Neptune turns retrograde in Pisces from June 12 – November 18, 2015
Click here to learn about Neptune. Click here to learn about Pisces.
To be very clear, planets in retrograde are not actually spinning backwards – it is entirely an optical illusion as seen from Earth. Backwards motion appears to happen when Earth passes slower moving planets in the outer solar system. In astrology, this illusion manifests as “backwards” functioning of the planets and their respective roles. Click here to learn more about retrograde motion.
In classic astrology, Neptune rules mutable water Pisces, the last sign in the zodiac realm. Just as Pisces represents endings and return to Source, Neptune rules ego-death, spiritual sacrifice and enlightenment. Neptune is the dreamer, the psychic, the medium: the dissolution of many into One. She is master of imaginative thought and boundless creativity. Neptune’s lessons ask us to confront our relationship to vices and addictions which offer a dreamlike sense of reality.
Neptune in Pisces: mass spiritual awakening
Since April 2011, Neptune has been transiting through Pisces, the sign she rules. When a planet returns to its ruling sign, we say in astrology that it is “at home.” Whenever a planet occupies the sign it rules, the energy of the planet is more visible and obvious in everyday life. With Neptune at home, we are poised for transformation on a global scale. On the other hand, it is possible for this to manifest as a massive existential crisis. As individuals, we all have a choice to make. Are you avoiding your own spiritual path, allowing fear to predominate? Navigating the murky territory of our higher Self is difficult and intense, no doubt, but Neptune is here to guide you.
We have the power to liberate the Self from waking reality and evolve beyond this terrestrial plane. Imagine a membrane between each dimension and each parallel reality growing thinner by the day. Many trends in popular culture reflect Neptune’s current placement: rapid legalization of medical/recreational marijuana; yoga and transcendental meditation skyrocketing in the West; extra-terrestrial themes in music and pop culture; simulators and next-level gaming that blur the lines between physical and virtual reality, just to name a few.
Empower the divine feminine
We are also encouraged now to examine the great imbalance between masculine and feminine energy on our planet. I am confident that by the end of Neptune’s current spin through Pisces, we will have returned to ancient wisdom as a way to protect the Earth and empower her people. Neptune aspires to universal love and compassion for all beings. Ever since Neptune returned home to Pisces in 2011, my intuition, empathy and psychic awareness have grown exponentially more powerful.
A major lesson of Neptune is understanding that our vices do not elevate us to a higher consciousness. Many fall down the well of addiction and escapist behavior in an effort to gain greater soul awareness, whether or not this is the conscious goal. This reminds me of Coleman Bark’s introduction to a collection of poems about taverns by 13th century Turkish poet Jelaluddin Rumi:
The grapeskin of ego breaks and a pouring begins. Fermentation is one of the oldest symbols for human transformation. When grapes combine their juice and are closed up together for a time in a dark place, the results are spectacular. This is what lets two drunks meet so that they don’t know who is who. Pronouns no longer apply in the tavern’s mud-world of excited confusion and half-articulated wantings. But after some time in the tavern, a point comes, a memory of elsewhere, a longing for the source, and the drunks must set off from the tavern and return … The tavern is a kind of glorious hell that human beings enjoy and suffer and then push off from in search for truth … A breaking apart, a crying out in the street, begins in the tavern, and the human soul turns to find its way home. (The Essential Rumi, p. 1)
It is more important now than ever to ground in a spiritual practice. Chances are, you already have one. Anything you do on a daily basis that makes you feel whole and happy is a spiritual practice, such as having a cup of coffee and reading a book every morning.
Neptune Rx: what to expect?
Neptune is retrograde about 5 months out of the year. This is an introspective and reflective period in which we are likely to encounter delays in our own transformational journey. Just because the rate of shift will temporarily slow doesn’t mean that these changes will lose intensity. In fact, you can expect quite the opposite. When retrograde, Neptune’s purpose is to clear out internal blockages that hinder our personal journey. Change happens more within than externally. When Neptune is direct, she operates in the public sphere on a global level. However, Neptune Rx gets us in touch with our own personal shadows.
When retrograde, Neptune becomes even more Neptunian. During Neptune Rx periods, our sensitivity increases such that we are able to see and feel much more than usual. It is easy during this time to become overwhelmed by our surroundings. Neptune Retrograde blurs the lines until they practically vanish, making it quite challenging for us to effectively resist outside influences. However, this is actually a blessing in disguise. We learn during this period how to exercise better self-control and self-discipline and also how to confront issues that we have been avoiding deep within the psyche. During this time it is not uncommon for psychic abilities to kick up a notch. In all ways, we are more in touch with the right brain, the divine feminine. This is a very powerful time to heal and cultivate self-compassion. Give a listen to Neptune, the Mystic from The Planets Suite by Gustav Holst.
On the night of Monday, June 8, the moon will pass over Neptune in Pisces in what is known as a “conjunction” in astrology. I suggest a ritual with water or some Pisces Yoga.
I was born with Neptune retrograde. Those with this disposition may not feel the effects of this period as much, if at all. To find your Neptune sign and whether she was direct or retrograde at the time of your birth, click here.
If you are curious about how this transit affects you personally, please contact me for more insight.
Mantra: close both eyes to see with the other