On March 10, 2025, at 4:05 am EDT, the Sun will enter the third decan of Pisces, administered by Mars under Jupiter’s rulership — powerful and almost militant ambition leashed and restrained by a normally generous and magnanimous civilian authority. Yet it should be remembered that Pisces, being a night sign, is Jupiter at his most lascivious, most erotic, most lusty. The Sun will be here until the Spring Equinox on 20 March 2025, marking out ten days, no additional hours, and just fifty-seven minutes.
Back in the 1900s, members of the Hermetic Order of Golden Dawn associated the last Decan of Pisces with the 10 of cups in the tarot. Pamela, Coleman Smith painted it as a rainbow in the sky, with 10 cups shining in the rainbow band. Under heaven’s height, stands a castle on a hill and on the plain below the castle, happy adults children play in celebration of a life well-lived.
The ancient Greeks, perhaps being wiser about this than a bunch of stuffy British Tory men with peculiar ideas about the nature of magic, assigned this time a rather different set of themes. For them, it was the season of two deities, Elpis and Maia. Elpis was the spirit of Hope, sent to trouble mankind along with numerous other ills and evils in Pandora‘s jar. Maia, the goddess of memory, was the mother of Athena and gave birth to her magnificent adult daughter as an adult inside the head of Zeus.
The 10 days of Pisces, for the Greeks, were also the season in which the Lesser Mysteries of Eleusis were held: this is the Telling, the ceremonial speaking of the sacred story of Persephone, Demeter, and Hades, in which would-be initiates were introduced to the specialized vocabulary and ritual actions of the Greater Mysteries 18 months later. Here in the world of mortals, the goal was to remember clearly and specifically what must be done in the worlds below, in order to secure eternal life in the brilliant realms beyond that dreary and ghostly existence — and ultimately to return again to the challenges, joys, and complexities of mortal life. This is the season in which we learn to have grief at the events of our mortal past, while holding out hope for our immortal future. Thus, it should not escape our notice that Muslims are in Ramadan already, that Jews are preparing for Passover, that Christians are in the midst of Lent. The themes of mortal grief and immortal hope are strongly wrapped in this time of year at the end of winter. Will this be the year? Or will we live to see the lilac bloom again? Will the acanthus flourish under the gravestone?
Greek myth is pretty clear: Maia (Latin), or Mnemosyne (Greek)is a goddess-wife of Zeus, and mother not only of Athena but also of the nine Muses. But Elpis, Hope, is a demon, sent to trouble mankind. The wording may be quite specific, as well: too many men seem to be burdened with irrational hope, that things will work out fine for them, that they will rise to the top despite mediocrity, that they deserve to sit in the thrones of the mighty, and not be cast down from them. Women seem far more clear-headed, especially to me these days. They’re more rational, and tuned to facts on the ground; yet many men will not listen to their opinions, or shut them out of councils and committees, while they themselves make dumb decisions or mistake opinion for fact.
Mars is the ruler of this Decan — the one that Austin Coppock called The Cup of Blood, and that T Susan Chang called The Rainbow Unwoven. The lidded chalice carried in the Tarot by the queen of cups, seems to be relevant to me right now. In the story of Pandora, the gods intended to punish mortals for accepting the gift of fire from Prometheus. Zeus made a mortal woman, Pandora, whose name means all gifts. She was given a box (some versions say a jar) with instructions not to open it. According to the story, curiosity got better of her and she opened it anyway. I think we can take a leaf from the bumper sticker that says “Eve was framed” and realize that Hermes must have come to her and tricked her into opening the box. Mortals are curious, but not stupid: it takes a persuasive deity, and the malice of Zeus himself to tempt us into an idiocy so plainly spelled out. “Don’t eat that apple!” Elpis alone, only hope, remained in the jar, safe from the predations of other forces. Was hope sent to trouble us, or to preserve us in times of indignity? Apparently, only Memory can tell us for sure: we must look back in time carefully and take inspiration from the past that the future will go on — and we must labor in wild and perhaps forlorn hope the current evils will pass speedily away.
The dodeks of Pisces III are Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius, representing something of the man who suddenly becomes fixated on getting a tattoo from a specific artist (or some other sort of rare and specific wonder), but almost immediately regrets it The first dodek (Pisces 20° to 22° 29′) is Scorpio-in-Pisces, representing someone who comes into wild hope or desire that something he wants is achievable and desirable, with a deep intensity. The dodek of Sagittarius-in-Pisces (Pisces 22° 30′ to 24° 59′) is that of the targeted and deliberate actions and activities that the person undertakes to achieve this desire. The dodek of Capricorn-in-Pisces (Pisces 25° to 27° 29′) represents something of the hoarding of beliefs and the grasping and manipulative powers employed to hold on to our desires, while the dodek of Aquarius-in-Pisces (Pisces 27° 30′ to 29° 59′) represents the reluctant self-critique of “why did I want that anyway? what good did it do me?” This is the rising awareness that maybe what was sought was not quite right, and taken into the self with too much hastiness.
