PISCES (February 20-March 20)

Origin/Representation
Pisces is depicted by two playful fish, frolicing head-to-tail in a counter-clockwise direction, although it is also shown as two fish facing opposite directions linked by a band. Egyptian astrologers believed the constellation Pegasus was a boat that pulled the two fish underneath it—hence the band.
In Greek astrology, the Pisces story is similar to that of Capricorn. Venus and Cupid were supposedly playing innocently by a river when they were approached by a monster (the same one, in fact, that threatened Capricorn). Like Capricorn, they dove into the river for safety, at which time the goddess Minerva took pity on them and lifted them into the heavens for posterity.
The significant aspects to this myth are many. First of all, Venus represents pure love and Cupid mischief in romance, both of which are strongly present in the Piscean character. Secondly, the two were saved by water—hence Pisces is a water sign, occuring during the time of year when rainfall is most plentiful. In fact, Jesus Christ was born in the Piscean age (time itself travels through ages of the zodiac which affect us all), promised to wash away man's sins, and is often represented by a fish; he also fed multitudes of people with two fish and five loaves, magically turning them into twelve baskets of food, which astrologers believe to be symbolic of the Piscean trait of great spiritual love to all twelve zodiac signs. Finally, Minerva is the goddess of wisdom and patroness of the arts; so Pisceans are spiritually wise and immensely creative.
Pisces is ruled by both Jupiter and Neptune, both of which govern the imagination and emotions, as opposed to practical matters. As a result, Pisceans are the most sensitive, creative, and adaptable of all the signs, but the least organized. In the anatomical realm, Pisces rules the feet and toes, the foundation on which the entire body is supported. This is ironic, because Pisceans are not considered strong people, either physically or emotionally. But just as each sign is assigned a part of the body, so each is also assigned a stage of man's life; the ancients believed that Aries' immature selfishness resembles the first stage of childhood, and that therefore Pisces' spiritual wisdom represents the final stage of maturity. Indeed, there is a great deal of strength—albeit a misunderstood one—in spiritual wisdom.
Positive Qualities
Joie de vivre. Joy of life. You are the most free-spirited sign of all, and the most aware of experiencing all that life has to offer, right here right now. Those two fish in your hieroglyph are the only truly happy symbols in the zodiac, and so you too are naturally carefree and playful.
Your imagination is the most fertile of all the zodiac signs as well. The rest of us rely on you to dazzle us with your flights of fancy, either with words or visuals. There are more poets in your sign than in any other. You're the artists of the zodiac, and the list of famous Piscean creators proves it.
You also have an immense sense of sympathy for others. If someone near you is in pain, you feel it just as intensely. You simply have to lend your help and understanding because your world is not right until you help cure it. For this, you are prized as a friend.
As the twelfth sign of the zodiac, you are considered to be on the highest spiritual plane, and so you are naturally more intuitive than all other signs—perhaps even psychic. You're on a quest for spiritual peace—in your mind it's the ultimate calling of mankind, and you'll probably spend your life trying to attain it. You certainly have the best chance of finding it.
Trouble Areas
You are sensitive to a fault. The slightest out-of-earshot whisper or behind-the-back rumor will floor you. You're a water sign, but unlike the other two—-Cancer and Scorpio—you have no outer shell to protect you. So instead, you swim away. Your defense is to hide, either shutting yourself off in a room or, if that's not possible, withdrawing mentally into your potent imagination. This is how you write most of your poetry, or paint your most passionate pieces—in a highly-charged, defensive emotional state that's often triggered by an overheard comment or casual criticism.
Your other defense mechanism is to disappear. You have the uncanny ability to quietly metamorphosize into the walls, becoming unapproachable and therefore reasonably invisible to anyone else in the vicinity.
Both of these reactions, obviously, are dangerously anti-social. If channeled creatively, they can be quite therapeutic, but if not, you need a strong balancing force—either a mate or close friend with a strong foundation, or even therapy.
This state can also lead to an overabuse of drugs or alcohol. You don't have the constitution, either physically or emotionally, to withstand their affects, and you become addicted easily. You tend to resort to them much too quickly, and the problem just worsens from there.
On a more practical level, you tend to lack self-discipline. Some would say you're just plain lazy, but it's more that you're not interested in mundane facts or routines. You're so involved in your imaginative world that things like bills and responsibilities are a lesser priority. Here again, you need the balance of a mate who is business-minded and pragmatic.
Finally, you have a hard time making up your mind about anything. You are a wonderful adapter, a chameleon even—if you're interested in someone who is passionate about, say, gardening, you immediately will learn everything there is to know about gardening, so you can enjoy it with them. Most of the time, though, you'll find that you'll soon lose interest and something else will fascinate you. That's okay, as long as those around you understand and appreciate your free-spirited playfulness. If not, find someone who does.
