Dealing With the Smokes and Mirrors of Neptune In Astrology

So let’s get it on and dig deep into the role of Neptune in astrology!

Neptune In Astrology: An Overview

Neptune in astrology talks about all the illusions and delusions that we create for ourselves. Everything that is beautiful, calm, and serene. These could be illusions that could enhance one’s appearance or manipulations in one or another. To make have a better, fancier, kinder image as a person. Or vice versa. It can also be used to make someone appear worse than they really are.

This is the reason why Neptune is the ruler of beauty. To be more precise, of beauty products. Such as makeup, accessories, shoes, and clothing. It rules over the cameras. And editing tools so you can look like whoever you wish to be.

Deception is embedded deep within. However, there’s also a profound insight into the heart of those people, of who they really are. Think of the planet Uranus and Neptune as the conscious and unconscious minds. A particular idea is prevalent in the collective unconscious. Everyone has varied interpretations. But basically, Uranus serves as the collective consciousness. While Neptune is the subconscious mind or the collective unconscious.

The Unconscious, Subconscious, and Unconscious Mind

So what is the collective consciousness of a culture or society? It is everything that you can see on the surface level. The language you speak, or the religion they believe in. It is their art, fashion, and music. The food they eat, the places they travel to. Their wars, values, beliefs. Even their currency, wealth, or poverty.

Try looking at different countries all across the globe. From all continents. Indigenous cultures compared to the immigrant culture. To the colonial or settler culture. The thing that makes them different from one another is the influence of Uranus. This is their collective consciousness.

Neptune in astrology, on the other hand, serves as the unconscious or subconscious mind. It is society’s emotional undercurrent that lies beneath. For example, a nation goes through a devastating genocide or war. Everyone in that culture or society went through the same pain and trauma. Thus, it will impact their entire culture in that way.

Consequently, if they win wars or champion the Olympic games, there is a deep national pride that will influence their culture. You will notice that Neptune’s 14-15 year cycle throughout a sign has a deeper and more inspirational influence on trends. Fashion trends, music trends. Even trends in making films, books, or television. And other forms of media as well.

The Planet of Escapism

Neptune is a planet of escapism. Neptune in astrology means escaping to a place where your feelings are, kinder, happier, settled. This is the planet where you can let go of all your boundaries. But Uranus wanted to become part of a group. Belong to something bigger than itself. Wants to fuse its identity with a much larger framework.

Take, for example, saying you’re an immigrant or an African-American. An artist, a goth, or a Canadian. Whatever you wish to call yourself. This planet will take it even further. It will dissolve into a much larger identity and lose its individuality completely.

It will sacrifice your personal identity. Your beliefs, dreams, ideas, goals, and everything you are as an individual. So that you can become what others deem you to be. Thus, Neptune in astrology is commonly associated with the martyrs and saviors throughout history. They possess clairvoyant gifts. Very interested in religious spirituality, cultism, and secular practices. Even tarot and astrology.

Unfortunately, the more you lose your own identity, the more you lose all personal boundaries as well. So this is a planet that can eliminate all sorts of boundaries. There is no longer any distinction between you and someone else. Your compassion and empathy is extended. So much so that you can feel every inch of pain and suffering. The joy or hatred of other people’s experiences’s as much as your own.

This planet wants nothing more than a total blending, total merging. Everyone within a society or culture. All these come at a cost of one’s personal space and identity. And worst of all, in intimate interpersonal relationships that opens you up to abuse. This could lead to depression, anxiety, addiction. Or maybe losing joy and happiness altogether.

The Perils of Lost Boundaries

This negatively immature and unhealthy aspect in Neptune is bad. It causes one to have enormous hardships with boundaries. Regardless of whether it’s between themselves and others. Or between differentiating illusion from reality. This could also mean not recognizing other people’s need for boundaries. It is a planet that can be very needy, clingy, or invasive. Or worse, obsessive, annoying, and disrespectful.

Think of a person who wants to be talking to you, touching you, and fluffing you up all the time. They love petting you and invading your personal space. An unhealthy Neptune will cause a person not to put any boundaries themselves. Which in turn invites others to become invasive. And domineering beyond reason.

Why does this happen? It’s because they just give everything away. Their time, love, money, or attention. Give them away to whoever demands them the most. So it becomes detrimental once they wake up and finally decide to put those boundaries. Or stop providing for that person.

This person ends up feeling like a victim, personally. Since they’re so accustomed to taking and given everything they need. So when you stop doing this they become very offended. They may even confuse this for being abusive or mean.

On Fame, Power, and Fortune

This is the main reason why Neptune is associated with all the famous people. Fame is something a person desires. You can see fame and famous individuals under the veil of Neptune’s illusions and delusions. Most of the time people don’t realize that their public image is carefully constructed. Whether they be celebrities, royalty, or politicians. They easily buy into the belief that what they’re seeing are their genuine parts only.