House delineations
The First House of self and self-presentation is Capricorn, ruled by sextile Saturn in Pisces. The Ascendant is in the middle decan The Pyramid promising oppressive thoughts and oppressing actions — for all the talk about do not obey in advance far more people than anyone would like are prepared to go with the flow to maintain their current status and stature… and to keep others in their place. Even if you know that you’re doing it, you may be helpless to prevent it this week.
The Second House of wealth and resources is Aquarius, ruled by inconjunct Saturn in Pisces, and hosting Pluto in the first decan and term. It will be easy to critique and study your habits of wealth management and use of resources, and to examine with suspicion how your money is used and expended, but you are likely to discover how embedded you are in patterns beyond your control. You may want to limit the funding of billionaires or limit your dependence on unjust financial systems — but breaking free may require more dedication and commitment to the work than you’re ready to take at this time.
the Third House of siblings and extended family or neighbors is Pisces, ruled by squaring Jupiter in detriment in Gemini. The Sun prepares to conjunct Saturn on 11 March 2025 at 6:10 am EDT. Self-discipline and an increase of your personal authority will be required vis-a-vis your neighbors and relatives. Don’t expect them to yield authority easily. You may still need to take emotionally taxing decisions for the sake of financial imperatives.
The Fourth House of family and household is Aries, ruled by squaring Mars in Cancer, and hosting Mercury conjunct retrograde Venus in her own term in Aries in the first decan. Family matters and household management require humanity, aesthetics, communication, and specific clarity about what to keep and what to use up or give away. Everything takes longer than it should. Women — consider working to re-establish friendly relations with the “black sheep” of your family, your queer or LGBTQ+ relatives and the weirdoes. You need them on your side; be prepared to grovel a little. And queer relatives — be a little skeptical of relatives seeking detente: there’s a boundary between the sincere and supercilious.
The Fifth House of pleasures, pastimes and your children is Taurus, ruled by inconjunct Venus in Aries, but hosting Uranus; trining Mars and squaring Moon act as triplicity rulers. scheduled amusements for yourself, routine errands for your kids, and romantic nights with a significant other are all likely to face some upheaval. Making plans for six months out is likely to bring some contentment, but be prepared to accept that current social agendas are both in disarray and beyond your control to restore.
The Sixth House of work, employees and pets is Gemini, ruled by sextile Mercury in Aries about to conjunct Venus in her own term; and hosting Jupiter in his detriment but acting as a triplicity ruler. There is a substantive amount of daily business that requires hard thinking, whether about arranging pet care, managing assistants and servants, or solving problems with lots of details through application of big-picture thinking. You’re likely to have time to think to yourself, “why me?” or “Why do I have to do this, I don’t wanna!” But no one can solve these problems except you, working diligently day to day. Keep at it.
The Seventh House of relationships (romantic) and partnerships (business) is Cancer, ruled by the inconjunct Moon and hosting an exiled Mars. Your emotional life is currently out of sorts and you and your partners may be on opposite sides of important issues. You may be hiding information from one another — sometimes because you’re angry, and sometimes because you’re physically apart. Be aware that the hedge or fence around the “secret garden” that you and your spouse or business partners share may be cut down or heavily trimmed, but it may not be by your own choice. Challenging circumstances among your friends or family members may be breaching the container beyond your ability to control, but it’s not necessarily the fault of you or your partner.
The Eighth House of tedious duties and obligations is Leo, ruled by the inconjunct Sun in Pisces about to conjunct Saturn for the last time in Pisces. Your expertise as an emotionally centered and capable person are likely to be on display in the coming week, and you’re being judged on your ability to remain in a state of equilibrium and poise. Be aware that it’s not your own cause that you’re advancing this coming week, but the needs and expectations of others which are your guiding standards. Do your best to help others achieve their aims, and your most difficult and important tasks will still help you shine.
The Ninth House of learning, travel and religion is Virgo, ruled by the inconjunct Mercury. None of the triplicity lords are well placed to offer much assistance with writing, with therapeutic or confessional ends, with achieving the aims and objectives of study or higher learning, or helping you achieve the goals of spiritual attainment. You may often be stuck in the mud, both literally and metaphorically, and the terrible stench of rot and death may seem to cling to all your endeavors. Teachers and advisors are likely to be helpful to you, but it’s best to seek them closer to home than by haring off on pilgrimage to strange shrines.
