I have a dream.

Actually, that’s a ridiculous comment…I’m a triple Pisces- I have a number of dreams. Someone once said that a Pisces without a dream is very sad indeed.

Dreams are good- until they aren’t.

The thing about dreams is they either come out of the bucket and onto the table. The other thing about dreams is that once they are on the table, they are no longer dreams, but goals. And once a dream becomes a goal, there is no going back. Another thing about dreams? Sometimes you just have to trust that they can come true.

While a dream is still just a dream, it can be an escape, a sanctuary…especially if, like me, you have Pisces on the Ascendant or the Sun or Moon in Pisces. When a dream is still a dream, it is the fantasy that keeps it alive, the possibility that one day you might attain your desire.

As soon as it becomes a goal, all of that becomes way too real.

I’m dealing with the reality of my dream at present as the silence from publishers becomes deafening. I remain blissfully convinced that (most of the time- with the exception of Capricorn and Virgo Moon days) that I’m on the right path.

I’m having to deal with the possibility of failure, of rejection, but when I sit in front of my laptop and watch my characters come to life, none of it seems to matter and the possibility that I have been dreaming the wrong dream for all of these years drifts into the distance.

Sometimes Pisces and her dreams can seem as transient as a drop of dew on the petal of a rose. The mistake people make when they think of Pisces is to assume that we are weak, spineless. But move that dew-drop and what happens? That drop has its own skin and simply changes its form.

Pisces has a habit of making her dreams come true- in ways that may not seem obvious to other signs. How? Often simply by refusing to look at the possible negatives, refusing to listen to those who tell you how it will never work, will never be published, no one will buy your work so you had better grow up and look for a responsible job again.

Now is the time to clear out all of that, all of doubt, all of that fear. In these last few days before the New Moon, let it go- all of it- and take sanctuary in whatever it is that Pisces represents for you.

This New Moon is spiritual, creative and immensely emotive. With this much energy in Pisces, there is no ignoring the fact that one part of your life requires a dream, is asking for inspiration, needs to, well, trust.

Falling at 21 Pisces 24’, it is perhaps fitting that on this day, with all personal planets falling in Pisces, that the New Moon makes no aspects to any planet NOT in Pisces. This is Pisces at its most sensitive and inspired.

Boundaries are beautifully blurred between what you know and what you know. If you have a creative project you have been delaying on, or making excuses for, now is the time to listen to what you know in your heart, what you know intuitively. Leave the head stuff for later- much later.

Wherever Pisces is in your chart is where this blurring will be in your life. Escape from your everyday into it, take sanctuary in it, go with it. Let your imagination roam free. Float into the beyond. Follow your dream.

Given that the 12^th of March is my birthday, it goes without saying that this is an important New Moon for me:

• It’s conjunct my Sun
• It’s opposite Pluto and Uranus (7^th)
• It’s trine Jupiter (5^th)
• It’s trine Neptune (9^th)

Also, transiting Mercury is just shy of being conjunct natal Mercury. This point is also sextile/trine the nodes in my chart- almost to the minute. I’m choosing to think this is all pretty cool.

If you see the wonder, of a fairy-tale, you can take the future, even if you fail…

New Moon at 21 Pisces 24’:

Sydney 6.51am 12 March

New Zealand 8.51am 12 March

Perth, KL etc 3.51am 12 March

London 8.51pm 11 March

LA etc 12.51pm 11 March

NY etc 3.51pm 11 March

I knew I loved you before I met you, I think I dreamed you into life…

Venus has just moved into Pisces. This means that (except for the Moon) all personal planets are now swimming happily in the big fish tank that is the Universe.

This news is not being met with dancing girls and hallelujah choruses from everyone though…for fire and air types, it’s a little like having a fog descend across your eyes and your boots covered in mud…or quicksand. You might feel as though you’re treading water when you want to be lapping the opposition. You might feel like you’re driving in the rain and your wipers aren’t working.

For those of us receptive to this energy, it’s absolutely beautiful.

Standing in the customs queue at Sydney Airport on Sunday afternoon I had the best idea for my next manuscript.

Waiting on the Help Line today for my bank, I had an idea for a pitch I can make to a travel magazine.

Yesterday while waiting for the internet to recover from an unscheduled “pause” I called an old friend I hadn’t spoken to for too many months.

Mercury Retrograde brings these little moments of creativity and reconnection. It’s like the Universe is giving us a chance to slow down and revisit those thoughts and ideas and dreams that would otherwise flit right on through your brain.

I know that people are told what not to do in a time of Mercury retrograde, but even these issues can be mitigated if common sense is used. Mercury is a Trickster, but he shouldn’t be blamed for everything bad that happens over the next few weeks- although obviously you can if you wish.

