Neptune transits Sidereal Pisces from 2023 until 2037, with Saturn joining it from 2025 until 2028. Saturn's and Neptune's last conjunction took place in 1989, in Sidereal Sagittarius, and Pūrvāṣāḍhā, a lunar mansion ruled by the water goddess, Āpas. Their conjunction in 2025 and 2026 takes place in Uttara Bhādrapada, a lunar mansion ruled by Ahirbudhyana, the serpent of the deep.
In 2015, I was in Crete as Saturn transited in a 'closing square' to Neptune. As I swam in the Mediterranean Sea, a wave of waste washed over me, a mass of cigarette butts and plastic wrappers. In an instant, my immersive state was replaced by a problem of oceanic proportions.
As I write (2023), I am once again enjoying the Mediterranean, but this time I'm very aware of the extent of the problem. As waste piles up on the beach I do my best to negotiate it barefoot. I'm no longer in denial, at least. The reality of the situation is impossible to ignore.
I share this because it highlights a major theme of Saturn-Neptune in Pisces; that is, the dissolution of systems that are unsustainable. And the need to be aware of what is, despite what we may wish for.
While Neptune is dreamy and idealistic, Saturn is a slap across the face with a dead fish!
We're likely to see a major push for a new way of tacking problems of waste in our oceans in the coming years. We're also likely to see some restrictions with water use, and new systems to tackle problems, including new structures that attempt to preserve water or clean it up.
As I write, the High Seas Treaty has just been signed at the UN. There is much to be hopeful about, but much to be wary of, too.
Japan is set to release 1.25 million tons of treated wastewater contaminated by the wrecked Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean in 2023. This is certainly one of the less-than-ideal indications, the very real consequences of which we are likely to see by the time Saturn enters Sidereal Pisces in 2025.
Yet waste in our oceans is but an outer expression of a deeper problem within humanity; a spiritual malaise that can no longer be ignored.
In 2015, I was in Crete as Saturn transited in a 'closing square' to Neptune. As I swam in the Mediterranean Sea, a wave of waste washed over me, a mass of cigarette butts and plastic wrappers. In an instant, my immersive state was replaced by a problem of oceanic proportions.
As I write (2023), I am once again enjoying the Mediterranean, but this time I'm very aware of the extent of the problem. As waste piles up on the beach I do my best to negotiate it barefoot. I'm no longer in denial, at least. The reality of the situation is impossible to ignore.
I share this because it highlights a major theme of Saturn-Neptune in Pisces; that is, the dissolution of systems that are unsustainable. And the need to be aware of what is, despite what we may wish for.
While Neptune is dreamy and idealistic, Saturn is a slap across the face with a dead fish!
We're likely to see a major push for a new way of tacking problems of waste in our oceans in the coming years. We're also likely to see some restrictions with water use, and new systems to tackle problems, including new structures that attempt to preserve water or clean it up.
As I write, the High Seas Treaty has just been signed at the UN. There is much to be hopeful about, but much to be wary of, too.
Japan is set to release 1.25 million tons of treated wastewater contaminated by the wrecked Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean in 2023. This is certainly one of the less-than-ideal indications, the very real consequences of which we are likely to see by the time Saturn enters Sidereal Pisces in 2025.
Yet waste in our oceans is but an outer expression of a deeper problem within humanity; a spiritual malaise that can no longer be ignored.
Message in a Bottle
According to Wikipedia, "Messages in bottles have been used to send distress messages, ... as memorial tributes, to send deceased loved ones' ashes ..., to carry letters or reports from those believing themselves to be doomed. Invitations to prospective pen pals and letters to actual or imagined love interests have also been sent as messages in bottles."
Putting messages in a bottle reflects the hopes and dreams of Pisces. But Pisces is as much about endings, saying goodbye to someone or something. Messages in a bottle are as much about letting go of dreams that were not meant to be.
If you were to send a message in a bottle, what message would you send? I'm speaking metaphorically, of course. Perhaps littering the ocean is not a good idea!
One of the downsides of Saturn and Neptune in Pisces may be a lack of focus, so that you don't focus on one dream at a time. Or the opposite: focusing so intently, ignoring anything that doesn't fit your beliefs.
What you believe is possible is the other side of the coin of what is happening. What is happening and what you believe to be happening co-exist.
