The ancient Greeks, or at least the Greek diaspora of Alexandria and Egypt, looked to a spirit named Dolos at this time of year. It’s hard to know what Dolos stood for in their mindset, but he may have been a spirit much like the themes of Fat Tuesday in cultural Christianity and New Orleans today — the riotous excess of Carnival before the fast of early spring sets in. I have no basis for this in factual evidence, mind you — but Dolos’ name means falsehood, or something like trickery. A season of false spring before the true spring comes in? Perhaps.

The Sun enters is realm at 3:30 am EST on 28 February 2025, and remains there until March 10, 2025 — making ten days and 33 minutes.

Mythologically, Dolos’ story is that he was an apprentice to the Titan brothers Prometheus and Epithemeus, back in the elder days when they were fashioning the lesser spirits and mortal creatures out of the clay of earth. Epithemeus made the animals, and gave them all the gifts that Zeus had given to be shared among all mortal beings: claws and teeth for hunting, fur for keeping warm and camouflage, eyes and ears to sense in the dark. Prometheus had nothing to give humans, so he gave them cunning and endurance. But when it came to the junior deities, Prometheus crafted those with especial care. Among them he made a beautiful goddess, whom he named Aletheia, or “Truth”. While the master was away, though, Dolos crafted an almost perfect copy.

There was something wrong with the copy’s feet, though — and Prometheus, seeing this beautiful statue for the first time, named her Analetheia, or Falsehood. Who can tell them apart, so alike they are!? You can only tell them apart, it’s said, by their feet… but is that because Falsehood has run ’round the world twice before Aletheia has put her shoes on? Or is that because Analethia’s gait is crippled and limping while Truth walks with steadfast surety?

Only Dolos and Prometheus know for sure. The apprentice and master breathed life into both goddesses, fired them in the kiln, and they continue to preside over some kinds of mortal affairs even today.

Austin Coppock named this decan The Net, after the Net of Indra. The Hindu deity fights with a net rather like some ancient Roman gladiators, but his net sparkles with faceted diamond beads sewn onto every knot. When he throws it over his enemies, they don’t know whether they are transported to a glittering palace, or if they’re caught in a trap. Either way, they usually stop struggling, so dazzled by the wonders around them. T. Susan Chang called it Fishes and Wishes, noticing its associations with the 9 of Cups in the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck — which depicts a wealthy man seated before a display of his golden chalices, showing the satisfaction of someone whose wishes have come true.

Yet the association with Dolos urges us to approach this season with caution. This decan represents trickery afoot, and the Net is not simply mythological these days — a net of trickery and deceit wraps our planet in filaments of gossamer glass, copper, and more. Sure, we call it The Internet, but should we understand it as “the world’s information at our fingertips”, a Library of Alexandria 10,000 times over? Or should we understand it as the “firehose of propaganda delivered to our face”, the imperial archons informing us that we’ve always been war with Oceania, and that senator Palpatine had to become emperor because of those tricksy-tricksy and evil Jedi?

Whose footing is sure in a time and place like that? Aletheia? Or Falsehood?

The dodeks of Pisces II are reiterations of Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Libra — mirroring or mimicking the experience of someone about to tell a lie or at least bend the truth a little. Cancer represents the feeling that that telling the truth would not benefit one’s self-interest at this time, while Leo roars out the lie with a powerful performance. Virgo analyzes the mendacity as it is spoken, and Libra re-balances it so that its components are more believable and sells it more thoroughly to the skeptical audience.

House Delineations

Due to the presence of the stellium in Pisces, pay special attention to third house matters this week: neighbors, siblings, extended family, close personal friends, and the landscape of your community.

The First House of self and self-presentation is Capricorn, ruled by sextile Saturn in Pisces in the third house — and he is besieged by Sun and Moon, and Mercury and Neptune. Issues of aging family members, either dead or dying, may consume your waking thoughts in troubling visions. Communicate your family’s needs to siblings and relatives clearly — shine a light on behaviors that don’t work, and hold up a vision of a better version of aging for your neighbors and friends.

the Second House of wealth and property is Aquarius ruled by inconjunct Saturn in Pisces in the third, and hosting Pluto in its early degrees. Only trining Jupiter of its triplicity rulers is in a position to assist — take every problem day by day… or, as Ann Lamott wrote, bird by bird. Admit appropriate friends and relatives to your confidences, and hybridize your approach to the day’s problems with a mix of thoughtfulness, self-command, and receptivity to rational opinion. Avoid giving free rein to fantasies not grounded in fact when it comes to your wealth.

