Saturn-Neptune Conjunction
A week after its ingress into Aries, Saturn will meet with Neptune, perfecting the conjunction they have been dancing around for a year. Even though they will remain within a 10° orb until the end of the year, their conjunction’s most potent manifestation will be in the first half of the year and undoubtedly at the end of February when it perfects. Their co-presence in the sign of Aries affects both planets’ experiences in the sign throughout their respective transits. Aries energy will be filtered through them both, even when they are not travelling closely together anymore, and Neptune, being as slow-moving as it is, will remain in the early degrees of Aries as Saturn finishes its transit through the sign in 2028. This means that whenever we try to interpret Saturn’s transit through Aries, we must take into consideration Neptune’s influence.
Aside from this, their exact conjunction on February 20 is at 0° Aries, otherwise known as the Aries point, the first and most potent degree of the zodiac. Neptune was last in Aries in 1875, while Saturn was last in Aries in 1999. Neptune and Saturn were last conjunct in 1989, but Saturn and Neptune have not met at the Aries point in millennia, literally thousands of years. This is so rare that some astrologers estimate the last time it happened was around 8,000-12,000 B.C., coinciding with the Neolithic Revolution or when our ancestors transitioned from hunting and gathering to agricultural settlements. This is to say that this is not just another epoch-making transit; this is a human species pivot transit.
We can always look back at history to note what has happened during previous Saturn-Neptune conjunctions. These periods are associated with the fall of long-standing regimes and leaders, leading to the emergence of new ones, such as the revolutions of 1989, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, which led to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. They are also associated with both crises of faith and renewed faith in different spiritual or religious traditions. Age-old debates around ‘science vs religion’, ‘evolution vs creationism’, and such, commonly resurface during these times. There can be collective unease, confusion, despair, and a sense of disenchantment, of having to face the harsh, cold aspects of reality. But there can also be a renewed sense of solidarity and compassion towards those suffering, coupled with active initiatives to bring relief and aid to those in need. Saturn-Neptune alignments are also known for water-related catastrophes, such as the 2004 Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina’s 2005 flooding of New Orleans, both occurring during the planets’ last opposition. These are just some brief examples. These archetypes, being so different, can manifest in so many and such complex ways. What I want to focus on now is how we may experience them personally, in our lives.
Saturn is associated with limits and boundaries, hard work and responsibility, whereas Neptune is associated with dreams, illusions, and transcendence. Often, Saturn is considered to be a builder, while Neptune is regarded as a dissolving agent. But the truth is, Saturn can destroy as much as Neptune can build. The distinction is the energy behind their respective processes. While Saturn will give us the motivation and drive to build methodically and diligently, it can also turn us apathetic and depressed when the structures and systems that surround us feel purposeless and lacking in meaning, or have run their expiration date. In these cases, Saturn will act as the wrecking ball that brings it all down so that we may rebuild.
On the other hand, the way that Neptune ‘destroys’ tends to be more subtle. Neptune acts as a veil, so that it suddenly clouds our vision of what is right in front of us; it can blur the limits of reality; it can make us believe we are closer or farther than we actually are, like an optical illusion. It can create haze, fogginess, and confusion about our direction and our current location, so we may either underestimate or overestimate ourselves and our circumstances. Neptune can bring despair and self-pity as well as overconfidence and arrogance. These states then become the executioners of our dreams. As dreadful as it sounds, its purpose is recalibration and surrender.
The word ‘dissolve’ is key in understanding how Neptune works to ‘destroy’ what is rigid and unfaltering. If you can visualise something dissolving in water, you can see the particles slowly separating and blending in with their surroundings. This is an accurate picture of what Neptune does. The dissolving is how we realise that we are not separate from that which we consider other than us or outside of us; that we are an intrinsic part of everything there is. If we can understand this, Neptune gifts us the ability to transcend the needs and illusions of the ego and ground our dreams and vision in truth, beauty, compassion, and service. Otherwise, we will be left floating adrift, feeling powerless and defeated. With Neptune, there is a strong need to understand that ultimately, we are not in control and we must surrender to a greater power. All planets do this in one way or another, but I believe no other with the potency of Neptune.