Sure anything to do with appointments, computers, messages, communications, travel, contracts may be upset- this is all Mercury stuff. For anything other than this, I’d suggest looking for something else going on in the chart.

Yesterday here in Australia one of our major banks systems went down- both in branches and online. Given that all customer identity and balance verification is based on the information these systems provide, the result was pure chaos.

It wasn’t an accident- these things never are. I don’t know the details behind this one, but apparently it had something to do with a change that needed to be backed out.

In all of my years as a Change Manager, the one unbreakable rule was unless it can absolutely be avoided, don’t implement an IT based change during a Mercury retrograde. Not because it won’t work, but because often times the procedures, implementation instructions, test plans or operational communication aren’t followed completely by someone. Short cuts are unconsciously taken.

Whilst I would never put “Mercury Retrograde” in the root cause analysis field of any Post Implementation Review, the point is most of us persist in fighting the influence of the retrograde motion and proceed as we normally would- rather than slowing down and ticking the boxes. I get that- we’re all busy.

The thing is, life doesn’t stop a few times a year for Mercury. People get married, buy houses, phones and cars. They book flights, hotels and appointments. They implement software changes.

Strangely not all of these end in disaster. Luggage arrives, mail arrives, planes arrive and changes work.

Although there are always examples where they don’t. Where the messages don’t get through the system properly. Where the appropriate checks and common-sense balances aren’t taken into consideration. Where the procedures aren’t followed. This type of thing tends to be more prevalent when Mercury is in reverse.

This Mercury retrograde is in Pisces, a sign where Mercury is in both his detriment and fall.

Pisces is a sign of illusion, delusion and head in the ground hope for the best. It’s also a sign of great imagination and creativity.

This retrograde, try, if you can, to go with the flow a little- a little how this post started to be about Venus and morphed into something about Mercury. Slow down and employ all those re words we use. Finish unfinished projects. Make notes of creative flashes, reconnect with loves from the past- and leave them there in need.

And, if you need to do any of the things that you’re told not to under a Mercury retrograde, check the fine print- at least a few times over. Or, do nothing…until it’s over- that one’s your call.

Oh and yesterdays Bank debacle? They issued a press release to the newspapers that spun the story from the days chaos that it was into reading like it was a temporary blip. Now that’s Mercury in Pisces at work.

If you want to know how Pisces is in love, check out this post…

And the song is by Savage Garden…check it out and listen to the lyrics here.

Lake Wakitipu

So I’ve been fairly quiet over the last week.

I didn’t intend for it to be so.

Well, I sort of did- I knew that I’d be in Queenstown.

I did, however, expect that I’d be checking in regularly. Unfortunately a combination of expensive data roaming, even more expensive hotel internet charges and a touch of laziness meant that the best laid plans…and all that.

Anyways, I’ve blogged a little of my Queenstown adventures over at www.andanyways.com …but there are more to come…& a lot more photos.

Queenstown is one of those places where you can convince yourself that you can do absolutely anything, jump off anything, tramp off into the beyondness of the NZ Wilderness.

Even the Remarkables, the mountain range that runs north from Queenstown, changes- all the time. Different light, different seasons, different times of the day.  It was the perfect place for me to be with so many planets in Pisces. With that much Pisces in the air, it was also easy for me to overspend!

Tomorrow’s Virgo Full Moon (7.26am Sydney time at 7 Virgo 23’) brings some earthy practicality to a Universe overloaded with illusion and day dreams.

The usual attention to detail and critical analysis applies- particularly to the areas where the Full Moon lies in your chart. But you know what? I’m just a tad over talking about Virgo and order or organisation.

Virgo is, like all earth signs, sensual and body aware. So, at this Full Moon, rather than looking at the usual Virgo stuff, let’s think about this dichotomy in terms of body and spirit or judgement and non-judgement. What about thinking not about where we see perfection, seek perfection, idealise perfection but rather where we choose not to make judgement, choose to overlook those niggly little concerns and instead embrace what is.

The Pisces/Virgo axis is that area where we work so hard for absolute perfection that we forget all about moderating behaviours and pleasures. It is also this axis where we project our own imperfections (or perceived limitations) onto those around us. It is where we discriminate and where we are completely indiscriminate.

The ruler of this Full Moon is Mercury who has just turned retrograde. Mercury is also approaching a conjunction with Mars. This is one Full Moon where it is very possible for wires to be crossed, messages to be misunderstood and arguments to get out of hand.

At this Full Moon, Jupiter (the traditional ruler of Pisces) comes into the mix in a square to both the Sun and the Moon- forming a, you guessed it, T square. Jupiter, as we know, makes things bigger. At this Full Moon it will be very easy to lose perspective.

With this much Pisces involved, it is also easy to lose the detail in the big picture, in the dream. That’s what Virgo is here to remind us of.

