Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Venus in Pisces, as the muse

Marc Chagall - La Baie des Anges



Pisces being the last sign of the Zodiac closes the cycle by incorporating a little bit of all the other signs into one. If this didn't make it difficult enough to explain, it comes with the extra bonus of being ruled by foggy Neptune, the planet famous for undefinition, fantasy and mystique. In this sign, Venus assumes a chamaleonic profile, being able to mirror and assume any character because they will identify with everyone and in that sense be a lot of people at the same time. Lyrical evidence is available: Paula Cole (who is an Aries) sings: I know who can love my many selves, the wife, the bitch, the rapunzel...Chan Marshall (Cat Power) (Aquarius Sun) sings: he was someone I could learn from, someone I could become. Kurt Cobain (Sun in Pisces) sang: I'm not like them, but I can pretend. Confusing is the term. It's as difficult to define as it is to control (just try to grab a live fish and you'll see how they slip through your hands!).

Naturally this identification with all of mankind has a lot to do with their extreme sensitivity and empathy to other people's feelings. With Venus in this sign, the person will undoubtedly be sensitive not only to their partner but to everyone else as well, which can lead to suffering as they so easily slip into other people's shoes and feel their pain. Paula Cole sings: Believe me, I know the feeling. Been around the world, in many situations, been inside many heads in different positions (Cat Power). Pisces dissolves into the World: I am not unique, we are all leaves on this great big tree, this tree that is life, that is God, that is you, that is me. As Kurt Cobain sang: All in all is all we all are.

In the same way Neptune is able to dissolve all frontiers, Venus in Pisces is able to love without boundaries, meaning that they can love everything and everyone. Jealous partners beware! Pisces are interested in whatever the rest of the Zodiac doesn't pay attention to and, in love, this often means falling for the underdog, the underprivileged or the misfit. They find the concepts of saving and healing romantic and often their emotional liasons involve taking care of someone in need or being taken care of. Norah Jones (Sun in Aries) sings: I cry if you hurt, I'd give you my last shirt because I love you so. She also admits: I love you when you're blue. Kurt Cobain wrote: I'll kiss your open sores. The inequality between partners doesn't frighten them off and they'll be happy providing for the other person or the opposite. Paula Cole has a bunch of lyrics on this topic: I am the one you will call when alone and I am the one who will give when she's gone and so I give / I feel so lonely for hope and company, I don't take much and I give everything for free.

The use of the word sacrifice is very common in describing in certain relationships where one partner gives up on their personal aspirations to serve the other, seemingly not minding the sacrifices they have to make.(You can use me if you want to, I know you need me just like an old soft shoe). The truth is Pisces' real aspirations are connected to a transcendant world, not the material. Cat Power sings of this other world: we won't have a thing so we've got nothing to lose, we can all be free, maybe not with words...but with your mind. Paula Cole wrote: I won't find happiness looking outside myself/ looking within I can see beyond my sight, the cities, the sky, the planets roll by.
So even if it may seem that they are being taken advantage of, they are more concerned about their dreams than what happens in front of their eyes (but you can't kill my spirit, it's soaring and it's strong). In fact you may notice that they are often seemingly "in another World". Damon Albarn (songwriter for Blur)(Sun in Aries) sings: sorry but I'm not really listening, I've got my mind on something. He adds: the whole world could have passed through me but I don't know that it means much to me.

On the other hand, there are some benefits in being the victim. It may seem silly but victims do have power above their aggressors, by making them feel bad and sometimes Pisces secretly wants that power. I lost count of the times Jon Bon Jovi (JBJ) (Sun in Pisces) mentions victims in his lyrics for Bon Jovi, people are often victims of love: You're the victim, it's in your eyes, I'm the suspect and love's the crime / you gave it all, then you gave more...you'll pay the cost like it's your cross to bear. And they don't complain (throw me in the fire and I won't throw a fit).

