Last week, we explored Uranus, symbolizing the movement toward individuality. In this volume, we shift focus to Neptune, representing the experience of unity and connection with the vast universe. Let’s explore Neptune’s role as a powerful force that moves us beyond separateness into oneness with everything. The following section on Neptune is an excerpt from my book, Astrology as a Spiritual Path, only slightly edited.

Table of Contents

• Neptune: Ego Dissolution and the Experience of Uni …

  • Misconceptions About Neptune

  • Neptune as a Path to Love and Unity

• Beginners Astrology Class

  • Starting Oct. 2, 2024

• Explore Astrology As a Spiritual Path

• The Moon's Evolution Through the Signs

• Symbolism of Scorpio – The Scorpion

Neptune: Ego Dissolution and the Experience of Unity

Just as Venus and Mars are thought to be pairs, which are followed by the pair of Jupiter and Saturn, I have come to regard Uranus and Neptune as also reflecting a dualistic set, which actually act as one principle. This suggests to me that one cannot truly understand one archetype without also understanding its “other side.” In my experience, I often try to feel the underlying set that unifies the two opposites.

Uranus represents the movement towards individuality and uniqueness. Neptune, on the other hand, represents the movement towards the experience that each of us is completely connected to each other, to all that is in our life experience, and to the much larger universe, whatever that might actually be. Neptune also can be so profound as to enable one to experience the state of Love that is total and which is beyond all opposites. Thus, Neptune is an ego-dissolving process that is necessary if we are able to not just talk or think about ego dissolution, but to live it.

Misconceptions About Neptune

This process is a mystery to us and the proof of that is easily shown, in my opinion, by what many students think of Neptune when they begin astrology classes. Most of them have read quite a bit of astrology before they become a student, so I get a chance to hear how they regard Neptune, and it’s rarely what I just wrote. Most of the keywords I hear are quite negative, such as deception, delusion, disillusionment, chaotic, escapist, dreamy, fantasy, unrealistic, addiction, drunkenness, trickery, guilt, martyrdom, etc.

When beginning students express these qualities it is clear they do believe that these are the ways Neptune is expressed. Some do add keywords such as meditation, spirituality, dreams, psychic sensitivity, mysticism, compassion, sympathy, imagination, or dream interpretation. However, in none of the above lists is there an understanding of what the Neptunian process itself is or how these attributes reflect a larger process than the individual characteristics themselves.

In my early years, I was, not surprisingly, very confused about the nature of Neptune, but I was about to have an important Neptune transit, so I decided to watch what transpired closely, in how it might affect my own life as well as others around me. A student I was tutoring had an idea that was clearly a scheme to get something by deceiving an associate. It was a quite developed and sophisticated manipulation. I was asked if it would work. At the time, I just said that I didn’t know. Over the next three weeks, the plan was carried out and completely fell apart. The assumed facts turned out to be false and there were other factors that were hidden, but worse, the association ended badly due to the deception being discovered.

Might this confirm Neptune caused this person to behave in this way? That might be assumed if we accept the definitions and characteristics I just listed. But, no, Neptune did not make this person deceive another person. It did not push them in this direction. This person was constantly scheming as a way of getting through life. The transit did not encourage them to do something manipulative. However, it did have the potential of being a lesson that could be said to be staged by Neptune. What I believe is that it could have shown this person how destructive self-centeredness and manipulation can be.

Neptune can help us discover the true nature of the reality in which we live, where we are able to fully experience our connectedness to all that is. Its method is an ego dissolving one. That was the lesson the student was receiving. Although they did not learn from it at the time, I was able to, simply by closely observing what was happening as the transit unfolded. Neptune is not in itself deceptive or scandalous. But, we can be. And if we are, Neptune will indeed become all of the negative characteristics I mentioned and more. We can think of it as feedback for what happens if we live in a state of great fear and need to control others and life itself. The disappointment we feel is caused by ourselves and by not living according to a new way of being that we are being called to embrace.

Neptune as a Path to Love and Unity

Neptune’s process reveals the consequences of living from fear and ego, with its separateness. But this separateness is a lie. One mystic literally called ego the “lie of the ‘I.’” This might seem confusing given Uranus is a process of the building of true uniqueness and individuality. But might this paradox be arising in us due to our mental constructs? Might it be resolved if we realize the experience of connectedness could not be experienced if there were no group of individuals existing that could be connected to each other? Mystics often state that understanding reality and existence from a spiritual standpoint is paradoxical. I believe this is an example of that principle.

One of the most indescribable experiences one can have is the higher state of Love, sometimes referred to as “Divine Love.” It is beyond one’s mind, and yet it is our true nature. To achieve this state of Love requires a total reorientation to how we love. This is Neptune’s process in my experience. Human love is primarily transactional. One assesses the relationship based on whether we will receive enough for what we are giving. That’s egoic love. Love is not in any way transactional. It is a state of being and is natural when one’s ego is seen for what it is…a lie.

One example of ego is unconsciously built into all astrological terminology. We refer to the horoscope as “my chart.” Is that really so? The components of a chart are universal and impersonal. The astrologer says, “Let’s look at your chart.” I get it. I’ve done this a thousand times myself. However, Neptune knows it is never “my chart.” It can never be “my chart.” What is a chart? Perhaps, the best terminology actually is expressed based on which planet is speaking. From Neptune’s standpoint, it cannot be expressed literally. Poetry, imagery, symbols, etc., are better. Perhaps, Neptune would say a chart is the Divine experiencing itself as an individual unit of consciousness… for a brief time. It is an expression of God’s Love, but also Its lessons, suggesting some kind of divine purpose.