You can either squander an opportunity of making your dreams a reality, tripping out on a fantasy, or spend the time (Saturn) dreaming up (Neptune) a better one. As you do so, you should not ignore your responsibilities.
Are you going to continue 'doomscrolling' and squander your attention span, or are you going to focus all your intention on the life you want to live? What kinds of messages are you sending out into the cosmos? Are they making the most of your potential?
Saturn conjunct Neptune could certainly show a disconnection from reality, in favour of another, more virtual, one.
Focus will be our greatest allay, and challenge, in the years to come, I imagine.
Borders and boundaries may become more diffuse. We can take advantage of the initial lack of structure to give our lives a better outline and fill in the blanks later. We could use the time to let go of the certainty of the past and venture into a new reality, to focus on the parts we wish to accentuate.
'Garbage in. Garbage out'.
Saturn shows what we have put in thus far. Although we mustn't ignore what is happening, we can focus on how we can make it better.
Historic Conjunctions
Many world leaders have a Saturn-Neptune conjunction in their birthchart, including Russian leader, Putin, and China's leader, Jinping. They were born when Saturn and Neptune conjoined in Sidereal Virgo. This reflects more of their need for order. Saturn and Neptune's conjunction in the opposite sign Pisces may mean their current order dissolves, leading to their downfall.
The conjunction in Pisces may show a loss of order, but it is also an opportunity for something more hopeful, although we cannot ignore those taking advantage of the chaos that can ensue.
The last time Saturn and Neptune conjoined was in 1989. This was when the Berlin Wall came down, a time that saw many revolutions takes place as they conjoined in one of the more idealistic signs (Sidereal Sagittarius). Uranus was co-present at the time, so this added the need for more radical change.
The time before that, in 1952, Saturn and Neptune conjoined at the very last degree of Sidereal Virgo, when so many world leaders of our current era were born, including Putin and Jinping. The current world order was born at that time, you might say.
The 1952 conjunction saw a Polio epidemic and 'The Great Smog' in London that warned the world of the dangers of the use of coal. This highlights another issue with their conjunction in Pisces, that of chemicals and pollutants in our air and oceans. Pisces reflects the issues in the air as in the oceans, as sky and ocean mirror each other.
The time before that, in 1917, Saturn and Neptune conjoined in Sidereal Cancer, which saw the Russian Revolution and America's entry into WW1.
Before that, in 1882, they conjoined in Sidereal Aries, Saturn's sign of debilitation, when the Anglo-Egyptian War, amongst others, took place.
One thing is clear (pardon the pun) when Saturn and Neptune get together, there is a diffusion and confusion that is possible through wars and other 'natural' disasters that force changes to the status quo.
1882 was when Friedrich Nietzsche published his Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (The Gay Science) and proclaimed, "God is Dead". What he apparently meant was that "the belief in the Christian God has become unbelievable", everything that was "built upon this faith, propped up by it, grown into it", including "the whole [...] European morality", is bound to "collapse". (Anderson, R. Lanier, 2017).
As always, when dealing with Piscean themes, you have to look at both sides.
We're already seeing a more religious zealousness increase, if social media posts are anything to go by. It will be interesting to see how both sides, the religious and irreligious, battle it out or learn to co-exist. Likewise, we are likely to see the seemingly impossible pairing of science and religion in a new context. This may be brought about through some 'unreal' experience or phenomenon that challenges the current scientific and religious models.
A 2023 book, Magisteria, The Entangled Histories of Science and Religion by Nicholas Spencer, asks us to look at how science and religion co-exist, as opposed to "non-overlapping magisteria", which theorizes that science and religion cannot.
Pisces represents a 'higher truth', or 'inner truth', an intuition, which contains all seeming untruths from a lower perspective.
Rahu conjunct Neptune & Saturn
Before Saturn and Neptune get together, they meet with an even shadier character: Rahu. This makes all the oceanic and philosophical issues even murkier.
Before they meet by exact degree in the summer of 2025, Rahu meets with Neptune in February and Saturn in April of that year.
The theme of sacrifice for the greater good is a major one for their conjunction in Pisces, yet this means those who are willing to sacrifice their lives to take another's life is indicated. Assassinations have been the result of this conjunction previously.
The mean nodes transit through Pisces-Virgo from Oct 30, 2023 to May 18, 2025, with the true node moving in from Nov 29, 2023 until May 29, 2025.
