How to make the most of ethereal Pisces season in Brooklyn

By Paula Henderson

Late February finds the sun plunging into the deep waters of Pisces, the dreamiest and steamiest sign of the zodiac under which many poets, mystics, seers and empaths are born. This twelfth and final sign of the zodiac is a mutable sign, ushering us in Brooklyn from winter to springtime (each of the four mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces — heralds a change of season), and is a water sign, activating our feelings and emotions.

Pisces is associated with unknown and unseeable territories and illusions — the deepest part of the ocean, clouds, fog, mists and mirages. There is an absence of clarity here, a softer focus and often an alternate reality where boundaries can be blurred and possibilities seem unlimited. Intuition and imagination internally light the way for Pisces, enabling messages to spring forth from between the lines and wordless stories to be evoked. Romanticism and spiritualism thrive under a Pisces sun, said to rule the ethereal realms of music, poetry, dance, photography and cinema.

Get ethereal
As musical instruments go, nothing says Pisces like a magical, mysterious theremin, and on February 23 we in Brooklyn can experience the sonic luxury of an in-person theremin performance by Austrian composer Dorit Chrysler at e-flux, at which she’ll launch her new album, “Calder plays Theremin.” Chrysler, now based in Berlin, lived in New York for many years and co-founded the NY Theremin Society. Her new album originates from a sound piece commissioned by MOMA in which she incorporated the effect of Alexander Calder’s mobile sculptures on the sounds generated by the theremin. Her performance at e-flux will incorporate visuals by Optipus, a nomadic group of chameleon artists/cine-scientists which embraces the ephemeral cinema of unfixed forms and open composition.

Get fishy
Pisces is graphically symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions. While there are many esoteric interpretations as to the meaning of the symbol, on the literal plane Kingfisher at 505 Rogers Avenue in Prospect Lefferts Garden is a wonderful newish restaurant in which to undertake a seafood eating ceremony to celebrate your favorite Pisces person, or just for the deliciousness of it. Here you’ll find an elegant upscale fine dining experience, focused on sustainable American catch. Kingfisher is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday between 5 and 10 and reservations are recommended.

If you’re more inclined to go with the flow, eating breakfast, lunch or dinner on the spur of the moment at any hour of the day or night, and if, like me, you are sentimental about our endangered 24 hour diners, the Piscean pick is Neptune 2 Diner on Classon Avenue in Crown Heights, mainly because Neptune is the planetary ruler of Pisces. Don’t go to Neptune 2 for the lobster; instead, go for the romance of a late night booth, pancakes at the break of dawn, or to greasy spoonfeed yourself after a long night of Piscean revelry.

Get altered
Pisces is, after all, the sign of the zodiac which presides over intoxication … drugs, alcohol and addiction to be sure, but also all the other ways of transcending reality: meditating, religious rapture, holotropic breathing, to name just a few examples. We are talking altered states of reality and shifts in perspective and Brooklyn offers countless ways in which to affect all of them.

For the drinkers, the Pisces new moon on February 19 saw the opening of a new mezcal bar in Bushwick. An extension of Brooklyn Made, the live music venue which boasts the most backstage jacuzzi bubbles in town, Cafe Mez not only serves quality mezcals curated from across Mexico, there’s also a menu of Mexican inspired cuisine to set off your shots and cocktails.

Where weed is concerned, many of us are feeling dazed and confused about what’s legal and what’s not here in Brooklyn during this beyond-our-wildest-dreams moment. While dispensaries have popped up all over and it would seem we are free to blaze on Brooklyn sidewalks, there are still no official recreational dispensaries in Brooklyn, even as licenses are being awarded in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. So Brooklyn pot spots such as Cannabist, Be: Brooklyn and Sunnyside are listed as medical cannabis dispensaries. Since getting high has been a Piscean predilection for as long as there has been a zodiac, I’m sure any intrepid tripper will locate loopholes through which to leap and light up on our fair East River shores.

Get well
Interestingly (and not to be a buzz kill), since Pisces, the twelfth sign of the zodiac is associated as mentioned above with addiction, the twelfth step of the 12 Step Program refers to prayer and meditation. And of course Brooklyn is home to countless meetings for those struggling with addiction related issues to alcohol, drugs, gambling, overspending, underearning, sex, food and probably even, ahem, reading articles on the internet.

Get transcendent
As the astrological year winds down during the Sun’s annual transit of Pisces, the prescription is to turn our attention within. If it’s a natural high you seek, Brooklyn has almost every flavor of meditation to offer for practitioners of all levels. You can be trained in Transcendental Meditation on Atlantic Avenue, explore Buddhism at Vajradhara Meditation Center, also in Boerum Hill or at Kadampa Meditation Center in Williamsburg.

In addition to these meditation schools, Brooklyn, also known as The Borough of Churches, is home to hundreds of houses of worship representing faiths from around the world, reflecting our multicultural population. In the vicinity of my home I can often hear church bells, the amplified Adhan (Muslim call to prayer) and the weekly siren announcing to our Jewish communities that Shabbat is about to begin at sundown on Fridays.

Get wet
If you can’t frolic in an Octopus’s Garden this Pisces season, you may at least want to get wet at one of Brooklyn’s bathhouses. Remember, Pisces is a water sign! There’s the fashionable Bathhouse in Williamsburg for those seeking a glamorous schvitzing scene; the spectacular WorldSpa on MacDonald Avenue offers a fusion of steam and sauna experiences drawing on traditions from, as the name suggests, around the world. Roam if you want to and try a smorgasbord of steaming styles from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Traditionalists may fancy a trip to Gravesend where Brooklyn Banya offers an authentic Russian and Turkish Banya experience with restorative Russian cuisine available onsite.

Get melodic
As a saxophone player, I write and listen to instrumental music all the time; as an astrologer I especially recommend listening to instrumentals during Pisces season, tuning in and letting your imagination be captured by the rhythm, harmonies and vibrations of this wordless music to create your own interpretation of the story behind this month’s Zodiac Soundtrack. And always, if you have any Pisces themed questions for me, please drop them in the Brooklyn Magazine mailbag and I’ll answer them in an Instagram story.

Dream on dreamers!