It is compassion and sorrow, both. The Neptune experience wonders if God cries… experiences pain as an expression of its empathy for humanity. This view is part of some Kabbalistic traditions. I speak of Love, but non-dual Love is an experience, not a thought or mental construct. It is beyond all human structures, yet we try to emulate it in our music, architecture, and even in our laughter. Neptune does not know what is man’s, and what is God’s… because there is no difference.

Sometimes, Neptune is associated with redemption, a deep feeling that comes over us when we might be in a dark place. Perhaps this is a signal of a deep need for some kind of transformation that does more than center us but allows us to feel total love. We may think of this experience as God’s love, not realizing it is our movement towards Love which we feel is redemptive as we discover who we are. Is this movement our own or is it God’s movement too? Are our tears our offering of redemption to a crying God?

Are these mere sentiments, expressions of the human tendency to anthropomorphism and personification? I don’t know. Can we know the answer to this question or is the essence of Neptune’s wisdom found most of all in its Mystery? After all, a symbol, whether it be from a dream, a daydream, a painting, or a mythological story does evoke something incredibly profound and moving within us… but in the same way for everyone? We cannot know even that, but we suspect it might. Might it be exactly that which unites us?

I regard Neptune as the process that leads us toward the non-dual state of Love and Unity. It is beyond all mental thought or belief but is the root of who we are. “God is Love” is literally true because Love is its nature and is ours too. It is beyond the physical reality. Perhaps it is the nature of pure Being, beyond the game of life.

Initially this experience does feel overwhelmingly redemptive, but this comes from the fact that we are cut off, in a state of being asleep and lost in the physical reality. However, it can shift into simply being who one truly is as the Self, or hundreds of other terms humanity has used to describe this infinite state of consciousness. As we enter this doorway, what beckons us onward? Perhaps it might be the exploration of one’s real Individuality as a multi-dimensional Being, with a role to play in the evolution of a much bigger game.

Beginners Astrology Class

Starting Oct. 2, 2024

This class, like all my courses, is designed to guide you through using astrology for healing and personal growth, integrating insights from psychology and philosophy. Whether you're a beginner or seeking to deepen your understanding, you'll explore your natal chart in a supportive, interactive environment.

Starting with the fundamentals—signs, planets, houses, and aspects—you’ll learn how to synthesize these elements for chart interpretation. This holistic course provides a solid foundation for personal exploration or applying astrology in professional practice.

If you want to learn more about how astrology can serve as a tool for healing and personal growth, order my book below.

Explore Astrology As a Spiritual Path

Order your copy of Astrology as a Spiritual Path today! This book redefines the role of astrology, offering a transformative methodology for both practitioners and students. It unveils how astrology can be a powerful tool for spiritual growth, self-awareness, and healing, guiding readers to connect deeper with their true purpose and inner journey.

ZODIAC 101

The Moon’s Evolution Through the Signs From a Transpersonal Perspective

By Carol Pilkington

In astrology, while the Sun sign often takes the spotlight, the Moon plays a crucial role in shaping our emotional world and instinctual reactions. As one of the "big three" in astrology alongside the Sun and Rising signs, the Moon governs the subconscious forces that drive our feelings, comfort zones, and survival instincts. Each zodiac sign influences the Moon's energy differently, affecting how we emotionally engage with the world. This article explores the Moon's placement across the zodiac, offering insights into the unique patterns and tendencies that shape our inner emotional landscape.

The Nature of the Moon: The Moon represents our automatic emotional and instinctive impulses and responses to the world based on programming and conditioning we absorbed throughout childhood. It is where our survival mechanisms get triggered as well as where our sense of comfort, emotional security, and safety are experienced. The Moon rules the changeability of one’s moods, feelings, and tendencies to react to external stimuli that are often primal and visceral. As one evolves, the knee-jerk proclivities to react are tamed, and one is able to respond with discernment.

Symbolism of Scorpio – The Scorpion

By Kimberly Maxwell

The Scorpion, symbol of Scorpio, has existed over 400 million years with barely any physical changes. These nocturnal creatures molt up to six times during maturation and leverage their venomous stinger to kill their prey. After it mates, a female scorpion often devours the male. The ancients therefore regarded the scorpion as a mythical symbol representing the capacity to survive multiple fundamental transitions and the regenerative birth/death process leading to immortality.

Scorpio, a fixed water sign, calls us to eliminate all that is unnecessary so we can focus and release potent creative power. In Transpersonal Astrology, Scorpio’s role in the self-actualization process is to guide us through the paradoxical process of identifying with our passions and de-identifying with them at the same time. Identification is necessary to fully express uncorrupted passion, yet we need the perspective of being outside our identification to understand what it serves beyond our personal ego desire. The danger is when we project an ideal image of our passion onto a person or thing, absorbing its identity into our own. We don’t see it as it is and all becomes lost to our ego identification.

The answer is to surrender our ego desire to remain separate and understand our creative passions serve the greater whole of society and beyond. We must will our ego to die and invoke our power to witness its death, transforming ourselves into something fundamentally different as we become our identifications mind, body, heart and soul and let them go to the greater whole. Blissful in the throes of intense creative passion, we become at once the conscious container and the contained passionate fire, focusing our creative power for a necessary, inclusive evolutionary purpose.

Explore More Articles

Get up to date with previous articles.

AstroWatch

Stay connected with us

Visit our website at sherastrology.com or email us at [email protected].