Tag Archives: Neptune

That Doesn’t Look Like Anything To Me: Neptune Enters Aries

28 Wednesday Jan 2026

Posted by in Aries Point, astrology, Astrology and Identity, current events in the sky, Neptune

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‘Bergziegen (Mountain Goat)’ By Franz Marc 1913 {{PD}}

The Aries Point (00 of Aries) gets hyped as the ‘Fame Point’, how you may be publicly acclaimed, but I think we need a broader (and so more applicable) lens through which to interpret it: it’s the point in the chart designating where and how (by House and aspects) one ‘meets’ the world–that is, enters into the sphere beyond the Self–and in being so suggests a constant about each individual, a statement: here’s where I start; within the essence of who I am, here’s what I bring to humanity.

Now we have Neptune entering the sign of individuality, autonomy, personal responsibility, ego, and action and choice, bringing its influence to the Aries Point, where it will linger relatively briefly (and won’t return in retrograde), leaving by February 28th. That suggests the time between entry to the sign and movement to the next degree offers a unique experience–but of what?

Neptune’s initial hit to anything can stir a variety of reactions in us: confusion, elation, a creative surge, or it can prompt an embrace of the fantastical or unreal as reality itself, can mislead or deceive in such a way that we have a hard time letting go of the illusion we’ve accepted as truth (maybe most especially when that illusion presents an ideal we carry as real), or it can set us adrift from our moorings, as if what we know to be our world and our anchors dissolve under us. No matter what, disorientation may be the immediate result; it’s an abrupt awakening that has all the hallmarks of a dream.

At the Aries Point, Neptune may carry an especially broad influence. Usually when Neptune changes sign, we still have a solid idea of who we are, but right now Neptune comes along and obscures the very thing, our personal identity, we use to navigate all change–and the idea that the Self is dissolving isn’t just disorienting, it’s terrifying.

If you saw the series ‘Westworld’ you may remember the tell to the limits of programming for the entities that filled the parks for the amusement of humans; it was also your sometimes shocking clue that the individual you were observing, wasn’t, as you’d thought, a human being, but one of these amazingly humanoid creations. When one of them was presented with something they weren’t programmed to understand, they’d say, “That doesn’t look like anything to me.” That was always a heartbreaking moment, seeing an intelligence meet the limits of its ability to interpret the world–and, at least for a little while, we might have a similar experience as Neptune transits that initial degree of Aries. We may not have any reaction at all to what comes at us; or, deciphering our experiences and what’s before us may be beyond our understanding, or at least the kind of understanding that allows us to fit that thing into a niche in our lives, to classify and so to some extent control what’s happening to us. Words and concepts may fail us, and emotions won’t be far behind, too slippery to grasp and keep a hold on, too nebulous to let us settle on one idea of how we feel.

This nebulous quality will be remedied when Saturn enters that same degree in mid-February. We may see an end to our uncertainty as the real world makes itself felt, or we could find boundaries drawn or a distinct end to things that seemed boundless or unending, or we might see the dreams we entertain, specifically those involving our own role and involvement in the larger scene, come to reality–and that can include manifestation of the nightmares we entertain at this time, too.

My thought is to do our best to flow with this energy, to refuse to panic if we find ourselves adrift–adrift isn’t sinking, it isn’t drowning, it’s just a temporary surrender of control. Focusing the creative energies, allowing yourself to imagine, and choosing according to your highest ideals will all make good use of the energy, and serve both our own needs, and those of the Collective, as for this Neptune transit of Aries we must find our new place, new role, new identity within the vastness of the Universe. What will we as individuals creatively generate? That’s the question we face.

Full Moon report to follow!

Pointing Out the Magic, Pointing Out the Poison

07 Thursday Sep 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God

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‘The Magic Mantle’ By Isobel Lilian Gloag 1898 {{PD}}

Neptune is involved with a pair of Fingers of God, once as apex, once in the base, but both times posing a question: how much of what we think we know is real? We have the Black Moon Lilith point in Leo sextile Ceres in Libra, with Neptune in Pisces apex, suggesting that those things we’ve ignored or denied, those things we’ve crushed down and hoped not to have to deal with (and they’re things about who we are, they concern what makes us shine, what we present to others as a genuine way of Being–Leo), combined with our sense of personal authority and autonomy, those instances and circumstances in which we call the shots, hold power, or have the power to negotiate, and this may involve areas where we hold sway over others (particularly the partner or spouse–Libra). Our personal authority meets those things about ourselves we’d rather pretend don’t exist–and voila! We are either shown how we have met these challenges in ways that conform to our ideals, in a perfection of the spiritual and the creative, or we are shown how misguided we have been, how we have fooled ourselves–and in each case, we are given the way to make the most of where we find ourselves.