With Saturn and Neptune, we must blend the energies of structure, hard work, discipline, and solid boundaries with those of dreams, fantasy, illusions, surrender, and transcendence. As I already mentioned, these can manifest in infinite ways, but the most straightforward signification often used by astrologers is that we will be doing the hard work required to bring our dreams into reality. On the other hand, long-held dreams can come crumbling down if they are not grounded in reality or contained within necessary structures. Because this is happening at 0° Aries, if something is beginning, it’s unlike anything we have done before, and if something is ending, it’s so that something entirely new can emerge.
Beginnings are exciting and refreshing, but they can also be overwhelming and confusing when we still haven’t figured out all the next steps. But with Saturn-Neptune, we will be navigating a sort of haze, finding our way one step at a time as long as we don’t give up and keep a grounded faith in our vision paired with practical action. If there was ever a planetary combination that exemplified the need to take inspired action and ground energetics in practical strategy, it’s this one. Because of where this is happening, whatever we are starting and how we will move towards it will be bold and pioneering. Let’s allow ourselves to be guided and trust the process, and not succumb to the fears, doubts, or confusion.
Below are some brief horoscopes for each rising sign:
Aries: A new version of you is emerging, even bolder and braver than you’ve ever been, and that’s saying a lot for you, Aries. Your dreams and creative vision are fusing with your purpose and your role in society. Make sure to untangle any hidden fears and limiting beliefs that might get in the way of your most grandiose vision for your place in the world.
Taurus: The hidden threads of your life are being powerfully activated. This is a new beginning in your inner private life, in the deep realms of your subconscious. Your beliefs, worldview, your role in the world and reputation are being restructured. Your long-term dreams and visions are undergoing a massive transformation to be brought into form.
Gemini: You are initiating friendships and joining communities that are aligned with your values, your beliefs, your drive and your ambition, all topics that are evolving for you. Matters related to joint finances, investments, inheritances or other forms of ‘big money’ are transforming along with your beliefs and worldview. Roles and career paths must align with your new beliefs and psychological depth if they are going to last.
Cancer: This is a new chapter in your career, social roles, and reputation. Self-imposed glass ceilings are being shattered through the transformation of limiting beliefs. Relationships and associations not grounded in a shared vision for the future will dissolve.
Leo: Your horizons are being expanded like never before. A new worldview is shaping how you move in the world, how you work and look after yourself, as well as who you choose to relate with going forward. Deep psychological processes are being reshaped. Fears or illusions surrounding intimacy and power dynamics must be faced so they don’t keep sabotaging your relationships or your day-to-day life.
Virgo: Powerful bonds and alliances, access to bigger resources, to occult knowledge or to the inner workings of your psychology will be reshaping how you work and play. It’s time to release control in relationships or get a reality check.
Libra: A new era in how you relate is here. You are ready for relationships that feel both like home and your playground. You are ready for the relationship out of your wildest dreams, where all parts of you can be held. Unhealthy habits and patterns of behaviour need to be released for this to work.
Scorpio: Your day-to-day life is getting a blank slate. This is a new beginning in your routines, daily work, habits and how you look after yourself. Ways of thinking and home or family dynamics are dissolving and being reshaped to align with your new way of life. Fears and illusions around creativity or children need to fall away.
Sagittarius: Your creative endeavours are being revived at maximum potency. You are dissolving ways of thinking and resourcing yourself that got in the way of your creative capacity. Putting up boundaries with family members, doing the work to heal ancestral wounds and building your emotional foundation will ensure your progress.
Capricorn: You are birthing a new vision for your home and family life, or for how you emotionally embody yourself. The dissolution of old ways of being and resourcing yourself is paving the way for a more embodied and grounded expression of your emotional world. Ways of thinking are being reshaped, giving way to new ways of being with your family and at home with yourself.
Aquarius: Your thinking and communicating are being initiated. Limiting beliefs, unconscious drives and outdated ways of being and showing up in the world are being dissolved. Any illusions, fears, doubts around worthiness and resourcing capacity must be released and reshaped.
Pisces: How you resource yourself is shifting gears. Your unconscious, your blindspots, and hidden desires are coming to the surface to be worked on. Ways of being based on illusions or a false self-concept are dissolving and being reshaped. So are the groups, communities and friends that are not aligned with your new ways of being.
If you want support in navigating this transit, or clarity around what it means for you specifically, I’m available for 1:1 consultations where we can look at it together, and I can answer your questions. I also offer shorter readings where I answer a specific question in a recorded format. These are perfect to analyse how a specific transit, such as this one, will impact you personally. As part of my business launch, I’m offering a 50% discount on all readings, so check them out here and book yours before the launch special is gone!