.....no one can fly unless the fairy dust has been
sprinkled on him.
The Fish were born under a double feminine influence - the feminine Sun Sign of Pisces, ruled by the also feminine planet, Neptune. The Virgins were likewise born under a double feminine influence (but with a slight difference, as we shall see) for Virgo is also a feminine Sun Sign, whose true ruler is the equally feminine(and powerful) planet, Vulcan - not yet discovered, but soon to be (see Virgo-Virgo chapter). Meanwhile, Virgo is foster-guided by Mercury, a masculine planet. Right away, you can see that the Virgins are one up on the Fish, in the sense of active or positive (i.e.: masculine) initiation. Not that Pisceans think they're missing anything, however. All Fish consider active initiation an energy-depleting and tiresome thing at best, and they'd just as soon not be burdened with the astrological necessity to "actively initiate" anything in particular.So they're quite content to leave Mercury's masculine vibes to Virgo.
Still, the Pisceans must keep in mind that Virgos can call on both the masculine(Mercury) or feminine (Vulcan) weapons, at will - so they can be tricky.(Admittedly, Pisceans can be more than a little tricky themselves, considering the evasive and elusive influence of Neptune.) The reason I referred to "weapons" is because the Fish and the Virgin represent the 7-7 Sun Sign Pattern of opposition. It's not so much that Pisces and Virgo are at war with one another,but that each of them possesses certain qualities the other (if only on a subconscious level) lacks, envies and would like to acquire.
To begin with, Virgos possess the talent of mental card indexing. They can sort out, efficiently file and quickly locate, when necessary, detailed data on all manner of people, situations, worries, problems and frustrations. Everything is kept neatly recorded. Virgo checkbooks are nearly always properly balanced (allowing for the exceptions that prove the rule, such as those Virgins who have Pisces Moon Signs or Ascendents). Virgo payments of bills are usually made when due, they arrive at work on time, or a few minutes early, obtain the proper number of hours of sleep per night (when they aren't constipated or have insomnia from fretting), write their courteous bread-and-butter letters promptly, keep their clothing and personal possessions in a more or less systematic order - and make sure their cars, their teeth and so on are checked regularly for any possible deficiency. They can spot ring-around-the-collar a block away, and they tend to carefully measure both the bleach and the detergent in the washing machine,therefore avoid using too much or too little. They seldom get parking or speeding tickets - and never spend excessive amounts of energy in counter-productive
activities such as daydreaming, wool gathering, relaxing and taking it easy.(Neither are they famous for spending excessive amounts of money.)
The typical Piscean is the veritable opposite of all the foregoing. As far as precise order is concerned, most Piscean personal belongings resemble a Picasso abstract. As for the neatness of their dwellings, whether they live in one room,an apartment, a house or a mansion, the residence of your typical Fish is about as neat as a Salvador Dali canvas - utter chaos. A lovely, charming and rainbow streaked mess of total confusion. But only in relation to tidiness. Beyond that, there's always a contradictory, yet unmistakable feeling of peace and quiet which is hypnotically inviting, in the very midst of Piscean disorder. Now and then, of course, you'll run across a Neptune person like a male bachelor Fish I know in Colorado, whose house is always ready for the photographers from Better Homes and Gardens to pop in the door unannounced - but he has several planets in Virgo, and a Virgo Ascendent. Never mind Piscean Dick Johnson,he's one of those rare exceptions; astrology still claims that most Pisces homes are like a tangle of colored ribbons - a crazy crochet of warmth, coziness, tea and sympathy, and casual disorder, not carefully dusted in each and every nook and cranny. Who cares about a few specks of dust in nooks and crannies? (The Fish have lots of odd sized secrets tucked away in their nooks and crannies, and may not want them disturbed by Virgo's feather duster.)
Actually, all those Virgo qualities mentioned in the last paragraph are not habits the Fish would care to acquire - consciously. Deep down inside, however,they're aware they could benefit by a little less daydreaming and relaxation,a little less procrastination, a little more mental tidiness and emotional
neatness - whether involving their cars, their teeth, their checkbooks or whathaver you. They just don't like to admit it. Nevertheless, they do sense it, which is why the Fish are fascinated by Virgo. That is, they're fascinated by the opposite sex of their opposite Sun Sign of Virgo, but they may feel a little nervous around Virgins of the same sex, who seem to project an unspoken challenge of competition with Pisces. There's nothing in this world that makes a Pisces man or woman more fidgety and uncomfortable than to feel that he (or she) is expected,in some manner, to compete with someone. That's an activity they happen to feel is "counter-productive," as well as time and energy wasting - competing.Because they were both born under Mutable Signs, Virgo and Pisces often surprise each other by managing to communicate very well together, even when they are competing, despite the vast differences in their polarized personalities.Also, they're both somewhat reticent and reserved with strangers.