Physical Qualities and Activities
You are not known for your size. In fact, most Pisceans are quite frail and soft—not necessarily overweight, but just not muscular or firm in any sense.
As with your tendency towards alcohol and drug abuse, you tend to rely on medicines a bit too much, because your body does not have the constitution to fight oft annoying viruses as well as it should. But you may find that more natural treatments suit you better, and the holistic sciences in general satisfy your desire to exist on a higher spiritual plane.
You are not an athlete, but you love to move gracefully. Because Pisces is associated with the feet and movement, many of the world's great ballet dancers—Nijinsky and Nureyev, for example—are Pisceans. You also enjoy swimming, because it's both a water activity and a graceful way to move.
Interestingly, you probably are also fascinated by movies. Film and photography are very Piscean activities. Emotionally, you are extremely sensitive, just like film. You pick up everything, so this enables you to understand film—and especially film that moves—deeply.
Preferences
Since you don't have a strong foundation either physically, emotionally, or interpersonally, you reflect this in a lack of an announced style. You often wear clothes that don't match, or clothes that just blend in with the pack. You're indecisive about it. You'll go through stages in life, even from day to day, where you try this or that, never really landing on a look of your own. That's okay. You're more concerned with creating, and attaining spiritual enlightenment, so who cares what you're wearing? Pisceans are the most likely sign to enter a monastery or an eastern religion, and where personal style is utterly meaningless and trivial. That makes more sense to you.
One famous Piscean, Albert Einstein, spent his entire life discovering, creating, and philosophizing—this is what made him one of history's great men. The fact that his hair was always completely disheveled simply added to his appeal—he couldn't be bothered with combing it when such brilliant matters were on his mind.
Since you're the most emotional of all the signs, you prefer things that resonate emotionally to you. You don't care if the furniture in your home matches, but you care greatly if an old chair has sentimental value. That's the key: any inanimate object in your life is prized for its emotional content, or of whom it reminds you.
Even your taste in food is governed by emotions, although you obviously have a bias towards a diet that's high in water content—such as soft, liquidy rice and pasta dishes, fruits and vegetables—as well as seafood. More importantly, though, if a particular food reminds you of someone, or a special place in time, you'll experience it more deeply, a trait that's truly unique to you among the zodiac.
Occupations/Financial Profile
Poets, writers, painters, musicians, actors, and dancers dominate the list of famous Pisceans. But what of those who are not so famous? There are several other avenues that suit you well. First, anything to do with fish. This may be too obvious, but you have a natural affinity with the fishing industry. Second, you are inclined toward alcohol—perhaps too much—so any job in the creative or social end of it, such as bartending or brewing, is up your alley. Third, and similarly, you are well-suited towards the pharmaceutical industry—drugs are very Piscean. Finally, and most predominantly, your innate sympathy towards others makes you an excellent nurse or similar caretaker in the health field. No one understands pain and unhappiness to quite the same depth that you do.
But it's the creative Pisceans who give the sign its glamour. The poets include Longfellow and Elizabeth Barrett Browning; the writers, Victor Hugo, John Steinbeck, Tom Wolfe, and John Irv-ing; the painters, Michelangelo (perhaps the ultimate Piscean artist) and Renoir; the musicians include Chopin, the passionate opera singers Caruso, Renata Scotto, and KM Te Kanawa, the sensitive vocalists Nat King Cole, Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, George Harrison, and Nina Simone, and entertainers Harry Belafonte, Dinah Shore, Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, Charlie Pride, and Al Jarreau; filmmakers Robert Altman, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Ron Howard; actors Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Harlow, Jerry Lewis, Sidney Poitier, Michael Caine, Billy Crystal, Glenn Close, Bruce Willis, William Hurt, Ozzie Nelson, the ever-adaptable Ed McMahon, and scores of others.
Love and Relationships
Because you exist on a high spiritual plane, finding a compatible mate can be challenging. It is necessary, though, because your feelings are so deep and intense that it would be unthinkable for you to exist without it. Not only that, but the right mate can also provide the pragmatic strength and common sense that you so desperately need to help organize your lif e, since you spend all of your time creating and experiencing the gamut of your emotions.
That ideal mate is your zodiacal opposite, Virgo, as long as it's a Virgo who is aspected to a more sensitive degree—i.e., one that understands your depth of feeling and appreciates your creative world. In return, you get a devoted care-giver, a smart, sensible bill-payer, and hopefully, one that can inspire you to success with his or her ideals, as opposed to tearing you down with harsh criticism. If you're selective, it will work wonderfully. Your secondary partnerships are with your water-sign relatives, Cancer and Scorpio. The former will understand your deep emotional nature, and support you with his or her strength—that outer shell. The latter will attract you immediately, and vice-versa, but has a strong chance of wandering off later.
Those signs not compatible with you are Aries (too aggressive and harsh), Gemini (too prone to variety, and not sympathetic to your needs), and Leo (although you are easily led by him or her, you are also easily cast aside).