The Tenth House of career, profession, reputation and public honors is Libra, ruled by opposing Venus in Aries in detriment but in her own term. There are of course rules and guidelines in your profession, and expectations, but some of the links and connections between these systems may need to be broken or at least bent for the sake of your family needs. Upholding the unspoken rules and assumptions of your household are going to be more important than following the written code of your professional guidelines… but at the same time, recognize that there’s a difference between bending and breaking; and between doing, and getting caught.
The Eleventh House of friends and associates is Scorpio, ruled by trining Mars in exile in Cancer. Mind your P’s and Q’s around friends, and be aware of the ways that words can be turned into weapons — and the ways that your acquaintances’ chance remarks can wound your more essential relationships, such as with a spouse or a business partner. Loose lips sink ships, said the World War II poster, and it’s worth remembering that some ships are relational. Replace every part of the Ship of Theseus, and it may still be a similar vessel… but can the same be said of your partner?
The Twelfth House of loneliness, isolation, challenge and opportunity is Sagittarius, ruled by opposing Jupiter in detriment, acting as a triplicity ruler of an Air sign. The triplicity rulers Saturn and Mercury form a square or trine from the houses of primary and extended family — promising strictures and complex communications during a process of hospitalization, confinement or limitation during difficult times. Problems multiply on a daily basis that are difficult to resolve and require hybridized solutions.
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.
Capricorn: One of your neighbors may be trying to erase a boundary line, while another may be trying to erect one — my dad once had to contend with one neighbor trying to tear down a historic and protected stone wall while another was building a fence twelve feet over the property line. Plan to defend what’s yours with a mix of diligence and critique of the methods of others. You’re unlikely to have much success traveling abroad with so much to do at home; mend fences with careful and precise division of major issues at home into immediately solvable and requiring extra support. Cancel hobby time to make space for solving big daily problems; expect at least one blow-up with a significant other, and some emotional baggage to be unpacked suddenly.
Aquarius: Financial matters occupy your attention, with anxieties and nightmares about how the money going out is greater than the money coming in. The swiftness with which the tide runs against you is likely to be stressful and alarming. The best cures for the frightening visions is a deliberate calculation of facts: run a ‘net worth’ examination: car, bank accounts, house, other property. Recognize the ways that you’re trapped in the existing economic systems, and that you benefit from those self-same systems. Ask your family for help, too and recognize that assistance may come from unexpected quarters. You may also benefit from filling your own children in on the big picture. The daily labors may be hard; seek emotional connection to a spouse or significant other.
Pisces: Familial matters, or boundary-setting with neighbors, may be much on your mind over the next ten days. It will be easy to feel trapped in a realm where every life challenge feels worthy of meltdown. Yet facing facts — that you may need to be closer to home, that some of your far off adventures or searching for higher knowledge may not be worth the trouble (right now). Some delay of your long-term plans may be worthwhile. A careful study of your aesthetic — what it costs and why you like it, in both words and numbers as well as a mood board — may be a worthwhile endeavor. Think about the big picture for your home on a daily basis, and put things where they belong. If you’re a man, think about what a woman needs in place to make your house into her home; if you’re a woman, what parts of your home may make him feel uncomfortable at ill at ease. If you have children, expect at least one serious argument with them this week, but try to keep it out of public view.
Aries: Household matters require expertise and diplomatic communication — clarity and peace, rather than beautiful contention, should be the order of the day; even private argument behind closed doors may not be ideal (though you want it). The Indian guru advises that an elephant should be eaten in small bites, a little at a time; and a war is made of many little battles and skirmishes. Your long-range vision for your extended family is likely tied up in knots at the moment, and your financial picture is in some turmoil. Remember that luxuries and pleasures, no matter how essential they seem, should often go. Great American chefs like Anthony Bourdain have elevated peasant cooking to a fine art; you can too. A friend may ask for money, but the terms are unfavorable to lend it — you may not want to be the needy friend envying someone else’s bank account, either.
Taurus: Your spouse’s family is likely driving you mad right now, as issues of money and resources play out on a more public stage in unpredictable ways. Your own friends are likely to rush in to help, but they’re also going to wind you up with nightmare scenarios. Focus on facts, and be diplomatic and coy about where and how you spread stories. Your own proficiencies will be on display this week in household management, but you still can’t do everything; be mindful of which projects you choose to prioritize. Be a good manager of your own funds on a daily basis, but recognize how the eyes of the world on on what you do, and how you say what comes to mind. Find contentment in your own life, but be prepared to travel on short notice.
