Sagittarius and Pisces

… . . the night was peppered with stars… . they were crowding round the house, as if curious to see what was to take place there … . .

As you may have already surmised from the title, this is one of those challenging (is that the tactful word?) 4-10 Sun Sign Pattern associations. The natal Suns of the Archer and the Fish are squared. In astrology, the square is an aspect of tension. However, tension can be transmuted at will into energy, and indeed, tension is absolutely necessary for energy to become—whether it’s in a physics lab or between two people. A touch of tension can be a mighty healthy thing in human communication. Please, I said a touch! Obviously, a lot of it brings quite different results—less beneficial, though perhaps equally stimulating.

One never knows what an overload of energy might cause. It can surely explode test tubes—and Heaven forbid, even Mother Earth—if the governments of the world ever planned a nuclear attack. It can also explode a friendship. Ergo, if Sag and Pisces expect to achieve serenity together, they’ll have to cool it when tension begins to mount. Should they accomplish this, they’ll both be rewarded with a glittering gold star on their karmic records, like the kind you used to get in Sunday School—or anyway, like the kind I used to get in Sunday School in West Virginia (when I was very good). Maybe even a whole row of them. Oh, Joy-and-Wonder-Never-Ending!

How do we begin this attempt to tighten the cord of compatibility between Pisces and Sagittarius? With some positive note, naturally, but played in what key? When one meditates on their ruling planets, Neptune (Pisces) and Jupiter (Sagittarius), one realizes that these two do have some solid positive factors linking them in agreement. The planets themselves have a lot in common. (In fact, Jupiter was at one time the ruler of Pisces, before Neptune was discovered.) Whether this 4-10 vibrational combination consists of children or adults, whether it involves two men, two women, or one of each sex—whether the Fish and the Archer struggle for harmony in school, in an office, a laboratory, or a home—they’ll save themselves a great deal of grief and aggravation by the simple decision to concentrate on those qualities with which each is blessed that the other can openly respect and admire—and de-emphasize their differences. For instance, the typical Piscean can surely find it in her (or his) gentle heart to respect and admire the Sagittarian’s pure streak of shining idealism. The Fish’s Neptunian compassion should be deeply touched by this trait in the Archer that covers such a multitude of Sagittarian sins. Of course, when Sag impulsively and playfully arches the Bow of Jupiter’s giant idealism, these people being as blunt as they are, their humor being as whimsical as it is, the archery demonstration is sometimes highly individualistic, to state it mildly.

Another positive factor between Pisces and Sag is their mutual fascination with what is not very definitively called religion. A strikingly large percentage of nuns, priests, rabbis, monks, and ministers are Sagittarius or Pisces Sun Signs. A Fish is drawn into the mystical waters because of Neptune’s influence of humility and sacrifice—the Archer because Sagittarians are consumed by curiosity concerning spiritual truth, with results ranging all the way from agnosticism or stark atheism to meditative seclusion in a convent or monastery. Still, those Fish and Archers involved in a religious life-style (or atheism) never lose their sense of humor.

We may need a case in point, so I’ll share with you a story of one Archer’s final, whimsical resolution of the religious-moral issues that plague Sagittarians and Pisceans alike. It’s the ultimate example—the perfect illustration of Sagittarian humor, honesty, and idealism—and 100 percent true. I wouldn’t dare relate anything but a true example in a chapter dealing with the brutally frank Sagittarians, who class Truth as the Highest of All Virtues—which it likely is, next to Forgiveness—and who are always quoting to you (like Scorpios) their favorite phrase from the Bible: Great is truth, and mighty above all things.

Pisces has nothing against truth either, but the Fish do like to squeeze it, stretch it, shrink it, throw a few garlands of pussy willows round its neck, dress it up a little, because the unvarnished truth is so stodgy, you know? But we’ll get to the Neptune Truth Trip later on. Let’s move along to our example of the shining idealism, truth, and whimsical humor of Sagittarius. The sex of the Archer is incidental to the character of Jupiter. In this story, the Sagittarian is a man, but our hero might just as well have been a female Centaur.