Saturn's and Rahu's conjunction brings up all kinds of fears and anxieties. In Indian astrology, this is known as preta bādhaka , preta meaning 'deceased', 'defunct', and 'dead', and bādhaka meaning 'opposing', 'hindering', and 'troublemaker'. In certain birth charts, this is even said to show 'evil spirits'.
Rahu in Pisces can bring up all kinds of evils, as both Rahu and Saturn oppose the nature of its ruler, Jupiter. Jupiter's strength can carry the day, of course, and show a respect for life and truth. It all depends on the individual. Yet globally, we're likely to see a lot of disrespect for life, a lot of killing, a lot of propaganda, and many endings in general.
The last time Saturn was in Sidereal Pisces, from 1995 to 1997, it was joined by the opposite Ketu, exact Jan 1997. This challenged Saturn in other ways, as Ketu's impulse is fiery and destructive, removing the safety net of Saturn. Yet Ketu and Saturn do have something in common; that is, they both remove something. That can be a good thing, of course. In January 1997, as Saturn and Ketu conjoined in Pisces, China announced it would spend $27.7 billion on the fight against erosion and pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow river valleys.
Another expression of Saturn and Ketu's conjunction in August 1996 was when Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States, stating: “A declaration of war against the Americans occupying the land of the two holy places.” This reflects the two sides of Pisces, the "two holy places."
Previously, Saturn's transit in Sidereal Pisces, from the end of 1966 until the beginning of 1969, saw it meet with Rahu at the time, exact in April 1968 - just like they will in 2025.
1968 was one of the most transformative years in history, which still reverberates today. According to National Archive News, "1968 was a turning point in U.S. history, a year of triumphs and tragedies, social and political upheavals, that forever changed our country." According to History.com, "The year 1968 remains one of the most tumultuous single years in history, marked by historic achievements, shocking assassinations [Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy], a much-hated war [Vietnam] and a spirit of rebellion that swept through countries all over the world."
All of this occurred while Saturn and Rahu met in Sidereal Pisces and Saturn moved into Sidereal Aries in the summer of 1968. Rahu represents rebels, assassins, and outcasts. Its conjunction with Saturn, which represents the status quo, rules, and need for order, shows the oftentimes shocking events that change the rules of the game forever.
We're likely to see such change occur as they meet again in 2025, a year that I wrote about in my Revolution 2.025 article.
Saturn represents our very real fears, including the more obvious things we fear such as getting old and dying. Rahu represents anxieties which may or may not have a basis in reality. Though the feeling of anxiety is very real for the person experiencing it, these feelings are more internal and not always based on the facts presented. Rahu fears can show all kinds of obsessions, intense phobias, and even psychoses.
In their book, Coming Alive psychiatrists Barry Michels and Phil Stutz describe the shadow as “Part X”, and how it creates “a problem you don’t have to have and … a solution that makes the problem worse”. (Michels & Stutz 2017)
In Pisces, Rahu twists the truth to suit its needs, blurring the lines of reality. This is further accentuated because of its conjunction with Neptune, exact Feb 2025.
When things we relied upon fall apart, we're likely to be left feeling like we're drowning and will grab onto anyone or anything, any kind of 'truth', to offer some form of safety. We may fool ourselves or are fooled by someone who seems to speak truth, when in fact they are deceiving us or themselves.
Rahu cuts corners. Its conjunction with Neptune allows for more shady deals, which eventually become apparent once Rahu has met with Saturn. All this occurs within the first half of 2025.
As borders are continually tested throughout, either physical borders or personal boundaries, there are likely many breakthroughs, but also many short cuts that do not take the long term consequences into account.
Many world leaders have a Saturn-Neptune conjunction in their birthchart, including Russian leader, Putin, and China's leader, Jinping. They were born when Saturn and Neptune conjoined in Sidereal Virgo. This reflects more of their need for order. Saturn and Neptune's conjunction in the opposite sign Pisces may mean their current order dissolves, leading to their downfall.
The conjunction in Pisces may show a loss of order, but it is also an opportunity for something more hopeful, although we cannot ignore those taking advantage of the chaos that can ensue.
The last time Saturn and Neptune conjoined was in 1989. This was when the Berlin Wall came down, a time that saw many revolutions takes place as they conjoined in one of the more idealistic signs (Sidereal Sagittarius). Uranus was co-present at the time, so this added the need for more radical change.
