Pisces is ruled by the Planets Jupiter and Neptune. In ancient Roman mythology, Jupiter (and his Greek equivalent, Zeus) was the King of the Gods. Neptune (and his Greek equivalent, Poseidon) was the God of the Sea. Jupiter rules Pisces and Sagittarius; Pisces is the feminine, or night aspect and Sagittarius is the masculine, or day. Both Signs are spiritually oriented, but Sagittarius is a teacher and thinker while Pisces is more focused on compassion and service than knowledge. When Neptune was discovered, modern astrologers assigned it to be the ruler of Pisces. Neptune is about everything that isn't quite real: illusion and disillusionment, fantasy, drama and art, and spirituality. All of these things are important to people born under Pisces; they tend to be strongly spiritual (not necessarily religious) and artistic. They are idealistic, but sometimes their dreams are vague and impractical. When reality intrudes they can become pessimistic or lethargic, but they are very adaptive and broad-minded so they can rework their ideals when necessary.

The Element associated with Pisces is Water. Water Signs are emotional: they tend to respond to the world through emotion, rather than physical action, practicality, or intellect. In Pisces, Water becomes important because of its tie to the collective unconscious and intuition. Pisceans are compassionate, sensitive, and imaginative; they are sympathetic to the feelings of other people. They tend to be romantic and sentimental, but they may give in to escapism. They are devoted to their goals, but they can be disorganized or procrastinate when things become difficult. People born under Pisces are devoted and gentle, but they are fragile and may become timid if their emotions are abused too often.

Pisceans tend to be shy and quiet. They are sometimes elusive, refusing to show their real selves. They are modest and thoughtful, sometimes displaying remarkable musical talent. Because Pisces rules the twelfth House, which rules dreams, people born under this Sign may be fascinated with dreams and dream interpretation. They are also more susceptible than other Signs to the attraction of mind- or mood-altering drugs, as they may go through life with a feeling of nonreality that is magnified by these drugs.

In their leisure time, Pisces may work to alleviate their emotional stress through exercise. They especially enjoy sports that bring them into contact with their own Element of Water, such as swimming and sailing. They are very artistic, and may excel at music and drama. In love relationships, Pisces is caring, devoted,and romantic.

Pisces rules the feet. People born under Pisces may be more susceptible to sore and swollen feet than people of other Signs. Pisces's colors are white and purple.

The great strength of the Pisces-born is in their compassion. They reach out to other people more skillfully than most other Signs, and especially enjoy helping others reach their fullest potential. Their natural sensitivity makes them one of the most understanding characters of the Zodiac.