The mysterious, mystical planet Neptune turned direct two days ago, on Wednesday 18th November 2015, continuing its long, slow drift through its own sign of Pisces.
Since Neptune’s retrograde turn in June this year, I have been feeling a pull back towards some form of meditation practice: Neptune is still in my Sixth house, playing with the 9 Pisces Descendant, squaring Saturn in the Fourth house. I have been feeling a need to create more of a still centre for myself in the swirling, at times painful turbulence of our extended family life at this particular time.
I’ve always found Saturn/Neptune aspects especially difficult. Some of us are better than others at dancing on a wobbly board suspended over the long drop into chaos! However, as always when the great planetary archetypes combine, the level at which we engage with the combination through our individual birth charts always carries a challenge to become more self-aware, more constructive in our engagement with the areas of life highlighted.
I attended a few drop-in lunchtime meditation sessions at the Buddhist centre round the corner from my office – but found the balance between irritatingly cheerful homily and actual time to meditate not to my liking… then, the day after Neptune went direct, on an impulse I decided to sit in on a guided meditation session in our local Episcopal Cathedral, led really skilfully by a senior member of the clergy. We were given some wonderfully clear, inspiring and practical material to take away to help us follow-up this session in our own time.
I left after the hour feeling not only refreshed, but also inspired to continue – in a Saturn/Neptune, now I do it, now I don’t, manner. A key to managing Saturn/Neptune aspects creatively, is to make sure to stay reasonably on top of life’s necessary demands, but not to expect too much of one’s own capacity for self-motivation or self-discipline in other areas of life. (I say this as a normally self-disciplined person) Giving in to the desire now and then to lie on the sofa with a good book and a long snooze is important during Saturn/Neptune times!
I went home that evening – to the sofa and the long snooze – and made a delightful discovery. My husband, whilst hunting for something else altogether, had found my missing angel! I am quite a rational, pragmatic person despite all those 12th House planets of mine. But I do like having an angel or two dotted about our home, and had become especially fond of a little bronze image which Ian had bought for me on a visit a couple of years ago to Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England. I called her Maria. She had lain contentedly on my bedside table until her mysterious disappearance some months ago – probably around the time that Neptune went retrograde.
What delightful Neptunian synchronicity! This morning I photographed angel Maria, to share with my readers.
Angel Maria
And there was more. My Facebook notifications this morning, via Friend June Haygood, invited me to Like a Page called Real Imaginal. This I did, intrigued by the most Neptunian-sounding title, thereby falling into the nebulous delights of Real Imaginal online magazine, “…dedicated to the re-enchantment of Neptune…” It is deep and insightful. Do check it out.
These are only SOME of my Neptune direct experiences this week. I love it when planetary symbolism speaks so directly: even Neptune does that! What Neptune Direct experiences have you had this week? Do share – giving your feedback is a wonderful way to flesh out those living archetypes with the detail of people’s real lives.
Zodiac
600 words copyright Anne Whitaker 2015
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Astrology: Questions and Answers 
Thank you, Anne … and ‘Real Imaginal’ seems like quite the Saturn-square-Neptune meditation or reflection! I laughed at your comment about “the balance between irritatingly cheerful homily and actual time to meditate.” That’d be ironic.
I have Saturn-square-Neptune in my natal chart (as part of a t-square, actually) so it’s either familiar energy or double-dose. Or both! I mused last night “God, is this was the Saturn-Neptune square always feels like?” 🙂
I think of the Persian poet-mystic Hafiz’s musing as very much Saturn-Neptune: “What’s real, what’s not real. That which turns up the corners of your mouth, follow that.” Hmmmm. 😉 xoxo and thanks again for this lovely musing. Jamie
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Hi Jamie well, you should be pretty well versed in how to deal with Saturn/Neptune by now if it’s natally present. Or not…
It always amazes me how each return of a transit, bringing us face to face with an energy combo we think we understand, presents us with yet another facet of that same old crazy diamond to chip off and polish a bit more. We are never done, are we? But that’s how we grow…
Many thanks for your thoughtful wisdom, and for your support of my writing. I truly appreciate it. Xx
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Reblogged this on Lost Dudeist Astrology.
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Many thanks for another reblog, Grand Trines! Much appreciated!
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Certainly!
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Difficult time, requiring difficult decisions. I make up my mind only to find evidence supporting the other alternative. How much am I projecting? I’ve also been meditating the last two days, probably today again. I use guided meditations on my MP3.
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Thanks, Ellis. Yes, your second sentence pretty much sums it up for a lot of us. I too have found an excellent guided meditation, on Spotify, which I have used a few times. I think the trick is NOT to apply rigid discipline. It doesn’t work too well with Saturn/Neptune…
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Margo Cline via Facebook: 20.11.15:
I have had some intense dreams, lately. And yesterday I felt so confused with technical difficulties.
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Yes, I forgot to mention more intense dreaming. And technical confusions! Thanks for this feedback, Margo!
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Your angel, Maria, is beautiful! I’m so glad she came back to you. Isn’t it strange, how objects can appear and disappear and appear again? I looked for a book about poetry for a full year. When I found it, guess where it was? On the bookshelf, of all things!
I laughed at your description of the meditation that didn’t suit you so well. It reminded me of a workshop on silence I once attended. It was so full of chatter, there was no time for silence. Hmmm…..
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Well, that bookshelf episode is all too common in my life these days. But the upside is that I’ve developed a naive faith that things I lose will turn up when I stop looking for, or even thinking about, them. It’s almost always the case. And I can use Neptune transits as an explanation…one of the advantages of being an astrologer. Mind you, working by the sea, your life is probably one long Neptune transit!
Yes, Maria is a gorgeous little creature, isn’t she! I am really pleased that she has turned out to be so photogenic.
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