The other Finger has a base of Neptune with Pluto in Capricorn, apex the Black Moon Lilith point. Here are related energies, and so related opportunities, in this case to take what we find, the magic of the ideal within us, or the poison of delusion we’ve accidentally consumed, and we have the chance to transform it, with the way out via Black Moon Lilith–that is, the way out is through, found in confronting whatever it is we’ve been avoiding.

I hear a groan rising through the ether. We are tired; we need rest, and positivity, and a sense of hope, you might assert–and I agree, though I would say that what we really need is positivity that reflects the real: real assets, real talents, our most genuine qualities, and a sense of hope that isn’t waiting for rescue, but that is instead founded in our own willingness to embrace the power and make the transformation happen ourselves (Pluto in Capricorn). These Fingers are pointing the way: to what we are, what we need to do, to what we can become. That’s a very useful and promising place to find ourselves.

Pallas is also opposed Neptune=if we’re willing to set aside our fantasies, to see clearly, to be practical, willing to accept that certain kinds of magic are real and that the ideal really can be our daily guide, we’ll have direct access to wisdom, within and without, a set of directions aimed at a successful harvest and accounting (Pallas in Virgo).

There are actually two other Fingers of note: Neptune sextile Uranus, apex South Node-Zeus, and Black Moon Lilith sextile Vesta, apex Pluto. With Neptune-Uranus we are given the sudden revelation, one based in ideals or in our own creative outreach to the Universe, which together offer reassessment of the past and how that shaped/ shapes our desire nature and current ambitions, especially concerning aesthetics, the Arts, and/ or our partnerships or romantic relationships (SN-Zeus in Libra). We’re offered a chance to perhaps change our interpretation of our own past behaviors; I would hope that means we will judge ourselves more kindly than we might’ve previously.

With BML and Vesta we see how those things we’ve avoided dealing with on the domestic scene, in our most serious and passionate commitments, and in those matters we find sacred, have become somehow unavoidable at this point–and we are seeing it’s a do-or-die moment, a time to come clean, transform the energy into something powerful (because the Truth will always generate an incredible engine for righteous change), a time to make permanent improvements, or to get rid of some troublesome issue entirely (Pluto as apex).

We also have Eris conjoined the North Node in Aries, which may give us the impression that making change will stir up a veritable sh*t storm–but the only sh*t flying will be stuff that needed to come out in the open and so lose it’s stink. We may fear anything that makes others angry is our fault, but that’s just one of those Aries-tinged egotisms–people will be angry on their own, without any help from us. Not totally reassuring, but we should proceed knowing that fear of what might come out is overblown, and the need for it to come out is overdue.

Mercury is still retrograde through midday Pacific time of the 15th, so we’re going to have to remain aware the thinking may be unreliable until Merc’s in good forward motion, but Venus has recently gone direct, so that the feeling nature may be freshly tuned-up and ready to go–especially when those sensitivities are applied to the Self (Venus in Leo). Uranus has recently gone retro; with the slower bodies those shifts in direction are more subtle, the station-change-station pattern playing out over more time, and so not felt as acutely. In this case Uranus is backtracking in Taurus and perhaps bringing our attention to material matters we haven’t really been seeing the actual state of or details surrounding, particularly those related to the matters of the natal House where Uranus is currently in transit. There will be some surprises, of course, some shocks, a few revelations–but what we must avoid is bullheaded pushing forward, rebellion for rebellion’s sake, that can become so tempting with Uranus in retrograde, and especially when Uranus makes hard contact during that backward journey to other transiting bodies (that affects all of us) or to our natal placements (a little static electricity generated just for us).

Bits & Pieces Mid-September 2021

15 Wednesday Sep 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast

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Fruit Bowl With Melons By Mauro David

Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 1999

One thing I’d like to say about Eris: Quit blaming her for strife! She doesn’t bring it, she makes space for it–a huge difference. She connects with another energy by transit; if it’s by soft aspect (sextile, trine) she says, ‘You know, I think you need to let that tension out’ and if it’s by hard aspect (square, opposition, with the conjunction going either way), she prods, dares, irritates, or forces, and the underlying tension appears and is expressed. Since an atmosphere of strife is simply two or more conflicting intentions going at one another, Eris can’t be directly blamed, though the sign she’s transiting at any one time can suggest the attitude that spurs what comes next. For example, in Aries (as she is right now) it might be egos that rise up, while in Gemini it’s words, and in Capricorn it might be attempts to stop others, but when in Scorpio wanting to get vengeance, destroy, or reform might be the match to the fuel. Eris is a catalyst; best to see her as making the upset possible, rather than creating it, and don’t forget that oftentimes such expression is for the good, releasing things that no one needs to carry around.

Neptune’s opposed Hygeia right now (only two minutes off exact), suggesting that health matters might be very difficult to assess–and that it may be a ‘do or die’ moment when living our healthy ideals might be vitally important.

