Signs: Mutable Cross—Pisces

“I leave the Father's Home and turning back, I save”

Sensitivity with emotional resilience: the ability to give from strength

Pisces: esoteric meaning

Details to follow.

Pisces: rulers

• Orthodox: Neptune
• Esoteric: Pluto
• Hierarchical: Pluto

Orthodox: Neptune ⇧

Although Neptune has now superseded the exoteric rulership of Jupiter in Pisces, it acts as a precedent to the esoteric function of Ray 2 in this sign, as Jupiter “produces a constant stimulation” (EA 277) and steady expansion of the indwelling soul consciousness.

Esoteric: Pluto ⇧

Pluto is one of the esoteric rulers of the Mutable Cross, and as one of four influential planets at the time of transition to the Fixed Cross, so presides over that critical initial transition at the initiation of the inner growth process. The trials of personality death are softened under Pisces by the action of Ray 2, creating a desire to break free from personal limitations into a more inclusive consciousness.

the lure of the probationary path with… transference to the Fixed Cross… begins really in Pisces

Two major rays express themselves through the rulers of Pisces, orthodox and esoteric: The first Ray of Will or Power, focussed through Pluto, and the second Ray of Love-Wisdom. (EA 126-127)

The duality of both the ray and the sign (two fishes) implies a distinction between the dying personality and the awakening inner self, which peels away from the purely personal identifications that pinion us “between the pairs of opposites”. We can then begin to escape imprisonment (12th House) towards the wider consciousness of the soul.

The combination of the Piscean element with Rays 1 and 2 suggests the adaptive and often hidden “will of water”—the need to keep flowing around obstacles and to fill the depths and hollows in order to simply keep going and resist being defeated by problems.

Hierarchical: Pluto ⇧

The death mentioned in Esoteric Astrology in connection with Pluto refers to the dissolution of forms that limit or constrain the expanding inner self or—on a wider scale—the collective consciousness of humanity. Because “Pluto or death never destroys the consciousness aspect” (EA 126-127) this is a process of liberation. On a planetary scale and when working through Pisces, this Plutonic transformative power can stimulate regenerative global changes through an initial process of destruction, a kind of tidal clearing of the land for new growth:

death as the Great Releaser, shattering the forms that bring death to that which is embodied…

Pisces, through its ruler, Pluto… necessitated the triumph of death… leading to the dissolution of the form… frequently the death or ending of old forms of civilisations which cyclically come and go; of religious teaching when it does not serve the need of the spiritual nature of the people (as is today the case); of educational processes which fail to educate the developing nature… and serve only to delude and imprison. (EA 545)

On an individual level, part of the work of Pluto is to “cut the thread which binds the two opposing lives together”. In Pisces, the exalted Venus can then “reunite the severed lives but with no binding thread” (EA 130) meaning that the inner self is no longer led by the personal needs of the individual, but instead responds freely to an expanded inner consciousness. When a sufficient critical mass is reached within individuals across the globe, or within a nation—and it doesn’t need to be a majority—the mass change can be triggered.

Decanates

See the notes about the inconsistency of decanates in Esoteric Astrology. For comparison, Stephen Pugh’s decanate rulers are listed, alongside current orthodox rulers and those given in the book.

Esoteric/developmental: conscious development (annual signs from Aries via Taurus to Pisces)

0-9°: Jupiter F: Pisces, the seeing of the vision with which Jupiter rewards those undergoing conscious development

10-19°: Vulcan Z: Cancer, and the experience which Vulcan confers

20-29°: Mars E: Scorpio, the success which is incident to proved discipleship and consequent readiness for initiation

Exoteric/experiential: humanity in general (precession from Aries via Pisces to Taurus)

29-20°: Mars E: Scorpio, conflict and war on the karmic battleground

19-10°: Saturn G: Cancer, presenting an opportunity to work off karma

9-0°: Jupiter F: Pisces, and to be successful in so doing

• Orthodox: Neptune, Moon, Pluto (Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio)
• EAst e/o: Jupiter, Vulcan (Moon), Mars / Mars, Saturn, Jupiter
• Pugh e/o: Jupiter, Moon, Mars / Mars, Moon, Jupiter

After the “reversal of the wheel” the esoteric decans are back to the familiar order, with the Moon as the central decanate (from Cancer) veiling Vulcan. The given exoteric decanates include Saturn, which reflects the Ray 3 “life experience” of Cancer. However, they are out of the expected order, which would reversed to Mars/Pluto, Moon (Saturn), Jupiter/Neptune (Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces). Finally, Ray 6 from Mars and Neptune (as the alternative exoteric ruler of Jupiter in Pisces) suggests emotional intensity as part of the learning-through-experience process.

At the first initiation. the habitual influences and pull of the past (the Moon and instinctive material existence) are replaced by the dawning will of Vulcan, which eventually gives way in turn to the “light of the soul” represented by the Sun as we approach the third initiation.

Both Leo and Sepharial give a list of the decanates … but there is, however, an important difference. Leo approaches the closer to the esoteric interpretation… whilst Sepharial is purely exoteric. According to Sepharial, the three decanates are governed by Saturn—Jupiter—Mars, presenting opportunity to work off karma and to be successful in so doing and indicating the method employed, that of conflict and of war. Leo gives us Jupiter, the Moon and Mars. He indicates, therefore, the success which is incident to proved discipleship and consequent readiness for initiation, the seeing of the vision with which Jupiter rewards the disciple, and the experience which Vulcan confers. Vulcan has been hitherto hidden, but its influence has steadily superseded all lunar control, for the personality or form side of life is lost to sight in the radiance of the Sun, the soul. The light of Vulcan and the light of the Sun are one light and these three—Mercury, Vulcan and the Sun—stand for a synthesis and a radiance which eventually dims the light of Mercury and it “falls” into the background and Vulcan too becomes invisible and only the Sun remains. We have consequently a vision of the Sun, the experience of the personality and effort, which is the mode of attainment governed by Mars. (EA 132-3)

Esoteric Astrology: 132-3