In love, as in other areas of life, they are extremely ambivalent and unprecise, leading to greater difficulty in the expression of their multiple emotions - how can they explain themselves if they feel that something is both good and bad, or that in between two options both of them are equally valid? After all, it was a Pisces man that told us everything was relative (Einstein)! Cat Power sings: I don't know what is worse and I can't tell you what is the best. JBJ's expression: Damned if you don't need me, damned if you do. He also sings wisely: Only fools are know-it-alls. Kurt Cobain asked: What is wrong with me? What is what I need? What do you think I think? Damon Albarn confesses: I'm not sure what to say. This may be quite a despairing situation for their loved ones but what if Pisces secretly enjoys being misunderstood? It is now time to make it unclear.../Sometimes I can't find my way (Cobain). Cat Power asks: Do you happen to know where I am from? I'm lost in this. Norah Jones confesses: I'm too foggy today/ I wonder who I am without the warm touch of your hand.

We are talking about a spiritual love, perhaps in its purest form. Venus in Pisces can be literally interpreted as love as religion, as a way of transcending, hence why Paula Cole sings: I believe in love to be the way to find our inner light. JBJ has plenty of songs mentioning belief, as if love is source of hope: If you don't love me - lie to me 'cause baby you're the one thing I believe / In a world that gives you nothing, we need something to believe in. In his hit Keep the Faith he concedes: It's hard to be strong when there's no one to dream on.

We are also talking about a lot of Neptunian idealisation, where the Venus person projects their ideal romantic qualities in their loved ones in a way that can be described as blind (JBJ sings: Blind love is true). Sometimes it's hard for this idealisation to survive the harsh aspects of reality leading to strong disillusionment. That's the biggest danger for Pisces who can become extremely disencouraged by the shattering of their illusions. Lyrical evidence is abbundant here: Cat Power and her famous: Once I wanted to be the greatest, no wind of waterfall could stall me, and then came the rush of the flood, stars of night turned deep to dust. Paula Cole is sad too: I didn't know life was this hard, Oh momma, my innocence has been torn. JBJ concurs: It was all so simple when you were to be queen and I'd be your king, I guess those dreams got lost. In another song: I had a taste, you were my fantasy but I lost my faith when I hit reality. Damon Albarn asks: Please don't bring me down. Paula Cole is the voice of lost dreams: Where is my John Wayne, where is my prairie song, where is my happy ending, where have all the cowboys gone?

When faced with disappointment, Pisces turns to escapism either by fantasising, daydreaming or something of more serious consequences like alcohol and drug use. This happens because: I can't face the truth (JBJ) or the Damon Albarn explanation: you're taking the fun out of everything, you're making it clear when I don't wanna think. Hence the frequent references to alcohol: Wine, for me it helps me to forget that we're just born to die / I tried to drown myself in pity but the whisky kept calling your name (JBJ). Unlike Scorpios, Pisces do not seek control, on the contrary: Oh I love, love to lose control. And they tend to do everything in excess, not knowing how to discriminate (no boundaries, remember?).

But love itself can be seen as a form of escapism with Venus in Pisces. Paula Cole sings: I wanna be drunk, I wanna be high on you. Norah Jones asks: Can I fly right behind you and can you take me away? JBJ: Give me something for the pain (...) to get me through the night, something like you. Damon Albarn's version: I'm leaving town to run away, run into your twisted arms. Also from Blur but a song written by Piscean Graham Coxon: Take me away from this big bad world and agree to marry me. In another Blur song the question: where's the love song to set us free? In a way, with Pisces in the scene, love can also be about healing: Lord I need to find someone who can heal my mind.

Unless they pursue a spiritual goal, being alone is not ideal. They crave being in love, even if with a cause or with God. Venus in Pisces has some trouble trusting the other person at the beginning (as other Water signs) but when they do, they're capable of complete devotion, care and tenderness (tender is the touch of someone that you love too much), sometimes to the point of emocional dependence. It seems that this being the sign of mirrors, having the "other half" is very important: It don't matter how strong I think I am, I always need another heart...to help me see myself.

