Neptune enters Pisces February 3rd

The mysterious blue planet, Neptune, will enter its ruling sign, Pisces, in a couple days. It did dip its toe into Piscean waters last year for a test to see how the swimming was from April ‘til August, but it was only a test. Now the twelfth sign will have his (or is it “her”?) company for another thirteen years. Pisces doesn’t have this guest often; the last time was from around 1847 to 1861-62. We learn from history, and we can get a hint of what to expect, but times were different then, and we have other planets in different places now along with it, which colors the picture somewhat.

Neptune represents anything which is not solid or clearly discernable—mysticism, deception, redemption, artistic expression, spirit, smoke, gases, water, visionaries, compassion, corruption, pollution—you get the picture. Pisces is kinda like that, too—which is why Neptune rules that sign. So we sort of have a double whammy here. In a chart, if Neptune is connected to other planets positively, then we have a positive expression of its energy, but if it’s not in harmony with other energies, we get conflict, and therefore, negative results.

It seems in Neptune’s travels, that collective attitudes are subtly changed-- colored by Neptune’s innate core energy—or vice versa. For instance, when it was in Capricorn (1984-1998) corporate and governmental corruption and deception was a temptation. Capricorn represents corporations, government and power. The United States has Neptune in the ninth house, which is legislation, as well as religion (not spirituality, but organized religion). That time was the rise of fundamentalist religions getting too involved in government, religious-based warfare—or oil-based—also Neptune, and giant corporations like Monsanto deceiving us about genetically modified food, which is now a HUGE issue. Other corporations, like those of the Koch brothers, did their own manipulating.

From 1998 until now, Neptune has been in Aquarius. This sign is noted for its detachment emotionally and for fierce individuality, and so we have had a collective outcry that we are not our brothers’ keeper, and we have been looking for ways to shed emotional reaction to those less fortunate. This, of course, does not affect everyone, but collectively the masses would seem to be headed in that direction. Each sign is a reaction to the one before it, so during this time there was also an awakening to the corruption of the preceding fourteen years, and so the fierce individualism of Aquarius also noticed the infringement on individual rights, as well, as witnessed by the treatment of organic farmers by Monsanto.
Neptune is also melding or blending of anything. Immigration is one such blending. Back in the mid nineteenth century when Neptune was last visiting Pisces, we were concerned about immigration from Europe and did not trust the Irish and the Catholics. Now, it’s the Muslims and Spanish-speaking people we do not trust. These are “strangers” attempting to meld into our society, and in Neptune fashion, we have irrational suspicions.

In those years just before the Civil War, slavery was an issue, too. We are now just beginning to recognize that exploitation of children and the very poor worldwide in the sex trade is another kind of slavery. We are seeing books appearing to awaken us—like the trilogy beginning with “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” In the next fourteen years, we will do something about that.

I believe we will see much more compassion for the less fortunate as Neptune sojourns in Pisces. There might be some areas where it can be increased deception and fraud, but Neptune is not in negative aspect too much, so we’ll probably see the better side of it. For instance, it will trine the USA’s Cancer planets for most of the fourteen years. That can bring in increased recognition of how badly the American people have been deceived over the last twenty-eight years.

And last, Neptune in the USA’s birth chart is negatively aspected to Mars. We usually don’t use Neptune in its highest form. It will eventually activate that square, which has been involved one way or another every time we have a war. It is also the signature of a corrupt government. As long as this chart exists, we’ll have a propensity to this. It would be especially tempting when Neptune, itself, is activating it. That will be 2021-22, and I’d expect to see the very worst of that configuration manifesting. We would need to be particularly vigilant.