It wouldn't be fair (what is Libra doing in here? Maybe to help us make peace between the Fish and the Virgin?). As I was saying, it wouldn't be fair (Libra nods, with a beaming smile of approval) to fail to point out that the Fish also possess qualities the Virgins would benefit by imitating - and it's a safe bet that Virgo, unlike Pisces, is aware of this on a conscious level. Virgo minds are so acute and alert, there's almost nothing left down below in the subconscious. They drag all their thoughts and feelings up from the basement, so to speak, and check them over periodically, to make sure there's nothing being overlooked, neglected or mislaid. So the Virgins are usually painfully conscious,not only of a vague envy they feel around Pisces, but also what causes it. It's the Neptune talent for daydreaming and wishing, then making those dreams and wishes happen by some sort of strange Neptunian alchemy - from causing a parking space to magically appear at the mall, to becoming happily mated or winning the Nobel Peace Prize, sometimes the Pulitzer. Virgo frowns. Well, but
how do they do it? Sprinkle faerie dust on themselves?
Your guess is right on the button, Virgo - as your estimates frequently are (which the good Lord knows they should be, the way you analyze and re- analyze all possibilities before you hazard a guess). The Fish cause their dreams and wisbes to manifest into reality by the simple process of continually affirming their faith in the essential goodness of the "all" (the mass, collective subconscious)and in the eternal wisdom of uncomplaining patience. (Virgos are not slouches in the area of patience patterns either, but one wouldn't call it "uncomplaining"patience.) I hate to tell you this, Virgo, but they do it by not fussing and worrying their dreams and wishes into fading away into the shadows of futility.As a matter of fact, these Neptune traits just happen to be the chief ingredients
of faerie dust.
Virgo is admiring and interested, but still puzzled. Where may one buy a tad or so of this faerie dust, and is it frightfully expensive? You just goofed it.Sorry. I know how you hate to goof. But you did. First off, one is either born with a supply of faerie dust, or one is not. If you are (as Pisces is) you're fortunate but then it can be unfortunate too, because in possessing an invisible supply of faerie dust, one sends out a certain color in one's aura that's easily detected by the baddies and nasty little entities in the astral, and which invites them to plague you with trillions of all sorts of problems to test your worth.They also keep trying to steal your faerie dust from you. It's the ancient metaphysical law of Light attracting darkness, you see. Second off, if you weren't born with it, obviously you'll have to manage to somehow acquire a dram or so of it, at least for emergencies - and the surest way to insure that you won't find any to obtain, is to ask the price and worry about the expense. As soon as you start that picky-picky money mantra, the stuff disappears, faerie dust being very contrary (almost as much so as faeries themselves, who can be simply unbelievably contrary when they're in a mood for mischief). The best way to obtain faerie dust is through a close association with a Pisces friend, business associate, relative, lover or mate.
Now, I must be honest and perfectly factual (or Virgo would never forgive me) by confessing that, although the Fish are amply supplied with magical faerie dust, and although they do usually refuse to allow their dreams and wishes to "fade into the shadows of futility," they are at the same time occasionally guilty of submitting to nameless apprehensions, fears and timidity. Don't blame me for confusing you, Virgo. Pisces is a Sun Sign of duality, you know. Oh, one of those? Yes. One of those. Pisces is represented by two Fish, not one - and worse yet, the symbolic Fish are swimming in different directions. It's not at all easy to be pulled in different directions simultaneously. It would drive you, as a Virgin, absolutely crackers to be tugged in two directions at once. You wouldn't know which route to analyze first. So you really should give all the Fish you know your sympathy. Goodness knows they're always passing out sympathy to everyone else in such a constant flow, they can certainly use some themselves, to pick up their own spirits now and then. In short, and I hope Virgo forgives our slang, duality can be a drag.