The Sagittarian man’s name is Dan Williams—and the source of the incident is his daughter, whose name is Mary Ann Williams Henson, currently residing on the West Coast. Although Mary Ann’s Jupiter-ruled father passed away more than twenty years ago in her hometown of Elizabeth, North Carolina (it’s interesting to note that North Carolina is a Sagittarian Sun Sign state), she still remembers his sunny personality with affection—and his fiery idealism with pride. Dan Williams struck a ringing blow for Truth which should be emblazoned on a marble monument somewhere, but for the moment, will at least be resurrected in these pages.

All through his Life, Sagittarian Dan aimed his arrows of Jupiter Truth straight to the mark (admittedly sometimes painfully), but his finest bull’s-eye arrow was shot forth toward the blue skies of freedom on the unlikely occasion of his death, for Dan’s last will and testament contained a most unusual clause. At that time, it was the accepted, woeful wont of the Christ Episcopal Church fathers, in Elizabeth, North Carolina, to conduct their Sunday services with the town’s socially prominent and politically powerful white parishioners seated in the downstairs pews—and the black parishioners safely tucked away out of sight in the balcony pews.

But Dan’s will stated, quite candidly and bluntly, that those who desired to pay their last respects to him upon the occasion of his death would have to obey his wishes. (Dan himself was a white man, although this is also incidental.) The directive clause in his will was as follows: Everyone attending his funeral services at the Christ Episcopal Church, where he would be formally receiving the bereaved from his casket—silently, but oh! so eloquently—would be required to observe a new seating arrangement on that day. His black friends (who made up nearly the entire Negro population of the community) must be seated in the prestigious and coveted downstairs pews, before the altar—the white mourners seated only in the uncomfortable, tucked-away-out-of-sight balcony pews. It was, in Dan’s view, a clear issue of priorities.

On the morning of the funeral services for Dan Williams, the church was filled to overflowing, the seating arrangement dictated by his will adhered to strictly, according to Dan’s dying wishes—and the shock of surprise on the humiliated faces of those who were ushered firmly to the balcony pews was something to forever remember. Throughout the services they sat there, ramrod straight and red-faced, in barely suppressed resentment. The Archer had the last word, all the way.

I am certain that somewhere in this place of worship on that miraculous May morning, probably over near the stained-glass window through which the Sun was streaming the brightest ever, stood the astral figure of the honor guest, fully cognizant of the scene before him (as all souls who have recently made transition from this dimension to the next always are), with an enormous grin on his face, like a mischievous boy. His widow, his children, and his friends were all smiling too, through their tears, in sheer delight, which lightened the sorrowful burden of their loss that day in the Christ Episcopal Church. And Christ was smiling with them—also Jesus, the carpenter. Dan’s Scorpio wife, Nettie (who was secretly proud of his gesture), was to later remark that, although the whole affair embarrassed her dreadfully, she was nevertheless grateful that Dan had decided to play the last of his infernal practical jokes on someone besides her for a change. (But Nettie Williams’ Pisces Ascendent was pleased.)

When I heard this true story, my joy was interrupted for an instant by a puzzling question. How was it, I asked Mary Ann, that Dan was so sure he’d be able to pull off his glorious Jupiter caper, his thundering chord of Truth? After all, the offended whites might have turned at the door, and left, in a fury. The deacons of the church could have refused to honor his final request, and tactfully suggested that the services be held at home, or in the local funeral parlor. Your father must have been someone important in that southern community. What was his profession, his occupation? Her answer is the most delicious part of the story.

He was, Mary Ann twinkled, with a trace of her dad’s mischievous grin, the Democratic ward leader—and the Chief of Police.

Is the magic working? Has it reached all those Pisceans who dream of the Neverland of Brotherhood and Sisterhood, and who are therefore nearer to the Sagittarian ideal than they think? Are you Fish and Archers hopefully grinning at each other now? Do you Pisceans admit that the Sagittarians who bug you are just the type to pull off such a prank, and if you thought you could get away with it, you’d join them? Fantastic! We’re making progress.