Venus will be square Saturn now through late on the 17th PDT, telling us that relationships and/ or finances might look more limited, unloving, restricted, or even ‘dead’ than they actually are. Venus is in Scorpio, prompting her to dig dig dig and it’s just not the thing to do, right now. Saturn says, ‘Let some time pass.’ It’s an unspoken request for emotional lockdown, an attempt to organize by slowing things down–understandable, a kind of restraint that loving (and demanding) Venus needs to practice, in order not to tear it all down.

Add to the above that Mars has just moved into Libra and will soon trine the North Node. Yes, Libra is one of the signs (Taurus the other) where Mars is in detriment–but that only means that the style of the sign doesn’t come naturally to expression of the planet, and that’s okay. Mars can adapt, but right now, before he gets used to being here, he may push too hard in relationships, which would back up Venus’ current inclinations but run them both into a Saturnian brick wall. So, let that make for a double warning: take it easy with others, especially those close to us; ask, but only if you must–best practice is to be gentle, hang back a bit, and absolutely don’t demand–Eris is square Pluto and Earth will perfect semi-sextile tomorrow (which means the Sun will perfect quincunx), and that suggests that pushing too hard could burn it down, have actual material consequences, and perhaps alter our own Self-image if we indulge in such behavior, forever after (and retro Jupiter is in the mix at the same degree, sprinkling the glitter of exaggeration and overdoing–and you know how hard it is to clean that up!!)

Neptune’s also quincunx Zeus right now, suggesting that any ways in which we’ve been fooling ourselves about the ambition and desire picture are currently causing a nagging feeling of upset or doubt, or are playing out through bewildering responses to our efforts. Just know that this is meant to alert you to a need to come clean and stop pretending: refocus on ideals and the essence (rather than the trappings) of the dream itself. And, Chiron sextile Ceres says we have the chance to heal and/ or use the unique skills if we’ll accept personal responsibility–do it now, before a hard aspect forces consequences of not taking responsibility.

If you haven’t seen it, you might want to take a gander at my thoughts on Jupiter and the natal mission it describes here–

Thank you, everyone, and have a great week!

This Week

07 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Neptune, Weekly Astrology

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We focus a bit on Neptune this week, over at Fragrantica ‘Triumph of Neptune’ By Bon Boullogne 1699 {{PD}}

I’ve been featured over at my friend, astrologer Zoran Cerar’s site, Fragrantica, in his weekly. Check it out if you’d like!

Be aware, the Sun will conjoin Neptune in just three days, and Venus and the Moon won’t be far behind, with the planet of assets and relationships making conjunction on the 13th. Proceed with ideals front and center, remain cognizant of the possibility of deception (including misleading yourself), and if at all possible, plunge forward with ‘the Dream’, because this is prime time for both seeing it clearly (what a contradiction, with Neptune involved!) and for seeing how to make it pay off.

Have a lovely Sunday, and a great week!

What’s Your Unicorn? Finding Energy Wasters in the Chart and the Life

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Consciousness Explored, Dreams

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Moretto da Brescia – ‘St. Justina, Venerated by a Patron’ c1530 {{PD}}

This is an ECLIPSE re-print, slightly modified and edited.

Everybody has one: a vision, idea, or image that we hold as a shining ideal–but that’s not a unicorn. We may have goals or desires that are treated as a holy grail, perfect, revered, and not immediately (or possibly ever) attainable, but those aren’t unicorns, either. Unicorn status isn’t for those things we can work toward and achieve; we reserve this fantastical designation for those things that we are more invested in idealizing and identifying through than actually attaining. What’s distinctive about a unicorn is the way in which we don’t, in any significant sense, try to make this ideal a reality, and yet we may spend a great deal of time talking and thinking about it, fantasizing about it, and letting others know that we have a personal connection to it, and so using it as a personal identifier. We may tell everyone that we hope to catch our unicorn one day–but what makes it a unicorn is the way we make sure we will never make significant steps to capture it and ‘make it real’.

Luca Longhi {{PD}}

It’s one thing, too, if we are pursuing our unicorn, even if we have no intention of catching it; at least we are in motion, in real life, putting out energy that may bring us all kind of surprising results, and even rewards–but just the fact that we would pursue it brings it too much into the practical world to continue its classification as the mythical creature. A true personal unicorn is an idea or goal or ideal we feel almost breathlessly close to, that we feel speaks of who we are at the deepest level–and yet, we have no intention of testing this notion of fit, no intention at all of doing anything that would draw us one whit closer to its presence or achievement in real life. Our Unicorn typically gives us a big chunk of a potential identity, a chunk that reflects what we would or could be, under other circumstances, even in another life–but we are still presenting ourselves, speaking of, and claiming the unicorn goal as if it were a current, living one that is just out of reach.

The problem with this isn’t that we have a dream, but that we may be dishonest in the way we are trying to live within it without actualizing it. That means that we are fooling ourselves into devoting a great deal of mental time, energy, and even spiritual energy (like hope) to something we never intend to have as a part of our lives; and what’s more, much of the energy is spent in trying to ‘sell’ this image to others–and so we waste a goodly amount of time and development potential in the process.

