February 19th ~ March 20th

Pisces: the fish; the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac; intuitive; dreamy; artistic; humane; sympathetic; sensitive; compassionate, compassionate, compassionate; impressionable; ruled by Neptune, the planet of dreams, psychic abilities, and confusion; perceptive; adaptable, open-minded; understanding; having a vaguely directionless, spacey manner; creative; deep thoughts; tuned into a higher purpose; dreams and ambitions transcend the individual; sensitive; retreat into a self-pitying world, finding pleasure and creative energy in sadness; the angsty poet or artist; and closely associated with escapism, through outlets such as artistic expression or substance abuse. With the astrological calendar starting at the newborn Aries, progression through the year ends with Pisces, representing the last stage of life - pre death. The wisdom, acquired knowledge, and experiences of all earlier signs cumulate into Pisces, making “the wise old fish” capable of understanding the world and its workings in a more complete and deeper way (Wallace 233). Pisces represents the highest level of compassion and intuition; possessing a unique view toward the surrounding environment; straying from the “self-centered” “default setting” and considering the perspectives of others (233). Although understanding the people around them, Pisceans can often be misunderstood themselves, becoming somewhat of an outsider. David Foster Wallace was born on February 21st, 1962. Spooky. The incorporation of distinctly Piscean ideals in his work, from the obvious reference to fish to the central focus on compassion, is quite interesting considering he is a Pisces himself. He attempts to promote the positive aspects associated with the fish, but his own life and suicide, which may seem hypocritical, serve to demonstrate the underlying negative Piscean traits of being a misunderstood outsider and needing an escape through drug use. Perhaps Wallace is not as big of a hypocrite as he may appear; perhaps his preachings do not exclude the misery of life as he claimed; perhaps they coincide with the misery. You can’t have the good without the bad.