Tag: bravenewreal

27 Degrees Pisces: Into the Deep End, Part 1

Photo by 7inchs from Pexels

Author’s note: This article refers to 27 degrees Pisces (27-28 Pisces), not the 27th degree of Pisces (26-27 Pisces).

Degree components

Sign: Pisces

  • Vast bodies of water
  • Dissolution of identity, boundaries, and definition
  • Personal and collective unconscious –the liminal state, dreams, art, music, literature, mythology, and imagery.
  • Escapism via spirituality, religion, worshiping of individuals and groups, altered state of consciousness, and oblivion. Evasiveness and indeterminacy.
  • Distress, oppressed, victimized and powerless states caused by physical, emotional, or social conditions. The need and desire to rescue other or be rescued .

Decanate: Scorpio (20-29 Degrees Pisces)

  • Depth and shadow
  • Complications, power struggles, and entanglement
  • Objectification, oppression, manipulation, damage, and destructiveness
  • Intense emotions, obsession, and brutality
  • Occult power and knowledge

Duad: Capricorn/Aquarius (Structural failure, breakdown of a framework, distortion of truth, population control.) For a detailed discussion on the boundary between Capricorn and Aquarius please see this blog article .

Degree number: 27 (Discontent. Carrying out one’s religious and philosophical beliefs. Seeking a higher ground –in social status, ethics, and/or philosophy. Withdraw from the public. Deviation from the mainstream.)

Numerology: 9 (Retreat, observe and comment. A phase coming to an end.)

Antiscion: 2 Libra (Balancing act, contract, and counterpart)

Working symbol: On a sinking ship, water gushes through shattered windows. A passenger struggles to untangle from the rigging that’s dragging him down.

…there is a quality about Vanessa that makes me feel as if she resides in a netherworld of mystery that eludes the rest of us mortals. Her voice seems to come from some deep place that knows all suffering and all secrets. Watching her work is like seeing through layers of glass, each layer painted in mythic watercolour images, layer after layer, until it becomes dark, but even then you know you haven’t come to the bottom of it …

 Jane Fonda on Vanessa Redgrave (Venus at 27 Pisces)

The last decanate of Pisces (degrees 20-29) lies in the murky depths of Scorpio decanate. Under the influence of Pisces, we long to return to the primordial state and merge with the subconscious, in hope of escaping the harsh reality and bypass natural and man-made barrier and limitations.

While these maneuvers are supposed to free us from the humdrum of human conditions, Scorpio energy tends to seduce us into the vortex of complications. Instead of bliss and ecstasy, we are thrown into the deep end, mistaking the asylum as the safe harbor, and entrenched in power struggle and destructiveness.

The third decan of each sign is public-facing, thus its expressions is related to one’s attitude and response to the faceless crowd as a whole. Natal and mundane astrology alike, in this decan we find people falling into hard times and encountering insurmountable obstacles due to society’s collective shadow and failure of reason, restrain, and decency. Victims and perpetrators of racism, ethnic cleansing, destitution, sexual exploitation, crimes, political corruption, decadence, and secret surveillance abound in this section of the zodiac. Authors and artists under this influence invariably dedicate bodies of work –and their lives – dealing with the powerful Pisces-Scorpio energy.

The numerology of 9 expressed in zodiac degrees (9, 18, and 27) indicates the retreating from physical action –detached, observing, or directing from a distance, most likely a moral high ground. Specifically, degree 27 in each zodiac sign alludes to dissatisfaction and aversion of social convention. It can be personified as someone who, consciously or unconsciously, is consumed by a belief system, or some abstract idea that sets them apart from the mainstream.

…Less highly evolved individuals… tend to repeat themselves endlessly and get stuck in patterns that do not allow them to advance and to grow.  … [they] run the risk of sinking into a torpor in which they are ultimately incapable of moving forward …

Goldschneider, The Secret Language of Birthdays

In essence, 27 degrees Pisces starts off as the escapist being seduced into the murky, often destructive, depth of human psyche. Their obsessive and intense discontent, the byproduct of a strong belief system, calls for a deviation from the social norm. Under the Capricorn/Aquarius duad, the preoccupation has to do with the society’s failures or the unbecoming conducts of superiors and authorities. The struggle also involves breaking free from the consensus reality, rigid structure and restrictions.

Once connected to this oppressive and irrational vortex, both the perpetrators and victims of this energy will find it extremely difficult to extract themselves. Voluntarily or involuntarily, this dark and downward pressure leads them away from the reality and into an obsessive and self-perpetuating endless pursuit.

Reemergence usually involves the power of art, the occult, or religion. Superhuman strength is required to break (instead of reinforce) the self-fulfilling cycle and tunnel through further depth and darkness. Redemption occurs through miraculous divine intervention that works through a powerful and patient counterpart. In the best scenario, the wholehearted embrace and skillful maneuver of these powers is directed and materialized for a higher cause.

In natal and mundane astrology, this degree unfolds under the sweeping Pisces-Scorpio themes: brutal crimes, maritime misadventure, social-economic struggles (related to race, sex and economic status), occult power, religious salvation, and unparalleled artistic pursue. During current Neptune’s long stay in 27 Pisces, many suppressed secrets are coming to light in the form of public power-struggles and scandals.   

