Neptune

Glyph
The glyph for Neptune is the crescent of receptivity on the cross of matter. The crescent points upward toward the super-conscious and connects the divine flow of inspiration and mystery to material reality through the cross of matter. The glyph also resembles the god Neptune’s trident, which symbolizes the depths of the ocean, the soul, the collective unconscious and psychic connections.

Astronomy
Neptune was discovered in 1846. Physically it is a deep crisp blue colour due to methane ice crystals found in its upper atmosphere. Neptune has a small rocky core with the bulk of the planet being a deep ocean of water. The planet Neptune, true to the god’s mythological nature, experiences huge storm systems and 1500 km/hr winds. Neptune can be seen through a telescope in dark skies amongst faint stars as a tiny blue-grey disk.

Diameter: 49,528 km
Distance from Sun: 4500 million km
Rotation: 16 hours
Orbital period: 164.8 years
Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium

Energy/Archetype

• Neptune’s energy is subtle, imperceptible, foggy, intangible, dissolving and transcendent.
• Neptune dissolves boundaries, creates fogs, mists and miasmas, plus veils or unveils situations.
• Neptune represents the collective unconscious, our urge to merge with others, our spiritual connections, our search for the divine (bliss and paradise) and our link to cosmic unity.
• The principle actions and traits of Neptune include a need to unify all, an addictive temperament, not knowing where to draw the line, difficulty with limitations, and a constant longing to reconnect to the oceanic womb.
• Neptune invites us to the imaginal realm; the world of dreams, images and illusions.
• Neptune is the master of magic and mystery, illusions and delusions, madness and mania, lies and deception.

Astrological cycle
Neptune takes 165 years to transit an astrological chart. It has an even orbit, therefore major transit points happen at about the same age for all. At about 41-42 years we experience the Neptunesquare, and at approximately 82-84, the Neptune opposition. Neptune is retrograde for 5 months of the year.

Traits
Intuitive, illusional, fantastic, unreal, hypnotic, idealistic, dissolving, melding, imaginative, inspiring, empathetic, visionary, compassionate.
Shadow Unworldly, psychotic, addictive, weak, helpless, escapist, delusional, foggy, intangible, immaterial, mad.

Rulerships
Liquids, marine activities, movies, television, film, dreams, psychic power, intuition, glamour, drugs, trances, hypnosis, sleep walking, fragrances, addictions, alcohol, chemicals, crime, scandal, trends, magnetism, dreams, symbols.

In the body
Misdiagnosis, addictions, alcoholism, undifferentiated diseases, infections, bacteria, dysplasia, poisoning, auto-immune disorders, thymus gland, pineal gland, biorhythms.

Neptunian
To describe something as Neptunian is to mean that something is perhaps hard to grasp, felt but not necessarily seen, imagined but possibly real, very imaginative, confusing, even delusional or simply not there, nowhere to be found. To be Neptunian is to see someone as dreamy, away with the fairies, up in the clouds, completely mysterious or deeply spiritual and devoted.
Neptunian relates to Neptune the Roman word for the Greek Poseidon, the god of the sea. To be Neptunian is therefore to behave like Neptune. Neptune was the god who caused earthquakes, turbulent and stormy seas, was angry and temperamental, relentless and vengeful. He would make his intended victims lose their way in his realm, he would cast nets and trap them and make them stay lost at sea for long periods of time.

A Neptune Transit

A Neptunian experience is to be in this realm, where you either drift, float lost or are swept away. It could be through music, drugs, dancing, inspirational creation, idealism or a spiritual quest. A Neptunian experience is to find a vision and to see in other ways that are cut off from the usual physical sense of reality. A Neptunian experience is about the unknown, being lost and finding one’s way through, encouraging trust in perception and faith an opening of the third eye and the psychic realm.