All at sea? Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces

Pisces 2022

Millions of displaced people, polluted waters, floods, frightening numbers of opiate and other drug addicted victims. It’s all heart-breaking. These are some of the issues coming to a head in April. I hope we take the cosmic opportunity offered by Neptune and Jupiter to change our ways. We must, if we want a better world.

As I write we have several planets in Pisces. Jupiter stays in this sign for about a year, and the Sun and Mercury are just passing through, with the Sun clearly highlighting all things Pisces this month. Neptune, however, has been there since 2011 and won’t leave for good until 2026, when he finally decides to stay in Aries for a while.

New cycle – Pisces to Aries

Because Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and Aries the first, we are heading for a whole new cycle, but until then we have to deal with Neptune in Pisces. And this is very obvious when it comes to the war in Ukraine. I don’t care whose fault it is, war is never a solution. What we need now is Neptune! The god of the sea. We are ‘all at sea’ but we can use his power to help change the world. We need to turn the tide of suffering.

That’s a lot of water!

As it is with all the signs and planets, there is much to be welcomed about this Neptune-Pisces energy. It can be compassionate, intuitive, emotionally helpful, imaginative, in tune with all beings and the fact that we are all connected. Neptune is known as the modern ruler of Pisces, and Jupiter the traditional ruler. So the presence of these two planets in this sign intensifies the whole Pisces theme – especially when these two planets meet on April 12th this year. They haven’t done that since March 17th, 1856 – more on that later.

We know Jupiter

We have been aware of Jupiter in the heavens for a very long time. He is very easy to spot in the night sky, and very beautiful! His journey through the signs has been observed by many generations. In terms of consciousness levels, I believe we can use his positive sides quite well. He can help us be very confident, enthusiastic, entrepreneurial and adventurous. He encourages us to take risks and look for meaning. He has a strong philosophical streak and is a good judge. He is a savvy strategist, with good vision. When he meets other planets he expands their energy and makes everything bigger.

Not always a good thing

But that is not always what we need. He can produce over-confidence and exacerbate problems. And he can lead us to play god. So how might he affect Neptune? In the scheme of things Neptune is a relative newcomer to our planetary family. He was discovered, through a telescope, in 1846, and typical of Neptune, there was a lot of confusion around his discovery and who spotted him first!

Consciousness raising

I believe that when we first become conscious of planets further away from earth than those we knew previously, we get a kind of cosmic upgrade to make us aware of different parts of ourselves. And we understand more about the energies that surround us. The way we find meaning in these planetary archetypes is by examining placements in the horoscopes of people and other entities, and by what is happening in the world at the time of the discovery. We therefore now associate Neptune with, for example: spirituality, gas lighting, better hospitals, séances, and eastern philosophies. Getting in touch with the non-tangible.

Neptune is associated with dreams, and things that cross boundaries. But also where we go too far, such as with addiction. Where we can’t say no. Victims and refugees come under Neptune’s auspices. Jupiter makes all of these things larger and therefore, in this case, much more problematic. The huge number of  people in the world displaced through famine and war, and not only in Ukraine, is heartbreaking. We haven’t heeded warnings up until now. With the current state of the world I hope the changes we need to make will no longer be avoided. Why do we always need a blow to the head to wake up?

What we need to do

As we move out into the cosmos with our explorations, we need to integrate these planetary influences. We have been trying to do that with Neptune since 1846. But this takes a while, as we need to learn how to use these energies positively. At first we make mistakes and miss the benefits. As the god of the sea, his presence can feel like a tsunami. We can feel truly helpless and want to disappear or give up. What we really need to do now is become aware of the negatives so we can go from destructiveness to creativity and use Neptune in the way he wants us to. I believe the cosmos has our best interests at heart! But it can be a ‘tough love’ kind of teacher.

Compassion is what we need

Compassion and emotional help are top of the list. It is heart warming to see the amount of help offered to Ukrainians by ordinary people of several countries, and to each other. And sometimes to Russians as well, who are also victims in all this. Neptune would suggest that focus and meditative prayer from all of us can make a difference too.

Leaders – get with the programme!