This isn't the most regular of partners, certainly not the kind that makes plans for the future, but if you're able to make the most of their flow of emotion, not expecting them to commit to you for life, you can expect happy times (if you let me live my life, i'll stay with you to the end). Venus in Pisces makes their own moral conduct rules in love and, as they're open to all possibilities in life and have trouble saying a straight no, fidelity is not their strongpoint (I deceived cause I'm not that strong). They can easily feel attracted to just about anyone (JBJ sings: seems that there's more pretty women than there are fish in the sea), but if they say: it didn't mean anything!, they actually speak the truth. Being the most easily bored of all signs, they strongly rely on their fertile imagination to nourish their romantic necessities and this is in fact the most creative of all Venus signs, as their fantasy sees no boundaries (we'll float around and hang out on clouds). They are extremely romantic about life as a whole and their lyrics reflect it. Bon Jovi has plenty: When you breathe I want to be the air for you, I'll be there for you, I'd live and I'd die for you, steal the sun from the sky for you, words can't say what love can do. Norah Jones too: Come away with me and we'll kiss on a mountaintop.
The most important thing of all is Venus in Pisces is able to love you for what you really are (If you come here all you have to do just you be you / Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be) and who never wished for a love that is close to unconditional?

Where's your Venus?

28 comments:

Gill said...

I love how you link all of this to music, you are so smart. Astrologically speaking! :)

Norah is one of my all time faves.
xox

Rositta said...

I'm pretty much a classic Piscean except I don't mind being alone, am always comfortable in my own skin and I'm never lonely...must come with age...ciao

sirbarrett said...

I tried to find out where my Venus was but the link wouldn't work. Still, from what I understood of what you said, I notice at this time that I can identify with everyone but not really help them. I've spent time trying to console heart-broken friends only to be able to say "that sucks" but not really make them feel any better. Despite their appreciation for me listening, it's like I relate to them TOO much to be able to pull them out of themselves.

sirbarrett said...

Forgot to mention that the person who is heartbroken is a pisces and that she matches many of these characteristics ex. ability to love many people for who they are. It's true her feelings sometimes seem ambivalent. What's clear is she always wants to feel strongly, and that when she doesn't have someone to love, she will turn desperately in all kinds of directions.

Devil Mood said...

Gillian: thanks, I like the 'astrologically speaking' bit ;) Norah's voice is spectacular.

Rositta: Most escapism must be done alone, no? And I don't mean escapism in a bad way, but your knitting and your pottery, it's kind of a personal meditation.

SirBarrett: Try this link instead: www.cafeastrology.com/venussignstables.html
It's interesting what you say about identifying too much and not being able to have a detachted perspective, that happens to me a lot. But try thinking that by being there, listening and understanding you are already doing a great job. It does make a difference and it's probably the only thing you can do. I mean, you can't make people feel differently.

Devil Mood said...

I can't seem to post the link any better, especially not embedded.
www.cafeastrology.com/
venussignstables.html
but without the space.

Anonymous said...

Here it is at last. A masterpiece, my dear! Amazingly, from the Neptune fog, select things shine clearly. The slippery, flipping fish gets caught. The colors drain out of the mutable, transcendent chameleon and into words. Seeing my nature all in one place makes me restless, nervous, uncomfortable, crazy. Like when I get sick of dealing with myself, I find myself wishing for a side effect-less, addiction-less drug to take me away from myself to a higher, freer place. But all that I just wrote, and all the underhanded hating of sacrifice and the clandestine loving of control, when I may in truth be ambivalent on both counts, is futile. And I think, of all the possibilities a Pisces should be open to, she should be open to herself.
:-)

Devil Mood said...

Miss Alister: Bravo! Your comment is a masterpiece :) I shall read it time and time again. It was not for your sake only that I included the note about this being the most creative of Venus signs, but you are proving me right every day :)

madelyn said...

I so love to immmerse myself
in your knowledge ~ the ties
to music are so compelling to
me ~ bring it to life ~ :)

Miladysa said...

I LOVE these posts!

I also had a problem with the link and will have to find our where my venus landed when it's fixed :-D

sirbarrett said...

I agree with the other commenters on references to music. You done good, kid! Thanks for the alternate link. Um, now I figured out that my Venus is in Leo but not sure what that means.

Devil Mood said...

