Neptune Retrograde – The Impossible Dream

Do you believe that we are all part of an eternal struggle, an unending cycle that encompasses and connects all beings as one? That each being has a unique function to fulfil in the great circle of life? That in order to grasp the meaning of life, you must first discover your unique function, and to live a happy and contented life, you must somehow accomplish that function.

Well, when it comes to stories, that’s quite a tale, especially if you’re the anxious, purposeful kind. There are countless stories out there, waiting to be explored. Just ask NEPTUNE…

These questions beckon us to explore the realm of stories, where imagination intertwines with reality. Humans are inherently drawn to narratives, as they provide solace to our souls and bring vibrancy to our otherwise mundane existence on this physical plane. Within the vast collection of tales that captivate our minds, some stories appear outlandish and seemingly far-fetched, like fragments from the wildest reaches of our imagination.

How deep can our minds venture into the realms of the imagination?

You might hear somebody talking about past lives, ie., “In a previous life I was Cleopatra”... which would then be followed by a most impressive, intricately woven, delightful story, with plots of intrigue, mystery, murder and romance. You entertain and humour them, particularly if it’s a person whom you know very well, but also observe that they are speaking to you like they are off on another level as if carried away, enchanted, infatuated with some alternative version of themselves.

Chances are strong that when people depart from the linear stream of connectivity, they are sharing with you a story which is none but a gratuitous attempt to glamourise their Ego. If the story has no symbolic meaning or is incongruent with how you are experiencing this person at this very moment, then it is most unlikely to connect with you and your intersubjective imagination. In fact, it may confound and confuse you to the point where you fail to relate, dismiss their claims as false and even decide to avoid this person.

This is the danger of Neptune in Retrograde: We simply struggle to get our highly abstract ideas across to others through our stories. The narrative of our ideas becomes so acutely personalised and slightly removed from our intersubjective reality that our subjective vision becomes difficult, if not impossible, for others to grasp.

Neptune seeks to take us to a higher dimension. Its energy activates the faculties of imagination, fantasy, intuition and sensitivity towards others, providing access to quantum realities and higher dimensional experiences.

That fantastic novel, sci-fi movie, or tune that manages to lift your spirit out from its usual mundane drudgery soothes the dull rancour of your lifeless boredom. It takes you away to another dimension and appeals to your Neptunian side. Through the sheer force of your own imagination, those breathtaking moments of true inspiration are Neptune at work. It is the ability not just to sense but to be vividly moved into an exalted state, one which is often incredibly difficult to articulate into your own, ordinary, everyday terms. But are those visions capable of capturing the imagination of others, or are you indulging a personal trip into some schmaltzy sentimentalia?

Ghosts, spirits, aliens, quasars, UFOs, wild conspiracy theories and all sorts of incredible alternative realities are such phenomena that you may hear about often, but there is often insufficient evidence to substantiate or credibly qualify these into the acceptance of other peoples’ intersubjective truth.

Some stories, like those created in our dreams, exist only for our subjective purposes. Perhaps they are there to alleviate the stress of some emotional drama in our lives. Or they are trying to facilitate our creative tendencies. Or perhaps our dreams are there to help us process important memories and things we’ve learned or to relinquish trivial memories and dissipate complicated thoughts and feelings.

Only the ultra-sensitive, psychically-trained, refined and mystical mind, which seems aptly attuned to these subtle realms and which claims to have lucid and commanding access to alternative dimensions, can somehow find a way to delineate these stories to us in a way that we may find acceptable and perhaps convincing.

The mystic, the inspired movie director or artist, the spiritual guru, the poet, the miracle healer, the visionary dreamer, the psychic medium, the Christ and martyr of his cause are some of the embodied forms in which Neptune presents its nebulous, quantum force. And these are almost always surrounded by a sense of scepticism and controversy.

Many of our stories, even the best ones, seem incomplete. That’s the nature of this chaotic universe. It isn’t quite possible to produce a narrative which appears thoroughly cohesive. Hence, society will often be at the ready to dismiss and discredit those seen to be operating in the questionable, more mischievous functions of Neptunian energy by labelling them as crooks and shysters, liars and bandits, mentally infirm, or as persons of doubtful or dubious character.

There is a very fine line between the mystic and the swindler, and this is marked mainly by the degree to which the individual seeks to use these nebulous, largely vague energies to deceive others to merely gratify their own ego.

Our ability to relate our connection with the divine source to others, with a sense of egolessness and humility, is what determines how well others will accept our inspiration. Being truly egoless requires tremendous sacrifice, compassion, and surrender to the realm of the immutable nature of universal truths. The success in our ability to inspire others when relaying our Neptunian stories rests upon our ability to avoid arousing any suspicion of deceptiveness or delusion on our part.

NEPTUNE IN TRANSIT:

Due to the distant 165-year orbit of Neptune, the great planet spends half of the year to the other side of the Sun. Hence, we experience his motion at only about 3 degrees at a time before he appears to travel retrograde. For this reason, Neptune transits tend to last for years, and when exactly contacting points in our natal chart, may do so up to three times.

Neptune’s Current Retrograde/Direct Journey

• 9th March 2023: Neptune enters the retrograde zone at 24°53′ Pisces
• 30th June 2023: Neptune becomes stationary retrograde at 27°41′ Pisces
• 6th December 2023: Neptune becomes stationary direct at 24°53′ Pisces
• 25th March 2024: Neptune leaves the retrograde zone at 27°41′ Pisces

Neptune often produces some of the most challenging transits to handle if you are trying to hold things down. Under its ethereal sway, life can become a wave of confusion and uncertainties, blurring the boundaries of truth and falsehood. Yet, beneath its murky facade, Neptune also possesses the power to dissolve the ego and inspire acts of selflessness. It opens doors to exquisite, albeit potentially illusory, experiences that hold intrinsic beauty and relief. Neptune governs everything that humanity dreams of achieving or considers true, even if it defies reality.

