Pisces Symbol: Zodiac Sign Glyphs & Meanings
What does the Pisces symbol mean and how does it relate to its constellation?
unsplash / wikipedia The symbol for each zodiac sign is called a glyph, and there is a story behind each one. For example, the Pisces symbol is represented by two half-circles facing away from each other bound by a line — but the meaning goes far deeper.
Astrological glyphs are symbols that have been around for centuries. They are a system of shorthand to easily recognize the zodiac sign without having to write it out.
The earliest recording of glyphs dates back to ancient Egypt, according to Astro Wiki. They were originally simple abbreviations used for the roman gods. For example, the Roman god Mercury’s symbol was a stylized caduceus and the symbol for the god Mars combined the shield and spear used by the god.
Meaning of the Pisces symbol
Photo: Wikipedia
The Pisces glyph represents two fish that are swimming in opposite directions linked together by a band. The band represents the continuity of the zodiac signs moving from Pisces to Aries, according to The Astrology Place.
It also symbolizes the Pisces’ tendency to be “in-between” decisions explains Horoscope.com.
The mythology behind the Pisces glyph
There are many stories explaining how the Pisces constellation came to be. For now, we are going to focus on three different stories from Greek and Roman mythology and Western Folklore.
Greek mythology
One variation of the story starts with Aphrodite and Eros walking along the Euphrates River when the monster Typhon appeared. In their attempt to escape, they hid in the river and were turned into fish by Zeus.
Another variation shares that an egg had appeared in the Euphrates River. Two fish pushed the egg onto the shore and Aphrodite was born (as depicted in the famous Birth of Venus painting). As a reward, the fish were placed among the stars.
Roman mythology
The story is similar to the Greek version, where the Roman equivalents Venus and Cupid needed to escape. However, in this version, they were carried away by a merchant who tied them together and placed them in his bag. This would explain the bond between the two opposing shallow C’s in the glyph.
Western folklore
This comes from the German legend The Fisherman and His Wife, where a farmer lived in a small cabin with a bathtub. One day a magical fish appeared who offered him a wish, but the man refused.
After finding out, his wife was upset and demanded him to call the fish back and gain her wish, which was to have a new, furnished home. The fish granted the wish, but she was still not satisfied and asked to be a queen with a palace, to which she was granted. She then asked to become a goddess, to which the fish became furious and took away everything.
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Isabell Tenorio is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, love and relationship topics.