Maddie: that's wonderful, thank you :)

Miladysa: I consulted a previous Venus post of mine and you told me your Venus was in Virgo, that's the opposite of Pisces. So no need to check it again. ;)

SirBarrett: Thanks! Dont want to pester you with links but if you want the Leo one it's here: http://devilmood.blogspot.com/
2008/01/venus-as-muse-leo.html
It's a very grand sign for Venus to be in, very dramatic and artistic :)

lissa said...

this is wonderful! i love reading your astrology pieces. this has must have taken you so long to do. thank you for sharing this. hmm i don't think i know any pisces. i'm very curious to meet one now.

Devil Mood said...

Lissa: hello! Thank you, I'm always very glad if it's interesting to read, even though it's soooo long. ;) To me Pisces can be very enchanting or very irritating. hehe

Anonymous said...

Acho que tens de fazer um livro com estes posts ;)

Catarina

Devil Mood said...

Cat: não é que não me tenha ocorrido lol ;)

Miladysa said...

Thanks DM :-D

Violet said...

Muito boa esta sintese das venus em peixes.
provavelmente pq sou peixes, nao acho confusas as citaçoes piscianas, achas mesmo que são?
a venus em peixes é um arketipo mesmo.... uma venus forte. a letras sao geniais.
achei interessante dizeres que talvez os peixes tenham prazer em ser incompeendidos.
mas acho ke como sou uraniana no consigo dizer-te se um peixes normal sente o mesmo que eu. Acho que o lado mais peixes em mim fica em paz sendo incompreendido pq sabe que a verdade n existe noutra forma mais fácil. a incompreensao é o mais proximo da verdade. então fica-se em paz no nevoeiro, sabendo que estamos mais perto do caminho certo do ke se estivessemos a seguir uma ilusão de certezas.

Devil Mood said...

Violet: Uau! "a incompreensao é o mais proximo da verdade" - acho que isto é mesmo Peixes. Eu, como Sagitário, posso dizer que ser incompreendido é o pior que nos pode acontecer, daí que haja a tendência para dizer tudo sem medida.
Não acho as citações confusas; são as próprias características de Peixes que acho confusas, pelo menos para mim. É difícil agarrar nalguma coisa concreta que se possa dizer: Peixes é assim. Mas acredito que para quem é "dessa natureza" isso seja claramente mais próximo da verdade; pelo menos da verdade dessa pessoa...

Violet said...

sim. as caracteristicas dos peixes são confusas, perceber a logica, os padrões.
eu preferia ser sagitaria. :P ou carneira.. ou akuaria.

Devil Mood said...

lol tem juízo ;)

Unknown said...

OMG! Would Venus in Scorpio and Venus in Pisces ever work out?

I'm a venus in Scorpio and my ex is a Venus in Pisces. What I feared the most was that she wasn't completely dedicated to me as I was to her.

Agh sucks to be a venus in scorpio...

Devil Mood said...

Hi Nick! Thanks for commenting. I can empathize with what you're saying as I'm a Venus in Scorpio too - we will always demand everything from the other person, but maybe our task is to learn to let go a little, we live and we learn in the meantime.
Scorpio and Pisces have a lot of important differences, as you probably gathered, but being both Water signs I think there's the potential to get along - maybe she can learn to be a little "present" when you're there and you can learn to be a little less "intense". It's worth a try, but there's also the rest of your charts to consider, of course. Hope this helped!

randomorange said...

i loved your writing.. i loved how you connected the lyrics, i am a venus in pisces and its true i generally love people quite easily. however please write one about venus in taurus.. PLEASE???

Devil Mood said...

Randomorange: I have written it! Visit my Astrology blog:
http://astroskies.blogspot.pt/2008/02/venus-in-taurus-and-music.html

I'm very glad you enjoyed reading this!

Anonymous said...

Great post! In YHO, how can you describe a gay man in a relationship who happens to have these characterics: sun-capricorn, moon-aquarius, rising-taurus, mars-virgo (retr.), venus-pisces (only aspects: opost. jup-virgo, sext. rising)?

Devil Mood said...

Anonymous, I'm happy you liked this post! Honestly, I don't like to comment on charts without looking at them carefully but I like the mix of elements you've got there! Good luck!

Unknown said...

I had venus in pisces at 10th house. With 9 degrees. I always like to find happiness with in me. And i never find happiness outside of me and my home.