Between Co-Star and Cafe Astrology, I’ve learned so much about zodiac signs over the past year.
I’ve always been curious about astrology particularly when I’d hear people regularly discussing the signs. But it was around the end of elementary school and the beginning of junior high when I first began hearing people say things like “well, I’m (this sign) so I’m naturally stubborn, etc.”
I’d wondered how true all of the descriptions and horoscopes were — especially since my parents had convinced me that astrology was borderline demonic. Growing up Christian made it so that a lot of my “wordly” discoveries usually happened outside of my home, which I didn’t fully mind. At least on the schoolyard and at friends’ houses, we could be as curious as we wanted and get to the bottom of our inquiries.
So, after years of being told “you’re so sensitive!” in my youth and young adulthood, I became curious enough to find out which traits were associated with Pisces and whether it had any impact on my emotional disposition.
For starters, the Pisces symbol is a fish — which used to not make a whole lot of sense to me. Sure, I loved animals, and even debated becoming a veterinarian at one point (as did the rest of my classmates), but I didn’t see any of my personal tendencies as being fish-like. I knew I didn’t look or smell like a fish (thank God) and yet somehow “being a Pisces” described me so perfectly.
It wasn’t until one of my classmates asked me to take my glasses off on the way to our volleyball game and described my eyes as being “shaped like a fish”, that I started paying closer attention to my zodiac sign. Maybe it was one of the more far-out associations with my zodiac sign, but my current roommate T who is super knowledgable about the zodiac also said fish-shaped eyes are typical of Pisces. T’s also shared that truly understanding someone means going beyond their Sun sign — but that may be grounds for another piece at another time.
Anyways, between my sensitivity and fish-shaped eyes and finding myself in my first “relationship”, I started doing some serious investigating.
Side Note: I think it’s funny how a lot of the self-discovery that we seek is often linked to our relationships with the people around us. Because of our experiences with them, we not only become curious about their natural traits/characteristics, but that of our own.
I say all of this to really say that, for those of us who are a bit more astrologically-inclined, we know that Pisces tend to fall within the following categories:
- Intuitive
- Dreamy
- Artistic
- Humane
- Sensitive
- Compassionate
- Perceptive
- Impressionable
And, just for fun, here are a few of my favorite Pisces celebrities:
While we love these women and their Piscesness, their characters remind me that sensitivity is a strength — although I haven’t always felt that way.
I’ve never not been able to wear my heart on my sleeve. People’s words meant a lot to me — and it used to be that how they felt about me meant even more. It’s something to this day that I have to be aware of, though it doesn’t exactly rule my life anymore.
My sensitivity made a lot of my experiences a lot more intense which caused me to tussle with how much of myself I wanted to share with people. In both romantic and platonic relationships, my sensitivity has both depleted and strengthened the bonds that I created with people.
Now as an “adult” or whatever (LOL), particularly in the last few years, I’ve decided to embrace myself wholeheartedly: the good, the bad and the sensitive.
Feelings are so tricky, because it can be hard to tell what’s real and what’s fleeting. And, if you’re a Piscean empath like me, it can be hard to tell which of these feelings you’re experiencing actually belong to you. But, at the end of the day, being able to feel is not the curse that I once thought it to be. It often leads to emotional maturity and helps to develop discernment putting you on the path to experience some of the most wonderful feelings.
It’s been almost three years since I decided to start embracing myself in this way. Even the pretty recent blows to my sensitivity have helped me to make new friends and figure out how to create a whole new set of boundaries. I’ve also learned that even within the most accurate of zodiac predictions, there’s a lot of gray — and embracing that gray (or any other gray, for that matter) is a feat that not many people voluntarily explore. So now, I celebrate myself: my sensitivity, my ability to feel all my feelings and that of others — as long as I’m putting myself first.
These steps that I and so many of us have taken are definitely easier said than done. By no means do I “have it together” nor is it my intention to create that facade. I just want to be true to who I’m becoming by showing myself a little more mercy and grace.
So, this piece is an ode to my Piscesness. I’m no longer ashamed of my sensitivity because it’s made me the person, family member, friend, writer, artist and lover that I am. I give myself permission to fully be myself, to make room for both my magic and my mistakes…to make room for the tears, the confusion and the passion that set Pisceans apart from the rest.