Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
-William Shakespeare
Neptune resumes direct motion on Wednesday. Some may consider that to be a non-event. After all, Neptune is a distant mystery that has made only one full circuit of the Sun, and the signs, since it was identified as a new planet in 1846. In recent weeks its apparent motion was nearly indistinguishable from one day to the next. Nevertheless, a turning point is a turning point, this one especially. Nearly a century and a half will pass before Neptune next stations direct in Aquarius. Therefore, this will be a time to look around and take things in so that you can recall what will soon vanish and better appreciate what will not.
In astrology, planets function as archetypes for events and circumstances in your life. Of all the major planets (those said to rule signs), Neptune’s archetype is probably the most elusive because it works against structure and definition. To paraphrase Robert Hand, Neptune acts as if to dissolve and is more readily identified with dreams than truth or reality. After nearly 14 years in Aquarius, Neptune’s formless feature has touched us all; often felt as futility, it retains the potential to finally reform into true freedom.
Signs function as if to clothe a planet, providing a costume for the archetype. During a long, methodical journey, Neptune’s outfit of fixed air has taken significant wear and undergone considerable alteration. Aquarius is where your personal circles interface with the wider world. In the 20th century those were most often real places with real faces. In those places, you brought your aspiration and found your definition. Now, that common boundary and its purpose have dissolved into a virtual milieu that has increased our reach immensely but left us with little to grasp. Those few who could grasp the situation usually opted to exploit it for personal gain.