The time before that, in 1952, Saturn and Neptune conjoined at the very last degree of Sidereal Virgo, when so many world leaders of our current era were born, including Putin and Jinping. The current world order was born at that time, you might say.
The 1952 conjunction saw a Polio epidemic and 'The Great Smog' in London that warned the world of the dangers of the use of coal. This highlights another issue with their conjunction in Pisces, that of chemicals and pollutants in our air and oceans. Pisces reflects the issues in the air as in the oceans, as sky and ocean mirror each other.
The time before that, in 1917, Saturn and Neptune conjoined in Sidereal Cancer, which saw the Russian Revolution and America's entry into WW1.
Before that, in 1882, they conjoined in Sidereal Aries, Saturn's sign of debilitation, when the Anglo-Egyptian War, amongst others, took place.
One thing is clear (pardon the pun) when Saturn and Neptune get together, there is a diffusion and confusion that is possible through wars and other 'natural' disasters that force changes to the status quo.
1882 was when Friedrich Nietzsche published his Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (The Gay Science) and proclaimed, "God is Dead". What he apparently meant was that "the belief in the Christian God has become unbelievable", everything that was "built upon this faith, propped up by it, grown into it", including "the whole [...] European morality", is bound to "collapse". (Anderson, R. Lanier, 2017).
As always, when dealing with Piscean themes, you have to look at both sides.
We're already seeing a more religious zealousness increase, if social media posts are anything to go by. It will be interesting to see how both sides, the religious and irreligious, battle it out or learn to co-exist. Likewise, we are likely to see the seemingly impossible pairing of science and religion in a new context. This may be brought about through some 'unreal' experience or phenomenon that challenges the current scientific and religious models.
A 2023 book, Magisteria, The Entangled Histories of Science and Religion by Nicholas Spencer, asks us to look at how science and religion co-exist, as opposed to "non-overlapping magisteria", which theorizes that science and religion cannot.
Pisces represents a 'higher truth', or 'inner truth', an intuition, which contains all seeming untruths from a lower perspective.
Rahu conjunct Neptune & Saturn
Before Saturn and Neptune get together, they meet with an even shadier character: Rahu. This makes all the oceanic and philosophical issues even murkier.
Before they meet by exact degree in the summer of 2025, Rahu meets with Neptune in February and Saturn in April of that year.
The theme of sacrifice for the greater good is a major one for their conjunction in Pisces, yet this means those who are willing to sacrifice their lives to take another's life is indicated. Assassinations have been the result of this conjunction previously.
The mean nodes transit through Pisces-Virgo from Oct 30, 2023 to May 18, 2025, with the true node moving in from Nov 29, 2023 until May 29, 2025.
Saturn's and Rahu's conjunction brings up all kinds of fears and anxieties. In Indian astrology, this is known as preta bādhaka , preta meaning 'deceased', 'defunct', and 'dead', and bādhaka meaning 'opposing', 'hindering', and 'troublemaker'. In certain birth charts, this is even said to show 'evil spirits'.
Rahu in Pisces can bring up all kinds of evils, as both Rahu and Saturn oppose the nature of its ruler, Jupiter. Jupiter's strength can carry the day, of course, and show a respect for life and truth. It all depends on the individual. Yet globally, we're likely to see a lot of disrespect for life, a lot of killing, a lot of propaganda, and many endings in general.
The last time Saturn was in Sidereal Pisces, from 1995 to 1997, it was joined by the opposite Ketu, exact Jan 1997. This challenged Saturn in other ways, as Ketu's impulse is fiery and destructive, removing the safety net of Saturn. Yet Ketu and Saturn do have something in common; that is, they both remove something. That can be a good thing, of course. In January 1997, as Saturn and Ketu conjoined in Pisces, China announced it would spend $27.7 billion on the fight against erosion and pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow river valleys.
Another expression of Saturn and Ketu's conjunction in August 1996 was when Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States, stating: “A declaration of war against the Americans occupying the land of the two holy places.” This reflects the two sides of Pisces, the "two holy places."
Previously, Saturn's transit in Sidereal Pisces, from the end of 1966 until the beginning of 1969, saw it meet with Rahu at the time, exact in April 1968 - just like they will in 2025.
