Sleeping At Last has a song about each of the planets. I learned about this, because they brought up the song, "Saturn," on an episode of "The Astrology Podcast." They said it was a beautiful song - and it is - but I felt "Neptune" to be more fitting, since today is the final day of Jupiter's co-presence with Neptune in Pisces. Both rulers of the sign being co-present is a powerful influence, and the power of the Great Benefic (Jupiter) kind of ups the ante with what Neptune often brings us. Neptune's symbolism is that of fantasy, escape, mysticism, haziness, dreams, and confusion. It rules over imagination and substance abuse, the two great tools in an Escape Artist's box. When in Pisces - as with any planet in its home sign - these themes get a double whammy and it can be hard to extract ourselves from the mist of illusion and delusion. It's possible, but it's hard. There's power in fantasy, but it's important not to get trapped there.
This idea reminds me of the bubble scene in "Labyrinth." Jareth has drugged Sarah with a poison peach and she finds herself immersed in her deepest fantasy. Dressed in a ballgown, trying to weave her way through the dancing bodies at the Masquerade, she comes face-to-face with The Goblin King. The Goblin King himself is a fantasy. I mean - come on - he's literally David Bowie. I can safely say he was my first real celebrity crush and my introduction to "the bulge," which I don't think I even registered as a child. There was a layer of perfect masculinity in the way he played the character - cruel but sensual, obsessive but distant, playful yet still cool. He may have played with Sarah but he gave her exactly what she wanted - an escape from what she felt was an unbearable life. And so she finds herself in his arms, falling in love with this flawless illusion he's created for her, and she's forgetting why she's there and where she's going. Like all great heroines, she saves herself by shattering the illusion - her dream - and breaking the hold he has over her. The lesson here is, sometimes, you have to shatter the illusion of your fantasy in order to bring to fruition a reality even greater than you could have ever imagined. After revisiting this scene, I feel it's a great metaphor for these last few hours with Jupiter in Pisces. Enjoy the fantasy while it lasts but when Jupiter returns to Aries, it's going to be time to put things into action.
Meanwhile, Mars has turned retrograde in Gemini and is tearing up my 1st House. Scorpio season, in general, was rough for me. Health issue after health issue. For astrological context, Scorpio rules my 6th House, which rules over health, and Scorpio's ruler, Mars, being in the 1st House, which deals partly with the body and appearance of the native. It started with me tearing up my hands after making an executive decision to stay for Open Pole after class one Saturday; continued with a rough cold that had me sleeping through a whole day; and ended with massive pain in my right lower wisdom tooth which resulted in getting all my wisdom teeth taken out right before Thanksgiving. The message from the Universe has been quite clear - I need some rest, because I've been going at breakneck speed since last Scorpio Season. I have missed more pole classes this last month than I've missed since I've started at this studio. Ironically, the last month has also come with the most successes and breakthroughs in my pole practice. I can finally do a proper Inside Leg Hang, my Inversions are stronger than ever, I can do a Ballerina on both sides, and I've mastered the Star Gazer. Proof that rest can be productive, too. A PSA from the North Node transiting Taurus.
I've been going through a hibernation year. Age 35 is a 12th House year. It usually ends up being a time for rest, solitude, and turning towards internal processes. I feel like I've been in a cocoon. Still active but everything is happening beneath the surface. Gestating ideas, refining next steps, making plans, a lot of learning about myself and the world around me. At this point, things are starting to bubble over, like inspiration is forcing it out of me. I wrote a poem the other day. Just out of the blue, the words came. And even today, I feel like it's still a good (enough) poem - it says what I was wanting to say, what I was feeling in that moment. I think trying to fix it and make it better might even ruin it, and that's when it's time to stop. I want to harness this energy, try to integrate it into my life so it's always there. A flame to be tended. I suppose that's fitting for this time of year - Sagittarius Season is about keeping the faith in darkness. Hence all the Festivals of Light that take place during this time of year. It's about having faith, even when the world around you is reflecting the opposite.
As we enter Capricorn Season this week, I'm formulating a plan for where I want to go in 2023. Because Jupiter in Aries is about action - it's time for the dreams you had during the Jupiter in Pisces era to become real. That's the hope, isn't it? That's why manifestation is so popular right now - we've all got big dreams but don't know how to make them real. The vibe during any Aries transit is "Just do it - Ready, Fire, Aim." So where are you aiming?
The lyrics of "Neptune", rather fittingly, describe where one often finds themselves on a spiritual journey. Spirituality is one of those things that Neptune rules, and it's influence over such things becomes especially powerful when its floating through Pisces. The singer is recognizing and accepting his flaws, acknowledging the hurt he's done to others and how others hurt has shaped him and his actions. The chorus echoes the line, "I want to love you but I don't know how." I think we've all been there. I'm not sure who he's speaking to - his lover, his parents, a stranger, his child - maybe he's speaking to all of them, in a way. The music itself is hopeful yet lonely, like he's reaching out but not expecting anything back (even though he desperately wants something....what that is, I couldn't tell you). It's a vibe I feel frequently, and it's likely only to get worse in 2023, when Saturn enters Pisces. Saturn won't just let us mope - no, we have to turn that pain and loneliness into art or some shit. I'm only half joking but 2023 is a year of massive astrological change, which (theoretically) could show up as major upheavals in society and in individual lives (depending on your natal chart). It should be fun...who doesn't like a little chaos with their coffee?
Finally, I highly recommend checking out Sleeping At Last's Astronomy playlist. These are songs he wrote inspired by various astronomical events that have happened over the last few years. They're beautiful - a few even made me cry. Specifically, June 30, 2018 and July 4, 2020 - the latter being written around the time of the Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn that was opposite my natal Sun. Having an eclipse on or near your birthday portends an impactful year in your life....and it was. I also learned the Earth's aphelion - or the farthest it is away from the Sun - always occurs on or around July 4. Which, astrologically speaking, gave me new insight into my life and purpose. Definitely a playlist for lovers of the stars.
"Neptune" Music Video
