A Short Discourse on Mermaids: Venus in Pisces
Image Credit: Susanne Jutzeler, via Pixabay
February 24, 2021
Venus enters Pisces on February 25, 2021, staying in the sign of the fish until March 21st. The Goddess of Love will be pretty busy in Neptune’s sign, as she connects with not only the God of the Seas himself, but also Uranus, Pluto, and several asteroids.
The usual catch-phrases for Venus in Pisces apply: it’s more about compassion than lust, more agapé than eros, more universal and less personal. This year, as we reach the first anniversary of our Covidian confinement, we’re likely to appreciate the more solitary aspects of Venus in Pisces - the ability to go off alone and contemplate, and to get in touch with our inner values.
Here’s a short rundown: the need for freedom may be high around the 3rd, as Venus sextiles Uranus (in her home sign of Taurus) while Mars strides from Taurus into Gemini. It could be time to shift gears in a relationship, and try something new. Ease out of routines and experiment a little.
A bit of conflict arises around the 8th, as Venus opposes Vesta, who’s retrograding through the very appropriate sign of Virgo. Venus in Pisces showers love upon all, Vesta is more selective, Venus is open, Vesta is covered. It’s kind of a ‘it feels good now, but how will I feel about it tomorrow?’ situation that will be in effect from around the 4th through the 9th.
Perhaps the highlight of Venus’ stay in Pisces is at mid-month, as she meets Neptune and squares Juno in Sagittarius on the 13th/14th. Juno, the partnership/spouse asteroid, knows what she wants and believes in Sagittarius. Venus in Pisces isn’t so sure. It may well be a challenging time as what we want could conflict with the relationships we have.
For many reasons, the astrology of early March suggests that fidelity in relationships could be an issue for some: Venus square to Juno and sextile to Uranus, the Sun meeting with Neptune both square to Juno are some highlights. It’s important to remember that in some cases, it may be time to let go, but in others it may turn out that suspicions are unfounded - and perhaps projections.
Venus’ last connection is a sextile Pluto on the 18th. At this time we could ‘bargain’ for what we want in relationships. This could be when we clear the air after a period of uncertainty - or it could be a time when some people decide it’s time to go ‘undercover.’
Venus and the Sun swim closely together in Pisces this year, moving towards the Aries equinox and the beginning of a new astrological year. Whatever else, Pisces is a time of dissolving, a rest period, the great 4 a.m. of the year. If there’s a sense of uncertainty, that is consistent with its oceanic themes.
For further reading…
Mermaids are suggested by Venus in Pisces. These creatures can be associated with dangers (they are often confounded with the Sirens in the Odyssey), but they can also be helpful. Like most things associated with the sea, they have potential for beauty but also destruction.
The ocean is the unconscious - life teeming unseen beneath the surface. It can be placid for smooth sailing and in a moment be rough and a threat to ships and even land.
Also like the ocean, the unconscious can be a warm, supportive womb - but it can be polluted and toxic. In addition to our individual stories, the boundaries between personal and collective are showing their illusory nature these days. None of us can feel far away from the catastrophic weather changes, the excess of pollution, and of course the great unseen Neptunian virus.
Mermaids emerge as a means of access to the undersea contents. Beautiful in their upper portions (generally), they don’t frighten us like sea monsters. In fact, they may offer a seduction that provides a way to ‘go beneath the waves’ and explore - although danger may be lurking for those who get trapped below for too long.
In some ways Mermaids resemble the Centaurs of Sagittarius, yet their lower half is not horse but fish, indicating that they are farther away from our waking consciousness, more primordial than even the equine animal instincts. Instead, they point to the deeper mysteries of life and death - and the ocean holds both.
Centaurs demonstrate the energy of mating, as we consciously experience and are sometimes overwhelmed by it. Mermaids are more like fertilization - the transformational process that takes place out of sight. That is, they pull us towards a crucial point, but we don’t know exactly what’s happening. Mermaids actually resemble sperm (although so do most aquatic animals at some point in their development).
And that brings us back to 4 a.m., the ‘still of the night’ when one day transforms into the next. When I worked with nurses, they always maintained that that was the hour people tend to choose to pass out of this life. And if you’ve had the experience of the “Four in the Morning Life Review,” it’s not too hard to understand.
As we sail along with Venus through Pisces season this year, we might take some time to meditate on what’s going on below the surface, what’s brewing and ready to emerge this year. We might also benefit from some time going within, to explore the unseen depths… but bring a good air supply.
~ AD