The release point of this mutable t square is a sextile from Jupiter to inspiring Uranus, so be careful not to overlook a surprising detail that is right there- under all the sparkly fairy dusty daydream stuff. Things may not be what they seem to be.

I have Mercury natally at 6 Pisces, so this Full Moon feeds into that and my 12^th/6^th house axis. Why not check out your chart (if you need to cast one, go to astro.com and throw your details in) and check out any planets or chart points that fall between:

5-9 Pisces

5-9 Virgo

5-9 Gemini

5-9 Sagittarius

You may also feel it at: 5-9 Taurus, 5-9 Capricorn, 5-9 Cancer, 5-9 Scorpio.

As always, the closer the orb, the more the impact.

I often feel like this!

The Sun is now in Pisces.

This means that it’s birthday season for this little fishie.

And boy, am I a fishie.

My chart is above and as you can see I have:

• Mercury in Pisces
• The Ascendant in Pisces
• The Sun in Pisces
• The Moon in Pisces

To add to this Piscean cocktail:

• Mercury is in the 12^th house
• Neptune trines the Sun and the Moon and connects also into Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto. Yep, it’s a great big watery trine with a kite on the end.

So, who better, I say, to say it as it is than a Piscean….

Pisces has a reputation of being emotional, dependent, addictive, escapist, indecisive, drifting, lazy, depressive, blame shifting, manipulative and fickle.

We are also told that we tend to have a victim mentality, are confused, delusional, overly sympathetic and self destructive. We have no boundaries, no structure and can be self indulgent. We let the same people kick us again and again, we trust too easily, we believe too easily.

Yep, we are all those things, but we are also a little bit of every other sign in the zodiac. At best we can be mystical, visionary, intuitive, healing and irresistible…but at our worst, we are definitely all of the above. Usually, however, we are somewhere in the middle and can exist with reasonable success in society. Some of us have even managed to hold down responsible jobs that have required us to consider details, consequences and make decisions. In very many situations, many of us still feel a lot like a fish out of water.

I know both sides of the fish very well. At different times and for different reasons I have done bad fish. But what the world sees as the Pisces shadow I don’t always necessarily agree with. I don’t think the emotionalism is a weakness, I don’t think dreaming is a bad thing. It means we care deeply and intensely, we have visions of things as they can be… and we truly believe that there are no limits to what is possible.

Pisces is arguably the most vulnerable of all signs. Whilst all 3 water signs are motivated solely by their emotions, both Cancer and Scorpio have a hard outer shell that shields their emotions from the world. Both will question before trusting and analyse the data before exposing themselves. Pisces can’t do any of this. Instead we put on whatever mask is required. We have an innate ability to be whoever we need to be to appear to be part of whatever reality we need to be in while we live in our own version of it. Trust me, this does make sense. We can’t afford to let the world see who we really are or what we are feeling. Others can say things that hurt us deeply, but we can laugh it off… on the outside.

Pisces is not as interested in worldly matters and material success as the real world dictates. Other signs have difficulty understanding this.

We are influenced by both the expansionary positivism of our traditional ruler, Jupiter and the illusive glamour of Neptune.

Whilst Pisces has a definite tendency to pessimism and lethargy this is reflective of the relative strength of Jupiter in the chart. A prominent Jupiter will provide optimism and faith… but also a tendency to self indulgence.

Neptune gives us an amazing imagination and intuition and ability to care for others at the expense of ourselves…but also a tendency to self sacrifice. Neptune also dissolves boundaries, and the ego. If boundaries don’t exist, how can there be consequences?

This is the world of the fish- 2 extremes: reality/illusion, empathy/ self sacrifice, waves of success/ dark depths of despair.

Pisces needs to belong to someone. Love, romance, affection, sex- it is all one and the same to us. We don’t do black and white, we need colour, we need to be shown that we are loved and in response we will love you like you have never been loved before. Unfortunately, this often means that we don’t notice (at first) when you treat us badly or ignore us or exploit us. This is largely because of our non existent boundaries- sometimes we really truly don’t know where you end and we begin. As such, we assume that you feel about us the way we do about you.

Pisces is loyal and devoted, but can drift into an alternative relationship if they feel that their needs are not being met. This is often not a deliberate decision, but rather something that just happens- and usually without any awareness of the consequences.

In fact, Pisces is able to be in love with more than one person at one time- without knowing why, but loving both deeply and completely for different reasons. This isn’t to say that Pisces is fickle or unfaithful- it isn’t that simple, or that complex.

Pisces can also stay in a relationship that is rapidly decaying simply because she feels sorry (in some way) for her partner. A tendency to co-dependency is another Neptunian trait.

The ideal partner for Pisces will allow us to dream, allow us to feel, give us the level of security we need to feel good about ourselves, yet provide us with enough support to engage with the real world. The cruelest thing anyone can do to Pisces is to take away her dreams and tell her that she can’t feel.

