In 1846 three separate astronomers, Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams, and Johann Galle (two Geminis and a Pisces) realized that Uranus was off by a bit. The orbit it was supposed to have around the sun was puzzling to them—was it too far away from Earth to feel the gravitational pull? Oh whoops, that was a whole-ass planet they were looking at without immediately realizing it was behind Uranus. NEPTUNE! To be fair, this planet is far from Earth: it would take 12 years to travel there. The symbology of this planet fits the discovery and distance: it rules the unknown, spirituality, and our dreams. Neptune is (and always has been) a humongous elephant in the universal skyroom, giving us messages through our dreams, connecting us with our gods, and creating intuition and gut response through confusion when it passes through our chart. Neptune takes 165 years to orbit the sun, spending around 14 years in each sign. Right now, we are smack dab in the middle of a Neptune transit through Pisces, the sign it rules. This transit started in 2011, and will go until 2026, ushering in spiritual awareness, awakening, and weird missteps in higher thought. Pisces is ruled by Neptune, so this transit is like letting someone sleep after being on the road for 165 years. This transit is a needed rest and reset, and it will show us the importance of reconnection, dreams, and slowing down enough to see what part we take in our chosen spiritual paths. This month, Neptune goes direct on the 27th after a several-month retrograde phase. This will not be a super wild aggressive shift, but a really good time to reconnect with your own universal truths.
Uranus ruling the unknown also provides a need for a lightening of reality when it is in certain positions in our personal charts. Addiction is a function of a Neptunian life, because sometimes in the depths of emotional awareness, we need to check out. Check in with where your addiction is headed around this time. Check in with your friends whose addiction is headed somewhere that they don’t have control over. Uranus connects us to something bigger than us, but it can also smoosh us under its weight. Check in.
The sun spends most of this month in Scorpio, illuminating the darkness. Scorpio rules death, birth, sex, and money. We define our health within these themes. Here’s the deal: it is hard to thoroughly know how you feel about something unless you’re in it. Understanding the ways that deaths close to you have shaped your experience is an important exercise this month. If you’re too close to the death, if you don’t want to process it, or something is slowly taking someone from you, make peace with the fact that you will feel it when you can instead of pressuring yourself to process now. Regarding birth: do you want to have a kid? Think about it—for real. Do you already have a kid? How did their birth change you? What universal truths were unlocked when they came to be? Do you have wounds from the other person who made that kid with you? Do you celebrate that other person? Have you made peace with the people who birthed and grew you? There are sexual experiences we have that we keep on a surface level. Parts of these experiences seep in and get into the undercurrent and core of who we are. Your sexuality, your sexual experiences, your sexual trauma are not defined by anyone but you. Your sexual identity is yours. What is it? What do you like? Whether you’re having sex for business or pleasure, to create a baby or not having sex at all, check in with the health and happiness of your spirit. As for money, it’s a defining part of our current world. Pretending like it doesn’t exist is a sign of privilege. Avoiding debt still creates a psychological burden. Are you paying people for their labor? Are you paid appropriately for what you do? Is there monetary equality in your place of work? There is an imbalance in the world related to money, so check in with how this is informing your own sense of worth. Once again, if you are avoiding this topic until you can get a handle on it, that’s OK; the point is being conscious of why or how you have come to that decision.
ARIES
From the first to the 18th of this month, your ruling planet Mars is in opposition to your sign. This is a propellant; it lights a fire under your ass in all parts of your life to change things that are not serving you. As an exercise: what is annoying you or making you mad right now? How can it change? Do bigger things need to change to take care of this ongoing problem? On the 27th, Neptune goes direct in your house of spirituality. Take time, especially toward the end of the month, to worship. God or the ground or the internet or your friends or your dog—it doesn’t matter, as long as you realign with your spirit by recognizing what helps you feel it.
TAURUS
The sun spends most of this month in your house of psychology. This is a sort of dark place for the sun to illuminate. It brings up heavier themes than usual, showing you things you need to process and move through. On the 23rd, when it moves to your house of adventure, it is important that you get out of your routine with something fun to shake off some of the residual heaviness of the previous few weeks. On the 27th, Neptune goes direct in your house of community, granting perfect opportunities for spiritual connection in shared spaces. Go to a gathering with a friend; invite a bunch of people over to talk about a shared life-altering experience; go to a place of worship to find new community.
GEMINI
The sun is in your house of daily living until the 21st of this month, brightening up truths about what you want to change in your daily life. Home, work, and health are in central focus. Go in for a physical, ask for a review at work, revamp your living space (or set the wheels in motion to move). On the 19th, Mars joins the sun in this position, adding some momentum to the change that needs to happen. Pay attention especially to places where you feel physically tired. Is it because of work or boredom? On the 27th, Neptune goes direct in your house of public image, creating some weird attention. This could manifest in you being misunderstood if you do not tread lightly.