The difficulty in navigating Neptune’s influence stems from its tendency to wear away the structures constructed by Saturn, such as our firm ego complexes, our distinct sense of duty, and our perception of concrete reality. As Neptune dissolves these foundations, we may initially feel lost, confused, cheated or beaten. However, for those attuned to a higher level of consciousness, it can also elicit a profound sense of unity with the universe, instilling a transformative sense of exhilaration. Yet, for most, the initial effect tends to overshadow this transcendent experience.

When Neptune challenges our notions of reality, we become vulnerable to confusion and doubt. Saturn’s involvement in Pisces can exacerbate these emotions, leading to irrational fears and anxieties. Furthermore, Neptune erodes our sense of personal responsibility, causing some to believe that others should bear the weight of their care. Simultaneously, its ego-denying nature can foster a deep sense of responsibility for the world’s collective wrongdoings. This energy drives certain individuals to dedicate their lives to social service, devoid of personal ambition.

When Neptune transits a specific house in our birth chart, we often fall prey to false illusions related to the matters governed by that house. As Neptune’s energy permeates these areas of our lives, we may give way to trying to hang on to those affairs, often in subtle and imperceptible ways.

During Neptune transits, particularly in hard aspects, we may experience weakness, illness, and vulnerability—be it mental, physical, or emotional. The ego-dissolving nature of Neptune can render us exceptionally fragile, prone to infection, or susceptible to influences that wear us down. Whether through substances like alcohol or drugs, or by the allure of swindlers and mystics, we may find ourselves open to escapisms, supernatural experiences, prophetic dreams, divine visitations, or immersed in the realm of art, music, religion, spirituality, and the mystical tapestry of the divine. Neptune’s influence can also manifest as a fateful mistake or a folly that may or may not work in our favour.

Throughout this journey, it is vital to ride out the waves and acknowledge that the ultimate outcome of Neptune’s influence is to loosen and spiritualize our ego.

When Neptune turns retrograde, its energy takes on a profoundly subjective quality, intensifying our sensitivity to its subtle vibrations. We become more porous and receptive to both the lowest and highest frequencies. It becomes challenging to discern what will influence us, often tilting us slightly out of alignment with reality and tampering with our personal narratives. In hard aspects, our individual vision struggles to connect with the collective imagination, leading to confusion and disillusionment.

It’s a period where we may find ourselves dwelling on past choices, missed opportunities, decisions not acted upon, and the roads not travelled. The haunting “if onlies” echo in the windmills of our minds as we go down in the abyss of our past, questioning and wondering about the paths we might have pursued.
There’s a bittersweet nostalgia, reminiscing about what could have been. The retrograde motion of Neptune intensifies this longing for a different outcome; a plethora of mysteries unfold, amplifying our most inaccessible emotions and drawing our attention to the misshapen choices that shaped our lives.

During this period, it’s precious to hold those sentiments with compassion and self-acceptance. Instead of dwelling on regrets, we can use the time machine of our most imaginative mind to gain insight and learn from the past. We cannot change the past, but perhaps we can change the way we look at it. Neptune’s retrograde phase can provide an opportunity to release our old romances, let go of tired old narratives, heal old wounds, and find a sense of peace with the choices we’ve made.

As Neptune eventually resumes direct motion, we begin to sense a shift in our ability to experience this energy in a less subjective manner. When our ego fully disengages from the realms of fantasy and illusion, we gain a heightened sense of discernment, distinguishing between what is real and what was merely an unattainable dream – a mere figment of our imagination.

Neptune’s direct motion allows us to recognise the instances where we may have “lost ourselves” or others in translation. We may be humbled—or even humiliated—as we come to terms with how we undermined ourselves or compromised the integrity of our truth by succumbing to seductive narratives. Whether it was due to impressionability, confusion, misunderstanding, idealised notions, or outright deception, we eventually have the opportunity to unravel the web of illusion and come clean.

During Neptune’s stationary phases, seclusion, silence, solitude, and meditative reflection serve as our best allies. Creating space away from the abrasiveness of others becomes paramount as we nurture ourselves with rest and tender care. Our higher, compassionate selves may find it challenging to connect with the pain and suffering that permeate our surroundings. Ideally, we should minimise the need to make practical or logical decisions during this time. Neptune’s retrograde period offers us a chance to revisit moments when confusion, deception, and false leads may have impacted us. It allows us to recognise the errors of our egotistical ways, rectify our narratives, and dispel illusions. However, should the stubborn ego persist, doubling down on the confusion and creating further chaos becomes possible.

We’re nearly at the end of Pisces here. Next couple of years, as Neptune ebbs and flows over this last passage, still lingering in our recent memory, we start to look back at all the windy roads we didn’t travel over the pasts 12-13 years, try to untether our energetic whimsies from the broken dreams and promises, and come to terms with where we’ve washed up…

The sea disfigures everything. It wears it down, and even fragments of glass become smoothened, its shards now totally benign, innocuous, incapable of hurting anyone.

Ultimately, the Neptune experience beckons us to embrace the mystical currents of life. It invites us to navigate the ebb and flow between hard and soft aspects, surrendering to the dissolution of our ego while seeking the spiritualisation of our being. Through solitude, reflection, and a discerning mind, we can emerge from Neptune’s embrace with newfound clarity, wisdom, and an unwavering connection to our authentic truth.

“When you once see something as false which you have accepted as true, as natural, as human, then you can never go back to it.”

― Jiddu Krishnamurti

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