Just as the frequently cleansing (but also sometimes rude and unnecessary) Sagittarian habit of slinging the awful truth in the face of friend and stranger alike wounds and annoys Pisces, the Fish’s habit of playing subtle games with truth hurts and infuriates the Archers, who often angrily accuse the Fish of being outright liars. That’s not fair, Sag. Pisces people don’t lie. They just now and then avoid the truth. Think about it, and you’ll see it’s not the same thing. Have you thought about it? Good. Now, think about this. Pisceans have only two reasons for avoiding the truth, on those occasions when they do it. They swim away from an explicit answer or statement of fact either because it (1) involves something very intimate and personal about their own private lives, in which case it’s none of your business, or anyone else’s (will you please admit that?); or because (2) it might possibly, in the Fish’s compassionately considered opinion, be hurtful to someone, and therefore would serve no useful purpose—in which case, you must recognize this as an ethic somewhat less abrasive than your own. Right? Your Jupiter ethic is honesty, whatever the cost or the damage. Their Neptune ethic is evasiveness, to avoid the emotional drain of conflict (for themselves and others) whenever possible. But an ethic is an ethic, whatever form it takes. Correct?

As for you Pisceans, try to be more sympathetic to the purpose of those burning barbs of the Archer you’d like to bop over the head with his (or her) own Jupiter Bow. By now, you should realize that the purpose is always integrity, an uncontrollable urge to search for and express the truth. Since all that really matters in any sort of human speech or action is the motive behind it, can you see that the Sagittarian intention, at least, is honorable? True, they say Hell is paved with good intentions, but I rather think that Heaven may be too.

The Archers are free and easygoing as they trot along the pathway of Life, completely independent, scorning self-pity—yet they often neglect duty and responsibility if it interferes with their exciting search for themselves or stands in the way of their goals and wanderlust—and this brings disapproval from Pisces, who can’t conceive of placing one’s own desires before dutiful service to others who might need them. The kindly, gentle Fish are only rarely irritable as they float calmly around obstacles, unobtrusively charting their patient course upstream, sometimes pausing to linger in the cool stillness behind a waterfall … … . making little effort to escape the entanglements of people who need their sympathetic listening ears (or money), even when it creates a detour, or a delay in their long-range plans. They’re exasperatingly changeable, first following half a dozen dreams at once, refusing to settle down to the practical pursuit of just one—then deciding to lazily procrastinate for a while, allowing solid opportunities to glide past them, which causes the Fish to merely shrug—but brings an angry scolding from the Archer.

Sag must stop trying to coax Pisces out of the temporary ponds where he (or she) feels fleetingly serene and secure. And Pisces must stop projecting the Neptunian silent doubt that holds Sag back from aggressively following tomorrow’s promise. Instead of such futile confrontations, Sagittarius might try to keep those optimistic promises by traveling to the Moon or China, and returning with a handful of Stardust to sprinkle on Pisces to prove there do exist out there new worlds to conquer, for those who have the audacity to pursue them—then grin, and say, See? I told you if you trusted me, I wouldn’t let you down. That’s the most effective way to lure a reluctant Fish to come out of the water and play leap frog.

In closing, I have saved, to share with you, the very last codicil in Archer Dan Williams’ will. He was rumored to have died, perhaps not a wealthy man, yet rather comfortably fixed financially. But alas, Sagittarian Dan had loaned all his money to those in need, over the years. There wasn’t a penny left. And so, his bequest to his family was, in his own, beautifully typical Jupiter words, in the last paragraph of his will: I leave to my wife and children the whole wide world—in which to earn a living!

Although Pisceans can certainly empathize with Dan’s compassionate charity, a Neptune last will and testament would never contain such an inheritance. The modest and humble Fish wouldn’t dream of presuming to have the right to give away the whole wide world—for it doesn’t belong to them. But there’s a deep wisdom in the Sag philosophy.

Pisces: Do you Sagittarians really believe you own the world?
SAG: Of course! Doesn’t everyone?

Sagittarius Woman and Pisces Man

She did not understand, even now. We must go, she said, almost brightly.

Yes, he answered, faintly.

