Outer Planets - Neptune
Neptune is an Outer Planet, the second beyond Saturn. It is the eighth planet from the sun, and is currently considered to the the furthest true planet from the sun in our solar system, Pluto being downgraded to a dwarf planet. Neptune is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and is the third-largest by mass. The structure and composition of Neptune is very similar to Uranus. Neptune is one of the 'ice giant' planets. The mass of Neptune is 17 times the size of earth, making it just larger than Uranus.
The year cycle of Neptune is 164 to 165 earth years. Neptune is about 2.8 billion miles from the sun. Neptune is not visible to the naked human eye, and was not discovered by sight, but by mathematical formula. Neptune was first observed by telescope on 23 September, 1846 by Johann Galle. Galileo seems to have seen Neptune through telescope as early as 1612, but mistook the planet for a star. Because of its great distance from the sun, Neptune is a very tiny object and is hard to study from earth with telescopes. By chance, Galileo observed Neptune at its retrograde station, so observed no apparent movement. The discovery of Neptune is an interesting subject in its own right and involved many astronomers and a century or more of observations and mathematical calculation based upon perturbations to the movements of Uranus. The planet was named for the Roman god Neptune (Greek Poseidon). In 2011, Neptune returned to its point of discovery. Neptune has 14 known moons. Titan is the largest of these moons. Neptune has rings, but they are very diaphanous and ephemeral and may be made from ice particles. They are very difficult to observe.
As with Uranus, Neptune was assigned "rulership" of one of the zodiacal signs; Pisces. Jupiter had been the ruler of Pisces in traditional astrology. As with the other Outer Planets, Neptune's energies are too diffuse and non-physical to allow it rulership over one of the signs (more on that here). However, as with the other Outer Planets, Neptune does have stronger affinity to some signs and planets than others.
The energies of Neptune are diffuse and often hard to explain in words. Ruling the collective, Neptune may be best described through archetypal language. The hallmarks of Neptune are that which is amorphous, undefined, beyond words and ineffable. Neptune rules that which can be felt but not spoken, the wordless knowledge of spiritual experiences that can be experienced individually, but not shared. Neptune is watery in nature, formless and indistinct.
The planets that Neptune has the strongest affinity for are Venus and Jupiter, and it is the highest octave of this trinity of planets, expressing the intangible, otherworldly aspect of this particular set of energies. However, Neptune can, and does, blend with and express through all of the Inner Planets. Neptune is neither benefic or malefic, but can manifest in either manner, depending on the particular aspects and other planets involved. With that said though, Neptune is frequently unrecognized and dealt with poorly in our modern world where everyone is expected to be 'on' at all times, in the active, left brain problem-solving state. Neptune is the realm of the mystic and poet, the artist possessed by their muse. It brings transcendental experiences, sometimes spiritual and at other times frightening and hallucinatory. Because our culture has tried to excise the ineffable, these experiences are often seen more as madness than inspiration. In this regard, they are often perceived as negative, an intrusion into our busy, orderly lives by disorder and chaos, and so Neptune is generally perceived in a negative light.
In its positive manifestations, Neptune is inspiration, often sourceless, insight to the underlying connection of all things, artistic insight, dreams and ideals, empathy and the doorway to the collective and deeper universal truths. In its negative manifestation it can be delusion, apathy, depression, addiction, escapism, confusion and illusions. Depending on the particular Inner Planets that Neptune is combined with, its energies can manifest as heaven or hell, and is usually that extreme, either way. Neptune can also inspire extremism. In combination with Jupiter and Mars, it is the Jihad, the Crusade and the Inquisition. In combination with Venus it is artistic and spiritual movements such as the Impressionists, the Transcendentalists, the pre-Raphaelites and the modern New Age movement. Even its best manifestations though can hide a dark underpinning, and its worst can be based upon a foundation of devotion to a vision or perceived truth. Neptune is never just one thing, never black or white, but always shades of misty, vague gray. If Neptune can be combined with the discipline and insight of Saturn, its potential for inspiration is boundless. When unleashed, it can create chaos and uncertainty, laziness and magical thinking, which can undermine even the most sincere intentions.
In reading charts, I do use Neptune, as it is important to determining the potential for manifesting the things mentioned above, and its meaning in the individual chart is determined by its aspects to other planets, sign placement and transits to and from the planet.
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