It’s the leaders that need to get with the cosmic programme! They are still working at Mars and Saturn level – war, ego, authority and punishment. Not to mention the negative side of Pluto – abuse of power, cruelty and destruction. We have a long way to go before we can integrate creative Pluto – he is very new to our consciousness, only being discovered in 1930.

No more drugs

Back to Neptune. We need to stop giving drugs to everyone for medical issues, and treat the real problem. This has not only led to medical harm and opiate addiction, it has also meant that children are given unnecessary labels and drugs because we aren’t able to tune into their needs. Medicalisation, alcohol and drugs have also meant that many of us stay ungrounded victims.

The kids know

Children are trying to help upgrade the Neptune field. They are sensitive, creative dreamers, who are still being imprisoned in a Saturnian box with the education systems in most countries. They need meditation and art and music and to learn about how the world is connected, which they intuitively understand. We need to get on the same page as children who understand that we need to have compassion for nature and animals, including ourselves.

Traumas

The traumas we have all suffered often mean that we use Piscean coping mechanisms such as alcohol, drugs, excessive screen time, and social media to disappear from reality and escape to another world. Suicide is on the rise too, the final escape. Being out of our bodies means we don’t have to feel pain, but it also means we don’t feel anything. When that happens it is difficult to feel compassion for anyone, including ourselves.

Stepping out of victimhood

Neptune is associated with victims and many people really are victims in many ways. Especially children, but of course everyone, in Ukraine and Russia, will have emotional scars that will need a lot of love to heal. But we all have memories of being ‘victims’ in some way, often as children. Some people truly are victimised by horrendous parenting. They had no safe place to go with verbal, physical and sexual abuse being rife. However, even some of these people heal.

In my practice I see people get stuck in victimhood. It’s easier to have someone to blame than doing painful work. Neptune wounds are not easy to heal, so the process often needs something that will help us get back into our bodies.  Getting grounded and back to nature – especially being by the sea  – can help. We need to find safety.

We need to feel

What is required of us now is to feel, and that means being vulnerable, which is difficult for many of us. And we all need to accept help sometimes. The reason we don’t want to be vulnerable is often because of what that meant in the past. It was dangerous. So we have shields or escape mechanisms to protect us. I can’t count the number of clients I have had where they talk of a partner who is emotionally unavailable.

Guilt is a problem

Another Neptunian issue is that we are so used to helping others, that guilt raises its head when we want to step into our power. How can we ask for something we need when ‘children are starving in Ukraine’ kind of thing? Guilt stops many people becoming who they are meant to be. We need to get over this and take responsibility for where we are now and do our inner work to let go of trauma and guilt. The sooner we can all do this the better the world will be. Healed people are more likely to be able to help others.

Time is running out – video by ivan_khmelyuk Pixabay

What would Neptune and Jupiter say?

We have a chance now. Neptune in Pisces shows what the collective dreams are. If we are imagining hell and damnation and all of us as victims, that is what we will get. We are creating all the time. If we can also imagine – truly imagine – a compassionate, connected world where we all offer emotional support, I believe we could reach a tipping point where these values start to manifest on a global scale. We can start this wherever we are.

Jupiter says we have to have faith in this vision. We have to believe it. The world is starting to do this by offering food and shelter to displaced people. But why not to more people that just Ukrainians? What would truly compassionate leadership look like? Jupiter rules politics – how about a new strategy with a dissolving (another good Pisces word) of the old ways?

So what happened in March 1856?

Although Neptune and Jupiter come together around every 13 years, 1856 was the last time they met in Pisces. Apart from a couple of things that fit the symbolism, such as the Covent Garden Opera house in London being destroyed by fire – a loss (Neptune) of very Neptunian activities – and the start of the Oxford Cambridge Boat races (very watery), the main global event I found on the web was the signing of a treaty to end a war. Although I also saw that the US Republican party held their first national meeting in Pittsburgh. I wonder what happened to them!

