NEPTUNE IN PISCES
May 12th, 2011 by Barry Eaton
Neptune In Her Element by Stella Woods
The great day is almost upon us. On the 4th April, Neptune, planet of collective trends and fashion moves into dreamy and idealistic Pisces for the first time in more than a century (her last visit was from 1847-1861). Neptune is the ruler of Pisces, meaning she’s at home and in her element in this watery realm. We can see how fashions have changed as Neptune transited the zodiac over the past 100 years. Virginity and hygiene were worshipped when Neptune moved through Virgo and business, real estate and big shoulder pads became sexy when Neptune headed into Capricorn.
What’s Hot & What’s Not
Neptune in Leo (1914-1929) Glamour, style, individuality, movies
Neptune in Virgo (1928-1943) Virginity, hard work, duty, sacrifice, service, hygiene
Neptune in Libra (1942-1956) Marriage, diplomacy, keep it nice, aesthetics, romance
Neptune in Scorpio (1955-1970) Passion, exploring the dark side, intensity, sex
Neptune in Sagittarius (1970-1984) Freedom, adventure, knowledge, breaking rules
Neptune in Capricorn (1984-1998) Business, wealth, achievement, hard work, status
Neptune in Aquarius (1998-2011) Technology, androgyny, community, progress
So, what can we expect with Neptune in Pisces?
Astrologer Steven Forrest believes we’ll be ‘turning up the dial’ on all things Piscean over the next 14 years and ‘raising escapism to an art form’. Virtual reality is already upon us as we spend increasing amounts of time in front of our interactive computer screens. When we can’t cope with failed relationships, war in the Middle East, global warming and climate change, we can always retreat to the safe world of digital music and video. If we don’t like the way we look or feel, we can create a beautiful and powerful avatar and live an airbrushed fantasy life with fantasy friends, fantasy lovers and dream possessions. We can maintain secret online identities and trash the creative output and ideas of others in complete anonymity. (Just take a look at the vicious and incendiary comments posted under any YouTube video or on the ABC and major newspaper websites.) We are limited only by our imagination and the technology and drugs at our disposal. If this all sounds ominous to those who prefer flesh and blood relationships and accountability, it is; but what is really scary is that activities connected with Neptune in Pisces will now receive unquestioning mass approval and therefore funding. Anyone who protests or tries to turn the tide will be up against the dictates of fashion and popular culture.
As insurance premiums and lawsuits continue to rise and we pass increasingly rigid legislation on public liability, health and safety (ostensibly to protect us, but in practice preventing us from: disciplining our children; holding carnivals and sporting events; taking bottles of water into large venues; riding horses; taking food home in a doggy bag; watching children play; taking photos without permission and buying supermarket food only hours past its use-by date), we seem to be ignoring the insidious side effects of the nanny state. The real world is now considered to be too dangerous, particularly for children and we’ve retreated to the safety and security of the virtual world. A school in Manchester, England has recently banned the use of soccer balls in the playground to avoid the possibility of injury. No more scraped knees for the David Beckham wannabes – they’re safe and secure indoors chatting with their online buddies.
I’ll leave you with one final thought. If Pisces is the uber-sign of the decade, the qualities espoused by its polar opposite Virgo could fall from grace and be considered irrelevant or unimportant (environment, duty, service, modesty, healthy eating, morality, attention to detail, physical health, hard work, precision and order). The lesson would seem to be to stay grounded while letting the imagination soar. It will be interesting to see how these themes play out over the coming decade.
Neptune in Pisces Themes
Positive
· The quest for redemption, salvation and paradise
· Escapism through film, fashion, beauty, glamour, music and the arts
· Increased funding for the arts, film and fashion industry
· Withdrawal from society to meditate, contemplate, muse and reflect
· A quest for and fascination with story, enchantment, myth and paradise lost
· Divine love, unconditional love and unrequited love
· Desire to help those less fortunate
· Desire to connect with divine, spiritual and supernatural forces
· Compassion, kindness, selflessness, love, sharing and humility
· Yearning for a more natural, peaceful and contemplative existence
· Worship of the sacred feminine
· Increased interest in yoga, meditation and other spiritual paths
· Less focus on the material and more on the emotional and spiritual
Challenging
· Increase in floods, rising sea levels and unstable rainfall patterns
· Illusion, delusion, fantasy, confusion and lack of groundedness
· A rise in obesity and eating disorders due to lack of connection with the physical body and natural world
· Desire to renounce one’s own individual nature or desire to merge with the collective or divine nature
· Escapism through mind altering substances, drugs and alcohol
· Escapism into the world of 3D virtual reality
· Increase in cyber bullying, fraud and identity theft
· Lack of boundaries in online forums coupled with ability to post anonymous feedback leading to gossip, bitchiness and lack of respect for others and their creative output
· Increase in mental illness, anxiety and panic attacks and dissociative disorder
· Desire to rescue, save or suffer (the martyr, victim, saviour complex)
· Lack of personal and financial boundaries
· A rise in the number of cults and gurus promising salvation in exchange for your money