CANCER
Mars spends the first 18 days of this month in your house of home. Mars is the planet of action and war, and it is prompting a big shift to your home life. If you like where you live, this could mean a purge of belongings, a rearrangement of space, or an ousting of rotten energy. If you don’t like where you live, all of the above could be true, and this might be the exact push you need to get out. On the 19th, Mars enters your house of ego, which will ease any internal tension around the changes needed to be made. On the 27th, Neptune goes direct in your house of adventure. This is a good time to take a trip to expand your knowledge of universal connection. Even if it’s only for a few hours, spend some time exploring somewhere totally different toward the end of this month.
LEO
Until the 21st of this month, the sun illuminates your home life in a big way. An exercise: Where was home one year ago this month? How have things changed? Are you happy with this change? Where would you like things to be a year from now? With the sun in this placement there is also a check-in with mothering. Call your mom, grandma, sister, or friend that held you through your growing. On the 27th, Neptune goes direct in your house of psychology, creating a tornado of knowledge around who you are spiritually. This position can get a little excessive in terms of thinking and processing feelings, so it is good to do this with a therapist or in short sessions, rather than letting the Bigness take over. Proceed with caution for best results.
VIRGO
On the 27th of this month, Neptune goes direct in opposition to your sun. This isn’t the easiest moment to be a Virgo—it can be confusing, like the entire universe is doing opposite day but you never got the memo. Here’s the thing: it’s important that you don’t take unusual outcomes personally; instead, try to focus on gut responses and creative approaches to known routines. This is an impossible thing to expect from a Virgo. You appreciate clear direction, tasks, and even complicated scenarios as long as there is a beginning and end point. The work here is to refine your psychic abilities. You have to work on being flexible and waiting for things to happen on their own timeline. If these experiences create anxiety, especially this month, find a detail-oriented creative pursuit to pour your brain into.
LIBRA
Until the 18th of this month, Mars is in your sign. Mars is the planet of action, cutting through indecision quickly. Mars’ orbit around the sun takes two years, and a good exercise for this transit is to think of things that you have been contemplating for the last two-plus years and make a decision (this planet will provide the necessary tools for follow through). On the 27th, Neptune goes direct in your house of daily work, creating some confusion at your job, in your home, and a potential for weird health stuff. Trust your intuition, and if things feel off (especially with your health), advocate for more information. This transit offers incredible connection through creativity. If your job feels stale, see if you can have more creative control or work on something special momentarily to realign.
SCORPIO
The sun spends most of this month (until the 21st) in your sign. This sun transit illuminates your life—all of it. Where you are and want to be. Many people report feeling overwhelmed by this kind of check-in, even bummed. Honor the last year with this in mind: as you are the sign that defines many of life’s biggest themes (sex, birth, money, death) it is heavy and hard to be a person. You are constantly phoenixing. What have you gotten through, over, and under in the last year? On the 19th, Mars enters your sign, giving you a push to start all the things you have been putting off for the last couple years. This is a good time to consider a big change, especially for the sake of emotional growth.
SAGITTARIUS
The sun spends this month illuminating the unknown in your life. It brightens your psychic abilities, intensifies your dreams, and shows you what you are avoiding. Feelings are front and center, but your ability to sift through them is slowed with this planetary alignment. Keep a dream journal this month. Ask people to psychically visit who are (and are not) on the planet now. Allow yourself to take it easy, and take a break from the heavy rotation of processing. When Neptune goes direct on the 27th, resettle your living space with more peace of mind. If there is something in your space that is bumming you out, get it out.
CAPRICORN
Your sign is very practically-minded, motivated by things in which you can see the possibility of change, that you can hold, shape, and build upon. Spirituality, church, astrology, tarot, crystals, and all things wizardly are chosen in your life with caution and even apprehension—you want to know it is real before you give it time, space, or money. This month, Neptune, the planet of all things witchy, goes direct on the 27th in your house of communication and teaching. This is an ideal time to share where and how you started to know the things you know. The universe’s powers can add so many dimensions to your work and life, and sharing these powers will only intensify your relationships with people and your belief system. Venus enters your sign on the 25th, bringing love to you and all you do. Share your story and heart as much as you can stand!
AQUARIUS
The sun spends most of this month in your house of public image, bringing attention to whatever you are doing. This is a good time to yell about the things you believe in, show new work, introduce the person you’ve been dating to friends, or just be the center of attention at a party. On the 27th, Neptune goes direct in your house of values, psychically healing some of the spaces that have been hurt by your own disbelief in your abilities and powers. If you want change to your systems, make a list of what you are hardest on yourself about. Go down the list and instead of thinking or saying, “I hate this,” say or think, “I love this.” Love will transform, quickly, especially with intention.
PISCES
On the 27th of this month, your ruling planet Neptune goes direct in your sign. All things Pisces are stronger now: intuition, magic, dream connection. You gain so much clarity in spaces where other people feel clouded and disconnected, and this direct phase will create a clearer path. The new moon on the 26th lands in your house of public image, joining Jupiter to create a huge work shift. There is an abundance (of money, recognition, attention, or all of the above) in your direction, especially if you agree to make the changes necessary. From the 25th to the end of the month, Venus resides in your house of friendship. If you feel uneasy about any coming changes, ask your community for their input. You are more surrounded by propelling platonic love and support right now than usual. Soak it in!
@iamastrology | illustrations Kallie Tiffau