Typically the dream denied that spurs the unicorn is one we cannot accept into our life, for one reason or another. If we believe our own press, we may be priming ourselves to be not just disappointed, but to perhaps regard ourselves as unworthy of true happiness, through failing to rope and ride the single-horned beast of our imagination. I call a unicorn an “energy waster” but it’s really more of a spirit destroyer: when the spirit is engaged in the Kabuki theater of presenting illusion (for that’s what a unicorn is) as a strived-for reality, what we have is a show, not a life.

Signals That Our Unicorn Is Present

St. Margaret of Antioch {{PD}}

We experience myriad daydreams unconnected to our real-life goals (unconnected to the ones we are actively working toward, and specifically those daydreams where we ‘star’ in a way, and featuring a personality often very much different than our everyday persona–the personality of the daydream emphasizes some element of our make-up that is usually muted or even hidden); we fill our conversation with talk of what ‘will be’, even as we are unable to connect the dots from here to there;  we may feel intense jealousy, envy, or anger when we witness someone else living our ‘unicorn life’; we may turn down opportunities with the idea we must stay available for our unicorn; we may buy the ‘trappings’ of our unicorn (but do nothing else toward realization); and we may take up hobbies that have some relation to our unicorn (but that can’t possibly lead to it), that effectively persuade us we are on this track after all.

Possible Chart Clues to Our Unicorn

I don’t mean to demonize Neptune in regard to the concept of unicorns, but it is the most logical starting place, and it is often involved, as Saturn can be, through the mechanism of suppression (in Neptune’s case, it’s a kind of anti-suppression that appears to deal with things, but which in reality is lost in illusion or subterfuge). It’s not unreasonable to see unicorns as a response to denial of a dream–but typically the dream denied that spurs the unicorn is one we cannot allow in our lives–its arrival would disrupt other factors, or call upon us in ways we don’t want to be tested.

Linen warp showing two scenes from Der Busant, a Medieval poem {{PD}}

What we should be looking at, then, are the ways our Neptune has been denied, and our Saturn (which can be internal or external–in the form of authority–or sometimes Uranus or Jupiter–society–when the group overwhelms the individuality urge) has participated in a kind of suppression that leaves the only acceptable outlet an intangible one (at least as far as we are concerned). Ceres may also be involved in suppression, again through an external authority or the real-life maternal figure(s) or in the guise of the ‘internalized mother’. Even Pluto may figure in, as a destructive force or Other that has managed to convince us by its own, powerful assertion that our dream is unattainable, at least for little ol’ us.

We may have hit the aspect jackpot if we find a third body touched by both Neptune and Saturn (or with some combination of these and/ or Pisces or Capricorn, Ceres, or Jupiter, as ancient ruler of Pisces). This will designate the contacted energy as the locus of our unicorn–and so give us a place to start in defining and implementing our denied desires related to that energy. And of course, keep in mind, not all contacts to these energies imply there’s a unicorn trotting behind them.

And if Black Moon Lilith is involved in any way in our dream or goal recipe, we may be dealing either with a goal born of rage (in which case, we can’t attain the dream because we must then let go of our anger, which if this intense likely forms a big chunk of the identity), or with a dream certain aspects of which we are in denial about, with BML’s presence signaling we’ll likely avoid progress at all costs.

Good Hunting, Readers!

We shouldn’t be down on ourselves if we discover a unicorn frolicking on our life’s horizon; instead we should be happy to have located such a distinct and telling signpost of needs denied and desires unexplored. Unicorns can point us toward more realistic elements we can, should, and completely want to incorporate into our lives–and in that way, I guess unicorns really are magical.

Like the blog? Please consider a book purchase, donation, future services purchase, or book review on GoodReads–and a Big Thank You to All who do! And PS: I’ve added a vital little something for the 20th here–

Southern Hemisphere {{PD}}

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part IV

17 Sunday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Transit Effects Explored

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Very Neptune in the 12th House, this. Arthur Hughes – ‘Sir Galahad – The Quest for the Holy Grail’ 1869 {{PD}}

·         Neptune at the Midheaven can spell ‘c-r-i-s-i-s’ as we lose sight of who we are in relation to the world, can cause others to project an image on us (a glamorous one, one that casts us as Savior, or one that calls us ‘Liar!’ for a few possibilities), or we may actively hide who we are behind a Neptunian drape painted only with characteristics and an image we want others to see. Much of the effect achieved through this contact will depend on how we have been using and processing Neptune up until now; it will likely shake out as a period when we feel extraordinarily helpless in affecting our reputation, or we’ll be totally in command, selling a chosen illusion (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing–think of an actor who bases her or his reputation on an idealized social Archetype).

