Most ‘Neptunians’ I’ve known lead unconventional lifestyles; after all, modern life generally argues with the whole “I’m living in the moment” paradigm Neptune requires. One close friend is clairvoyant, an artist (Neptune conjunct Libra rising) and a gypsy (she is also a Sagittarius Sun sign). Riding her magic carpet from house sit to house sit, she lives under the auspices of Neptune; utterly without an external security blanket, she takes her cue from the shimmering, ever-changing present moment. From firsthand accounts, it’s difficult. Just try, for a day, planning your life around the inner dictates of Spirit. Sometimes it works out beautifully, and sometimes you just sit there wondering what the heck you’re doing. But for folks like her, there’s no other way. The only approach that works for her is to let go, surrender, trust in spirit.

I also had another close friend, a healer and a mentor, with Neptune joined his Sun. In our 4 years of close friendship, he covered the full spectrum of Neptune: from sleeping pill addiction (chronically sleepless, a Neptunian condition) that caused him to do crazy, chaotic things like show up at friends’ houses at 3 AM, having totally forgotten he was there– to miraculous healings of humans and animals. Once we saw a down bird on the side of the road, unable to fly. He picked up the bird, did some prayer work, and it flew away good as new. Both friends have ‘sacrificed’ something for the vision Neptune given; for my former friend, his ego constantly teetered at near overwhelm. Of the many ‘crazy’ stories, like that would drop your jaw to hear, most ended up expanding my consciousness. That’s what Neptune does best.

Both friends also taught me more about my own Neptune: to trust my intuition, source my imagination, and align with the invisible energy that permeates all of life. But not before Neptune did the hokey pokey, turning my entire life around. From my early teen years into my late twenties I was under Neptune in Capricorn’s consecutive opposition to my Cancer South Node, Sun, MC, Venus and Mercury. During those years Neptune’s thick fogginess, and murky confusion possessed me. Looking back I can see that I was a mystic in training wheels, and the sense of dissolution was part of The Big Surrender. But at the time, nothing made sense. I longed to be saved, rescued from my human condition. Neptune can relentlessly pummel us with fantasies, longings & victimhood rendering us emotional cripples. Following the Buddhist slogan, Surrender the idea that someone or something will save you, helps.

Neptune in Pisces (Neptune enters Pisces February 12, 2012)

Right now we might want to escape to a Lost Horizon, which is understandable given the relentless nature of these changing times.  So we may drink, internet and Facebook (frankly anything we ‘use’ to escape) more. Hole up in our hobbit hole, meditate, self-medicate  and wish the world and it’s problems will all go away, that’s Neptune. Pisces/Neptune is infamous for avoidance, ‘checking out’, wanting to make the world as it is just go away. We can also heed the siren call for healthy escape & fantasy. Art, music, fashion, movies, poetry. Spa days. Dreaming, dreamwork & daydreaming. Long walks by the sea. All this helps give Ego and all it’s ‘big deal’ problems over to Neptune. Neptune works it’s magic, inspiring visions by gently widening our consciousness, or stripping us of illusions.

But these are generalities, and our experience of it in our birth chart feels far more personal.

In one’s personal life, Neptune can be anything from enchanting to utterly confusing, chaotic and disorienting.  During prolonged, difficult transits of Neptune, we likely find ourself in a periods of confusion about an area of our life, which only increases our human tendency to try and figure our life out. Unfortunately, Neptune does not specialize in problem solving, and inevitably we wind up more confused and sometimes even more desperate for answers and more prone to escapism. Instead of falling down the rabbit hole, Neptune asks us to witness our strange longing, confusion or bizarre happenings as though it were a dream. Think symbolically, not literally, about “your problem/dream”, it ceases to become a problem and instead becomes fascinatingly full of potential for self-discovery. What is your dream saying?  

Many times people try to attach their Neptune transit (or natal Neptune aspect) onto a perfect romantic partner or even an ultimate answer. Neptune is immaterial so when we attach our desires to a literal, mechanical, material definition of what you want, we suffer. In fact, when we are longing for the material manifestation of our desire (the relationship, career, the answer) our desire can actually keep us from arriving at the answer.  Instead, what is behind the yearning? Imagine the possibility that, through simultaneously following & expanding your longing while surrendering the object of it, you can outgrow your dilemma, and any suffering you’re experiencing.  Neptune is the planet of consciousness. Expanding our consciousness through creativity, music, dance, silent time, retreat, poetry & film, meditation, yoga can virtually cure Neptune problems – addictions, impossible romances, and mass confusion about ‘where my life is headed.’

A question I like to ask for any transit is: How can I orient my self toward the more effective expression of this  experience? Neptune in Pisces encourages us to seek refuge, retreat, to create private sanctuaries that allow us to heal and intuit our whole  lives. We can tune into the compassion we feel for the pain of our self and others, and allow it to give us new vision and direction for our lives. We may try to decipher symptoms of soul-sickness we are experiencing, and find people who will connect us back to our wholeness. As we yearn for a Shangri-La of sorts – a better place, life, love- we can start with Spirit. Collectively, every passage of Neptune in Pisces has shown a surge and revival in spiritual pursuits.

So what to do about Neptune in Pisces? Do nothing.  Be willing to not know. Open to the space within. Enter the dream.

Watch this trailer for Frank Capra’s movie Lost Horizon which beautifully epitomizes the yearning of Neptune in Pisces: “I’m sure there’s a wish for Shangri-La in everyone’s heart. I’ve never seen the outside world, but I understand there are millions of people who are supposed to be mean and greedy. And I just know secretly they’re all hoping to find a garden spot where there’s peace, security, beauty and comfort, where they wouldn’t have to be mean & greedy…”