Gemini: “One foot in front of the other” may be a useful mantra as you go about your daily routines. A task-list that you can cross things off and throw them away as you finish them may also be useful. Your finances are likely to take a hit this week, possibly as a result of a significant other’s spending on your shared garden — though it’s as likely to be new sheets for the bed as a new hedge-trimmer. Restrain the argument — sometimes the hardest thing is to accept comfort, or to learn to expend resources for the sake of ease. A family member may shine a spotlight on how your emotional life is out of whack — but this may come from dredging up old family crap. Your professional workplace may be hit with terrible visions of austerity, but try to shine a light on harsh facts, that money sometimes must be spent to make money, and that zeal for cost-cutting is also inattentive corner-cutting, too: don’t cut an essential power line while trimming those bushes!
Cancer: My mother used to say that men talk about their careers, while women talk about The Relationship. Whether you’re a he, she, or they — the Relationship (with your business partner, spouse, significant other, or even rival), may be the first and most important conflict of the next ten days. Are you nursing a grudge, or nursing a wounded partner back to health? How does this affect your financial life — and your emotional reserves? How do they expect you to show up for them right now, and how does that enrich your own intellectual or emotional capacities? What are you learning about yourself from these challenges? From whom are you seeking advice as you navigate this process? You may make your reputation for discretion and tact at work this week, as you moderate the communications strategies of others, but be prudent in picking what battles you fight — a lot of words and phrases may give you emotional satisfaction, but they can sour relations with employers or clients or vendors.
Leo: Big schemes require lots of detail work, and there’s a difference between advancing your own expertise, and advancing the results of your own program. If you are looking for a chance to stand on a stage and make your presentation — focus on what sort of things will move awareness of your presentation forward, rather than yourself. Although You are very interesting to yourself, the truth is that people are going to be much more interested in what you say or what you have done than in you yourself. How can you make your story more interesting than you? I hope that makes sense — because it means excavating your past, and sharing what you believe and understand. And it’s worth figuring out, because you’ve got some financial strictures coming your way if you can’t.
Virgo: Where are you going? What are you learning? There’s challenging circumstances for your spouse or significant other right now, and being focused on their needs will be better than attending to your own. But that doesn’t mean you can afford to throw yourself whole-heartedly and with all your being into “what do you need? What do you really need?” For one thing, it’s not easy for you to break free of your own financial rules; you might need to take a look at Dana Miranda’s book You Don’t Need a Budget in these challenging times; and you may have to consider wealth and resources as a day-to-day management problem for a while, rather than as a long-term issue. Discussing these issues with your partner(s), tactfully, is likely to be a good idea, but don’t expect smooth sailing when it comes to friends. Being emotionally available isn’t always easy for you, and your mood may get dark over the next few weeks until mid-April. Stand up at work and lead — but mind the details, not just the big picture. Expect issues in your workplace and with friends to continue until late April or even mid-July.
Libra: You’re eager to break the links that bind you to some career limitations and public recognition, but what you say about your wealth, and how you actually use it are somewhat at odds with one another. Your long-range vision for yourself has one foot in the grave, but you’re going to have to forge a different kind of identity for yourself a little at a time. Allow yourself to be caught up in a new kind of safety net, and wind your way back to a new sense of self. This may require talking with and loving your partner(s) in new ways, and accepting a revolution in how you manage your responsibilities. It may also require a startling new approach to your career or how you communicate with friends. What will bring you happiness is probably releasing some of what you have stored “for family” as gifts to your present self.
Scorpio: If you’re in a foreign land, or even a state or province other than where you’re born… it’s a good time to hold your tongue and guard your speech, both online and in settings governed by higher academia’s traditions. Even airports and train stations? Yeah… keep that tongue on a tight leash, and seek freedom in more professional contexts. Are you working for the boss’s wealth or your own? F. Scott Fitzgerald said that many Americans consider themselves “temporarily embarrassed millionaires” — but maybe this is the week to learn to enjoy the rewards of poverty, like cooking your own food, mending your own clothes, and solving your own problems. So many people deride poverty, but in many parts of the world peasant homes are brightly painted and peasant clothes are delightfully ornamented and peasant food is delicious and nutritious. Maybe it’s time to enjoy the fruits of those kinds of restrictions on your life.
Sagittarius: Expect career setbacks over the next eighteen months, as family matters ramp up toward some difficult evolutions. Researchers who subjected caterpillars to pain have found that the butterfly remembers, even after spending some time as soup in the chrysalis. The restrictions and limitations on your life will find new forms in your hobbies and creative life in turn, but for now you can expect that your life will seem like a series of daily upheavals. Be generous to spouses and significant others, even as you wrestle with violent emotions and shifting travails in your travels. Hold up and speak aloud your vision of a better future, even when you have to count every penny.
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.