1968 was one of the most transformative years in history, which still reverberates today. According to National Archive News, "1968 was a turning point in U.S. history, a year of triumphs and tragedies, social and political upheavals, that forever changed our country." According to History.com, "The year 1968 remains one of the most tumultuous single years in history, marked by historic achievements, shocking assassinations [Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy], a much-hated war [Vietnam] and a spirit of rebellion that swept through countries all over the world."
All of this occurred while Saturn and Rahu met in Sidereal Pisces and Saturn moved into Sidereal Aries in the summer of 1968. Rahu represents rebels, assassins, and outcasts. Its conjunction with Saturn, which represents the status quo, rules, and need for order, shows the oftentimes shocking events that change the rules of the game forever.
We're likely to see such change occur as they meet again in 2025, a year that I wrote about in my Revolution 2.025 article.
Saturn represents our very real fears, including the more obvious things we fear such as getting old and dying. Rahu represents anxieties which may or may not have a basis in reality. Though the feeling of anxiety is very real for the person experiencing it, these feelings are more internal and not always based on the facts presented. Rahu fears can show all kinds of obsessions, intense phobias, and even psychoses.
In their book, Coming Alive psychiatrists Barry Michels and Phil Stutz describe the shadow as “Part X”, and how it creates “a problem you don’t have to have and … a solution that makes the problem worse”. (Michels & Stutz 2017)
In Pisces, Rahu twists the truth to suit its needs, blurring the lines of reality. This is further accentuated because of its conjunction with Neptune, exact Feb 2025.
When things we relied upon fall apart, we're likely to be left feeling like we're drowning and will grab onto anyone or anything, any kind of 'truth', to offer some form of safety. We may fool ourselves or are fooled by someone who seems to speak truth, when in fact they are deceiving us or themselves.
Rahu cuts corners. Its conjunction with Neptune allows for more shady deals, which eventually become apparent once Rahu has met with Saturn. All this occurs within the first half of 2025.
As borders are continually tested throughout, either physical borders or personal boundaries, there are likely many breakthroughs, but also many short cuts that do not take the long term consequences into account.
God in the Horoscope
The remedy for both Rahu and Saturn is Jupiter, i.e., the remedy for fear and falsehood is the comfort of what is true. Jupiter allows us to see through all the fog of confusion.
Jupiter is 'God in the horoscope'. Neptune may have taken some of Jupiter's traditional rulership away in modern times but Jupiter's position as ruler hasn't disappeared. It silently spins in the space around us, both shielding us from incoming asteroids and throwing some our way! Jupiter, just like Santa Claus, reminds us to be good!
Jupiter is immense. It is so big that if an alien were to visit our solar system from afar, they would, up to a point, only see our Sun and Jupiter. Jupiter's mass is so big that it is two and a half times bigger than all the other planets in our solar system combined.
Jupiter represents the glue that binds everything together. Any challenges to Jupiter and thing fall apart. Brexit is a case in point, as Jupiter's conjunction with Rahu in Sidereal Leo in 2016 led to the split.
Whatever you choose to name God according to your own philosophy and set of beliefs, i.e., your religion, it doesn't change the fact that no matter what happens in your individual life, there is something greater that dwarfs everything else. There is a bigger purpose and meaning behind everything, even if you personally think it's all meaningless.
Your faith may be tested with these conjunctions in Pisces but the opposite is always true with this dual sign, i.e., you may also strengthen your faith through any trials. Or you may no longer believe something you once believed, as new evidence is revealed. The Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Pisces is likely to show some big changes to what we believe is possible in the coming years, individually and collectively.
As has been the case throughout history, we may be challenged to see God, to see the rhyme and reason behind more extreme events, especially when things seem chaotic and unfathomable. Though we may question our faith; though we may grieve some part of us that is no longer - the sadness of Saturn felt as a collective sadness due to some events - we can hold onto the belief that there is an underlying order silently looking on.
Glass Half Empty, Glass Half Full
There's an inherent problem when we pose the question, "Is the glass half empty or half full?" This is the problem with every philosophical question framed as this or that. Pisces asks us to look at the whole picture, and realise that it's both; all of it, all at the same time.
Actually, Pisces would suggest we go further and contemplate the existence of anything, our observation of the thing making it so, the 'quantum field'.
Any kind of philosophical debate framed as a this or that, such as nature versus nurture or fate versus free will, would probably be better reframed by replacing 'versus' with 'and'.
