Neptune joins Pluto and Saturn in their apparent retrogrades.
When I first began looking into astrology, and learning all the nuances (there’s still more to learn), I remember hearing retrogrades talked about as if they are some sort of rare event here to destroy us all. When the fact of the matter is, Mercury is cyclically in retrograde on a quarterly basis, and the outer planets typically retrograde annually from late spring towards winter.
I began to notice the outer planet rotation patterns when every summer chart I pulled typically had all four outer planets retrograde. Using my own chart as a point of reference I noted that I was born with all four outer planets in retrograde, and that for the past almost 32 years Neptune and Pluto have been in their retrogrades on my birthday every year, with Saturn and Uranus only mostly, and sometimes an inner planet like Mars would enter the mix.
So, unless you’re always having a bad summer, these outer planet retrogrades aren’t as ominous as some may make it seem. However, there are some celestial messages we can note on when it comes to planetary alignments in the sky.
Neptune takes about 14 years to transit all 30 degrees of a sign. This year we’re going into the later half of Pisces, just like we’re in the later half of Capricorn with Pluto, and the later half of Aquarius with Saturn. These later degrees bring on an energy of maturity, evolution, and growth; but remember, these planets are moving backwards according to earthly perspective, so they are moving back a few degrees during their transits. This will mean when they go direct all of that energy will come full force for 2023 especially with Pluto making it’s move into Aquarius in January marking the start of a whole new generation.
To understand the planets and their what they symbolize, we have to look at the Gods they are designated to. It’s no coincidence that the energy each planet holds correlates with it’s archetypical deity. So, let’s look at Neptune:
The God
Thought to be an evolution on the proto-indo-European freshwater diety, Neptonos, Neptune or Neptunus, is considered to be the god of the waters and sea. He is one of Saturn’s sons and is the Roman equivalent of Poseidon.
Neptune is best known for his unforgiving temperament and mood swings, with a calm sea erupting with raging waters at a nothing more than moments notice.
Symbols associated with him are: the Trident, known as a fishing tool, but also may have represented the power of three, dolphins who were his personal messengers and also symbolize emotions, and intellectuality, and horses who symbolized wealth, power and status.
The Planet
As I stated in my Saturn post, Saturn is the furthest planet we can see with a naked eye. So, naturally, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto weren’t discovered until much later with Neptune being confirmed as a planetary entity on September 23, 1846.
It’s name did not come without a fight, but inevitably it was internationally accepted for how it flowed with the other planet names. Which unbeknownst to the scientists of the time, this planet closely works with Neptune’s energy and tends to affect dreams, intuition, and spirituality.
It takes Neptune about 14 years to transit all 30 degrees of a sign, making is a generational planet whose energy will show up in an entire generation. It also takes 165 years for Neptune to make a return, so don’t expect to see an Neptune return any time soon.
Neptune in Pisces
Pisces is the Dreamer of the zodiac, but don’t misinterpret them. They are the mystics, the poets, and the visionaries of the zodiac. Being at the tale end, Pisces comes in with the wisdoms learned over the past year, and makes you dream about the possibilities to come.
Neptune has been at home in this sign since 2011, and we’ve felt the energy of it’s RX annually for the past 11 years. However, there have been variations to this energy depending on the degrees and aspects we’ve observed during this time.
At the beginning of this we started in the early degrees of the signs. This gives a fresh wide-eyed energy to the sign it’s in. For Pisces we may have seen this show up as whimsically and naively flowing with the waters, carrying you anywhere you dream of. And now that we’re towards the end of Neptune Pisces season, the next four years will have that evolved energy of Pisces wisdom, and knowledge.
In retrograde we’ll see this show up in the form of unmasking the façade, stripping away illusions, and deconstructing false realities. This energy coupled with Pluto and Saturn right now, will spotlight the areas of our lives we’ve been covering with a bandaid, showing us where we’ve been inauthentic with ourselves and others. We will also begin this Neptune RX with is squared with Gemini Mercury, so expect to be pushed to your greatest potential, in the most unexpected ways.
Support Yourself
During this Retrograde:
Understanding your natal chart and the house this RX affects is a good place to start in understanding how it affects you. For example, this if this retrograde is affecting your 7th house, it can easily be interpreted as the house of relationships/marriage and legal contracts and thus romantic relationships, and legally binding contracts should be approached with care and understanding during this time.
Keep a dream journal, trust your gut, fill up your date book, ground yourself, turn inward find your truest self in it’s rawest, most unadulterated form. The planets are calling on true authenticity during this time.
Herbs/Oils/Incense/Resins to work with during this time:
- Mugwort
- Angelica
- Frankincense
- White Spruce
- Clary Sage
- Jasmine
- Camphor
- Cedar
- Juniper
- Rose
Be aware of you usage of these sorts of things and seek out a certified herbalist, and/or trusted PCP to see what is safe for you to use, and always take care if pregnant.
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