The Third House of siblings, relatives and neighbors is Pisces. Although ruled by squaring Jupiter, it’s hosting a stellium of the Sun, Moon, Saturn, Mercury and Neptune — putting your relationships with family, friends, and neighbors at center stage, and dragging your self, your property, your spouses and significant others, your travel, and your daily routines into the game as well. No part of your life is likely to be untouched this coming week.

The Fourth House of family and household is Aries, ruled by squaring and exiled Mars in Cancer but hosting detrimented Venus in her own term. Household matters are likely to be in uproar, and the main bloodline of your family will require your active participation to play diplomat, creative confidant, and ambitious beloved to the important people under your roof. Love is often shown through heat: the heat of the marriage bed, the heat under dinner cooking on the stovetop, the heat in the fireplace, the heated argument. Passions are likely to run high this week, but matters are best addressed by separating them into individual issues, and loving those issues with your whole self until they resolve.

the Fifth House of pleasures, pastimes, and children is Taurus, ruled by inconjunct Venus in Aries and currently hosting Uranus and the Imum Coeli. What we desire and what we get to have this week are often two different things: material comfort is likely to be far from us; establishing a Stoic attitude toward discomfort is likely to bring greater rewards than mere complaint. However, eremitic austerity and monastic self discipline may be a game you play but they’re unlikely to be as fulfilling as you like. Shake up your sacred routines!

The Sixth House of work and illness is Gemini, ruled by squaring Mercury in Pisces, and hosting a detrimented Jupiter as a triplicity ruler. Additionally, the two planets are in mutual reception, honoring one another. All work done for the benefit of your family and household is likely to prosper, especially if it is aimed at health and healing. Old and difficult patterns of thought are likely to be flushed out by new and fresh waters of deep ocean re-awakening the tidal places of your life, and fresh breezes are blowing.

the Seventh House of partnerships is Cancer, ruled by the trining Moon in Pisces and hosting a detrimented Mars in the Sabian degree of the hen and her chicks. Like a drill sergeant, Mars stands guard over the cowardly platoon not yet hardened to the rigors of the fight — and the Moon provides appropriate and gentle encouragement for the challenges ahead. Remember that whether it’s a business or a romantic partnership, that you two have to be on the same page with regard to children, with familial dramas, with the current issues of health and healing. Have one another’s backs.

The Eighth House of obligations and tedious duty is Leo, ruled by the inconjunct Sun in Pisces. It’s almost less important to do any of your tasks, than to be seen to be doing your tasks. Step into the work you must do in a way that others see you doing it and living up to your honors and responsibilities. Accept that no mortal obstacle is truly insurmountable, but that there are some foes (like Death) that can only be held back and delayed a time. Find joy in doing the work of the errand-boy and the ambassador alike.

the Ninth House of travel, religion, and learning is Virgo, ruled by opposing Mercury in Pisces. Your long-distance travel plans are likely to be foiled by family and neighborly drama closer to home. Allow the border crossing to fade from your mind and attention for now, and delay your appearance at the graveside or your arrival in the lecture hall.

the Tenth House of profession, career, and reputation is Libra, ruled by opposing Venus in Aries where she is in detriment (but currently in her own term). Your career depends on an active and lawful marketplace — and the market for your services is troubled by rule-breakers and lawlessness that is uncontained. Focus on delivering your services to familial needs though those may be unstable and frequently changing.

The Eleventh House of friends, allies and associates is Scorpio, ruled by trining Mars in detriment in Cancer. There are secrets about your relationship that you should not be broadcasting to friends; and secret desires that you shouldn’t be holding out hope for. It’s not a good time to open your marriage or cheat, even if the desire is there. Similarly, it’s not a good time to fight with a spouse about the quality of the company they keep.

the Twelfth House of obstacles and opportunities is Sagittarius, ruled by opposing Jupiter in detriment but acting as triplicity ruler. The key obstacles of your life, and its locked opportunities, all pass through the limiting logic gates of hospital procedure, bank regimen, or legal protocol at the moment. Each key must be turned in the proper order to secure release of funds or unbind prisoners or release the suffering invalid. In all such cases, patience is the critical virtue that turns the con- (whether -valescent or -vict or -sumer) into a hale and whole citizen.

Horoscopes

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.

Due to issues in my life, I’m making these horoscopes free to the general public this time.