It is both our nature and what we nurture that shows the truer picture. It is both fate and free will, you and me, this and that, all of it and nothing - all at the same time.
The glass of water is appropriate for Saturn and Neptune's conjunction in Pisces, of course. The glass is both half full and half empty. But with Neptune conjunct Saturn, it probably has something else in it. There are probably some microplastics, some toxins and such, lurking in a seemingly innocent glass of water. It might not be a glass of water at all; it may be a glass of vodka!
We're likely to sense this and that as true simultaneously as Saturn and Neptune conjoin in Pisces in the coming years. And we're likely to get into many needless debates about everything in between.
Jupiter reflects our ability to hold space for it all, even if Neptune shows a lot of idealism as Saturn asks us to 'get real'.
Idealism and Realism
Philosophically speaking, idealism theorizes that our reality is shaped by our thoughts and ideas. Realism says reality is independent from our thoughts and ideas.
Saturn and Neptune in Pisces poses a problem for the philosopher who attempts to prize apart both approaches. This is the dual nature of the mind, and one reason Mercury has a hard time in Pisces. Pisces confuses the mind that attempts to classify something as this or that.
Instead of viewing idealism and realism as separate philosophies, only one of which being true, it's probably truer to view them both as truths, one of which must be transcended to achieve the other.
We may view an objective reality, say, a stone, but we can also have our subjective view of it, so that it is more than a stone. A stone can be a centerpiece for a home, for example, full of meaning and purpose. For someone else, it's simply a stone. Now, take that stone and throw it in the ocean and watch the ripple effect. Whatever we think of the stone, how we look at it, and how we use it, makes all the difference.
From an Astro-philosophical perspective, Neptune in Pisces may show idealism, but a Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Pisces brings a need for more realism, too. We must combine both if we are to make something happen.
Realism states we don't make anything happen in a mechanistic universe, while idealism states that it's our ideas and thoughts that create our reality. We must acknowledge reality if we wish to transcend it, to make reality work for us.
'Idealists' may see the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Pisces in a more hopeful way, while 'realists' may be more pragmatic or pessimistic. You may find yourself swinging from one to the other or hold both perspectives simultaneously.
Are you more of an idealist or a realist? Does this change throughout the course of the year? Has this changed throughout the course of your life? Can you see yourself as both? Perhaps you can see yourself as more idealistic at times, or certain areas of your life (Sagittarius and Pisces), and at other times as more of a realist (Capricorn and Aquarius).
Whatever seems to happen with Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, your experience, and how you frame your experience, counts. While there are objective events happening, you have your unique perspective. This shapes what happens to you as much as what happens shapes your thoughts about it.
If you're more idealistic, you may have some lofty ideas but may not be able to see how to achieve them. If you're more realistic, you may be more pragmatic but may not aim as high, so you're not disappointed.
Whether climate change or pollution, or whatever personal ideal you hold, Saturn will not allow you to ignore the problems - despite Neptune's rose-tinted (or virtual) glasses.
Saturn offers no such filters. And that's okay. In seeing something as it is, you can use it as a springboard to make your dreams come true.
There's an inherent problem when we pose the question, "Is the glass half empty or half full?" This is the problem with every philosophical question framed as this or that. Pisces asks us to look at the whole picture, and realise that it's both; all of it, all at the same time.
Actually, Pisces would suggest we go further and contemplate the existence of anything, our observation of the thing making it so, the 'quantum field'.
Any kind of philosophical debate framed as a this or that, such as nature versus nurture or fate versus free will, would probably be better reframed by replacing 'versus' with 'and'.
It is both our nature and what we nurture that shows the truer picture. It is both fate and free will, you and me, this and that, all of it and nothing - all at the same time.
The glass of water is appropriate for Saturn and Neptune's conjunction in Pisces, of course. The glass is both half full and half empty. But with Neptune conjunct Saturn, it probably has something else in it. There are probably some microplastics, some toxins and such, lurking in a seemingly innocent glass of water. It might not be a glass of water at all; it may be a glass of vodka!
We're likely to sense this and that as true simultaneously as Saturn and Neptune conjoin in Pisces in the coming years. And we're likely to get into many needless debates about everything in between.
Jupiter reflects our ability to hold space for it all, even if Neptune shows a lot of idealism as Saturn asks us to 'get real'.
Idealism and Realism
Philosophically speaking, idealism theorizes that our reality is shaped by our thoughts and ideas. Realism says reality is independent from our thoughts and ideas.
