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Neptune in Pisces: Surrendering to a new vision

Neptune in Pisces

by April Elliott Kent Neptune in PiscesA client of mine who has Neptune in the 10th house is the owner of an optical business, and she recently decided it was time to transition into a more spiritual career direction. At first, I was puzzled at how Neptune in the 10th house managed to lead her into the world of eye charts and frame fittings in the first place. Then it hit me: She’s been in the business of helping people see more clearly – a most literal expression of Neptune! Now she wants to work with that Neptune by assisting others to envision their lives and spiritual paths in a new way.

Today, transiting Neptune moves into Pisces. Neptune’s been in Aquarius for so long – since 1998! – that it’s almost undetectable to me; like air, invisible but omnipresent. I could no longer see it clearly; it was as though my Neptune eyeglass prescription was out of date. So I sat down this morning to review the years when Neptune has previously changed signs, to get a feel for what it’s meant to me personally – and what it may possibly mean for all of us as it moves into a new sign today.

Neptune’s sign tells us about the tools and conditions that will be offered to help you seek clarity – the eyeglasses. Neptune moves very slowly, only changing signs about every 14 years (or half a Saturn cycle). So even a dame of my vintage (pushing 50) has seen Neptune in only a fistful of signs over a lifetime. Neptune moving through the houses of the horoscope symbolize the areas of your life where you will put your eyeglasses to use, fine-tuning the prescription over the years until a new way of seeing your life comes into focus.

Neptune in Sagittarius: Jan. 4, 1970 – Jan. 18, 1984

Neptune entered Sagittarius and my first house in early 1970, just a few months before my father died in a car accident. His death led my family to California – where Neptune is precisely conjunct my relocated Ascendant. Moving from an Indiana farm to a California suburb was as disorienting and dazzling as that moment in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy opens the door and everything turns to technicolor. I was in a place far away (Sagittarius) from the landscape and people that had provided my sense of identity, and I spent the next 14 years coming up with an entirely new vision of who I was and what I could become (first house).

Neptune in Capricorn: Jan. 18, 1984 – Jan. 28, 1998

When Neptune entered Capricorn and my second house (and opposed natal Venus) in early 1984, I was at the nadir of a terrible, destructive relationship. But by September I’d found a new, much better paying job at a water company (Neptune!), and within a few months the relationship was history. My new workplace became my home for seven years, and during that period of my life I learned to embrace a vision of myself as capable, efficient, ambitious, and able to support myself financially. When Neptune in Capricorn trined my Midheaven, I was confident enough in this new vision of myself to surrender my day job set out on the choppy waters of self-employment. When Neptune trined my Mars a couple of years later, I got married and moved, again, to a new city.

Neptune in Aquarius: Jan. 28, 1998 – April 4, 2011

Neptune’s entry into Aquarius and my third house in early 1998 heralded my return to school, and I eventually graduated from college when transiting Neptune opposed my 9th house Sun. I also taught myself website design during this period, launched my own website in 1999, and paid for school by building websites for other people. It feels appropriate that at the beginning of this year, with Neptune winding up its sojourn through Aquarius, I let go of professional web design work – and even surrendered my own website to another designer, for a “new vision.” With Neptune in Aquarius and my third house, I’ve gotten a clearer vision of what I’m capable of learning and understanding. Finishing school (with a degree in communication), developing website skills, and publishing two books has helped me see myself as someone who knows a thing or two and can finish what she starts – not always the way I’ve seen myself!

As Neptune enters Pisces, it’s still in my 3rd house and will be until 2018. The next phase of this third house journey is, I suspect, learning to see with a more compassionate eye. Perhaps I’ll do some writing in another genre. Maybe my astrology work will take a more intuitive turn.  I do know that by the time Neptune enters my 4th house, I’ll have learned to think, see, and communicate more clearly and logically.

Neptune: Deception and illusion… or clarity and purpose?

Neptune has a reputation as the planet of deception and illusion, where we peer through dense fog for the vaguest outline of our path. I think that’s true, but that it’s only half the story. Neptune’s also the planet that gives us the faith that a path does, indeed, exist – and the intuition to find our way even when our usual tools of navigation don’t seem to be working.

Neptune ultimately leads us, I believe, toward clarity and purpose. But this gift requires that we first let go. To learn who I am, I had to let go of my father and of the home I loved, where I didn’t have to fight so hard for an identity. To learn that I’m able to take care of myself and to manage my relationships, work, and everyday life in a responsible way, I had to let go of my vision of myself as impractical, weak, and dependent – and eventually, let go of my day job. And to finish school, get my writing published, and find my place in the crowd, I’ve had to let go of the vision of myself as someone who isn’t a very clear thinker (one of my proudest achievements in school was passing a math placement test!) and who doesn’t finish what she starts.