Love of water

Perhaps the treaty means there is a ray of hope. The Crimean war took place from 1853-1856. The history of Crimea is very long and often tortuous. A link below shows that it was part of differing regimes and kingdoms starting several centuries ago. The Ottoman empire was very dominant in this region for hundreds of years, however there were many times that swords were crossed with Russia, notably during the times of Peter the Great (whom Putin greatly admires) and Catherine the Great. Access to the Black Sea was always worth fighting for.

Enough is enough

By 1853 the Turks had had enough of their territory being taken, and due to the might of Russia they asked for help (sound familiar?) This became a broader European conflict – the Crimean War – involving British and French troops.

Treaty of Paris

There has been more conflict in this area leading up to today of course, but what is interesting astrologically, is that the Treaty of Paris was signed on March 30th, 1856 by the warring countries together with the Kingdom of Sardinia. The treaty, signed at the Congress of Paris, made the Black Sea neutral territory. It was closed to all warships. Fortifications and armaments on its shores were prohibited too. Trade could therefore continue. This was a severe setback to Russian influence in the region.

There were other agreements in the treaty too and apart from agreements regarding religious groups (Jupiter), this is the main one that aligns with the current war area. Russia is fighting in particular for ports like Mariupol. It had already illegally seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The date of the treaty signing in 1856 was very near the coming together of Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces on March 17th that year, so I am hoping that the coming conjunction might welcome a halt to this current conflict and end horrendous suffering.

Astro similarities

The outer planets, which move slowly, show the zeitgeist of a time. It is therefore interesting that not only are Neptune and Jupiter in Pisces this year and at the time of the Treaty of Paris agreement, but also Uranus is in the same sign – Taurus. Pluto is different but is in an earth sign both times. This makes me hopeful too.

Combinations of Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces

Here are some themes of this conjunction. We are able to do some of these positively on a personal level, and every little helps! Others are areas of focus

• Lots of grief but lots of letting go of what is unimportant.
• Belief in compassion and connection, particularly for refugees
• Gentler politics
• Big dreams
• High gas prices – or letting go of our addiction to gas
• Creative concepts for political issues
• Strategies to help addiction
• Belief in the unseen side of life
• Humane laws
• Conscious travel
• Sharing good fortune
• Investment in flood protection using indigenous knowledge
• Investment in hospitals and prisons
• Honouring the sea, rivers and streams.

Begging forgiveness

And on that last point about our waters, I listened to Luisah Teish this month. I am a big fan of hers (link to her site below.) She says that, especially in April, we need to beg forgiveness for what we have done to water. If we are near the sea or rivers we should help clean up the pollution. But if not, we should just offer our thanks and ask for forgiveness from the water in our taps. I like the idea. It certainly fits all this Pisces energy.

A note on New Zealand and Jupiter-Neptune

I wanted to just touch on New Zealand as I think there are hopeful signs of things to come there too. NZ has had very Saturn-Pluto COVID measures. Of course we are still under the cycle of these two planets that started in January 2020, but NZ measures have been particularly restrictive. This Pisces conjunction happens to fall exactly on Saturn (rules and regulations) of the dominion chart for NZ. It also falls exactly opposite to the Saturn of New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern! I’m hoping that will mean a hugely (Jupiter) compassionate letting go (Neptune) of all COVID restrictions so I can visit my homeland! And that Jacinda can finally get married in romantic Neptunian style!

Faye Blake

The problem with writing about planets and signs is that you invoke their energy.

Websites of the month

History of Crimea from Britannica.com

Website of Luisah Teish mentioned above

And two interesting posts from a fellow astrologer. Dan focuses on the last conjunctions in different signs and ends of conflicts. He also uses astromapping another astrological technique, to research the end of world wars.

Quote of the month

“Our task must be to free ourselves … by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” Albert Einstein.

For astrologers

New Zealand dominion: 26 September 1907, Wellington, NZ. There are 2 possible times. I use midnight which gives Gemini rising and Aries MC which I think fits the sporting, chatty nation that NZ is. Some use 11:00am – the time when the proclamation was read. Either way this conjunction falls fully on the Saturn!

Jacinda Ardern: 26 July 1980, Hamilton, time unknown but I suspect she has later Capricorn rising with what is happening. And even she makes fun of her teeth!