Neptune

Neptune ~

The Beautiful

Mystical

Blue Planet

 

The “Outer Planets”: When our ancient ancestors gazed at the heavens and plotted the movement of the planets, the furthest planet they could see with their naked eye was Saturn. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were unknown. In the history of humanity, it has only been very recently that these outer planets were discovered; Uranus in 1781, Neptune in 1846 and Pluto in 1930. These planets are in a special category in astrology, and are often referred to as the outer planets, the transcendental planets or the impersonal planets by astrologers.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto represent energies that extend our consciousness beyond our physical existence. Because they are slow moving and stay in one sign for many years, they are also a generational influence.

The Discovery of Neptune: Neptune, the eighth planet from the Sun in our solar system, was discovered in 1846. It is located between Uranus and Pluto. Neptune is 17 times the mass of earth and is comprised of hydrogen, helium and traces of methane, which give it a beautiful intense blue color. The new planet was given the name Neptune, the Roman mythological God of the Sea (Poseidon in Greek mythology). You have probably seen paintings or statues of Neptune depicted as a great bearded god rising from the sea, trident in hand. Fittingly, the astrological symbol for Neptune looks like a trident.

Astrologers designated Neptune as the co-ruler of the water sign of Pisces. Up to that point, Jupiter had been the ruler of both Pisces and Sagittarius. Modern astrology usually uses Neptune as the main ruler of Pisces, but Jupiter is till considered a co-ruler.

Although Neptune was discovered in 1846, Galileo actually saw it over 200 years earlier in January of 1613. While observing the moons of Jupiter he noticed what he thought was a nearby star. It was actually Neptune in conjunction (at the same degree and sign of the zodiac) with Jupiter. He watched it for a couple days and thought it appeared to move, but it disappeared behind clouds and the chance to make further observations slipped away. As you will see, this cloudy and elusive experience describes the astrological qualities of Neptune very well – now you see it, now you don’t. 

The Astrological Energies of Neptune: Neptune’s energies flow like water, fog or an ethereal cloud. The nature of this astrological influence is mystical, spiritual, magical, sensitive, idealistic, compassionate, visionary, psychic, imaginative, creative, ethereal, dreamlike, clouded and elusive. Neptune awakens the part of us that yearns for our spiritual home.  We all have that inner connection to Spirit within us. When something happens in our life to open our hearts and fill us with love and compassion for others, we are dipping into the waters of Neptune at the highest level. When we are inspired by others, it’s not about how we feel about them, it’s about how they make us feel about ourselves. When someone is inspirational it is because because they are able to awaken the best within others.

However, bringing our loftiest goals into manifestation on Earth is not so easy. Like trying to grab a handful of fog, the qualities of Neptune cannot be captured when we hold on too tightly. We all know how quickly a dream slips away the harder we try to remember it, and that “forcing” oneself to be creative or inspired is totally ineffective. The creative and mystical energies of Neptune come though by gently opening our heart and allowing it to flow freely from our subconscious. When we are in that state, Neptune can bring us psychic impressions, intuitive flashes, creative inspiration, deep meditations, connection to other dimensions, spiritual and peak experiences.

Neptune rules:

• Astrological sign: Pisces.
• Part of the body: The feet
• Liquids, gases and chemicals: Oil, gasoline, gases, chemicals, poisons, medicines, drugs, alcohol, addiction, anesthetics, perfumes, smoke, water, fog, mist, steam, clouds, oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, waterways, swamps, swimming, fishing, fish and all creatures and plants of the water.  
• Healing, retreats, caring and compassion: Hospitals, monasteries, asylums, doctors, nurses, healers, social work, charities, donations, volunteer work, psychologists, and psychiatrists. 
• The subconscious mind:  Sleep, dreams, meditation, hypnosis, imagery, imagination, visualization, intuition.  
• Creative energies: Imagination, music, visual arts, dance, poetry, acting, photography, movies, television, make-believe, fantasy, fiction, magic, illusion, glamour, allure, mystery. 
• The Spiritual and Mystical: Prayer, devotion, compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, redemption, visions, spiritual experiences, mystics, martyrs, saviors, prophets, visionaries, ESP, precognition, psychic experiences, mystic knowledge and secret societies, ghosts, spirits, and other dimensions. 

