The Sun enters Pisces this week, bringing to four the number of planets in the sign of the Fishes – five, if you count Chiron.

Although I’m an Aquarius, Pisces and Neptune are so strong in my chart that often I get confused and think I’m a Pisces. I certainly know what it feels like to be one.

Being a Pisces can be really difficult. If you recall your symbolism, Pisces isn’t just a sweet pair of gold fish who’ve found their soul mate and live happily ever after. No, these fishes are tied to each other with a permanent knot – which would be fine, if they were both swimming in the same direction. But they aren’t, and they can’t. For Pisces, nothing is ever certain. Seeing the big picture and the totality of everything means that every argument has a counter-argument, and every choice has an alternative. The choice then is to be paralyzed with indecision or to leap into whichever option seems best at the moment, with nothing concrete to go on except faith that all will turn out well.

It’s no accident that people with strong Pisces energy in their charts often turn to escapism, whether through drugs, alcohol, religion, or some other means of avoiding reality. The flip side – we’re talking Pisces here, so there has to be one – is that Pisces is one of the most imaginative and visionary of all the signs. The list of famous Fishes includes Michelangelo, George Washington, Frederic Chopin, Albert Einstein, Ansel Adams, and Steve Jobs. Then, it also includes Mitt Romney, L. Ron Hubbard, Sirhan Sirhan, and Osama Bin Laden … we think. We’re not really sure.

In a way, the dilemma of Pisces is the most urgent problem confronting humanity. And why not? The Age of Pisces isn’t over yet, as much as we might wish it. We’re still grappling with all of the dualities represented in the symbolism of Pisces, and it’s not overly dramatic to say that failure to solve the puzzle of Pisces could result in the extinction of our species. Conversely, moving beyond the seemingly implacable divisions into a new sense of interconnectedness could be our salvation. If you haven’t read it already, check out this old article by Ray Grasse about the transition we’re making from Pisces to Aquarius.

In any case, we’re all going to feel the energy of Pisces in the next few weeks, and some of you may have an increase in inter-dimensional experiences. As I’ve noted in the past, these intrusions, for lack of a better word, can be moderately to severely disorienting. It doesn’t help that they aren’t clear. They don’t come with instruction manuals in seven languages to help you decipher the message. My usual advice to clients is to observe carefully what’s going on in your life when these visions, dreams, and memories appear, and look for patterns in how they mirror events and relationships in this lifetime. For me, at least, there’s some kind of repetition. Also stay alert for synchronicities.

The Sun enters Pisces on Monday and begins his approach to conjunction with Neptune on Thursday. This is the imaginative, creative side of Pisces, so use the beginning of the week for work that requires inspiration and intuition. Keep a journal with you and write down any unusual events, sudden thoughts that seem to come from “somewhere else,” psychic flashes, or images in dreams that either are particularly vivid or that elicit a strong emotional response. Sometimes I forget my dreams, but then an image I see in the course of my day reminds me, and it all comes back. Those are times when you want a notebook handy.

Also on Monday, Saturn turns retrograde, and he remains at a standstill until Wednesday and then will slowly begin to creep backwards (what it looks like from down here, anyway). For many of you, old structures have been breaking down for some time now, and new ones are forming already, especially since Jupiter’s return direct. Some of you indeed had very happy news to report last week. For others, the breakdown phase will last longer. Saturn and Pluto in mutual reception, along with the Uranus-Pluto square, represent an uncontrollable tide. Depending on where these three planets are transiting your chart, it may be better to go along with the current than to expend all your energy fighting it. As an astrologer, I’m not immune to this process, and I totally understand how scary it can be.

Dreams and visions pick up toward the end of the week, as Mercury stations to turn retrograde on Saturday. Unfortunately, there’s an “ick” factor, too, as Mercury and Mars approach conjunction at the Full Moon on February 25. I’ve advised some of my clients to take vacations, if possible, and get out of the line of fire. Tempers are going to flare, with a strong risk of arguments that either blow entirely out of proportion or end up with people not speaking to each other, possibly for days or weeks. It goes without saying that you need to think carefully before opening your mouth. There are some words that cause irreparable damage to relationships and, once spoken, can never be taken back.

I’ve also started noticing early manifestations of retrograde Mercury, as I’m sure many of you have, too. My cell phone died on Friday, and getting through to customer service at T-Mobile was a nightmare. Meanwhile, my laptop was infected with not one, not two, but five viruses. Fortunately, I got an alert from my security software yesterday and was able to clean them all up before they got out of control. If you haven’t run a complete scan on your computer, don’t waste another second. Do it now!

My way of staying out of trouble and avoiding reality will be to lie on the couch watching back-to-back episodes of the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. If nothing else, it’s a delightful lesson in what happens when people completely misunderstand each other’s motives.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

P.S. I’m about to put StarGuide 2013 on sale, so this will be a good time to get your yearly transits at a discount.