kids? take a look at how your routine pastimes are destabilizing other parts of your life, and ask what’s worth holding on to). A significant other is wrestling with complicated questions of kinship, and it’s easy to injure them either with words or with restrictions or boundaries. Examine your own partnerships, too, and see where rules and norms are being broken in painful ways.
Gemini: Financial matters may take a hit this week, but you can still afford to be generous in other ways, by how you hear and understand other people’s problems and how you reinvent your long-term plans for glorious possibilities. Your workplace will be struggling to articulate what it believes, and why, with the facts and figures in the spreadsheets not matching the wild possibilities explained on the company website. How can you help your own daily work advance, in secretive ways toward your own personal mission statement? How can you help your own intellectual abilities lead others toward their own aesthetic goals? Protect your team at work, but know that some family members far away are having trouble excavating their past history in useful ways.
Cancer: Several important others in your life may be bringing a lot of trouble into the house right at the moment — and making public what ought to be private, while keeping secret what should be the outward story. This may come in the form of a significant other revealing too much about your sex life; a work colleague promising shared resources without checking with you; a rival or an enemy turning one of your friends against you in spiritually challenging ways. Treat this as a learning experience, and address each one differently, with a mix of small and petty vengeances for minor infractions, or grand and overly toxic comebacks for major challenges. But maybe… just maybe? you should try nipping some of these in the bud with some honest communication with the loved ones in private. THEN you can open up full throttle on the outright enemies who think they can take you on. PS? They can’t.
Leo: You have duties and responsibilities looming over you, but they’re in the realms of resources that you share with others — your time, your advice, your guidance, and yes, perhaps, your cash. Yet these obligations may not be immediately visible to you, possibly due to the stories you tell yourself, the long and winding explanations of why this thing or that event is not really do-able right now, the limitations of age, or the frustrations of fulfilling your long term vision. Try instead to see what stories will allow you to go and do the things that are soul-filling, and try to cut through your own self-talk to do what will bring that happiness. And if your answer is “I have money troubles, I can’t right now”, please understand that the next 15-16 months will have a lot more objective money troubles coming your way, but the ones you have now are largely subjective and mental. Do the objective analysis, and figure out what you can do with what you have.
Virgo: Taking care of others is likely to bring a lot of trouble your way, so take the time to understand what kinds of “others” you’re likely to dig out of their own difficulties, and how they approach the world. Right now, there’s the hyper-rational and the queer folks, who are taking a long and winding road to try to understand their current situation and what they believe to be true about it. They’re OK with breaking rules, but their problem is that they’re going to want to talk about it, and that can bring allies your way but also bring new forms of professional difficulty. There’s the old and the insecure, who want what you have to offer but may need to call on you a number of times before they “get it”. And finally, there’s the wildly imaginative and conspiratorial, who will see and jump at every shadow. Over the next month, take the time to identify which is which among your significant “others”… and be prepared for all of them to show up in one person, sooner or later.
Libra: You’re being a professional about this, of course — but both your real aesthetic and obligations are at home, and you’re being judged daily on your ability to create beauty for your fierce and wild partners in this life, as well as your ability to cut through the bullshit at work on a daily basis. The challenge, of course, is in part the labor of every day, staving off illness and trying to keep your team content, while also imagining a future that looks different than it does now. Every day is going to bring new and exciting ways to live your life, but money matters may alarm you, and it’s hard to buy or beg happiness when your kids seem to be particularly needy and not contributing enough to match your familial expectations. Things will shift soon, but the hardship of getting there means recognizing where you’re not strong enough, and not simply asking but demanding help.
Scorpio: If you find yourself saying “let’s take a road trip!” then yes… but also, no? YEs, by all means take a journey of discovery. But if you have to break your usual rules and routines to do it… be cautious about letting your speech make plans for you without regard to consequences. Believe it or not you do have obligations to people, and your absence from leadership roles would be quite upsetting to important people in your life, as well as causing them difficulties in things like not having access to a car. That’s a great way to make small problems with your family or household into big ones. Now that the cautions are out of the way, though — go have fun. Just be aware that there are things you’ll learn before you even get out of the city limits that will cause second guesses and big visions to appear. Maybe you could find this creative boost just by going and doing your daily practice reliably, instead.
Sagittarius: Your graciousness, your power, your resources, are all very much being used for the care of others right now, and it’s appreciated — but it’s probably running you down at the edges, and bringing trouble and contention to your daily routines. Your pleasures and pastimes are being poorly managed for the sake of helping others, and home and family are consuming more time and setting more limitations on your life than you’d like — even when you’re doing things that you really believe in. So yes, break the rules a little, get cute with some of your friends, think about making something beautiful come to life, and don’t worry too much about getting shit about your career. Keep plugging away at the regular daily tasks, and hold down the expenses while you’re in the hot seat. Recognize that hearth and home have a lock on your heart and attention for a while, and light the fires in yourself that make that hearth worth coming home to.
Colophon
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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.
I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.
I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.