 Neptune in Your Birth Chart: We all have Neptune somewhere in our individual birth chart, but since Neptune spends about 14 years in the same sign, it is also considered a generational influence. Wherever Neptune is in your birth chart, it reflects the part of you that is sensitive, idealistic, creative and intuitive.

If you were born under the sign of Pisces, or you have Pisces or Neptune emphasized in your birth chart (e.g. Pisces Ascendant or Moon; Neptune conjunct, opposite or square your Sun, Moon or Ascendant) , you will strongly exhibit the characteristics of Neptune.  You will be extremely sensitive to everything and everyone around you – your environment, the feelings and the vibes of others, medications, alcohol, drugs and chemicals. This can be overwhelming until you learn to handle it. You are very intuitive and often have strong psychic and spiritual experiences throughout your life. You also have a natural understanding that we are all one and are connected to each other.

Because you literally can feel what another person is feeling, you have a strong desire to want to help others. You are likely to use your intuition, compassion, insight and understanding in a career that involves counseling, spirituality, mysticism, social work or medicine. You also may be a gifted artist, musician or poet. You would be a very good actor because of your ability to tune into the emotions of the character you are portraying.

Note: While some people will be very attuned to Neptune, your Neptunian inclinations may have been overruled by other planetary energies in your birth chart. Perhaps you have a very strong practical and analytical side that says, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Or, you may have a strong intellectual and rational approach to life and need empirical evidence before believing anything. Maybe you were very sensitive as a child and found it so painful that you tucked away that side of yourself. There are many reasons why some people are not attuned to Neptune and it is perfectly okay. It actually would be quite disastrous if everyone was a Neptunian type person. We need the qualities of all the signs and planets for a well-balanced world.

Neptune by Transit: Because Neptune is always moving through the heavens, you will experience times in your life when Neptune moves to a position in the zodiac that strongly interacts with your personal birth chart. These periods usually last about two years. This is called a Neptune transit.

 When Neptune is transiting your birth chart, you will experience Neptunian energies entering your life and your psyche. You will feel the same influences as those born with a strong Neptune influence. This can be quite disconcerting at first, because you haven’t had a lifetime to get used to this type of energy.   For instance, a normally energetic, practical and no-nonsense person may start to feel tired, unmotivated or spacy. It may be hard to concentrate. It can also be a time of lowered resistance and a feeling of weakness. Extra sleep is often needed. If you are a Pisces or have a strong Neptune in your birth chart, you will also feel the influence of a Neptune transit, but the energies will not be new to you, just greatly increased.

During a Neptune transit you may have the desire to increase the spiritual and creative side of your life, but feel too tired at first to do anything about it. The old structures and barriers in your life will have to dissolve before the new creative and spiritual energies can enter.

Much will depend on your individual birth chart – it will be easier for some people to go through a Neptune transit than for others. However, a Neptune transit will bring some sort of spiritualizing and creative experience into your life. This is apt to be more evident once you move past it.

The Positive Use of Neptune’s Energies: To use Neptune’s energies successfully requires a delicate balance. You need to be grounded in order to use Neptune’s energies effectively, however, not so grounded that you bury your spiritual side and negate your intuitive nature. Neptune is bringing you an opportunity to develop your spiritual side. This usually only comes after consciously embarking on a spiritual journey and gaining maturity and wisdom. You will need to be grounded and focused in order to do this.

The Shadow Side of Neptune: As wonderful as Neptune energies can be when operating on the highest level, they also have an equally shadowy and murky side. These too, can bring you valuable lessons, but they aren’t much fun at the time.  First of all, Neptune tends to dissolve or undermine the physical things in your life to which you are overly attached and believe to be “real”. You may find that things that always seemed very substantial start to become fuzzy around the edges or may even evaporate altogether. This ultimately can be positive because when you can’t rely on the outer world, you are forced to develop your inner world.  

