On March 30, we kicked off a new era as the planet Neptune moved into the sign of Aries for the first time in 165 years.
The three outer planets — Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto — move very slowly, and their transits through a sign tend to define and leave an impact on an era and a generation.
The shift from Pisces to Aries is a big deal: it’s a shift from the final sign of the zodiac to the first sign, the completion of one cycle and start of a new one.
Elementally, it’s a shift from water to fire, from yin (introspective) to yang (outward focused), from the collective conscious to “me first” centrism, and from oneness to individuation.
Neptune takes about 14 years to transit through each sign. Its impact is slow to unfold, and won’t be fully evident until we are a number of years in. But a look to the past, and an understanding of the significations of Neptune and Aries, can give us a sense of what to expect.
What Neptune in Aries Will Mean for the Collective
Before we look at “what it means,” let’s review some core significations of Neptune (the planet) and Aries (a sign).
Neptune’s Core Significations
In astrology, every planet is an archetype that exists within us.
Neptune — named for the god of the ocean — is the mystic and the idealist. Neptune is associated with the impulse to transcend the limitations of the human experience and connect with something greater and higher than ourselves.
It represents a space where boundaries don’t exist. It is associated with the immaterial and intangible realms beyond concrete physical reality.
This is the planet of fantasy, illusion, dissolution, dreams, intuition, spirituality, confusion, delusion, deceit, escapism, addiction, and intoxication, as well as compassion and empathy.
It’s also associated with things like music, dance, art, and drama — ways in which we express the intangible, as well as anything water related, including fog and mists.
Neptune is often said to bring fogginess and haze — states in which it’s easy to be confused.
Significations of Aries
Aries is a cardinal fire sign. It is the first sign of spring, and the first sign of the zodiac. This is a significant point of initiation. Aries starts things — even if it doesn’t finish them.
Aries is a sign of the self. It is about “me first.” about action, initiation, independence, individuation. It is passionate, impulsive, rash, and impatient; assertive, combative, and competitive. This is the sign of war and fighting — home of Mars, the Warrior.
That said, Aries is also trailblazing. It’s a pioneer, an entrepreneur, and an innovator. It can also have a selfless quality, in which is is fighting for something bigger than itself — as long as the fight is for something aligned with its interests.
Aries also represents fertility, new beginnings, courage, strength, and the will to get things done.
What Neptune in Aries Means for the Collective
As Neptune enters Aries, it brings its idealism, fantasy, and inclusiveness to the realm of individuation, conflict, and competition.
Neptune in Aries in History
Neptune in Aries is associated with both war and innovation.
At its best, it is the Spiritual Warrior, fighting for an ideal that is will benefit the collective. How this turns out depends on which ideals are at stake.
The last time Neptune was in Aries was from April 1861-June 1874, a time that correlated to the American Civil War, the abolition of slavery in the United States, the founding of the International Red Cross and the Ku Klux Klan. It also brought the first luxury ocean liner.
What Might Neptune in Aries Mean for the Collective
Some themes to look for with Neptune in Aries:
- rebellions, uprisings, crusades, breakup of empires and nations, civil wars
- bold ideas and transformative change
- end of inclusiveness and compassion
- more enforcement of boundaries
- increase in dreams and aspirations to personal power
- changes to long-held norms;
- conflicts and rush to war based on disinformation that will only be seen as such in hindsight
- increase in virtual reality and confusion over what’s real vs what’s not real
We’ve already started to see some of this tone shift emerging, with a backlash to DEI policies, a rise in tariffs that stifle global trade, a decrease in global humanitarian initiatives, and greater restrictions on migration.
As AI improves and images, videos, and voice recordings become easier to fake, we are also seeing more confusion about what is real.
We’ll look at what Neptune in Aries might mean for you personally in the next post.
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