·         During transit of the 10th Neptune either works powerfully in our favor, aiding us through the impression others receive, or it casts us as victims in some form, making us misunderstood. At this point our spiritual quest is right out in the open, though we quickly become aware of how powerful Neptune is, as well as how the energies are ordered through the unconscious and the Collective, often almost without any awareness on our part. This is typically a ‘make or break’ time for an individual, with it being almost impossible to say what the effects of the transit will be without knowing the particular goals and dreams she or he harbors, as well as what public role she or he is playing; it is safe to say, though, that the effect of the spiritual state on the career will be defined at this time and manifested in creative and unique ways.

·         In the 11th Neptune is right at home, bringing dreams into reality as well as pointing out what illusions have, until now, kept us from achieving them. This is another House where Self-honesty is vital to real progress. The quest in this House is almost self-igniting, putting a flame under even the most unfocused or easily distracted of us. The challenge, though, is that our purpose will be vetted through either taking our own place at the head of the pack (as a leader in our field, say) or expressing as a unique individual doing something entirely (to our own minds) new, and it becomes apparent quickly that in both cases we need a group, to bounce our ideas off of, to lead, to impress, or to whip up into anarchy–and that makes us susceptible to the group’s sway, power, and opinions–not the independent position we might be inclined to at this time. Weaknesses exist in possible deception from friends and through groups, in our own unwillingness to see a long-held dream in real terms, and in the propensity for some to drift and seek escape, once they see that realizing dreams takes real work.

Passage through the 12th works below the surface, or for some shows through interaction with large institutions, through healing or spiritual work, through relief work, or in the meditation or dream life. This is highly individual, running the gamut from completely internal to taking an almost Cosmically large part (but how big can the part really be, in all the Cosmos? a more accurate idea may be ‘to take part without boundaries’) in Universal proceedings. The quest in this House becomes an effort to know the Soul, so that repressed experiences come forward once more, hidden materials surface, denied knowledge is re-awakened, and our relationship to All-That-Is permeates consciousness and every event in life. Can draw the unexpected into manifestation from the unconscious, and so often is a time filled with revealing, surprising, and life-altering events.

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part III

15 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Transit Effects Explored

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Ernst Ferdinand Oehme – ‘Procession in the Fog’ 1827 {{PD}}

·         When Neptune hits the Descendant we may project the dream or the spiritual quest outward, onto the masses, and we could be tempted to make others responsible for our own creativity or dream attainment. We could see the answer to Neptunian issues lying with the world itself: Martin Luther King had transiting Neptune on the Descendant degree, just 37 minutes from perfection, when he delivered his ‘I have a dream’ speech.

·         In the 7th Neptune puts us in something of a bad spot: we may be seeking the ideal companion, partner, or mate, just at the time when we are most likely not to see others clearly. Again our experience depends a great deal on how willing we are to be honest with ourselves; if you run from Truth at this point, you run from clearing the fog and using the creative energy that is in reality at your disposal. What I’ve seen most often with this transit is that the individual is invited to see his or her associates in all parts of the life with clarity, and it’s only his or her unwillingness to let go of Neptunian illusion or deception that prevents this. That implies that Neptune isn’t the source of confusion, but instead merely a kind of mirror that reflects this very thing as it exists within us. We could even say that Neptune prompts the imagination to fill in the blanks and make intuitive leaps that reveal everything we might want to know at this time–and it’s up to us to look at what’s revealed, rather than to look away. Neptune through the 7th can be a difficult transit for artists, as a lack of confidence could make us see talent and creative ability as ‘out there’, making it hard to identify the creative essence within our own make-up. Travel and social interaction during this transit can be highly inspiring, and should be undertaken if possible. A desire to see the world and others in it as they truly are seems to be the key to using Neptune’s transit of the 7th to full advantage.

·         Into the 8th Neptune may bring forward shared creative ventures, dreams, and causes that rest on ideals or spiritual aspirations shared with others. We may take the role of inspiring others to great heights with this transit, whether we are ‘natural’ leaders or not, and our mere presence may act to inspire those around us; our own spiritual attunement seems to ‘show’, somehow, and we wear our dreams and ideals on our sleeves. What we share with others of a spiritual or creative nature is the focus. We may become proselytizers of sorts, seeking the spiritual in Everyman, and our interest in exploring spiritual facets of the life-death-life cycle can inspire profound exchanges with others (however, this comes with the caveat that at this time we can be inadvertently destructive in our zealousness). We also may become adept fund raisers and project instigators under a banner of betterment: if you have every wanted to contribute to a cause in concert with others, this is when it’s most likely to happen, and in the process offer you deep personal insight into your own and others’ spiritual natures.

·         Through the 9th Neptune takes that spiritual insight gained in the 8th and shares it with others on a larger stage, and through formal means, such as print, broadcasting, teaching, or in some way codifying insights. This may take one on an actual, literal pilgrimage, or could (with the right natal influences) make one a spiritual teacher, prompt one to enter a religious discipline or order, or could inspire study, publishing one’s work, or traveling–but in any case, this transit gives all choices that fall in the 9th House the flavor of the spiritual quest–so though one’s external circumstances may not change at all, one’s interaction with the world becomes a vehicle for exchange of spiritual knowledge. This transit is when we are most likely to consciously consider making spiritual work some aspect of our life’s work, and when we may form the basis for our spiritual philosophy, or re-form it, depending on in which House our natal Neptune started out.

