THE NEPTUNE FACTOR~ Neptune is the ruling planet of Pisces and is associated with  the arts, imagination, fantasy and the dreamtime /spirit world. It has a dual  gift  of Illumination and Illusion. Neptune can be manifested as ‘ the fog ‘ of illusion, that when penetrated, reveals our deepest wisdom. It is possible to get lost in that fog, to be caught up in fantasy and deception, but ultimately its purpose is to show us the real truth beyond the veil. Neptune is a planet that ,like the ocean , dissolves old out – moded structures just as the waves reshape the shore. . The dissolving experience can be disorienting to say the least , but Saturn is always there to help us form new ,  more efficient structures in our psyches, our minds and in our lives.
Neptune has just gone into its native sign of Pisces for the next thirteen years. This presents us with the entire spectrum of Neptune’s lessons to be experienced during that time. From the deep lush  heart connection with the spirit realms, profound experience of universal love and divine purpose,  surrender and trust in the great flow of life, to the resistance to , and  the desire to escape the mundane plane and earthly obligations and responsibilities ( the down side of Pisces), Neptune in Pisces is going to be quite a ride! Old sayings like’ off the deep end ‘ as well as ‘go with the flow”are definitely Piscean in nature  Whenever there is an influence/transit such as this we can expect to experience any  or all of the characteristics. The trick is to be aware, prepared and conscious, so we can make conscious choices, and not just be drawn into  the negative aspects at random. If we begin to feel the classic piscean  negative traits, we can make note of it and counteract them rather than be pulled along blindly into the pattern .We can also cultivate the more positive aspects which in  of themselves are designed to balance the inherent negative traits.
Many people may feel ‘spacey” , this is because the psychic realms are being amped up while the veil between the worlds is less substantial. What this means is heightened sensitivity, ie  to noise, to other people’s energy and emotions,  and a tendency to absorb through  Piscean empathy all  of these elements in our surrounding environment.
Down time, time to ‘clear ,ground and center ‘ ones energy may be more important than usual , especially  for sensitive individuals. Practices like yoga, Tai Chi ,Chi Gong that were designed to balance energy may be particularly helpful now.  Gemstones like Smokey Quartz and Black Tourmaline can have a centering affect, and   Rainbow obsidian  in particular is a great grounding stone and can ‘dampen’  down the psychic senses , if needed.
 But  one of the perks is the heightened ability to dream , and may people have already noticed an increase in vivid, lucid or shamanic dreams, even those who normally  have little to no  dream recall… Our dreams can teach us so much and offer us incredible insight into the spiritual realms . See my early posts on dreaming techniques and aids if you d like to explore this opportunity.
Also cultivating  and emphasizing the traits of the opposite sign of Pisces, Virgo,  can be very helpful : analytical thinking,logical discernment, mental  focus, organization , orderliness ,attention to detail. This is especially true for the next couple of weeks when Mercury, the planet ruling mental processes and communication will be retrograde ( going backwards) which always requires these kinds of coping mechanisms. Mercury will go direct on April 4th.