What’s next? I begin the era of Neptune in Pisces with a vision of myself as someone who hasn’t much faith, is fairly cynical, distrusts intuition, and doesn’t roll easily with life’s changes and challenges. The fog is thick just now, and I can’t see exactly what the universe will throw my way, or ask me to surrender in the years to come; but I fully expect to graduate from the University of Neptune in Pisces much kinder, gentler, and with a sense of belonging to something much bigger than myself.

What has Neptune’s transits brought to your life – and how will you reenvision yourself, your life, and your world in the years to come?

These date ranges also include some periods when Neptune retrogrades briefly into the previous sign.

  • Neptune in Sagittarius: Jan. 4, 1970 – Jan. 18, 1984
  • Neptune in Capricorn: Jan. 18, 1984 – Jan. 28, 1998
  • Neptune in Aquarius: Jan. 28, 1998 – April 4, 2011
  • Neptune in Pisces: April 4, 2011 – March 30, 2025

© 2011 April Elliott Kent

10 comments to " Neptune in Pisces: Surrendering to a new vision "

  • Amy

    In 1970 I was four years old. My parents had separated before I was born but suddenly my dad was suing for full custody. Even today, my reaction is WTF!?!

    The judge ruled in rich dad’s favor, as he’d just married into a wealthy family of lawyers. In contrast, mom didn’t have a college degree and couldn’t guarantee the same financial support, although she was an EXCELLENT mom!!

    Years later, all evidence seems to indicate that Dad’s new in-laws, masters of deception and persuasion (as lawyers are trained to be), seem to have gotten Dad so excited about “having your little girl grow up with US!” that he probably never even realized that the in-laws were all about leveraging the child-support into a vacation property that 3 of the in-law siblings bought into together, along with my dad.

    I’d always felt that the motives behind the custody battle didn’t add up. Even when I was 4 and 5 years old I could tell that words and actions weren’t in alignment. Years later, now that I’ve seen the in-laws involved in similar schemes, the writing on the wall speaks for itself.

    • Amy, what a poignant, powerfully Neptunian story. Neptune’s called the planet of deception, but often (especially for those of us born with Neptune in Scorpio, I think) while under its influence we actually see pretty clearly – as in the case of your 4 year old self. The illusion/deception side of Neptune is often, I believe, a function of choosing to go along with the fiction that others are trying to promote – for any number of reasons. Thanks for sharing your story here.

  • On the night that Neptune entered Aquarius, I wrote in my journal, “I want to let go entirely, but some part of me will feel betrayed.”

    And so it shall, but for the better. 🙂

    ::more hugs::

  • Pamela Mitchell

    This is a fantastic piece on Neptune, one of the clearest articles that I have ever read. It has launched me on a personal search about Neptune. Which in my chart is aspected by 9 planets with 3 degree orbs. As good as Liz Greene. Thanks.

    • Pamela, that is an absolutely gorgeous compliment (though I don’t believe the Liz Greene part for a moment 😉 ). Thank you so much, and I’m thrilled you enjoyed the article. Warm wishes on your own personal Neptune search!

  • Shannon

    Loved this. I have neptune conjunct mercury right now, (in third also) oppose jupiter and am prepping for it to later hit venus, then sun and chiron. I haven’t done the math, but if it means I might come out with a bit more clarity, I’m all for it. Thanks for your thoughtful analysis.

  • LM

    I was actually looking at Neptune in my chart just prior to seeing your post. What you have so beautifully written here is very helpful to me! In 1970 Neptune neared my 4th house cusp at 7 Sag and my family evaporated. I didn’t realize why I had always thought of it in that particular way until now. In 1984 Neptune in Cap was still in my 4th house when I, like you, felt very capable – I married and moved away, and felt content.
    As Neptune now moves into Pisces in the 6th it approaches my Dsc at 11. The fog is very thick for me as well just now, and you expressed so well what I’m seeking: “to graduate from the University of Neptune in Pisces much kinder, gentler, and with a sense of belonging to something much bigger than myself.” Thank you!

  • Lisa

    I recently read a chart of an acquaintance who has natal Neptune in 6th house opposing her Sun. She became independent by training and then working in the field of optometry, fitting eyeglasses for people. At the time I thought what a fabulous connection between real life and the symbolism of the natal chart. Your article confirms that for me (much better than Liz Greene, i must say!) Thank you for you always clear and inspiring articles.

  • Ketty

    “much better than Liz Greene”, I must agree!

  • Sag

    Hi April,

    I too have had neptune transiting my 3rd house, and it is still in my 3rd house for years to come(until 2021) only now in the sign of pisces. Not sure what this will entail for me. It entered my 3rd in jan 2004, I was close to approaching my saturn return at that time. One of my siblings had been living in another state for years and during my SR I moved near her. We’ve lived near eachother ever since and are very close. I’ve always had strong intuition and it’s become more “grounded” during this neptune transit.

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