See today and tomorrow’s forecast here–

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part II

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Transit Effects Explored

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A. Y. Jackson -‘House of Ypres’ c1918 {{PD}}

·         Neptune crossing the IC may bring forward one or more instances of questioning the identity, obscuring ‘where we live’ in a psychic sense, or false starts in the ‘what I should be doing’ department. The contact places a layer of uncertainty and creative potential over the deepest beliefs about the Self and, reflexively speaking, shines this on the Midheaven as well. Can mark the beginning of a shift in Self-perception that drives new career, creative, or path-development options.

·         Neptune through the 4th sets us on the quest for an ideal home; this often takes both a literal form and a figurative one. An environment most suitable to the ideal Self is sought, and we may explore different living situations, in the hope we’ll find the one that feels completely like ‘home’. It’s unlikely we’ll find anything that fits the bill, simply because for Neptune home is the womb–a place we can’t exactly crawl back into! There’s often lots of uncertainty surrounding the living situation when Neptune transits here, and typically at least a few crises focused on the way in which we live (earning a living and/ or the routines or habits of consumption or daily life). Some with this transit enter group living situations such as communes or shared housing, and radical changes to possessions (particularly to the idea of what we need) may occur; it’s also possible that becoming a vagabond of sorts to a Collective cause may happen, effectively ‘dissolving’ the need for a home, at least for now. Everyone taps a deep inner creativity at this time; some will funnel Neptune into decorating and creating an ideal environment, and it’s easy to think we are meant to hang out our shingle and decorate everyone’s homes, become artists, or otherwise abandon careers to do something we’ve only just taken an interest in–but as with the creative writing of Neptune’s transit of the 3rd, only those with some proclivities for this shown elsewhere in the chart, a natal influence that’s been under development before Neptune’s ingress to the 4th, should take such a potential path seriously. This transit may also plant the seed for mental, emotional, or physical maladies of a hard-to-pinpoint Neptunian nature that show up later.

·         In the 5th Neptune seems to summon the natal Neptunian proclivities and apply them to the creative acts, the children produced, the romances concocted, or the risks undertaken by the individual. Here we get much more of the flavor of the natal placement, rather than an undiluted Neptune vibe, and perhaps this is because each of the events/ acts associated with the 5th are Self-generated: you can’t make a project, a child, love, or gamble without willing participation. Permanent shifts in the way we regard 5th House subjects may be brought on during this transit, either from uncertainty and questioning of our previous approach, or through a new ideal or creative form that comes to our attention at this time. We may measure each House area for its personal spiritual applications for us–for instance, we may decide that our spiritual development does not require us to experience romance, or to have a child, and so these may be checked off our list forever. Trends seem to split into the highly idealized (which typically takes further efforts into ‘striving mode’–as with Art, or a new, imaginative goal or project–or into the realm where no further changes will come about–as in, for example, the idea of a ‘perfect child’ or perfect work of Art, that one will then not have, or not attempt to create, in order to maintain the possibility) or into a fixed state of delusion, fantasy, or inadequacy, wherein no efforts can move us forward, yet a lot of energy goes into yearning for the imagined outcome. We either ‘snap to’ as Neptune transits this House, and eventually muster vast creative energies in a highly original way, or we sink under the weight of a Self-imposed and accepted confusion (or beneath a choice to be indifferent, disoriented, or unfocused) that permanently excuses us from participating in 5th House areas of life.

·         Through the 6th Neptune can wreak havoc in the everyday routine and on the job front; it may seem there’s always something going on of which we’re unaware, or about which we haven’t been informed, so necessitates a scrambling to keep up. Confusion about our true duties and obligations can cause us to neglect what’s really meaningful to us and a sense that no progress can be made on the job front may be disconcerting and cause us to ‘give up the quest’. Unless our daily efforts are keyed to the creative or are in some way Neptunian, this transit can be highly debilitating, as it seems that we can’t gain ground, and can’t really tell the whys or wherefores of our distress. This is often the time when Neptunian illness seeded during transit of the 4th shows up, as the 6th is a house of health and the body. Best use of this passage for Neptune may be if we can see the bigger, spiritual point to our daily activities; if we can connect the dots between our own little lives and the workings of the Cosmos, we just might find a highly tuned Purpose behind the everyday humdrum and chaos, one that brings unprecedented peace and acceptance, taking our Beingness and our attunement via the mundane to a whole new level.

See Part I here, or what’s coming up later in the month here or the current forecast here–thanks!

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Transit Effects Explored

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Bernard Hall – ‘The Quest’ -before 1935- {{PD}}

This is part one of a re-print from ECLIPSE, slightly modified and added to, centering on the effects of Neptune transiting through the natal Houses, though much of what’s said may apply to a natal placement in a House, as well.

