Thread by @aaolomi

While today an emphasis is placed on the emotional associations of Pisces, for Medieval Muslim astrologers Pisces was a sign of contradiction representing blessing, generosity, shared humanity, and the end of all things.

A thread on Pisces in astrology from the Islamic World

Those born under Pisces or al hut are said to be changeable in mood, do not like to work and tend to exert little effort in labor, are clever, and can become obsessed with a place or thing.

In fact, it is said they are enchanted by locations.

They tend to be good-natured and are a mix of amusing and serious and fall in love frequently, getting attached easily.

They are said to struggle with internal contradictions and are prone to wander.

Al Biruni says they have an elegant side to them. They are described as sexual but not lecherous like Capricorn or Scorpio. He says they are bold but forgetful, change their opinions often, and can be unstable or unreliable.

Pisces men are noted as particularly unreliable.

They are prone to make many mistakes in youth but when older they grant sight to the sightless even if they are themselves blind.

This is a beautiful aphorism which speaks to the accidental and organic blessing associated with Pisces.

Reputedly some have a small mark on their chest and their limbs fall asleep easily.

Pisces is described as feminine, nocturnal, cold, wintry, moist, and phlegmatic. Its season is winter and the early hints of spring.

Blue and white is a good color for them to wear.

They find much of their fortune on Thursday and misfortune on Saturday.

They have many children.

They are said to be good healers, religious teachers, mystics, makers of beautiful things, musicians/poets/artists, and counselors though they are better at giving advice than following it.

It is also said Pisces was the sign most associated with the human condition.

It is said Pisces obeys Libra and Taurus and holds Scorpio in esteem.

They struggle at 18, 25, and 35 with their youth characterized by extreme swings in fortune.

Pisces is the home of Jupiter & the kingdom of Venus making them children of the two benefic planets.

Generally Pisces is blessed, but like in all things excess is possible and so it’s noted Jupiter and Venus can lead to indulging in too many sweets or indulging in drinking.

The placement of Jupiter and Venus would become the sign of the anointed and chosen.

We’ve mentioned previously conjunctionalism in world astrology, but conjunctions in personal natal charts were also noted.

Popularized with the mythologizing of Timur, astrologers would note the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in a birth chart as indicative of an ordained ruler, anointing them the Lord of Conjunction (I’ll cover this title in a later thread and share in sources thread).

A chart for Mongke Khan would note the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in Pisces while Shah Jahan would have Jupiter and Venus in Sagittarius.

Jupiter is an interesting study in the way Pisces was Islamized. The older pre-Islamic myth is re-imagined within an Islamic cosmology.

In depictions of Pisces, we see its Lord Jupiter riding a large fish. See the example in first tweet from 14th C Kitab al Bulhan

Now compare that image to these Mughal paintings of Al Khidr. The mysterious teacher of prophets, who is associated with mystic dreams, the holy man who crosses confessional boundaries to become St. George, is associated with Pisces in various treatise

The connection is illustrative of what Muslim astrologers associated with Pisces: Al Khidr teaches through contradiction, mystery, and suffering but also our shared humanity.

You can read more about Al Khidr in my thread on him

Ibn Khaldun he would say Sassanian astrologers knew of the coming of Islam because the conjunction in Pisces warned them of the shifting times while the conjunction in Scorpio marked the birth of Islam.

With this we can see the way in which retroactive astrological predictions were used to legitimize Muslim rule while simultaneously giving an Islamic interpretation to Pisces.

Continuing the associations of Pisces: the human body was divided up by the zodiac with Pisces associated with the feet with many experiencing injuries in their heels.

Muslim astrologers also designated parts of the world as governed by the Zodiac with Pisces corresponding to Syria, Tabaristan, the lands of the Byzantines, and the seas of Yemen.

It is also said to be connected to places where holy people gather

The connection of Pisces to the “lands of the Byzantines” would gesture to the relationship between the sign and Christianity.

Muslim astrologers would connect Christianity to Sagittarius, but others would lean on the Pisces association.

By the late medieval and early modern period, the theory of conjunctionalism was picked up by European astrologers.

Keppler for ex would take up Abu Mash’ar & Mashallah’s theory of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions but would set Christ’s birth with Pisces rather than Sagittarius

In world astrology, Pisces became associated with the Great Flood. There is some debate among Muslim astrologers whether the Deluge of Noah happened during a conjunction in Cancer or in Pisces, but Abu Ma’shar favors the latter

The link to the flood is an interesting example of the way Muslims conceived of excess: all things were good in moderation. So the pleasures of Jupiter and Venus—food and sex were all good so long as they were in moderation.

The same with rain

Rains were universally treated as a blessing and natural astrology would use various techniques in order to predict the coming of the rains.

And yet blessed rains could also lead to floods. The Great Flood destroyed nearly all of life after all.

In this way we can understand how benefics like Jupiter and Venus and auspicious signs like Pisces could go from life-giving to drowning

Abu Ma’shar would go on to use the theory to predict the end of the world would happen when all the planets align in Pisces.

The idea of predicting of the end of days is controversial and explicitly stated as beyond the scope of all but God in orthodox thought.

And yet Abu Ma’shar’s prediction raised little controversy; a reminder of how deeply integrated astrology was into Muslim society

The connection of Pisces to floods would be used by other astrologers. They warned the 11th/12th c Caliph Al Mustazhir of a coming flood. They told him a dangerous flood was approaching, but since Saturn was not among the planets in Pisces it wouldn’t be as bad as Noah’s flood.

The astrologer’s warning came true.

The caliph took protective measures, keeping Baghdad safe, but a deluge in the Hijaz drowned pilgrims.

Pisces would also feature in astrological electional advice. The moon in Pisces was an ideal time for sex especially for conception, but like Sagittarius one was warned to avoid marriage under Pisces as it was just a little too unreliable.

Sex between virgins when the Moon was in Pisces was said to be particularly auspicious.

Some famous Pisces from Islamic history include the 17th C Ottoman sultan Ahmed II who spent his first 43 years under house arrest until finally ascending the throne.

He undertook the very Jupiteran task of reforming the tax system and expanding his territories

The most famous Pisces has to be the 8th c Abbasid caliph, Harun al Rashid who oversaw the pinnacle of the Abbasid empire.

He is said to have begun the collection of books for the legendary Bayt al Hikma and patronized scholars, philosophers, and artisans

He had diplomatic relations with Charlemagne, sending priceless gifts of books and knowledge. Charlemagne in turn sent gifts of hunting dogs.

He also reassured Charlemagne Christian pilgrims would be welcomed in Jerusalem.

One of his gifts to Charlemagne included a mechanical clock which amazed the Frankish court to the degree they thought it magic.

He also sent a massive white war elephant known as Abul Abbas who became a legend in European artwork

In many way’s he epitomized the Jupiteran and Piscean idea of rule—philosophy, art, and generosity

Later in modern astrology Pisces would become associated with the newly discovered Neptune, but for medieval Muslims Pisces would be linked to Jupiter and Venus.

It would be the sign of nobility, of generosity, and blessing. Taken to the excess it could become disruptive, but on the whole was viewed as an auspicious sign.

In the spirit of Piscean generosity, I hope you’ll take the time to consider donating to Lebanon. Beirut has suffered a massive and horrific tragedy and it is in moments like this we need to remember our shared humanity- redcross.org.lb/SubPage.aspx?p…

I’ll cover the rest of the zodiac in future threads.