From June 18th until November 24th, Neptune, the planet of illusions and dreams, will be moving backwards. As Neptune glides backwards during its retrograde season, be prepared to have the wool that was once pulled over your eyes suddenly lifted, and to see situations and people with stark clarity. Neptune is called “the divine discontent,” which refers to the dreamy fogginess that Neptunian aspects bring to our lives. While our senses may be heightened, as in a dream, it’s easy to get lost in the fog of our headspace, and we are prone to losing sight of reality. Currently, Neptune is in intuitive, dreamy Pisces, where it feels most at home. In Pisces, there’s an element of heightened psychic sight and overall emotional sensitivity in the air, as well as spirituality. Romance is high and the arts give us immense pleasure, so the effect can be that most of us feel more like drinking and dancing the night away under the stars. The caveat is people often get lost in between reality and their need for pleasurable, comforting experiences. We can feel out of touch lose ourselves, only to be awakened abruptly to consequences of work left undone or other important issues that must be tended to. When Neptune is retrograde, we experience these things at a higher frequency, often opting to hide away, elude obstacles, or generally do the opposite of what is normal for us if we are not Pisces or Neptune-heavy personalities.
A major theme over the next few months, while Neptune moonwalks backwards slowly, will be its soft aspect to Jupiter, the planet if expansion. Both planets together in watery signs will elevate our spirituality and generosity, as well as our intuitive nature. Be prepared to accept some hard truths from June to November, which will seem harder because we are all swimming in the deep of our souls when we confront them. Aligning with the fixed star Alchernar, Neptune’s retrograde trip also promises to be full of happy surprises and encounters with moral behaviors that renew our faith in humanity. Embrace your spiritual and intuitive side till November. Dive deep into your emotions and have fun playing in the misty, watery waves of Neptune. Just play safely and don’t drown in your emotions!
Pisces, from Urania’s Mirror (1824) via Wikimedia Commons
How will Neptune Retrograde affect your sun sign? Read below:
Aries
During Neptune retrograde, it will be high time to put your psychic abilities to work! Revisiting past visions will be vital now, as you reevaluate their meaning in your intuitive nature. Keep a dream journal by your bed and make notes in the morning. The key to understanding yourself is through the meaning and symbolism from your dreams.
Taurus
As a Taurus, you’re known for your incredible reliability and loyalty in friendships. Recently, lines may have been blurred in your social circle, and for many reasons you may have been operating with your guard down which has allowed others to take advantage of you. Neptune retrograde is your time to decide whether these friendships are worth saving. Decide over the next few months who in your crew lifts you up and who you need to cut out.
Gemini
While you generally are an oversharer with the public on social media, this retrograde serves as a time to reflect what information you want to make private and what you wish to share. Perhaps this means even taking a vacation from Instagramming and spending more time with close friends, discussing dreams and ideas you have. The upside is that people will miss you in the ether and your newfound elusive nature will make you ultra mysterious and more popular than before your social media diet, and you’ll feel closer to the friendships you nourished.
Cancer
For you, Neptune retrograde is a time to discipline yourself in order to stay focused on your spiritual practices. This includes meditation, yoga, religious pursuits, and even higher education. Neptune’s slow-slip backwards may throw your flow off, however, as long as you keep your schedule on point and make sure you regularly practice your spiritual routines you will feel yourself deepen into the practices you nurture. Just be realistic with your time and don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t make every yoga class.
Leo
Neptune’s journey back through Pisces ignites a passion within you, one that you have missed for awhile. It’s time to reconnect with your body—physically and sexually. The planet Neptune rules fantasy and role playing, during this retrograde season, it’s time for you to try an erotic fantasy you always dreamed about. This time, make sure your partner gives more attention to you, as Neptune is self sacrificial—it’s not your turn to be the giver, it’s time for you to be the receiver of pleasure and ecstasy.
Virgo
Do you believe in love at first sight? Does “happily ever after” REALLY exist? These are questions which will be swimming around in your mind over the next few months during Neptune retrograde. Evaluating and reevaluating your current relationship (or the type of relationship that you are looking for) will send you into a tizzy until November. All that matters is that you make sure you see the person you are committed to clearly, for who they are—not who you wish they were, as Neptune can create a fog and put rose colored glasses over your vision in terms of partnerships.
Libra
Get ready for early retirement over the next months… or, maybe just fantasizing about quitting your daily grind and hiding away at an ashram in the countryside. Whatever your daydream is, it’s time to slow down your day to day routine and carve out some much needed you time. Little things like cat-napping on the subway, deep breathing between meetings, or mid-afternoon stretches at work will help ground you into reality. You can always run off and join the ashram if you want, to! But try some techniques to get grounded in your reality first.
Scorpio
As Neptune’s been traveling through your house of love affairs, you may have met some interesting perspective lovers over the past several years. Most of these suitors have required you to be their savior and help them by fixing up their lives. Even though you do like to transform and help others, due to your vibrant hard worker energy, it’s now time to sit back and be the recipient of some good natured lovin’. No more working hard planning fun dates or late night rendezvous for overworked, stressed-out, and therefore ultimately unappreciative partners! Be prepared to have a knight in shining armor do all the work to woo you—without lifting a finger.
Sagittarius
You may be having a little existential crisis over the next few months, as you are uncertain where you belong and fit in. Try connecting with your roots and ancestors to understand your heritage. Look through old family photos and even start your family tree. Connecting to your family will allow you to feel centered. If family is a tough or elusive topic, bond with friends through meaningful group or partnered activities. Try to make memories and bonds that you can look back on as a lineage. Understanding the past is essential to understanding the future, and now is a time of conscious memory-making.
Capricorn
As Depeche Mode sang, “Words are meaningless and forgettable”—that’s your vibe until November. Talk is cheap, what matters is how you feel and absorb the information. This all boils down to one thing: how you choose to process what you hear. You may drift in and out of conversations, glossing over the details and only using your emotions to feel your way through to understanding what’s happening. Remember, there’s no shame in processing words based on how you interpret them—it’s actually quite beautiful. It’s okay to use your intuition over hard facts, your feelings are important and define circumstances.
Aquarius
A recent hit to your ego may have left you struggling with how you feel about yourself. Use this time to redefine your self worth. Don’t compare yourself in any way to others. After all, as an Aquarius you march to the beat of your own drum. You are the alien emoji and there’s no escaping it. It’s time you embrace your quirks and celebrate your unique brand of fabulousness. Rather than competing in your mind with others, acknowledge your own best qualities and honor your shortcomings, allowing yourself to soften into loving all parts of yourself in this retrograde period.
Pisces
This Neptune retrograde through your sign will have you feeling very sexy and magnetic. Own it fully! It’s time for you to step out and dance all night, attracting lovers and new friends who are entranced by your glowing glamour. This retrograde aligns with your sun sign, which means people will be energetically drawn to your enigmatic and mysterious ways. People will find you alluring and extra charming during this time. The caveat to this smoldering and intriguing transit is that you may be extra sensitive and credulous of others intentions. Use your heightened sensitivity wisely and choose carefully which new people you let into your life.
top photo: NASA via Flickr Creative Commons
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