Astrology with Alice: Neptune in Aries will turn things upside down

The planet Neptune has moved into the sign Aries, thus wrapping up its 14-year residency in Pisces. It’ll stay in Aries until 2039, so this is a long transit, and it signals a historic shift in what we are subconsciously attracted to—everything from trends in music and fashion, to what we aspire to become, will take on a markedly different form. Neptune shapes our spirituality and idealism, and, through that, it affects our art and expression.

Neptune’s effects are difficult to see in the day-to-day, but they get clearer when we step back and look at the big picture. The planet operates like an invisible hand guiding our fascination, and when you look at the trends in fashion and especially music, you can see its influence through the decades.

Neptune and the arts

Famed astrologer Steven Forrest laid out a case for the Neptune’s influence on popular music in The Book of Neptune, in which he maps out each shift in musical trends according to the movement of Neptune through the signs.

Forrest points out that Elvis’ breakthrough hit “Heartbreak Hotel” was released the year Neptune entered Scorpio in 1956. Scorpio is often regarded as the sexiest sign, and Elvis’ scandalous dance moves and lyrics lived up to that reputation. Loud AF heavy metal then came onto the scene in 1970, which was the same year that Neptune moved into the loud AF sign Sagittarius. (Sorry, Sag, I couldn’t resist. Love you!) Then, what happened to the music scene in 1989 when Neptune entered the conservative sign Capricorn? Country music saw a mainstream comeback with Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Travis Tritt comprising what’s referred to now as the “Class of ‘89.” And when Neptune subsequently moved into techy and modern Aquarius in 1998, we started downloading music through online services like Napster and moved our tunes onto devices like the newly launched iPod. We also saw a rise in electronic elements in music. (Remember how bionic early Gaga sounded?) And while Forrest’s book was published in the early days of Neptune’s time in Pisces, his theory still holds for the rest of that decade. Adele’s most popular album, the very soulful and emotional album 21, debuted in 2011, when Neptune entered the dreamy and sensitive sign Pisces, and we have been awash ever since with ambient, atmospheric, and melancholic tunes.

Well, that is until now. Now, Neptune is in Aries—the sign of the warrior—which is going to be sooooo different. Aries is assertive, pioneering, and has a strong sense of selfhood (which is why Aries people are often accused of being selfish), and we are definitely going to see the fiery spirit of Aries reflected throughout art and culture over the next decade and a half. Even though we’ve only talked about musical examples so far, Neptune’s artistic influence will reach every form of art. Dance, fashion, visual media, advertisement, cosmetics—all these industries will take a turn towards a more Aries aesthetic. If you work in any of these fields, take note and anticipate the change in the direction of the trends. (Basically, think less Olivia Rodrigo and more Xena, Warrior Princess. If I just dated myself and you have no idea who that is, consider Daenerys in her Mother-of-Dragons era.)

The potential for conflict

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the dark side of Aries, which is its association with conflict and war. The last time Neptune went into Aries was April 13, 1861. Do you know what happened the day before? The Civil War started.

The movements of the planets don’t cause things to happen, but they reflect the inner and outer realities of what’s happening here on Earth. I’m also not a fan of fearmongering and I encourage everybody I work with to approach planetary transits from a place of empowerment. However, given that we have more than one transit happening this year that have historically coincided with conflict (Pluto is in Aquarius and Uranus will be in Gemini, and I mentioned back in January that the last time this happened was during the American Revolution), I recommend being more cautious and careful with your yearly planning. Yes, we need to live our lives freely and we shouldn’t let something like astrology control our every move, but these are occurrences that have historically shown themselves to be potentially volatile. (Potentially volatile. And even if they are, it’ll be temporary. Don’t freak out. We’re going to be okay. Just maybe don’t blow your savings on a trip to the Maldives this year.)

Neptune and dreams

Neptune is the planet of dreams and mysticism. It speaks to our yearning and desire for transcendence. And whatever sign it’s in tells us something about the way in which we want to experience elevation and exaltation. If you read that and now you’re wondering “what?!”  then congratulations, you’re picking up on Neptune’s inexplicable vagueness, as well. (I personally dread predicting what Neptune’s going to do in my client consultations because it’s such a vibe and it’s hard to be precise with it.)

The best way to nutshell what the change that Neptune moving into Aries will mean for us is to think of Neptune as representing our collective dream. Since 2011, we’ve been dreaming the dream of the mystic and of the poet (the archetypes of Pisces). Now, we’re going to dream like visionaries. Like pioneers. Like warriors. Like freakin’ ARIES. I believe that Neptune’s hold over our collective dreams is why it seems to have so much power over the direction of our trends. Artists and mystics alike tap into the same magical, unconscious space where our dreams live, and that’s Neptune’s domain, where nothing is concrete. (And also why it is such a pain to predict in readings, because it’s all so immaterial.)

So now that Neptune is leaving Pisces, the mystic must come out of meditation. The poet might need to put down the pen to pick up the (proverbial) sword. Now, as Neptune enters Aries, it’s a time for action, when we are going to feel called to do more and fight for our ideals. (And this is why I’m not surprised that the last time Neptune was in Aries, we fought to free the oppressed.) On a personal level, we will also feel called to fight for our dreams. If we have an idea, a vision, or a dream to champion, Neptune in Aries will inspire bold action. It is, in fact, daring us to dream.

Neptune will stay in Aries until 2039, so it’s important to remember that Neptune’s changes will take time to unfold. We have a lot of time to work with this energy, and if you’re curious as to what area of life Neptune will try to unlock your courage, check out the list below. Look for your sign as well as your rising sign. (If you don’t know your rising sign, you can use this free online tool.)