In the right environment, Pisces can work miracles. Without boundaries, the sky really is the limit. If Pisces can learn to trust herself, value herself and listen to her intuition, dreams really can come true.

Want to know more about Pisces?

Check out these posts…

Green Fairies, Big Bad Woolufs and Pisces in Houses 1-5

Magic Carpet Rides and a Little Dickens. Pisces in Houses 6-9

Running Away to Join the Circus. Pisces in Houses 10-12

Underneath the Radar

Faking It

One of my closest friends has his Mercury in Pisces- just like me. Like me, his Mercury is more Piscean than the usual Pisces Mercury because it’s in the 12^th house. His Mercury is better than mine because it’s direct (mine is retrograde), but also worse than mine because it’s conjunct Saturn, so I guess we are pretty well even.

The point is, we talk about stuff without talking about it- if you know what I mean. We can talk around it, or refer to it or come into it backwards, but at the end of the day we both have a pretty good idea about what’s been said- largely from what hasn’t been said. This is especially the case when we’re talking about something that neither of us really wants to talk about- it gets said without being said. We’ve had some pretty important conversations over the years using this method.

Mercury hates being in Pisces. A lot. And it really isn’t that difficult to see why. In the signs that Mercury rules- Virgo and Gemini- he has things to do, information to gather, details to take care of and lots to say. As Mercury is about how we think and communicate and learn, such occupation keeps him happy. In Pisces he has a different role entirely, and it’s not one he’s comfortable with.

Pisces has big dreams and a limitless future. Pisces feels her way through and doesn’t do data or details- that isn’t to say that she can’t, just that after analysing it she will still listen to her intuition… and often be right. Pisces is what the traditional astrologers call a mute sign- she doesn’t say much- but she communicates on so many more levels than verbal.

This isn’t to say that the communication is ineffective, but it is different- and for that reason, often misunderstood. Mercury in Pisces behaves very much like Mercury retrograde behaves.  Pisces lives in an “other” world, almost a parallel world- a world of fantasy and daydreams and where bad stuff doesn’t happen to good people and dreams can come true.

In order to perpetuate that illusion, Mercury in Pisces will evade, divert, manipulate and spin. Not usually for any malicious reason, but just to keep everyone happy and the romance alive. Where this fails, she will pop her head nicely into the sand and pretend that the bad stuff doesn’t happen…much like I declare that Saturn doesn’t exist and I really can drop this 20kgs in 2 weeks.

The biggest challenge that Mercury in Pisces has, is the ability to verbalise feelings and needs. Her message is very often elusive and illusive- disguised in something else. This frustrates other signs incredibly. Mercury in Pisces has no problems passing on messages as long as it doesn’t involve her own deepest emotions- these get stuck in her throat somewhere between head and heart and are generally communicated in other ways- through actions, songs, writing. Pisces is indeed mute, but rationalises that “if they really knew me/ loved me/ cared about me they would know how I felt.” Whatever spin is put on it, the root cause is fear of exposure and fear of rejection.

What Mercury in Pisces does say is said with imagination, perception, and sympathy. It also isn’t to say that Mercury in Pisces doesn’t retain information- we do, but in a different way. I have often said that I have the worst Mercury in history, yet from somewhere in the deepest part of my brain an amazing amount of seemingly useless trivia resides, just waiting to be brought out. The information may be disorganised and filed differently to that of people with stronger Mercury placements, but I can always find it when I need to… the connections are made by a recall of emotion. It’s why, very often, my favourite photos are not technically the best ones that I take, but rather are the ones where I capture how the image makes me feel what I felt when I looked through that lens.

This also means that Mercury in Pisces makes her choices based on emotions too, and often without an awareness of the potential consequences attached to those choices. It’s a boundary thing. It’s one of the reasons why Pisces can very often be seen as being selfish- often it’s because the outcomes have simply not occurred to her.

Mercury, like Venus, rarely strays far from the Sun, so Mercury in Pisces is only found in people who have the Sun in Aquarius, Pisces or Aries. In Aquarius, Mercury in Pisces adds imagination and creativity to invention, in Aries, Mercury in Pisces adds empathy and intuition, softening the Warrior somewhat.

A random tweet I read this morning said this nicely: “Sometimes you have to look reality in the eye and deny it.” This is very much Mercury in Pisces. While it means that we have the ability to follow our intuition and reach for the sky, in taking this attitude we also quite successfully delude ourselves- especially in regards to my ability to lose 20kgs in 2 weeks… Whats that? You mean the results they have on Biggest Loser aren’t realistic? Who would have thought?

This sound like you? If you have Neptune in close aspect to Mercury (especially by conjunction, square, or opposition) or Mercury in the 12^th house it may behave very like Mercury in Pisces.