There will be times when the perplexed female Archer wonders if she’s fallen in love with a Gemini, instead of a Pisces. She’s absolutely justified in her perplexity. Pisces and Gemini are both Sun Signs of duality, and in respect of their ability to change dreams and goals in midcourse, for some inexplicable inclination, the Fish and the Gemini Twins are amazingly alike. (Their differences lie in other areas.) But she was also born under the influence of a Sun Sign of duality, the Sagittarius Archer actually being a Centaur, you see—half-horse, half-human. So who is she to question his changeability? She is a Sag, that’s who, and Sagittarius can’t help questioning everything and anything. This man will give her lots of room for exercising her Jupiter proclivity.

There are, naturally, some Pisces men whose careers and occupations remain relatively stable throughout the years, but they’re definitely in the minority. Most Fish are forever fascinated by Life’s multiple choices. Sometimes the changes they make are nothing less than startling. I’ll give the female Archer some examples from Life (which is, after all, the logical place to find examples for those living it).

Cripple-Creek raised, but Denver-based, Piscean Mike Thornton once dabbled with the possibilities of becoming a gold miner, a horse breeder, a writer, and an artist. Then he switched into a career as a professional landscaper of lawns and gardens, after which he experimented with raising night crawlers. Following this venture, he began an apprenticeship to an electrician, and became an expert in the art of rewiring homes and office buildings. He recently called me, wondering if his horoscope was favorable to his opening a canteen-discotheque-type operation for human night crawlers, complete with pinball games, also maybe dancing, checkers, and chess.

If you Sagittarian women are feeling a little jittery reading this, you can just imagine the effect on his patient, pretty Taurus wife, Carolyn. She smiles sweetly, lovingly, always supportively, but her fingernails grow shorter every day, from private nibbling. Now Carolyn and Mike have a beautiful, dimpled, new baby daughter, Mandy, a Libra child, who is simply never going to be able to make up her mind what she wants to do when she grows up, and is positively guaranteed to top her Pisces dad in the quick-change department. Please send your prayers to poor Taurean Carolyn. After all, you women who are trying to keep up with the backflips, jackknives, swan dives, and belly smackers of a male Fish influenced by the elusive Water Element have to stick together, whatever your Sun Signs.

There’s another Pisces man who graduated from Indiana University Law School, then spent a thriving five years in Aspen, Colorado, as a busy and brilliant attorney, totally engrossed in the practice of his legal profession, apparently quite contented and successful. Suddenly, Mark decided to completely chuck his law practice and toss his shingle in the attic—donned his bright-red lucky tennis cap (he has a couple of planets in Aries) and flew to New York to accept a full-time position with the ABC Good Morning America show, where he immediately began floating around all over the country, filming special subjects for the program, as producer, director, and writer of these segments—and he appears on camera in them, too!

These are all the sorts of surprises a Sagittarian woman in love with a Pisces man must prepare herself to experience at various times in their relationship. At first, she won’t mind it awfully much. She’ll even find it exciting, especially if the changing pursuits of her Fish involve a lot of traveling. She was infected with an incurable case of wanderlust when she was about fourteen, the age at which the typical Archer of either sex leaves home (though some of them leave a few years earlier, at ten or twelve). So in the beginning, she’ll cheerfully pack their luggage and optimistically trot along beside him as he follows all those circus parades, trades his drums for a clarinet, or gives up his dental practice to become a computer programmer. In the beginning, she will.

Later … . well, later, she may put her fiery foot down—hard. She may glare at him, and say something tactful, like: Look, dingbat (you thought only females could be called dingbats? Good grief, what a revealing chauvinistic attitude!). Now my concentration has been interrupted. I’ll have to begin again. She may glare at him, and say something tactful, like: Look, dingbat—I’m sick and tired of playing gypsy with you. You’ve changed careers so many times, even I can’t remember whether you wanted to run for congress, open a Japanese tea house, or sell beanbags. You either straighten up and settle down, or I’m going to see how much they’ll offer me for you at the zoo. You need a shrink; your head is screwed on backward.

After a few verbal blasts along that line, the sensitive Fish may literally de-materialize from shock. One way or the other, he’ll disappear. The next time she sees his face may be in the newspaper, when he’s been elected congressman, posing with his new lady friend beside him as a subtle hint to Sag that he’s filed for divorce. With American politics the way they are today, that’s an entirely plausible situation. Attorney Generals and Presidential advisors go to jail and the brothers of Presidents cheerfully plug booze and judge beauty contests.