Just looking at one facet of Neptune, his relationship to the spiritual in our lives–which really is everything in our lives–whether it be material circumstances, relationships, health, prosperity or lack, it’s all a simultaneous reflection of, creation of, and expression of our spiritual attunement. We can’t really separate out the Neptunian spiritual element from everything else–which is what makes the House position of transiting Neptune so important, as it tells us where that spiritual element may be especially active at any one time, in spite of any illusions, fog, or disguises it may veil conditions with.

Though we have very specific spiritual questions particular to the individual before us at all times, there is a broader influence from transiting Neptune that turns our attention repeatedly toward the spiritual essence of the matters of the House where Neptune currently is located. In areas where Neptune transits we may find ourselves working very hard to define subjects particular to the House it’s moving through; it’s as if we are squinting into the fog, looking for definitive outlines of what is spiritually true in this area of life. Neptune stirs our sense of creative potential as it transits, and even if we aren’t conscious of it, we are inspecting the House matters with an eye to what we can make of them, possibly at an idealized level. Notice that progress of Neptune through the Houses shows how our handling of the transit through one House and the associated success/ effectiveness is built upon that of the previous House; our chances of handling House energies well in relation to Neptune grows with how well we have handled each preceding stage (i.e. House) and its requirements.

·         Moving through the 1st Neptune makes us highly aware of the parts of our lives where we are truly applying spiritual principles. We look for the discrepancies between how we present ourselves and what our spiritual principles are stated to be, and in particular we inspect the mind/ body connection for spiritual dis-ease that shows as physical disease. We may be searching for ‘the perfect body’ or the perfect personality, and so we may show many of the hard-to-pin-down characteristics of the planetary energy; in seeking perfection of Self, we may be succumbing to a Neptunian delusion, accepting an externally sourced ideal as our own, deliberately adopting an illusion (about the Self), or mustering the creative to serve the personal, physical manifestation. We imagine what we can become, and in some way pursue it.

·         Transiting the 2nd Neptune typically strongly affects one of two life areas: we see Neptune applied to either the talents (showing as a massive push to mobilize the creative abilities to maximum use) or to earning capacity (possibly in going after ‘the dream’ as a source of income, or in pursuing ideals in a version of, ‘Do what you love and the money will follow’–which only works if the thing we’re pursuing is truly something we love, rather than something we’d like to don to fit an image–which itself is a misuse of Neptune). This is a true test of talents, abilities, and most importantly, our own capacity to be honest with ourselves. If we wrap ourselves in Neptune and deny the reality of our abilities, pretensions may be adopted and worn as ‘the answer’, with disastrous results. Self-image must match talents–when it does, quality-of-life and income dreams can come true. Neptune moving here inspires us to make manifest an ideal Self-image; it’s up to us to make sure this image is authentically our own.

·         Passing through the 3rd Neptune embeds himself in the realm of communications. Thought and all communication functions present us, in some way, with ideal creative potentials (even if that way is to show us what we don’t want or don’t know). We strain to perceive the spiritual behind communications, and we can’t shake the Neptunian influence, which may make some feel as if they just can’t think straight (and this should be taken into account–the individual can’t perceive objectively, no matter how stick-to-the-facts they are–this is because temporarily we’re shifting from facts and what’s obvious to gleaning information intuitively). During this transit we learn all about the unspoken in all forms of communication; we learn to read between the lines, and we become attuned to the messages contained in tone of voice, in gestures, and in the mere presence of another, much more finely than we may have been attuned before (this can also occur with Neptune moving through or natally in the 8th). Lessons in communication may come hard, as we are open to deception and susceptible to going along with something if it promises wish fulfillment. What’s written down becomes important, and we may embark on a writing career or avocation, if this was otherwise on the agenda for us, or lose ourselves in the writings or communications of others, a ‘dreaming all the time’ position. This transit often serves us a portion of humble pie, as we too often miss something important in the instructions, and this transit may convince some they are exceptionally talented psychics–but if the revelation of talent comes with this transit, it’s much more likely that one is simply discovering how to read what’s been there all along, in the same way others do. Through the 3rd we’re seeking to understand communications beyond the mundane, and we have the sensitivity to do it, though our ‘receptors’ may be clouded with any illusions we insist on clinging to. Modesty and a realistic viewpoint help us avoid delusion, and finding form for and deliberately communicating our own creative urges means they are less likely to bleed out in ways that sully our exchanges, contracts, agreements, attitudes, or that send an inaccurate message to others.

More to come on this!

