Neptune is the planet of illusion, deception, fraud and things out of this world. On the positive, it deals with spiritual and transcendental matters, as well as with the arts in general. But mostly, it deals with distortions and misconceptions on mundane matters. On that note, the sign transited by Neptune is highlighted as an area where distortions will be enhanced, an area where things will seem to be something that they are not.
Neptune in Aquarius (2009-2023) Neptune in Pisces (2023-2037)
To put matters in perspective, let’s understand the transit that is ending, Neptune in Aquarius. Aquarius is the sign of technology, science, groups and social organizations, democracy, popular politics and new knowledge. So Neptune was casting a shadow on all of these matters since 2009.
If we look back, around the early 2010s it was the time when the Arab Spring was happening, these were uprisings and protests instigated by social media and online organization. Similarly, other protests, such as Occupy Wall Street, happened around the world. And in the following decade we saw an intensification of politics, with stronger ideologies and stronger clashes happening.
The early 2010s were also the dawn of the smartphone and social media age. A sheer contrast deals with the concerns expressed around that time: privacy, excessive usage, addiction. Compared to the current world, where most people walk around with their smartphones everywhere, being tracked and turned into data, people sleep with their phones at their side (sometimes even using them while sleeping), privacy concerns are shrugged off and tech companies are some of the most powerful (and unaccountable) entities in the world.
People have created this blind faith in technology, blind faith in technological advancement as a solution to everything. That is the shadow of Neptune, this unwavering belief in something to the point of irrationality. For god’s sake, we have people openly talking about uploading their consciousness into computers. As Neptune leaves Aquarius, we will snap out of these illusions, a harsh awakening could come out of this.
On the technology sector, many current events point towards this. Apple, a company that brags about privacy and freedom, has just updated their phones to suppress a tool used by protesters in China. Tech companies are firing huge chunks of their staff, although the press focuses on Twitter, other big names like Cisco, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta (Facebook’s parent company) are also laying off employees. Smaller, and less known companies, are also following suit as the economy slows down and they prepare for declining conditions.
As the economic situation worsens, and these companies receive less financing (speculation) money, some of their “free” services will start to falter. Either by newly introduced pricing, rate limiting and usage restrictions or by a lack of maintenance.
A vast degree of disengagement from technology will tend to come out in the coming decade. I don’t believe this means we will all become Amish, or Ted Kaczynski’s dream, but in one way or another people will slow down their technology consumption.
A reduced usage of social media could appear, as people lose their enchantment about it. Complaints about mental health and social media are common, yet people keep using it, this could change now. Similarly, people might abandon big companies and start using decentralized social media solutions, such as the Fediverse.
With technology on a general level, companies love talking about the environment and global warming, all while making devices and accessories that are basically disposable. Electronics use rare metals that are hard (or even impossible) to recycle, it is beyond reprehensible that companies make devices that will only last a couple of years, to be tossed and discarded afterwards, by a lack of reparability. With the economic situation worsening, people will want to make their electronics last longer.
Similarly, as the microchips supply chain (which still hasn’t fully recovered from the 2020 lockdowns) suffers blockages and delays due to US sanctions against China, as well as the threat of a Taiwan conflict, we could see reduced offer of new parts. The policy of programmers and developers, in the last decade, has been that optimization or compatibility with older hardware isn’t necessary, as people will just get newer and stronger hardware. This is how we ended up with phones, more powerful than computers from 10 years ago, that can barely run a messaging app and a music app at the same time. As people cling longer to older hardware, things will have to change.
Overall, as Neptune leaves Aquarius, big changes in our relationship with science and technology are bound to happen. Decentralization, increased worries about privacy or downsides, such as mental health effects; as well as decreased consumption of technology are all strong possibilities in the coming years. Similar changes are possible in politics, with people losing their enchantment over big leadership or politics as a solution to everything.
Neptune will enter Pisces on February 18th 2023, staying in this sign uninterrupted until 2035, when it will transit between Aries and Pisces. So February and March 2023 will tend to be noticeable moments of transition. A characteristic of Neptune is a disenchantment after the end of a transit. I believe this will be mostly prevalent in regards to politics. A strong sense of disappointment with leaders and public figures could arise. Issues with technology could develop around that time as well.
The Neptune in Pisces transit will tend to be smoother, as that sign deals with some matters naturally related to Neptune, such as spirituality and the arts. Neptune in Pisces will tend to bring a renaissance in the arts sector, with increasingly creative and ambitious works. Something much needed in our current world of re-hashed stories, remakes and cheap storytelling. Pisces has a tendency to favor underdogs, so we could be seeing more alternative art, meaning things that don’t exactly come from established artists or big corporations.
I see the biggest noticeable effect of the Pisces transit being the end of the Aquarius transit, and its complications. But some issues that could arise, in regards to Pisces, deals with religious fanaticism or the rise of cults. On the positive, this transit will favor spiritual studies and further development of occult matters. But the exploitation of religion and the occult, to control or manipulate people, is a downside that will come out of this.