Naturally, not every Sagittarian woman is as brutally blunt as the one in our example. Some female Archers are the softer-spoken, more quiet types, and far less expressive, but even they are unexpectedly candid on occasion, and would never win First Prize for Tact. The point is, the Sagittarian woman who impulsively and warmly loves a Pisces man must soften her approach, or she could carelessly and unintentionally break both his spirit and his heart, not to mention lose his rare kind of affection and devotion. And he must not be so thin-skinned that he winces every time this lady speaks the truth. She can’t help her compulsion to be honest, and she nearly always means well. He’ll have to tenderly explain to her how much it hurts. Her Jupiter emotions will be stirred then, probably causing her to be contrite, apologize—and genuinely try to think before she speaks in the future. (However, it’s also probable that she’ll need periodic reminders.)

The first thing this happy-hearted, well-intentioned Sagittarian woman may want to do, if she’s considering raising a school of small minnows, and in general, clowning around on a permanent basis with a Neptune-ruled man, is to determine which kind of Fish he is, for there are two kinds of Pisceans born under this dual Sun Sign. There are those who swim upstream toward success and personal fulfillment and those who float downstream toward failure, their dreams engulfed in waves of misfortune—and end up as beachcombers.

Now, a beachcomber on a beach isn’t necessarily a bad risk in happy for a curious, adventuresome, female Sag who likes to go barefoot in the sand and eat berries. But the beachcomber who sadly combs and wanders the beaches of city streets, heartbreakingly scavenging for self-respect, is another matter. Actually, this may be the very Fish who needs her faith and courage, and I’m not saying she should avoid him. Nothing could be more beautiful than a Jupiter miracle which might save such a lost soul from despair. I’m just saying she should at least initially be aware of which type of Fish with whom she’s coping.

A good friend of mine, a Pisces man who lives in Manhattan and often strolls Times Square to check out the passing scene and analyze the colorful human species drifting by, told me about a certain night he stopped in the West way diner, a Broadway landmark, for a cup of coffee and a midnight snack. He found himself sitting across from a rather talkative table mate. His clothes were somewhat shabby, in addition to being a couple of sizes too large, and a half-empty wine bottle was tucked into the waistline of his baggy trousers. Still, the general appearance, when you didn’t look too closely, was rather dapper—and his personality was undeniably chipper. As they sat there across from each other, passing the napkins and drinking black coffee, this Manhattan beachcomber found my Pisces friend to be a typically Neptune interested and sympathetic listener—so he confided in him his occupation. He sold what he called hot jewelry. After a furtive glance around to make sure the place was clean of night-shift cops at that particular moment, he treated him to a brief peek at his merchandise (rhinestone bracelets and pins and such, which he claimed were diamonds) and did his darnedest to make a quick sale—unsuccessfully, since my New York street-wise friend takes only small change with him on his Broadway night tours. After tactfully explaining his tap city financial position, my Fish friend asked the man what his Sun Sign was. With a merry twinkle, this gentle-spoken but spunky lost soul replied, Who, me? Oh, I’m one of them Pisces characters. But he pronounced the word with a distinct twist, to rhyme with Hiss-eez or Ulysses. Yep, he repeated jovially, I’m a Piss-eez.

My Piscean friend says that, from that moment, he’s always thought of a Fish swimming upstream as a Pisces (pronounced to rhyme with Pie-sees) and a Fish swimming downstream as a Piss-eez. He finds it a helpful distinction. I pass along this observation to the Sagittarius woman, to use in measuring the potential of her Neptune man. Like, for instance, Albert Einstein was clearly a Pie-sees.

Because this is a 4-10 Sun Sign Pattern vibration, the Sagittarian woman and Pisces man must expect a certain amount of tension from the occasional clashing of their divergent personalities. His tendency toward self-pity, and her tendency toward self-willfulness, obviously won’t make their challenges easier to face, but will only deepen their problems. It’s not likely, however, that jealousy and possessiveness will be a major issue of discontent between Pisces and Sag, because neither is really possessive by nature, and both enjoy their freedom too much to deny it to the other (unless an Ascendent or Moon Sign stirs up trouble in this area). Generally and typically, these two are willing to allow themselves space in their togetherness. If there are any minor flare-ups of the little green monsters (or giant green monsters), the chances are greater they will initiate with her. There are some Sagittarian women who are, upon provocation, a touch jealous, though seldom unduly so. When they are, their tempers will blaze quickly. But the typical Sag won’t feel the tug of the possessive urge, as the term is commonly interpreted. And there’s a difference between Jealous and Possessive.

