These people are natural seekers, but lack concentration and directness. Physically restless and mentally inattentive, they are born under a sign in which Venus is exalted, while the Moon also seems to exert a strong influence upon them. Indeed, Pisces appears to be the most feminine and receptive of all the signs of the zodiac. It is the weakest sign in its response to material and mental affairs. As one of the so-called “double-bodied signs”, it often shows a division of interests. In truly weak examples, this comes close to negating any moral character at all.
Generally speaking, the native with Pisces rising receives almost every impression that reaches him. Nor does he merely reflect these impressions like a mirror: he absorbs them like a sponge. His subconscious mind, typically Neptunian in nature, seems to have no conception of ordinary, everyday morality. For such people, truth is simply whatever they feel at a given moment. This is also true of the other water signs, particularly their “weaker” representatives. The undeveloped Piscean would scarcely go to any lengths to explain his moral shortcomings; he would simply fail to see anything wrong with them. So impressionable are these natives that they respond immediately to every influence; they cannot stand on their own. This sensitivity extends to every plane. They seem to lack discrimination and have no capacity to resist any set of ideas.
Yet this adaptability to circumstances is their best guarantee of survival. There is therefore little in particular that can be expected of this Ascendant a priori. We shall find that the native fares much better in those areas of the horoscope concerned with the people he encounters. Edgar Allan Poe, for example, received the greatest support and assistance from friends, something clearly indicated by the exact conjunction of his Sun and Mercury in Capricorn in the 11th house.
Beneath these general characteristics and this outward appearance, however, Pisces possesses something far deeper, mysterious and sublime. The true soul of this sign lies in that secret place of reflection which never finds outward expression. It would be going too far to call the native a born poet or mystic, yet in his sensitivity and inward stillness he possesses the passive half of genius. There is always the possibility that genius may emerge when active or creative principles are at work in the individual. Even then, however, the form it takes still depends upon his surroundings.
The more developed types have an almost divine power to separate the subtle from the gross, making use only of the latter. Nature itself seems like a malleable substance in their hands. We can see this clearly in the example of Luther Burbank, in whose hands even living things changed their nature as though under a magician’s spell.
Pisces seems to have an intimate understanding of the spiritual forces at work in any phenomenon. This extraordinary subtlety often leads the native into danger. He is too inclined to mistake the shadow for the real image, and too readily confuses the material and spiritual planes. He has no rational conception of the relationship between cause and effect, which may lead him into absurd superstitions. Pisces always acts upon impressions and experiences rather than rational judgement. He delights in the idea that he is in communion with subtler worlds, and unless sufficiently developed, he cannot distinguish the reality of the higher spheres from the world of dreams, glamour and illusion.
Another consequence of the extreme sensitivity characteristic of Pisces is an excessive response to physical stimuli that would scarcely disturb the minds of stronger types. Alcohol is particularly dangerous for those with this Ascendant, and the temptation to try subtler and more potent drugs is even more pronounced. The immediate effect is very harmful, throwing the native off balance, while the strength of the temptation encourages habitual indulgence, ultimately to excess. Drugs bring out precisely what he already is by nature, though without their influence he is not much inclined to give it expression. They carry him into subtler worlds, which can be exceedingly dangerous when created by such artificial means.
Where money is concerned, Pisces can be remarkably carefree and is very likely to embark upon a spending spree without any rational assessment. It is not that he cannot be entrusted with other people’s financial affairs, but he is certainly unreliable. He is honest, though not wisely so. He helps others without considering what might genuinely benefit them in the long run, and although his charity satisfies its recipient for the moment, it often does nothing to provide a lasting escape from their difficulties.
The native born with Pisces rising on the horizon is essentially lazy and one of the most thoroughly home-loving people you could meet. He does little to help about the house, but is often so amiable that he readily becomes the family favourite. He has a great capacity to make those around him happy. He will never leave home on his own initiative, for the considerations that prompt others to do so, such as ambition, leave him entirely untouched. He lacks ambition and is happy where he is.
In love, he is exceedingly appealing. His devotion surpasses even that of Taurus, though his nature is much quieter and calmer. There is little inclination to pursue an affair actively, but equally, one can hardly count on much resistance should a new admirer appear who finds him attractive. Both men and women of this sign require constant attention, especially the women. Women with this rising sign are usually very fertile. Fathers and mothers alike are devoted to their children, but are too indulgent to make good parents. In marriage, Piscean women are ideal wives from an Oriental point of view. The woman of the harem precisely embodies this sensual nature: its indolent enjoyment of emotion, its devotion to the “sweet side” of life, and its gracious response to the call of passion. Such a disposition is less desirable in countries where women are not kept under lock and key, for if the undeveloped Piscean woman is left too much to her own devices, her natural sensuality will emerge, and she is unlikely to replace it with an active interest in intellectual pursuits. In the more developed types, these tendencies find expression in devotion and loyalty, though still with a trace of indolence and sweetness. The man will be very devoted and will spoil his wife, but will be of little use when it comes to practical duties about the house. Comfort matters to him above all else, yet he will do little to secure it. He is the worst kind of husband for an active woman.
In public affairs, Pisces will prove hopeless if ever entrusted with such matters, which rarely happens.
The subconscious is the finest part of this native’s mind, and one might almost say that it governs his life. The world we see and touch is not, for him, the real world. Yet there is scarcely anything in his temperament that enables him to unite his subconscious and conscious minds, so his remarkable abilities bring him no benefit: by nature, he lacks the gift of action. With the assistance of congenial partners, however, whether in business or public affairs, his insights and intuition may give him considerable power “behind the scenes”.
Pisces may achieve distinction in science through an understanding of subtle forces. For the same reason, he may also excel in philosophy. He is capable of making new discoveries. In religion, he may be a deeply devoted mystic, and is often richly endowed with clairvoyance. The less developed types will be conventionally and sentimentally religious. Even as a mystic, however, he is unbalanced: he has no intellectual grounding and no conception of preserving psychic equilibrium through the corrective influence of scepticism.
In friendship, this native is exceptionally warm, sometimes to the point of making others uncomfortable. Most people prefer friendships that resemble offensive or defensive alliances. Pisces tries to turn them into romances. Yet there is no better companion for dinner and an evening of blues. He understands the art of entertainment very well, and his desire for completeness will not allow him to overlook a single ingredient of any pleasure.