Capricorn: You’re likely to experience a shift this week from believing you’re in an easy-going life to feeling betrayed and oppressed by circumstances beyond your control. Personal resources are likely to be strained by new familial responsibilities. You can criticize and rail against those circumstances, but you still have to accept them — argument with spouse or significant others may follow, but you should resolve them by doing what’s best for family. Expect disruptions to your hobby schedule, and changes in how you manage your children. Do your best to treat employees and subordinates on your team with gracious leadership. Diminish your commitment to learning new skills in favor of teaching others.

Aquarius: You’ll look around you at how other people engage in leisure and patience, and find this unacceptable. How dare people relax when there’s work to be done? You are the new owner, or at least manager, of new resources and newfound powers — but you have a lot of new obligations dumping challenges into your life as well, and a painful range of daily actions that require your attention. How dare people relax around you?? Lean on family members diplomatically and call upon both elders and kids for fountains of hidden wisdom. You may benefit from getting a significant other to set your schedule and manage your money and time while you sort through the task list ahead of you.

Pisces: Big things will begin for you personally with so many planets in this one sign, and — as many planets here are facing their last conjunction with the Sun — you may find that you’re addressing some issues for the last time. For parents of young children, you may be nearing the time when you will last lift your child from the floor to cuddle them off the ground; for the children of aging parents, you’re nearing the time when you’ll hug them goodbye in the flesh for the last time. For some people, you may be in between those stages and it will still be “the last” something — a last slice of coffee cake with a beloved aunt, the last fight with a sibling before a long period of silence. This may sound ominous… BUT it’s also the beginning of a long series of firsts as new opportunities arise and new friendships and neighborly relationships appear. Be open to the vision that both present to you — a range of firsts, and a range of lasts. You never know which is which until you open your eyes and see with more than just your eyes.

Aries: Household and family require a light touch, creative endeavors, connective and well-networked diplomacy… and a fierce desire to rule the roost. There’s trouble at home, and with a significant other — but at least it’s out in the open. Expect that the symptom of the problem is what money is there and available… but that the larger issue is one of respect and how negotiations around wealth and resources are conducted, and how you build your rainy-day fund for six months of trouble. A vast range of conversations get tied into the money question by recent and ongoing upheavals — questions about health care and legal troubles, the presence or lack of a safety net, and (truly) the troubling intersection of religious zeal and cultish devotion to the unscrupulous and the venal. Trust a queer relation’s intellect more than you obey a money-minded friend. Be wary of the company shindig.

Taurus: Your usually calm life is in upheaval. In the near future you’ll have a choice to stay or go; and your relatives may be driving you nuts even if you’re finally in the “inner circle” or allowed at the “cool cousins’ table.” Financial matters are in flux and your thought processes are both valued and generous but a vast number of friendships should be seen as affected by an unusually high tide — some may get washed away in the flood, and others may become a new kind of life-long friend. It’s your choice how to be involved with a significant other’s family and relations, but it requires a kind of cold patience rather than a forceful drive to achieve results. Hold the vision of the glorious future ahead, and be the messenger for that better life beyond… but recognize that plodding rationality and emotional fretfulness can both take a little longer to get where you already are.

Gemini: It takes a synthesis of complex forces to bring your big-picture thinking to bear on the kinds of detail-oriented problems you currently face on a daily basis. But you have enough of a hold on the mission and vision that you can provide subordinates with the appropriate level of detail. IT falls to you to explain the financial picture to others, though — and you can expect the fighting with peers or partners (business or romantic) to be a little fierce. Remember that people may argue about money, but what they’re really arguing for is respect and the right to have their opinions heard and honored, and to be seen as being trustworthy and worthy of honoring with both secrets and value; hoarding information, as well as dollars, will land you in considerably more trouble this week than hiding either alone. Accordingly, use your speech as a kind of weapon to get what you want: dole out clear information where you can’t give cash; provide people with obvious leadership and honesty where austerity bites. You can expect that there will be limitations and austerities and someone’s ship is going to be sitting on sand when the tide goes out. Are you going to help everyone row to deeper waters NOW, or are you going to throw people overboard to make the hull lighter? Storms are coming, though: you might need every extra pair of hands you’ve got. Share the pain: row harder, together.