Sexually, Pisces being a feminine sign, ruled by the also feminine planet Neptune, the Piscean man, to achieve physical harmony with the Sagittarian woman, should make a conscious effort to be less passive and casual, more active and enthusiastic. Yet the same influence makes him a tender and intuitive lover for this woman … gentle and imaginative. Sagittarius being a masculine sign, ruled by the also masculine planet Jupiter, she’ll have to be careful of his feelings, less impulsive and outspoken. Otherwise, her fiery emotions could discourage his confidence in his ability to bring her fulfillment. Yet this same masculine-positive vibration in her auric field also has the power to increase his desire and arouse in him the latent passion of the Water Element. But frequent emotional conflict and tension, while it may stimulate her, will freeze his desire, just as a lack of enthusiastic response, or being ignored, will freeze hers.

So few people ever comprehend the great secret of joyful sexual expression, which is simply that repeated words and acts of genuine kindness kindle tiny flames in the heart. These gradually grow into a larger fire, which eventually leads to an ecstatic consummation of the physical need thus awakened. Sex with those who love is basically a gesture of mutual gratitude, not merely the satisfaction of two separate, selfish urges, but a shared awareness of the magnitude of the gift of wholeness. Sex, like everything else, is inescapably governed by the Golden Rule. Otherwise, physical union only leaves both partners with a stronger sense of separateness than ever, feeling even more alone and restless than before.

There are many ties of tenderness and bonds of sympathy between the planets Jupiter and Neptune. Before Neptune was discovered, Jupiter was the astrological (and astronomical) ruler of both Sagittarius and Pisces, meaning that its influence impressed a similar pattern on Fish and Archers alike. (George Washington, for example, was a more aggressive, Jupiter-guided Piscean.) This kindred empathy of their ruling planets binds the Sagittarian woman and the Pisces man closer than they may realize. They’re both compassionate and idealistic. Both of them are tolerant—and normally unshockable. But there are also ways in which the giant Jupiter and the elusive Neptune influences clash. The Jupiter essence despises any trace of Neptunian secrecy, double-talk, or deception, while the Neptune essence is deeply disturbed by the Jupiter kind of honesty that wounds more than it heals—and is repelled by careless, excessive emotions.

But if they love enough, the Sagittarian woman and Pisces man can find a way to dissolve their differences. She must try to be a little more tactful, thoughtful, and gentle, without sacrificing the integrity and independence of the Fire Element in her nature. He must try to be a little more open, direct, and expressive, without sacrificing the spiritual privacy and inner tranquility of the Water Element in his nature. Then they can reflect each other’s stars, yet still remain themselves.

Sagittarius Man and Pisces Woman

As they lay side by side, a mermaid caught Wendy by the feet, and began pulling her softly into the water. Peter, feeling her slip from him, woke with a start, and was just in time to draw her back. But he had to tell her the truth.

Some Pisces women talk quite a bit, some are quiet and seldom initiate a conversation (although once someone else initiates it, they usually won’t be at a loss for words, however shy they may be at first). But the important thing is that, in addition to being interesting conversationalists, both kinds of female Fish are great listeners. I mean, really great listeners. So far, wonderful, because the Sagittarius man enjoys talking to someone who pays rapt attention to what he’s saying, equally as much as a Leo or an Aries man—and you know how those two adore an attentive audience. So that should give you an idea how strongly this woman will appeal to the Archer. Of course, in the middle of one of her listening sessions, he’s sure to feel compelled, at one time or another, to make a truthful remark of some sort. If the truth is too blunt, she may stop listening. Pisces women are uncommonly sensitive to hurt—neither do they pursue the unvarnished truth with much energy. This lady prefers truth to be draped in the gossamer veils of maybe and it might have been or it could be. No Fish likes her truth served straight on the rocks, the way Sag likes to belt it. Then he’ll lose her dainty feminine ear, and he’ll wish he hadn’t stuck his clumsy foot in his mouth. A bit of warning is helpful. Now he may consider himself warned.