A Cinematic Case Study: Luc Besson (Sun)

Luc Besson’s most memorable films aptly illustrate these themes, metaphorically and figuratively, through masterfully crafted plots. The main characters in these movies are placed in the perilous, murky depth (ocean, crime [Pisces]), and due to oppression or obsession (Scorpio), unable to break away (27) from the downward spiral. They face tremendous struggles as they attempt to reemerge, leaning heavily on a significant counterpart (2 Libra) for redemption (Pisces). In the end, only those embracing mystical and paranormal power (Pisces-Scorpio-27) can rise above. Here are a few notable examples:

Le Grand Bleu (English title: The Big Blue) fictionalized the rivalry between two real-life record-breaking freedivers (Pisces-Scorpio) Jacques Mayol (who contributed to the screenplay and has Varuna at 27 Pisces) and Enzo Maiorca. During their childhood, the two witnessed the horrific death of Jacque’s father, who drowned when his air hose got caught on the reef and punctured (27 Pieces). Enzo later rescued (2 Libra) a trapped diver from a shipwreck (27 Pisces). Now a world champion freediver, he seeks out Jacque to prove once and for all that he is the better diver. The two become obsessed (Scorpio) with breaking each other’s records (Capricorn-Aquarius), competing against the doctor’s advice and their physical limits. During their last face-off, Enzo is fatally injured (Scorpio) and begs Jacque, who rescues him (Pisces, 2 Libra), to send his body to the bottom of the ocean (Pisces-Scorpio). Overwhelmed by grief (Pisces), Jacque suffers cardiac arrest (Scorpio) and is saved (Pisces) by fellow divers (2 Libra). Despite the emotional pleas (Pisces) of his pregnant girlfriend (2 Libra), Jacque makes one last dive (Pisces-Scorpio). Greeted by a dolphin, he drops his line and follows the dolphin into the watery oblivion. (27 Pisces). 

Le Femme Nikita and Leon: The Professional depict the struggles and attempted redemption of assassins (Pisces-Scorpio). Both Nikita and Leon hope that love can save them (Pisces, 2 Libra), or at least alleviate them from their miserable circumstances (Capricorn-Aquarius) to some resemblance of a normal life. In both cases their strive for deliverance from the life of crime failed (Pisces 27).

Lucy. Kidnapped (Scorpio) and turned into drug mule (Pisces), Lucy accidentally becomes superhuman when the package of drug (Pisces) inside her breaks open (Scorpio). As her body disintegrates and morphs (Capricorn-Aquarius), she gains mental power (27) and physical strength, unbound by space and time (Capricorn-Aquarius). Lucy devours cutting-edge neurology research papers (27) to understand her condition, and shares her experience with the leading scientist (Capricorn-Aquarius, 2 Libra). In the end, Lucy transcends her physical state into pure consciousness, immortalized by leaving behind her knowledge (27) in a portable hard drive.

(Continue to Part 2)

Reference

Fonda, Jane. My Life So Far. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006.

Goldschneider, Gary. The Secret Language of Birthdays. Penguin Studio, 1994.

© Brave New Real 2023. All rights reserved.

Current Mercury Retrograde Mood: The Commoditization of Us (15 Degrees Taurus)

Public domain Image From The Æsop for Children, by Æsop, illustrated by Milo Winter.

Author’s note: This article refers to 15 degrees Taurus (15-16 Taurus), not the 15th degree of Taurus (14-15 Taurus).

Sign: Taurus (One’s worth, values, and resources. Physical sensations.)

Decanate: Virgo (Earthy and materialistic bounties. Fruits of labor. Value of skills. Ethics.)

Duad: Scorpio (Creative destruction. Objectifying and acquisition. Break down of ownership, values and boundaries.)

Degree number: 15 (Contrast. Intensified personal relations. Possible change of alliance. Evaluation of others. Internal conflicts. Self as one’s worst enemy. Instability.)

Numerology: 6 (Harmony and discord. Evaluation and judgement.)

Working symbol: A farmer contemplating killing his golden-egg-laying goose to extract its remaining eggs.

The degree where Mercury stationed before turning retrograde dominates the agenda of the retrograde period. For the current retrograde, Mercury stays within 15 degrees Taurus for 6 days before changing degree.

The 15-16 degree of Taurus is closely related to the value of commoditized labor and skills, and whether we are selling ourselves short or overestimating our contribution in the workplace. Conversely, our superior, peers, or customers may also be thinking about how to maximize their benefit from us, and whether to retain our service after the metaphorical extraction. It is also possible that we’re at the position of evaluating someone else’s worthiness and value. In any case, the underlying tone is one of self-centeredness and stubbornness, as well a lack of generosity and good will.

This degree also has to do with how we value our labor and hard-earned skills. Do we package the fruits of our labor and sell them to the highest bidder? Or do we continue to refine and break things in the hope of discovering the magic formula? Are we preserving or destroying our health and well-being as we cope with endless demands and an impersonal workplace?

The degree 15 of a sign is where it the two opposing signs –in this case, Taurus and Scorpio, oscillates in a fragmented and conflicting manner. This behavior is not always apparent and sometimes can disguise as ambivalence and lead to an abrupt turning point of a relationship.

15 Taurus also happens to be the degree 45 of the 360-degree cycle, carrying the quality of eight-ness, which refers to the duality of strength and weakness, and can point to the excessive use of force that cause injury and damage.

In summary, it may be wise to pay attention to the themes related to this retrograde period and remind ourselves that during this period our perception and reasoning can be flawed. And if possible, withhold any irreversible decisions until after May 15, 2023, when Mercury resumes its forward motion.

©2023 Brave New Real. All rights reserved.