Pisces III and the Ten of Cups

and Total Lunar Eclipse in Virgo

Mar 10, 2025

The Lord of Satiety (March 10–20)

The Ten of Cups is one of the most cherished cards in the Tarot, representing joy, emotional fulfillment, harmony, and the realization of an ideal. It embodies the culmination of love, relationships, and personal happiness, often associated with family unity, romantic bliss, and spiritual wholeness.

The scene in traditional depictions—a couple embracing as their children dance beneath a rainbow—suggests a deep connection, peace, and gratitude. The cups are full; the vision is complete. It is the “happily ever after” card, a state of domestic contentment where everything falls into place.

Yet, this image of perfected success also holds the question: What happens after the rainbow? Once fulfillment has been reached, what comes next? Can happiness be sustained indefinitely, or is it merely a temporary illusion?

This is the paradox of Pisces III, the final decan of the zodiac. As we approach the end of the astrological year, we reach a state of saturation—where desires are fulfilled, but dissolution is inevitable. Even the most blissful moment is fleeting, and true satiety is often the prelude to change.

Mars: The Blood That Moves the Dream

The Ten of Cups is associated with Pisces III, ruled by Mars, a placement that fuses willpower with surrender and action with dissolution. Mars, the planet of drive, assertion, and battle, is immersed in a boundless ocean, where the direction is uncertain, and reality blurs into a dream.

Mars is blood, pulse, vitality—the force that moves life forward. It represents the primal urge to act, to fight, to claim space. But here, this force is diffused. Instead of charging forward, the warrior lets go, dissolving into the collective unconscious, the spiritual current, the vast unknown.

This is a placement of both exhaustion and transcendence. It is motion but circular. It is fire but submerged. It is the energy of a poet-warrior, a dreamer-fighter, someone who fights not for personal gain but for love, faith, and ideals.

But even warriors grow weary. Even dreams require sacrifice. And what is sacrificed? Energy and some blood.

The Saturation of Mars

As the Sun enters Pisces III, Capricorn rises, where Mars is exalted. Meanwhile, transiting Mars in Cancer lingers near the Descendant, while the Midheaven is in Scorpio, another Mars-ruled sign. The point? Mars is present but subdued.

Mars has just emerged from retrograde, and its energy is more reflective than aggressive. It does not strike. It does not push forward with force. Instead, it moves like a tide—steady, weary but unwavering.

Aleister Crowley described the Ten of Cups as the exhaustion that follows expended energy. It is perfection reached, but also the fatigue that follows a lengthy pursuit.

I often see this energy reflected in the curated perfection of social media satiety—the classic family vacation photo, where everyone is jumping at the water’s edge, smiling in effortless joy. But how many takes did it take to get the perfect shot? How many fights, frustrations, and forced smiles happened behind the scenes? How are their feet?

This is perfected success, but it is not without cost. The rainbow is real, but it is also fleeting.

And at the edge of this idealized happiness, the question arises: Is this true fulfillment, or is it simply the most perfect illusion we can create?

The Blood Moon Eclipse in Virgo

As Mars in Pisces separates the colors of the rainbow, another celestial event unfolds: a total lunar eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon, during this ten-day quality of time in Pisces III.

At 2:58 AM ET on March 14th [your time], the Moon will turn blood red, fully eclipsed over North America. This is the first of three Blood Moons, marking the beginning of an eclipse cycle that continues on September 7, 2025, and March 3, 2026.

Ancient astrologers saw eclipses as omens of unavoidable transformation. The Moon represents the body, the subconscious, the hidden undercurrents of life, and when it glows red in the sign of the maiden, it signals that something must be shed.

This Blood Moon occurs in Virgo, a sign associated with purity, structure, and refinement. But perfection is an illusion, and the Moon struggles to hold its light. It strives for perfect alignment, only to be eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow. Look up the eclipse in your area.

The Feminine Force of the Blood Moon

While Mars rules blood in esotericism, a Blood Moon in a yin sign is undeniably feminine. The Moon governs the womb, the cycles of life, the sacred rhythm of creation and destruction.

This eclipse accelerates time, peeling away illusions. Just as the Ten of Cups reveals the contrast between happiness and its hidden realities, this Blood Moon strips away idealism, revealing pure realism.

Pisces III asks: What remains once the dream dissolves?

Tarot Activity: Reflect and Draw

Take out your Ten of Cups card and spend time observing its imagery. What details capture your attention? What emotions, memories, or thoughts arise as you sit with this card?

Shuffle your deck and pull three cards to explore the following reflections:

Write down your insights and notice any repeating themes in the cards you draw. What Does the Ten of Cups Teach Us?

Ten of Cups Upright Meaning: The Beauty of Emotional Fulfillment

When upright, the Ten of Cups signifies emotional completion. It is the moment where love is shared, relationships are harmonious, and a sense of belonging is deeply felt.

Themes:

Love: Commitment, long-term stability, emotional bonds.
Career: Supportive colleagues, purpose-driven work, fulfillment.
Finances: Security, abundance, shared success.
Health: Emotional well-being, family support in healing.
Personal Growth: Deep gratitude, a sense of divine alignment.

This is the crystallization of the Ace of Cups—where love, once personal, expands into something collective and lasting.

Ten of Cups Reversed Meaning: The Cracks in the Illusion

When reversed, the Ten of Cups reveals the shadow side of “perfection.” It suggests that the dream does not match reality. There is discontent beneath the surface.

Themes:

Love: Relationship struggles, family tension, unmet expectations.
Career: Workplace conflicts, lack of support, disillusionment.
Finances: Financial instability, arguments over money.
Health: Emotional strain and stress caused by external pressures.
Personal Growth: Superficial happiness, avoidance of deep truths.

Final Thoughts: What Lies Beyond the Rainbow?

As Pisces III closes the astrological year, it carries the wisdom of saturation, dissolution, and rebirth. The Blood Moon in Virgo asks us to examine where we have poured our energy—and whether it has been genuinely fulfilling or merely a perfect snapshot we tried to capture in time.

The Ten of Cups reminds us that even fulfillment is transient. Happiness, once reached, must be nurtured or surrendered.

The rainbow glows brilliantly, but what happens when it fades?

That is the lesson of Pisces III.