Neptune is now in retrograde mode. The ruling planet of Pisces that permeates the minds of the masses, hypnotizing and mesmerizing us with its gaseous element is now slowed down offering us the opportunity to see and catch what we often miss in our fast pace modern life. Yet, Neptune is one of the most important planets affecting the modern world. Anytime we walk through the supermarket checkout line, we see this smoky planet - through the mirage of the magazines lined up at the checkout line. From the cover and contents of People magazine, Time, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Essence, O, Oprah's Magazine, and even the likes of Yoga Journal, etc. They all delude us into believing that what you see is reality. Yoga Journal is at least 99% covered with specific bodies and poses of white women. This is a misleading image of what Yoga really is and has not only influenced so many but it has diluted the true heart and spirit of yoga. Anytime we log on to the internet to check our emails or merge into the fast lane of social networking Neptune is there subtly but intently penetrating us with marketing and advertisements of all kinds that lace the side bars, the news feed and pages. You think you are not looking at them, but your subconscious mind is collecting all that garbage.
Neptune is the planet that rules Hollywood, movies, celebrities, unaccountable fashion waves and marketing. This means we are constantly captured by the glitter and glamour, cultural phenomena and fascinations and often times sucked right into that blue gas or pink smoke. It is the gleam in the eye of the public, caught and refracted in a retailing prism. Neptune gilds popularity in a platinum sheen.
Neptune is also associated with collective dreams and yearnings for extraordinary experiences. It rules a culture's quasi-mystical aspirations and illusive quests. It is transcendent unity. Where ever Neptune is in your chart is where you can easily be deceived or fooled or where you can transcend boundaries and excel creatively.
Neptune is currently transiting my 5th house which is known to cause much confusion in one's romantic or dating life. This morning I had to catch myself when I got the third note from guy members of this new meetup group I recently joined. They are all intrigued by me, my name and one has asked me to go with him to our upcoming meetup next Sunday. I smiled and paused for a moment as Neptune whispered softly in my ear..."It's not what it appears to be." A soft whisper that was a loud reminder. In my dreamy state, I was excited to get the attention, I was appealing to the "we are one" believer in me, but all other elements of my being gave me the strength to simply pause for a cause and respond with silence. Is this another injured puppy that my unconscious self wants to save? What do I even say to him and the others? With Neptune waltzing in the 5th house, I can easily delude myself into thinking that the object of my affection is more than what they really are and I only see what I want to see in romantic situations. But it has it's up sides too. My self-expression is reconnecting with my domineering spiritual essence; I am drawing more and more from the magician in me and a creative fever is raising the temperature in me.
"Victimization" can also be a butt kicker as I found myself right in the middle of one. My dog bit the hand of a little girl that stuck her hand between the bars of a fence as I walked him on Thursday. We were on the street passing by, he was on his leash, the kids ran up to the fence, with the caregivers practically encouraging them. They trusting her words, "look at doggie"... jumped up and down, screaming with excitement and fascination only making my dog nervous and even more protective of me. She reaches her hand out and before you know it, he grabbed it probably thinking it was some squirrel or something. He too was caught up in a Neptune moment. The following day, I hear this unusual sound. I looked to see that my dog was snoring and snickering loudly in his sleep. He's been in hunter mode lately capturing a bird, chasing his dreams of squirrels and howling to the sounds of the sirens. I am still in a fog as to how the hell that happened but it did. Keeping a close eye on my dog while questioning what was going on inside of him. He's never acted that way before. Where's Cesar Milan? I've been crying over the incident - for the little girl, my dog, myself - most likely and who knows what else. The father threatening to sue me for everything I own including my underwear and referencing Fox 5 Channel News. Meanwhile the caretakers and the daycare in which they sent their daughter to is trying to escape their responsibilities. While the mother in me keeps checking in to see how she's doing. Are they questioning whether their daughter is in a safe childcare place to begin with? Or are they dreaming of an illusive financial settlement from this dream of me being filthy rich. The mother however, has been nice and civil but I am remembering that... nothing is what it seems. The 5th house includes children and pets, by the way. Am I dreaming that this is all a dream and that the real world is truly found when I go to sleep? There are always lessons and blessings.
Neptune's discovery in 1846, coincided with the early development in photography, genetics, and medicine - especially anesthesia with its ability to numb the senses. The sewing machine was invented in the same year. Spiritualism, American Transcendentalism, and general interest in the spirit world blossomed at the time of Neptune's discovery.
Neptune rules illusions, it has domain over what we can not see which forces us to rely on our senses and our faith and belief in a higher power that holds us together as one. We will all feel this transit as it will last through November of this year. Since astrologers refer to Black people as the Pisces people, it makes sense that after hundreds of years we are still dreaming or have a dream, as Brother Martin Luther King always reflected. Pisces is ruled by Neptune. No wonder I and so many others often say, "Wake the f@*k up my people!!" I mentioned "victimization" above - it is a long time symptom of Blacks and another downside of Neptune. We still don't see what's right before us and within us. Our creative abilities have been misdirected and capitalized on by others. We have faith in another person's god and religion and have forsaken our own. The lower end of Neptune has kept us living in a web of lies, illusions, deceptions and confusions.
It helps to know what area Neptune is currently moving through in your personal life and the astrology progressive chart will tell you clearly. Some questions to ask yourself or the collective during this Neptune Retrograde transit are:
What is the nature of your confusion? What is the major problem which you seem unable to resolve because of your confusion?
Is this the real problem, and if not, what is? What does preoccupation with this problem keep you from facing? What if you weren't confused?
How do you keep your self confused? What messages do you give yourself which keep you confused?
What are you avoiding facing? What do you know but won't fully admit to yourself? What do you fear discovering about yourself or others? What is Neptune protecting you from seeing?
What would happen if you saw your way out of your dilemma? If you had the answer what would it be? What would you have to face then?
If you need help understanding this Neptune transit as it affects and influences you (your life), then ask me for a reading or get one from another astrologer. And to all the Sun, Moon, Venus Mars & Saturn Pisces people reading this, you are most likely feeling this deeply and are more familiar with it than others.