Few people realize that listening is truly an art, difficult to acquire, because most good listeners are born, not made. It requires an unusually sympathetic and unselfish nature, because a good listener is genuinely interested in hearing about people and events outside the self, not simply keeping quiet until there’s an opportunity to interrupt the speaker. The female Fish is able, through some sort of Neptune alchemy, to project herself into the situation being verbally described and become as fascinated by it as she would be by any personal situation. She makes what she’s hearing into her own vicarious experience, melts into it, is actually part of it, and the Archer knows by her eyes, her expression, her very attitude… . that she’s not just pretending to be polite. No, what he’s saying really matters to this woman. There’s no more soul-satisfying feeling in the world than truly being listened to by someone who clearly cares. Every human being needs the lift of such a therapeutic feeling now and then—the Sagittarian man more often. And since it’s of such value to him, he should try as best he can to avoid shattering this rare gift the female Fish offers him, which is one of the loveliest parts of her nature.

Despite the fact that this man and woman must face many tensions and testings of their tolerance and patience within the difficult 4-10 vibration that influences the relationship, if he happens to be one of those occasional Sagittarian males who’s often quiet, she’ll have a pronounced beneficial effect upon him. We must remember that this kind of Archer isn’t quiet all the time (no Sag ever born is that), but if he’s one of the less talkative types—meaning he doesn’t talk constantly, but when he’s decided to do so, he does rather well—no one can draw out his thoughts with more success than a Pisces woman. She’s so good at persuading him to express himself, she makes you wonder why she doesn’t become a psychiatrist and be done with it. Some Fish do choose psychiatry as a profession, but the majority of them do not. That’s because the typical Piscean hates the concept of prying into other people’s secrets (barring an afflicted natal Sun, which can cause the Fish so influenced to become quite gossip-minded). Mostly, Pisces hates the concept of someone delving into their own privacy. And since the Fish are so naturally inclined to put themselves in the other person’s place, they are reluctant to do unto others what they most definitely do not want others to do unto them.

Nevertheless, without making any particular conscious effort to probe, even in the beginning the Pisces woman will learn a great deal about the Sagittarian man he seldom guesses she’s learning. This lady is powerfully perceptive. She’ll discover things about him he thinks no one knows (or would be able to perceive), without even trying. She can’t help it. It’s instinctive with her to sense and to know what another person is holding back, especially in a love relationship. It isn’t that she tried to find out. It’s just there for her to read and interpret—as though he might be a human crystal ball she’s gazing into. It probably won’t make him feel uncomfortable, however, because her talent for penetrating private feelings and intentions is such a subtle, graceful art, never pushy or overtly pressing, as a rule, no one ever suspects it’s happening (sometimes not even the female Fish herself). In fact, if the truth were told, she’d just as soon not possess this aptitude. To her, it’s an unwelcome ability. It troubles her mind to sense so many things about people. She has enough of her own worries without adding to them by being unable to prevent the unbidden passing through her consciousness of all those uninvited images belonging to others. Nevertheless, she’s fated, it seems, to continually become involuntarily involved in the complications of other people’s lives. It’s her Neptune twelfth-house Kismet, and one must admit, she accepts it in good grace, with minimal complaining. The gentle art of submission to the inevitable is one of her enviable traits of character.

Not that the Archer will mind her knowing most of his inner thoughts. This is not a man who makes a big thing out of secrecy. Most Sagittarian men don’t have a secretive bone in their bodies (unless there’s a Scorpio, Pisces, or Cancer Ascendent or Moon Sign). The typical Sag will cheerfully confess anything you’d like to know about him—often more than the Pisces woman would like to hear. He has little or nothing to hide. Just ask him and he’ll tell you straight out. If he’s broke, he’ll say so. If he’s worried about his hairline or his boss, he’ll tell you. He believes in truth, not evasion. And he thinks everyone should follow his example, in particular the woman he loves. Since some form or degree of evasiveness is part of her Neptunian essence, they may have more than a few quarrels initiated by the various levels of their different approach to honesty, having to do with his definition of hypocrisy—and her definition of the cruelty of unnecessary candor, impatience, rash speech, and impulsive action. Their attitudes toward all these matters may differ somewhat, to state it mildly.