There can be fogginess, a cloud of “fairy dust” or a spiritual intoxication with Neptunian energy that can make you giddily overlook the actual reality of a situation. Neptune blurs the line between what is real and what is an illusion. This can be a slippery slope. When Neptune’s energies are out of balance they bring illusion, self-delusion, denial, deception, subterfuge, escapism, addiction, sacrificial behavior, dissipation, a reality-disconnect, mental confusion, fanatical spiritual beliefs, and unrealistic and impractical expectations. Feeling that one is a victim, a martyr or a savior are all Neptunian energies gone awry. Sometimes shadow Neptune energies can produce the consummate con artist – a person who uses his or her intuitive and psychic energies for nefarious purposes. This type of person knows how to capitalize on the yearnings others have for the ideal, the magical and the spiritual. 

When Neptune’s elusive energies are operating in your life, things are often not what they seem. It may be difficult to determine what is real and what is your imagination or wishful thinking. The harder you try to figure it out, the cloudier it becomes. At times, you may feel like we are living in a world of fun house mirrors that distort reality. This is Neptune’s way of telling you to quit trying to figure everything out in your head and begin to trust your heart.

Neptune’s Cycle: Neptune takes 165 years to pass through all the signs in the zodiac, spending about fourteen years in each sign. Most astrologers believe that a planet’s energies are largely unconscious until we “discover” the planet. At that time mass consciousness becomes aware of the planet along with the planets astrological energies. They are no longer hidden in the subconscious for most people, but become available to all as part of our shared reality.   

In 2010 Neptune completed crossing over a very important position in the heavens when it completed a full revolution around the sun and returned to the same sign and degree of its discovery in 1846.  That means over the past 165 years humanity has been given the opportunity to consciously experience Neptune’s passage though all twelve signs.

 We have completed a full cycle. Now we are ready to begin the next level on the upward moving spiral in humanity’s Spiritual Evolution.

  

Neptune in Pisces

On February 3, 2012, Neptune will move into Pisces where it will stay until January 2026. The period of April 2011 to February 2012 has been a transition time as Neptune moved back and forth from Aquarius to Pisces. (Neptune was briefly in Pisces from April 4, 2011 to August 4, 2011) When Neptune changes signs, a subtle shift occurs regarding what society idealizes. We will slowly be changing from idealizing the Aquarian qualities of intellect, logic, inventiveness, humanitarian, scientific and political concerns to idealizing the more emotional, intuitive, creative, compassionate, we-are-all-one, spiritual and non-materialistic qualities of Pisces. It doesn’t mean that the Aquarian interests go away; just that we may begin to see that there are other more mystical ways to view the world that are valid, too.   

Neptune rules Pisces. Neptune will be at its strongest because it will be at right home in its own sign. Its energies can flow freely. The things we associate with Neptune and Pisces will take on more importance in the world.

The last Time Neptune was in Pisces: 1847 to 1862

To understand what Neptune in Pisces may bring the world, it is helpful to look back 165 years ago to the period of 1847 to 1862, the last time Neptune went through Pisces.  Here are some of the events that reflect the energies of Neptune in Pisces during that period:

• Human Rights, Social Work and Compassion: Serfdom was ended in central Europe; the abolitionist movement grew America; Lincoln called for the emancipation of slaves; YMCA and YWCA were both founded: Florence Nightingale laid the foundations of professional nursing; Dorthea Dix brought mental health reforms.
• First undersea cable was laid
• Construction the Erie Canal was completed.
• Construction of Suez Canal began
• World’s first oil well was dug in Pennsylvania
• Ether began to be used in surgery as an anesthetic
• Kerosene began to be used in oil lamps.
• The Spiritualist Movement began in 1848 and the practice of mediumship, séances and interest in ghosts were very popular in American and England. Even when many instances proved to be a hoax, people still continued to believe. Famous spiritualists; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Mary Todd Lincoln. Famous skeptic: Harry Houdini, master magician and illusionist, was one of the biggest critics and debunkers of spiritualist claims.
• Salt Lake City was founded by Mormon, Brigham Young.
• The Transcendentalist Movement had already begun ten years earlier in 1836 while Neptune was in Aquarius and still undiscovered. The movement was strong from 1836 to the early 1880’s and continues to affect American culture to this day. The Transcendentalists believed in: the existence of an ideal spiritual reality which is knowable through intuition and transcends mundane and scientific thinking. They believed that the human spirit is reflected in nature and that all things are united through an Over-Soul. It seems like the founders of Transcendentalism were souls who were “tuned in” to the coming mass consciousness discovery of Neptune and its energies. They seemed to blend Aquarius and Pisces energies together very well.  Famous Transcendentalists: Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman.
• Publications: Abolitionist Newspaper was begun by escaped slave, Frederick  Douglass,  Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, Walden by Henry David Thoreau,  David Copperfield,  A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

Neptune in Pisces 2012 to 2026

During the next fourteen years the influence of Neptune and Pisces will once again be strongly felt in the world. All of the areas ruled by Neptune and Pisces will become more important and influential in the years ahead. Children born during this period will be part of a very sensitive, idealistic, creative and spiritual generation.

Neptunian energies can be very inspiring, but they can also be subtle, illusive and illusionary. This influence will spread out slowly and may not be noticed at first.  Emotions, sensitivity, idealism, creativity, imagination and psychic openness will increase in general. It is also likely that there will be an increase in “true believers” of all sorts. It will be important to be open-minded, but not gullible. Here is a list of some of the things that have already started and are likely to become major issues in the years ahead:

• Oil: The world’s first oil well was dug the last time Neptune was in Pisces and now we must deal with oil and its effects on the world. We often hear about our “addiction” to oil – a very apt description. The current showdown with Iran over oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz (water) is not likely to go away.
• Water: All the waters of the world and our water supply will become very important. Problems due to a changing climate which brings either too much water or not enough water are likely to increase. Melting glaciers and melting polar ice could become more severe. Preventing the pollution of our water is also likely to be a major issue.  Fish and all the creatures and plants of our oceans, lakes and rivers will need attention.
• Human rights and compassion: Inequality between the very rich and everyone else will become more and more obvious. Most people are likely to be more caring and compassionate. Issues regarding the moral and spiritual way to treat others will be very important. 
• Medicines, Drugs and Health Care: Neptune in Pisces will have a more compassionate view on this than in the past. Perhaps over the next fourteen years we will find a way to come up with a better health system.
• Spiritual and Mystical Movements:  The End of the Mayan Calendar has already captured the public imagination and will be a focus in 2012. However, judging by all the spiritual movements that were occurring the last time Neptune was in Pisces, there will be many other spiritual and mystical events and organizations beyond 2012. People will be more interested in spiritual exploration and will be more open to the mystical side of life.

Welcome to the theater of life. You now have a front row seat. Pop some popcorn, sit back, relax, open your heart and tune in…………….

 January 29, 2012

Copyright Judy Joyce

• 

  By Norma Ebright, January 31, 2012 @ 9:39 am

  Many thanks for the enlightening! After finishing the two articles I am now headed for
  my Birth chart book for Cancer to see how
  Neptune fits into my future. I appreciate
  your emailing the monthly updates. Best wishes,
  Norma Ebright

• 

  By Kari Whitsitt, February 3, 2012 @ 10:17 am

  Judy,

  The article on Neptune was very thorough, and I really, as always, appreciate your insights. Neptune is my chart ruler (in Scorpio) with Pisces being my rising sign in conjunction with my moon in Pisces, so I relate to this article deeply. It usually feels as though the shadow side of Neptune is what is typically portrayed. Thank you for showing the validity of the Pisces reality! Wonderful article!

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