Take, for example, the Piscean sensitivity. The Fish are startlingly perceptive and precognitive. They can read your mind and your heart before you say a single word. Whether you're a friend or a stranger. They pick up your vibes and soak up the emotional joys and sorrows, elations and depressions of everyone within a few feet of them. Taken in one direction, that's a blessing. It makes
the Fish compassionate, wise, understanding and psychic. Taken in a different direction, it can be a curse. The ability to be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others, whether in the same room or at a distance, brings with it a constant danger, for a sound astrological reason. The gift of being "sensitive" or psychic, is never present (including all Sun Sign people who have sensitive planetary
configurations in their birth charts) without being accompanied by the twin trait of a vivid imagination - and the potential of exceptional creativity.Even though the latter isn't encouraged in childhood, therefore later grows dormant,it is infallibly latent in the Piscean personality (or in the personality of any sensitive person of whatever Sun Sign). And so the sensitive Fish must always be on guard against allowing the strong imaginations and creative talents they all possess to some degree (whether they're aware of possessing them or not) to distort the "images" they are constantly receiving from others, to cloud their impressions with possibly misleading negative tones and shades. Imagination,like fire, is a "good servant, but a bad master."
There's little chance of Virgo permitting such distortion. Therefore, the Virgins can be very helpful to Pisces, and the opportunity to be helpful is enticing to Virgos, being as it is, their main mission on Earth. They can courteously and gently point out to the Piscean where a certain image, impression or idea may not be quite as negative as the Fish first thought, assisting the Neptuneruled to bring out all the bright colors of their ideas, after retouching the negative with reality (a reality that's nearly always more hopeful than might appear on the surface). By so doing, the most marvelous thing occurs to Virgos! They come away from a comforting, solacing couch session with a Fish (who needs comfort at times desperately, the same kind Pisces so freely and humbly gives to others) feeling rather happy and cheerful and good inside. Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, Virgo notices that his (or her) hands seem gritty. In fact, the Virgin's whole body, from head to toe, feels . . . well, not quite squeaky clean and shiny. How could that be, when the nightly shower was taken before climbing in bed? So Virgo hastens into the bathroom to wash his (or her)hands, and lo and behold! A miracle has occurred. The Virgin's hands are covered with a glittery, sparkling, fine substance, like little starflakes. Faerie dust.It rubbed off from the Fish. And it didn't cost a penny. Now Virgo can become
a touch magical too, like Pisces - and won't it be grand fun? All because of giving to a sad and lonely Fish just a bit of the same kind of compassion and genuinely interested "listening" the Fish gives so generously to others, and needs so very much himself (or herself). That's how you obtain faerie dust. They don't sell it in stores.
Now that Virgo has his (or her) tad of the mysterious Neptune elixir, it must be remembered what will inevitably happen next. Just as with Pisces, the Virgo aura will instantly be streaked with that strange color which signals to the imps of the astral that here is one who hides a secret stash of faerie dust - and before long, Virgo will face the Piscean kind of testing, becoming, like the Fish,entangled in the skeins of all the various heartaches, intrigues and complex problems of friends, loved ones, neighbors and strangers. Glorious! Pisces could give Virgo no gift more welcome than this. Just imagine. A hundred new worries to analyze and solve efficiently, as only a Virgin can. You see? Virgo has already delightedly danced over to the desk, and is promptly, as usual, writing a bread-and-butter thank you note to Pisces.
Dear Fish thank you so much for the enchanting
F.D. Are you sure I don't owe you something for it? You
really musn't give everything away, as you do. It's generous
and sweet of you, but remember that "a penny saved is a
penny earned." At any rate, I just had to express how
grateful I am for all the new problems you've allowed me to
share with you and your friends. No one has given me such
a marvelous gift since the Christmas I was three years old,
and Santa left a huge Tinker Toy set under the tree! It
took positively months to figure out exactly where all the
pieces fit together. That was the happiest time of my
whole life, until now. I do hope you're feeling better since
our little talk. I'll drop by in a few days, to see if there's
anything you need, any way I might be of further help.
Thank you again.
The Virgin
P.S. I just realized how exciting it was, back then, when I
believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, druids,
leprechauns, elves and wishing stars. You've made
me remember my old dreams, even made me realize
they might actually be worth something, even after all
these years. Maybe I'll clean them up a bit. They
must have accumulated a dreadful amount of dust all
this time in the basement. I hope none of them are
broken. Of course, I suppose I could glue them
carefully. Do you suppose anyone will notice? I must
close now, because it's nearly two and one half
minutes till midnight, and I set the alarm for five
a.m. since I have to be at work by eight in the
morning. Do you know what I might do?
I just might take the day off tomorrow, relax and dig
into some books I've been wanting to read. My God.
That F.D. is powerful. Really quite intoxicating. It's
probably healthy too. I'll bet it even aids regularity,
and may eliminate my nervous indigestion. You
simply must let me pay you something for it, or at
least allow me to make a contribution to your favorite
charity. I'd feel terribly guilty about accepting it
otherwise.