Sexually, the double masculine-influenced Archer will find the double feminine-influenced female Fish seductively alluring. Nature smilingly cooperates with the physical blending of this man and woman. If only they would cooperate. After the initial allurement, the Archer may accuse his Pisces woman of being too cool to his advances, her responses not enthusiastic or spontaneous enough to match the ardor of his own desire. There may be more than a grain of Jupiter truth in his analysis. Unless the Moon or Ascendent of the female Fish was contained in one of the three Fire elements at her birth, she may indeed be emotionally cooler and more detached concerning sexual passion than he could possibly ever be—even if he tried (which he’s not about to do). This means it’s her responsibility to do the trying (isn’t everything always with Pisces?). She’s the one who will have to make a conscious effort to match his sudden urges of desire with the same visibly demonstrated depth of need. He’ll enjoy her sensitive feminine approach to their sexual union—but he’ll nevertheless be very hurt by her periodic coolness. The problem seems to be a very clear one. Once it’s been analyzed and pointed out, Neptune should instruct her in the ways to solve it.

As for him, he must beware of causing her to think his need for her is concentrated unduly upon the physical aspect of love, and be sure to show his feeling for her in ways other than sexual—which will have the nice round robin effect of eliciting from her a more enthusiastic response to his lovemaking. So he has a few responsibilities too. It’s not entirely one-sided.

The Pisces woman needs much gentleness from the man she loves, a whole lot of tenderness. She flowers under imaginative or creative interests, which have the power to enchant her. She blooms visibly when he suggests a trip or change of scene (and so does he). But she wilts into depression when she’s subjected to harshness or tactlessness. Her feelings can be wounded repeatedly before he’s even aware it’s happening, for this woman won’t usually show her hurt the first few times. She’ll try to hide it or subdue it—to either accept it or forget it. But after a time, it will show. This is his warning signal to soften his attitudes (especially his speech) and realize that his powerful Fire may be slowly but surely dehydrating her still Water.

Of course, it can also work the other way, if she should be one of the Whale-type Pisceans. Then her stronger Water nature can drown his natural Jupiter optimism. And that’s equally as sad a fate for a Fire-Water blended pair of lovers or mates who don’t try hard enough to overcome the problems of their divergent outlooks, attitudes, and motivations. After a while, they may give up on confrontation, and simply drift further and further apart, until they become total strangers living together under the same roof.

There are only two possible ways of dealing with such a situation. Each of them can decide this stranger is not the kind of person he or she would like to get to know better—and they can part as friendly acquaintances, rather than allow their relationship to turn them into bitter intimates. Or they can choose the other attitude one sometimes takes with a stranger. Each of them could decide this is an interesting person he or she would like to get to know better—and begin to become re-acquainted all over again, with both of them wise enough the second time around to know that two people needn’t be exactly alike and always agreeing in order to be happy—as long as each respects the other’s different viewpoint. Differences can add sparkle to a relationship—or dull it. Which shall it be? It’s really their move. So let’s leave them alone, pondering their chess pieces. Especially the knight and the pawn. The strategy of love is a very private thing.

Sometimes, that’s the major problem. This man and woman may lack as much privacy as their relationship needs to protect it from outside destructive forces. So they should fly away somewhere together and discover the power of a simple thing like privacy to heal broken hearts between two strangers who once loved so much. It’s often amazing. They can leave the chess board behind, and pick up the game where they left it when they return. Or they can promise to stop playing games with each other permanently. That would be even better—and much luckier for the future of their love affair or marriage. There are some games that no one wins. Not even the high rollers.

Capricorn Capricorn
Earth—Cardinal—Negative Earth—Cardinal—Negative
Ruled by Saturn Ruled by Saturn
Symbol: The Goat Symbol: The Goat
Night Forces—Feminine Night Forces—Feminine

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