People envy them because they seem so rich, glamorous, and adored by the public. They are oozing with charm and have an elevated social status. You will see why fame is actually very Neptunian. Since it is the ultimate sacrifice of one’s self to the collective. It is sacrificing your personal identity, personal space, and everything else personal to you. You become everything that everyone wants you to be. Just so you can become this idolized image of society or pop culture. For people to lust over or glamorize.

What people refuse to see is the reality. That these celebrities are the ones most prone to addiction, mental illness, and abuse. They are often exploited, have a loss to youth, lost childhood. These people have suffered great family trauma and difficulties. Countless powerful voices surround them. Telling them what to do. Imposing on every single detail of their lives. How they’re supposed to act, who they should be, what they should wear. They don’t have a say on anything.

That kind of public pressure is super invasive in a very Neptunian manner. You need to be skinny, wear makeup, be pretty, have your nails done. Lighter skin, bigger breasts, larger butt. Your cheekbones need to have that perfect contour. Always have jewelry on. You need to have more money. Even more muscles.

Becoming this famous person will require you to give up everything you are and care about. Everything you could want in this lifetime. For what? So you can become an ion. Since the public wants to desperately believe that this fictional avatar they have created in their mind is real.

And if they’re not? It enrages them beyond reason. They get very angry if a celebrity reaches a scandal. Like cheating on their partners, having an abortion, or checking into rehab. Hitting their partners, or having some very real flaws. Because of course, they are only human.

When Neptune Is Healthy

But not everything is grim all the time. When Neptune is healthy and is positively aspected, things are great. If it has become mature, naturally it is also very enlightened spiritually. Very sympathetic. This kind of selflessness, of wanting to become what others want them to be. It comes out as a need to help and heal.

Yes, there are still illusions and delusions made. But they are no longer to fulfill their own selfish wants and needs. It’s more because they see the great potential someone can reach. An amazing potential a story has. A fantastic potential this piece of art has.

A healthy Neptune means having healthy boundaries. They are not invasive to other people involved. And only want their solutions, desires, and delusions to be a reality because it serves a higher purpose. However, they do not let other people pressure them into achieving them.

Healthy Neptune eliminates boundaries among people. In order to expand empathy and compassion towards them. It destroys boundaries based on gender, race, religion, and language barriers. Until all there is, is a soul that is connected to another person.

This is the highest level Neptune can ever aspire to be. Thus, the gliff of Neptune is a trident. It’s three upward arrows that connect to the cross. So Neptune’s higher aspirations are very well-grounded in reality. But Neptune was only discovered in 1846. So it was not one of the original seven planets that were around during Medieval astrology. Therefore, it does not have an original ruled or exalted position.

Pisces and Leo: Lousy With Boundaries

It is up to you if you’re going to believe the ruled or exalted positions Neptune supposedly has. Ruled by Pisces, while exalted by Leo. Neither one of these signs are actually good with boundaries. Both signs wear their hearts on their sleeves. They love people with all their hearts and give their everything to them.

Leo and Pisces are extremely creative and artistic. They possess vivid imaginations. Both tend to be clingy, almost to the point of becoming really annoying. Since they want to have lots of love and personal attention. They are super sensitive when it comes to rejection. And hate it when people do not like or want them.

Both signs are easily seduced by the arts and the allure of fame. They wish to be famous and become what people want them to be. Both want admiration and love. But deep inside they just want to give themselves to someone else.

These zodiacs are very spiritual. Not many people talk about Leo. But they actually have a deeply spiritual view about astrology. Just like Pisces.

The Detriment In Virgo

Neptune, therefore, is in detriment in Virgo, which falls in Aquarius. Virgo in Aquarius are signs that don’t really believe in illusions or delusions of any sort. They see the reality for what they are. Both only look at the factual, logical, scientific proof. They know how they like things to go. Since Virgo is a perfectionist, while Aquarius is an idealist. Both are aware of how the world should work more efficiently.

Of course, they know that it is not the reality. This makes the key difference. Another reason why Neptune is in detriment here. Both signs can be super disconnected to their feelings, or how others actually feel. They really don’t think that emotions are that important. Feelings are an unpredictable mystery for these people.

Virgo and Aquarius are extremely passionate people. This Virgo happens to be a caregiver. While Aquarians are very accepting. They accept people for what they are, no matter who they are. However, they can also have a bit of an ego. They think they’re smarter than most people. Since they don’t believe in delusions, illusions, ideology, or religion. Basically, anything that exists without any solid evidence.

It’s not a good idea to cut themselves off from the Neptunian experiences. Because this will cut them off from the entire realm of human experiences and culture. Simply because they don’t want to engage with it since they believe they’re better than it. They don’t make attempts to understand it, rather just dismiss it outright. Therefore, Aquarius and Virgo really need to have some healthy relationship with the mysterious.

Yes, it’s hard to believe in the unseen, unknown, unexplained. But if these signs can only try and be open to their possibilities, they may experience some enlightenment. The kind of enlightenment they never had before. This way they will be able to expand their conscious minds about the world in an entirely different way. So what does Neptune mean in astrology? That you and I are totally free.