defending Neptune
May. 27th, 2003 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drydemNeptunian ponderings
I have heard a lot about Neptune's retrograde and ego annihilation. There has been the idea that Neptune's retrograde causes the destruction of self and the breaking of barriers. I would like to take a few moments to defend neptune's influence in retrograde.
Neptune is the most watery of planets. No planet symbolizes water energy as clearly as Neptune, it is named after the god of the sea, it rules Pisces and has never ruled another sign, unlike most of the inner planets. As a watery planet it has influence over many watery associated things. Neptune is the planet of dreams, it touches intuition and the internal focus, it is emotional and profoundly mystical.
One thing that Neptune is not, is violently destructive. Neptune does not annihilate, that is far more the province of Mars, or the Sun, or even Jupiter or Uranus. Neptune destroys the way water does. Things erode, but gradually and naturally. Water creates timely endings, faerie deaths. With Neptune in retrograde, the stones will break down under the influence of the waves, but you will be left with a beach in it's place, made of the same materials.
The other main issue with Neptune's retrograde is it's regularity. 5 months out of every year, Neptune enters retrograde. The idea that 5 months out of every year people's ego's are destroyed is not quite right. A good metaphor, or way of thinking of this is like annual tides upon a beach. 7 months each year, the tide is coming in, bringing in new grains of sand, and stirring up those already present. 5 months out of the year, the tideis receeding, removing pieces that are light enough to be carried away. These tides keep coming, year after year.
Now, the current astrological situation has some caveats regarding Neptune's retrograde. The beginning of Neptune's retrograde corresponded with a Lunar eclipse. The Moon is also a watery influence and this correspondence has lead to what could be equated to the tide around the new moon, more extreme than an average tide. The erosion will be stronger than normal, but it will not take anything that isn't naturally ready to end. So the idea of ego annihilation is not perhaps the best way of thinking of it, at least in my opinion. The way I would put it is subconcious spring cleaning.
I have heard a lot about Neptune's retrograde and ego annihilation. There has been the idea that Neptune's retrograde causes the destruction of self and the breaking of barriers. I would like to take a few moments to defend neptune's influence in retrograde.
Neptune is the most watery of planets. No planet symbolizes water energy as clearly as Neptune, it is named after the god of the sea, it rules Pisces and has never ruled another sign, unlike most of the inner planets. As a watery planet it has influence over many watery associated things. Neptune is the planet of dreams, it touches intuition and the internal focus, it is emotional and profoundly mystical.
One thing that Neptune is not, is violently destructive. Neptune does not annihilate, that is far more the province of Mars, or the Sun, or even Jupiter or Uranus. Neptune destroys the way water does. Things erode, but gradually and naturally. Water creates timely endings, faerie deaths. With Neptune in retrograde, the stones will break down under the influence of the waves, but you will be left with a beach in it's place, made of the same materials.
The other main issue with Neptune's retrograde is it's regularity. 5 months out of every year, Neptune enters retrograde. The idea that 5 months out of every year people's ego's are destroyed is not quite right. A good metaphor, or way of thinking of this is like annual tides upon a beach. 7 months each year, the tide is coming in, bringing in new grains of sand, and stirring up those already present. 5 months out of the year, the tideis receeding, removing pieces that are light enough to be carried away. These tides keep coming, year after year.
Now, the current astrological situation has some caveats regarding Neptune's retrograde. The beginning of Neptune's retrograde corresponded with a Lunar eclipse. The Moon is also a watery influence and this correspondence has lead to what could be equated to the tide around the new moon, more extreme than an average tide. The erosion will be stronger than normal, but it will not take anything that isn't naturally ready to end. So the idea of ego annihilation is not perhaps the best way of thinking of it, at least in my opinion. The way I would put it is subconcious spring cleaning.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-28 07:40 am (UTC)The REAL problem is that patriarchal cultures have convinced us that Neptune is another DAD planet. That's a bunch of dung. Jupiter and Saturn are the Big Dads. Neptune is MORE that another Big Dad - its the BIG MOM PLANET.
Neptune = water = the unconscious desire to dissolve the self back into the womb, into a state of completeness, connectedness, wholeness, and the contentment that existed before we were born into incompleteness and the experience of lack and desire. Why does Neptune represent addiction? Imagine the little kid who doesn't want to let go of his mommy, and you've got the right idea. Or the E-Kid sucking on his nipple-toy. Neptune is all about our deep, irrational need to be nurtured and coddled, but there's a dark side to all that nurturing and coddling. Go watch any number of horror movies about abject, devouring wombs and you'll see what I mean!
Bojenna Dylan Poseidon LeFanu
Navigator General of the Outer Spheres
Astro-Etheric Guild of Morbon