Saturn and Neptune in Pisces poses a problem for the philosopher who attempts to prize apart both approaches. This is the dual nature of the mind, and one reason Mercury has a hard time in Pisces. Pisces confuses the mind that attempts to classify something as this or that.
Instead of viewing idealism and realism as separate philosophies, only one of which being true, it's probably truer to view them both as truths, one of which must be transcended to achieve the other.
We may view an objective reality, say, a stone, but we can also have our subjective view of it, so that it is more than a stone. A stone can be a centerpiece for a home, for example, full of meaning and purpose. For someone else, it's simply a stone. Now, take that stone and throw it in the ocean and watch the ripple effect. Whatever we think of the stone, how we look at it, and how we use it, makes all the difference.
From an Astro-philosophical perspective, Neptune in Pisces may show idealism, but a Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Pisces brings a need for more realism, too. We must combine both if we are to make something happen.
Realism states we don't make anything happen in a mechanistic universe, while idealism states that it's our ideas and thoughts that create our reality. We must acknowledge reality if we wish to transcend it, to make reality work for us.
'Idealists' may see the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Pisces in a more hopeful way, while 'realists' may be more pragmatic or pessimistic. You may find yourself swinging from one to the other or hold both perspectives simultaneously.
Are you more of an idealist or a realist? Does this change throughout the course of the year? Has this changed throughout the course of your life? Can you see yourself as both? Perhaps you can see yourself as more idealistic at times, or certain areas of your life (Sagittarius and Pisces), and at other times as more of a realist (Capricorn and Aquarius).
Whatever seems to happen with Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, your experience, and how you frame your experience, counts. While there are objective events happening, you have your unique perspective. This shapes what happens to you as much as what happens shapes your thoughts about it.
If you're more idealistic, you may have some lofty ideas but may not be able to see how to achieve them. If you're more realistic, you may be more pragmatic but may not aim as high, so you're not disappointed.
Whether climate change or pollution, or whatever personal ideal you hold, Saturn will not allow you to ignore the problems - despite Neptune's rose-tinted (or virtual) glasses.
Saturn offers no such filters. And that's okay. In seeing something as it is, you can use it as a springboard to make your dreams come true.
Your Messages
I invited patrons of Timeline Astrology to send their own 'message in a bottle', whether wishes for the future, a tribute to someone or something lost, an invitation to something or someone to enter your life, or any message they felt moved to share.
If you would like to add your private message, email info at timelineastrology dot com. See below for an opportunity to send your name with the NASA mission to Jupiter's moon Europa.
Below are some of the messages patrons have shared.
"My wish is to create a home space where I can welcome visitors, host events, find beauty every day. a home filled with love, joy, and laughter, family and friends."
"As water takes whatever shape it is in, so free may you be about who you become." ( John O' Donohue, Poet)
"I commit to showing up every day and writing/creating, saying no to things u don't want to do to say yes to myself, building my dream buildings here, traveling, learning and meeting new people. I commit to deep work on myself and taking full responsibility."
"May the balancing energies of the Equinox bring peace and joy to each soul and may we bring forth peace to the entire planet."
"Sending a message to request the universe to at last manifest our house sale and a house for us to buy so we can move forward in relative security and so that I can work as an astrologer. And I would love a grandchild, please."
"To enable us all to move forward expressing the positive qualities of Venus in Taurus conjunct the North Node."
"In this bottle, I am sending out to the universe that world peace will be seen in our lifetime . Health discoveries will be discovered so we can accomplish more in a natural way. I trust the right relationship will soon enter my life so we can share family, friends, traveling and relocate to a peaceful area so we can continue to grow spiritually."
"May we find courage to allow for our authentic expression and the freedom to live sovereign & free."
Auṁ Tat Sat
References
Anderson, R. Lanier (March 17, 2017). "Friedrich Nietzsche" – via plato.stanford.edu.
Michels, B. and Stutz, P. (2017). Coming Alive. Random House.
Spencer, N. (2023). Magisteria. Simon and Schuster.
References
Anderson, R. Lanier (March 17, 2017). "Friedrich Nietzsche" – via plato.stanford.edu.
Michels, B. and Stutz, P. (2017). Coming Alive. Random House.
Spencer, N. (2023). Magisteria. Simon and Schuster.