Mercury moves into Pisces
Pisces is a mutable sign, and mutable signs are linked with knowledge. As a water sign, Pisces is also connected to emotions. Water is receptive energy, attuned to the wisdom found in emotion, intuition, and surrendering to the flow of life. Pisces’ knowing occurs at the unconscious level, removed from rational, objective thought. Water ebbs and flows; it is both turbulent and still, placid yet deep. Water is going to do what it will do. More than any other element, it is impossible to control. This cycle can be frustrating when we're obsessively working toward a goal, as our best-laid plans may be gently detoured. When Mercury is in Pisces, we are reminded of the lessons we learn when we release control and allow the world to wash over us.
In Hellenistic astrology, Mercury is in detriment in Pisces—not because Pisces lacks intelligence, but due to the excess of its knowing. Mercury wants to gather data, analyze, and debate. That is why Mercury is comfortable in rational, chatty Gemini and Virgo. Pisces' knowledge is the hardest to define but perhaps the most profound: ancient, boundless, and not concerned with classification, categories, or affiliations. This is the realm of intuitive, universal knowledge.
Memory is another key theme of a watery mercury transit. Cancer is associated with the past as facts—with history. Pisces' relationship to the past is more amorphous—similar to what Theosophists describe as the Akashic Records, a compendium of all that has come before. With Mercury in Pisces, our senses expand, allowing us to perceive things that others may not see.
Rather than evaluate, Pisces energy responds. As Liz Green observes, with water signs, the right hand often doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. This is reflected in this symbolism of Pisces: two fish swimming in opposite directions. This is not a bad thing: it reflects a deep responsiveness to one’s surroundings and an awareness that sometimes forward motion is not what we need.
If you have natal Mercury in Pisces, the way you perceive the world and express yourself is poetic, soulful, and wise. This is a placement for dreamers and creatives. It is one of our favorite Mercury placements. You may struggle to express yourself, but that’s simply because you perceive the complexity of the world and you know the weight of feelings. Others may not always see or understand that, mistaking facts for reality. Embrace the ebbs and flows of energy, insight, and productivity—trust that, like water, you will always find your level. The work always gets done.
If Pisces rules your Sixth House, your routines will need to accommodate flexibility and fluidity. While establishing solid routines will help you harness energy when it flows, it's important to allow space for moments of "unproductive productivity" or the inevitable dips in energy. Try not to leave things until the last minute. Having Pisces placements can be exhausting, as you're constantly absorbing information—not just facts, but also emotions, often from others. Be sure to nurture both your physical body (eat regularly, exercise, go for walks, swim) and your emotional world, as your work is deeply intertwined with your emotions. Be gentle with yourself—sometimes things can feel harder or more overwhelming for you than they do for others, and that's okay!
As the final sign of the Zodiac, Pisces carries traces of every lesson learned by the signs that preceded it. It embodies the joys and sorrows, the hopes and fears, the lessons and triumphs of the other signs, giving it a remarkable ability to mirror others—sometimes at the cost of its own identity. This chameleon-like quality is a gift for artists and writers: you have a deep understanding of what drives people, and you can channel that into your work. We should be careful not to get too caught up in our own subjective emotions. Feelings are real, but they are not universal. Be careful not to project onto other people’s desires or motivations. We should also be careful not to let fantasy get the best of us. Dreaming is important but try to remain tethered to earth.
Insight
Each sign has something valuable to teach us, and we all carry Pisces energy somewhere in our chart.
Pisces reminds us that true knowledge emerges when we’re not actively seeking it—when we’re walking, bathing, smelling flowers, or preparing a meal. The Pisces-Virgo axis governs the spiritual realm, inviting us to consider how we can turn everyday routines into rituals, infusing them with Pisces' incredible grace. These moments of disconnection from productivity offer a deeper knowing that transcends rational thought. And pay attention to your dreams—they have something to tell you!
Writing Prompt
Piscean energy is indirect, intuitive, and instinctive. This way of thinking, creating, and writing isn’t always straightforward, and it can be frustrating if we’re trying to meet specific goals or deadlines. However, Pisces’ transit through mercury helps us tap into the knowledge and wisdom we carry subconsciously—in our hearts and in our bones.
This intuitive, felt, or generational knowledge can be hard to access if we’re not accustomed to working from a place of instinct or feeling. The questions that drive our work—whether in scholarship, art, or community building—are often rooted in this deep, precognitive place. The closer we can get to our unconscious, the closer we come to understanding our core motivation.
We all have gut feelings; we just don’t always rely on them for our creative, academic, or written work. Cultivating them this Pisces season may lead to fresh insights and inspiration:
Ask yourself the following questions and jot down the first answers that come to you instinctively:
In my work, what am I trying to say?
Who am I trying to speak to? What do I want them to hear?
What do I know to be true that I want to convey?
Where in my body do I feel these ideas coming from? (We recommend Sondra Perl’s felt sense writing guidelines to locate embodied knowledge)