Just a Little AstroEssence 22-24 November 2017 Lift

21 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, Neptune, Retrogrades + Directions, The Daily Word Image

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Winter in Andalusia (Poplars and Sheep at Alcalá de Guadaira) 1880 {{PD}} By Emilio Sánchez Perrier

We enjoy lifts of several kinds over this period; here are the deets:

The big story for the 22nd is Neptune stationing direct, and yet our reaction to this lifting of the fog might be more about the other perfecting aspects: Jupiter sesquiquadrate Chiron, Mars conjoined Zeus, and the Sun parallel Hygeia. When a heavy like Neptune goes direct, we may not be conscious of the shift right away; we may feel something, but it’s likely that it will take a little time for such a change to gather a distinctive shape in our lives, often related to either the matters of the House Neptune is currently transiting, or the one Neptune rules in our natal chart–and that’s aside from any contacts Neptune makes at the point of direction, which can be especially potent in the way they are suddenly revealed, attain an aspect of creativity or idealism or take on spiritual depth, or conversely are obscured, if Neptune retro had been serving to lift the fog.

So, the energies surrounding the turnaround may feel something like this: the social order suffering from and also inflicting wounds (think the #MeToo movement, for one); on an individual level this suggests that the facts or beliefs, one’s own or others, may be painful to deal with, or that the difficult situation presented by those facts and beliefs requires us to offer healing or the Chirotic skill, again, to ourselves and/ or others. Getting bigger spiritually, especially in relation to our fellow humans, may be painful–not exactly surprising.

Then there’s the matter of actions and choices being fused with ambitions and desires, removing any real chance of objectivity–just be prepared to face this in yourself and in others, and cut everyone a little slack; we are passionate about things at this point, so precipitous acts and expression of the Will may cause a kind of ‘blanking out’ that overrides any of our normal reticence or cautions. But, the Sun’s contact tells us that, in the long-term, that Self-expression will ultimately be healthy, so we’re unlikely to damage anything we actually want to preserve.

Rik Wouters – ‘De strijkster (The Ironer)’ (1912) {{PD}}

Today’s word image is iron. Did you imagine something hot coming out of a forge, a cattle brand, perhaps, or something more mundane, a clothes iron, or possibly a hunk of ore, or a daily supplement consumed for your health? Iron has entered the lexicon in a number of ways: ‘strike while the iron is hot’, meaning take an opportunity when it presents itself; to ‘iron things out’ means to negotiate and come to agreement; something is described as ‘iron’, implying unbending strength. Consider whether you need a little more, or a little less, of whatever iron comes to mind.

And what about the 23rd, the day in the US known for gathering the family together to share . . . a turkey? Let’s be clear: it’s a celebration ostensibly triggered by the day the indigenous peoples saved European settlers from starving to death, a day that signaled the beginning of the end for natives in terms of autonomy and cultural, personal, and Collective freedom–and of course, we shouldn’t be celebrating the dominance of one group over another at all, however obliquely that applies. We have to consider what this holiday has become: a symbolic sharing of abundance, and a chance to celebrate that abundance, to be grateful, not just for what we have but for those who share our lives, in the here and now.

How are we to interpret it, then, when no new aspects perfect today? The implication is that we are awash in a combination of previous recent influences that are still reverberating, and those characteristic inclinations and proclivities that we carry natally. Expect the expected, heavily seasoned with current shifts in both the personal arena and the Zeitgeist.

Jupiter, hangin’ out with his eagle By Nicolai Abildgaard 1792 {{PD}}

Word image for the 23rd is an eagle tending a nest where the eggs will never hatch. Well that’s depressing! Sometimes Mother Nature plays a cruel trick on us, or maybe it’s just fate or our own persistent nature, but everyone at one time or another has pursued or tended diligently to something that has no life in it, that will never ‘hatch’ and live in the light of day. This may be a reminder not to pour our care into lifeless projects, ones where the potential has long since drained away, or maybe it urges us to let go of the things that will never be–not all eggs are meant to reach maturity–and how can we have room for the new, if we are perpetually mourning the old?

By the 24th we’ll begin to see how the Neptune direction is flavoring those things we find sacred, that we honor, and that we are committed to; we’ll also be highly aware of the positives of all that’s come forward lately, the rewards offered for not ignoring or denying what is, and we’ll get glimpses down real avenues of Power. What’s not working so well may be our thinking and reasoning, and those faculties that are so injured or warped by negative experience that we can’t see the objective or the factual without distortion. What comes under scrutiny is our ability to be truly rational; our response needs to be a willingness to consider that feedback may be showing us an elemental flaw in our system.

Sculpture “Peace” created by the conceptual artist Stephen J. Kaltenbach, 2005, near the Capitol Mall in Sacramento, California Photo By Carol M. Highsmith – Library of CongressCatalog: http://lccn.loc.gov/2013633917 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is meeting someone about whom you feel you already know a great deal. When that happens, do you let what you’ve heard influence your perceptions? Are you so busy looking for purported attitudes or behaviors that you don’t see who’s actually standing in front of you? No real relationship can develop when prejudice exists, and perceptions are bound to be artificial, filtered through beliefs rather than arrived at from direct experience. Try not to exercise prejudice, okay?

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