Cancer: Relationships, and their challenges, are likely to be much on your mind in the coming days, with the nature of what is normal between partners turned upside down. In your peer-to-peer connections, you may find that what is ordinarily private is public, and what is ordinarily public is out of sight and out of mind. Travel plans may be difficult to develop and execute, and staying in your home range may prove both challenging and necessary. Loose lips sink ships, as the World War II poster said … and incautious talk may reveal more about your sex and love life to your friends than you or they find comforting; expect your associates to bring contentment but also some overly religious or moralizing priggishness. Still, you may be the voice of a calm and emotionally soothing voice of reason in a tumultuous job situation. You can be the one to calm the assembly, if you take the lead.

Leo: It’s a time of errand-running and completion of obligations for you, and the weight of these responsibilities is likely to lie heavily on you in ways that are difficult to see and process. Mostly it may feel like watching allies and peers and even significant others spending money that you know you don’t have, and feeling the pinch every time an extra penny is added to the tab. There are heavy conversations with friends to be had, and they’re likely to be about all the things that matter: your neighborhood, your familial history, your emotional center, the stability of your mental process. Job questions may be up in the air; there will be questions about whether your’e really qualified to do the job you do now, despite the crowning excellence of your endeavors (especially if you work from home. Everyone will seem to be gunning for your side-gigs and secret stashes of resources. Remember to break the rules when it comes to friends this week: take help from those who you know ought to be giving it.

Virgo: Have you got travel plans? What about your significant other’s local errand-running? Your partner’s food truck or traveling grill-master set-up? One way or another, it may be a good time to excavate and examine your own preconceived notions about where you’re going and what sorts of plans you have for learning new skills. Close to home is likely to be a hot and heavy place to be in the next ten days, with a lot of shifting allegiances and emotional turbulence as new patterns emerge. You probably have normal rules around how to keep money and resources marketable and fungible… but it may be useful to think about how to mushroom your resources from solid but steady to widely distributed and able to sprout new resources. Your intellectual leadership in your professional life could use a good injection of big-picture thinking, but it’s likely to come from explaining yourself to a close family friend.

Libra: Professional matters in your life require breaking a rule here and there in pursuit of real fairness, but it may be necessary a) to keep a log, and b) to create your own clarity about why and how. Just be careful; your journals can and may be used against you some day in a court of law… but they may vindicate you in public opinion, too. The daily labors of your life are likely to be heavy, and the fires of passion in your relationships may experience a fair bit of cool-down and argument as money-matters intrude on bedroom and candle-lit restaurant table. On the other hand, travel plans and learning programs are likely to lead to better opportunities, and tactful sensitivity to a partner’s frustrations may bring … spicy reconciliations.

Scorpio: Don’t let your tongue wag or your speech get you into more trouble than you can handle… especially in places where patience and quiet dignity will get you farther, like the TSA line or a security check-point in a public building or corporate office park. Carry your documents in obvious places, and be obliging and compassionate where necessary: “thank you for checking.” I know you can get into a swivet over official or officious inquiries into your business… but in the immortal words of numerous legal advisories, when dealing with cops shut the fuck up. BUT — pay attention to that pile-up of planets in Pisces, your fifth house of pleasures and children… that’s pregnancy weather, kids, and if you don’t plan on making babies, wrap that willy, please, or play in other ways. Old souls reborn and first-timers alike become visionaries and martyrs under skies like these — but they’ll be hell to parent. If you feel you must give birth, it’s a great time for visionary art of your own, but remember that not every canvas must be so gothic and dark — it’s a time for letting in the light through the crack.

Sagittarius: Legal challenges, hospitals, and a sense of hard limiting factors placing boundaries on your life may be observed in coming days, and it will be difficult to win free of them. Each choice you make these days has economic implications, both for your household and your extended family. All eyes are on you and expecting you to fail in some way or to be countermanded, while hoping beyond hope that you succeed. The truth is that resources long stored can rust away from lack of use — and the time has come to take out what has been put away, and put it to good work. Your house is likely to be a cycling series of family members wishing well and bringing unexpected difficulties, but pleasure and happiness will come into places where it’s long been absent. Give your significant other(s) important tasks and trust that they can make good decisions. Know that the troubles will end, but there will be difficulty in getting away from it all for a while yet.

Colophon

You can hire me for a consultation.

I have a Patreon account for those who want to support this column as it starts its sixth year. Those funds support artists, artisans and thinkers that I regard as contributing to the well-being of the world. You can also buy me a Ko-fi in $3 increments; any column I write after receiving a Ko-Fi donation will be open to the public). .

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.