“People who are grabbed and taken away by the red shoes always initially feel that whatever substance is that they are addicted to is a tremendous saviour in one sense or another.
Sometimes it gives a sense of fantastic power, or a false sense that they have the energy stay awake all night, create until dawn, go without eating. Or perhaps it allows them to sleep without fearing demons, or calms their nerve, or helps them not care so deeply about all the things they care so deeply about, or maybe it helps them not want to love and be loved anymore.
However, in the end, it only creates, as we see in the tale, a blurred background whirling by so fast that no real life is truly being lived. Addiction is a deranged Baba Yaga who eats up lost children and drops them off at the executioner’s door.”
Clarissa Pinkola Estes – from The Red Shoes – On Torment & The Recovery of Soul Life
The sad passing of Amy Winehouse has made many of us think more about addictions and the lure of Neptunian substances.
The North Node aligned with her Ascendant square her Sun-Mercury in the 5th house reflect her superb, singular talent. She had Jupiter with Uranus in her 6th house/Saggo, suggesting raw, reckless drive and professionalism.
Then of course, there was Neptune – aligned with her Moon, on the South Node, squaring her Sun/Mercury and opposite her Ascendant. The shamanic planet was muse and nemesis in this case.
The astrological Neptune represents the desire for transcendence and glamor, utopian beauty and intimacy. You may merge with Neptune in all manner of ways (dreamscape, music, meditation) but Neptunian substances offer a quicker route… albeit with a more slippery comedown and/or a degree of psychic danger
Neptune morphs back into the late degrees of Aquarius in just a few days but consider the Neptune in Pisces season that has been April till early August as a premonition.
Interesting that Neptune in Pisces began with the passing of Elizabeth Taylor – a highly Neptunian diva with her own well-documented battle with booze & other substances – and A.W went just last week.
What did April to August delliver in the way of nebulous insights, ghosts, and spiritual realisations?
Practically everyone I know has had a spike in Neptune activity since April and are currently vowing to find more healthful ways of raising their consciousness. So many peeps have been getting on it but are literally considering going straight edge.
The Neptune In Pisces era should see some wild polarity in this regard.
Thoughts?
Image: Cyd Hayman – Percy
Interesting read : both post and comments.
I have Neptune in Scorpio 9th house. Pisces Rising , also with Chiron in Pisces 29 degrees.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
unreal to read this… just got the news yesterday of the death of my daughters father due to (probable overdose)..had a long battle with his addictions and turning 44in a coupla weeks..must look up my neptune placement and try and figure it all out… me also have battled with the addictions but strangely have opted to stay”straight edge” thru this one..’tis all so sickening..enough to put me (and my darling daughter) off the escapisms ..I hope
With Neptune coming back home to Pisces (which I am totally) I really feel that at the age of 52 my life is finally starting. I have been naturally falling into the life and person I was put on this earth to be! Very exciting times ahead!!! I really feel that this will bring about some major healing to this crazy ol’ world! Think positive, and that is what you’ll find!
Peace
I have neptune on my sun and a pisces moon. Neptune in Pisces for me has had me completely sober, no nail polish, no peroxide and vegetarian. Also the most intense feeling of peace. I hope it comes back soon!
Er … total spike in Neptunian activities beginning around April, in particular indulgent but deliberate/therapeutic use of powder, combo with friend/guru/spiritual advisor 8-hour x 3-day weekly conversations. Decided to let myself try it out whenever/whereever/as much as I wanted. Think the understanding I gleaned of how seratonin works and what it does for me is quite significant. Also worked as emotional anaesthetic, good way to explore painful past. Did go slightly into debt as result of peak month, June/July, but also got to a point of being tired of it, so total decline in use over past two weeks, though still regular.
Neptune tight conjunct Moon, more loosely trine Sun.
As I make it out, this is an intense but friendly astral combo. Have had friends say they can’t party with me as they’d become addicted. I have a history of delving into substances so hard it looks like it’s taking over my life, but then it goes away again, to zero. So: 3-year chronic binge immediately before&after divorce, always high if not working, now never crave it, never use it, don’t like it if I take a puff out of social politeness. After that: six-month monthly heavy-dose spiritual mushroom quest combined with weekly mushroom “social dose”, now a once-a-year-ish treat.
I don’t think I could recommend this general process to everyone, but it seems to be working for me.
I’m glad to see Neptune in Pisces! Neptune in Aquarius was not so nice to me at times.
I so agree with you Rache . Personally I can’t wait until Neptune glides back into Pisces (her) natural home. I’m feeling adrift with Neptune back into my 12th …
Neptune slipping back into Aqua (12th house) has cooincided with epic dreaming again. The type that if all that happened were real, i’d need a holiday to get over the dream. They also seem to meld into real life, so much so, that I phoned my ex over something about my son in a dream, i was completly convinced it was real life. And last night I spoke to French Kataka on the phone (he is in Paris), and my dreaming including him being here had me thinking he was this morning. Always questing in these dreams, sometimes losing my son then finding him again. The journeys though are epic, exhausting. Sometimes feel like Im paralyzed, trapped in a dream awake. wtf!
I have Pisces on both my 7th and 8th house cusps (got some interception and repetition going on in my chart), and I think this Neptune in Pisces era is going to revolutionize how I relate to significant other people in my life. I hope it will blend nicely with Pluto opposing my Sun (if a Pluto transit like that could be called nice!) I’m already becoming much more aware of how people around me are feeling, and I’m having lots more revelatory dreams about them too. I feel like I’m becoming linked with my loved ones and potential loved ones in a new way.
So thankful for Saturn transiting my 11th, 12th, and 1st houses during the past decade, because it taught me how to be an independent person. I’ve spent a lot of that time very strictly defining my boundaries so it feels strange but good to suddenly shift into transcending those boundaries when I least expect it.
I’ll give you some of what I’ve got (whatever that is), as bought first bottle of wine in ages last night to celebrate first year in biz, only to find that as soon as I sipped it, instantly felt ill. Tipped the glass down the sink. Seem to be on the straight-and-narrow because my body won’t tolerate anything else at present.
Good luck! And happy liver!!
Ah, my last addiction is caffeine… I have blown off all the others. Its very interesting being so straight. I am using meditation and tarot to explore alternative consciousnesses.
I am also gearing myself up to quite the caffeine – but not easy when Mr Squeaky gets up at 5 am. I went without my usual drip of espressos the day before yesterday due to a scheduled power outage and had a caffeine headache by 2pm. Bit of a wake-up call….
And Neptuney-psychic-y stuff ? Was looking at all my decks yesterday and suddenly realised that I am just. not. psychic. and reading tarot until I am blue in the face is not going to make me psychic. I know sooo much about it, but just have no talent myself *sigh* I think that my place here may be to guide others.
I’ve been reading up on psychic symbolism and also sensory modalities, and while I have had some interesting experiences, and interesting dreams, these experiences and dreams are of absolutely no use to me if I cannot interpret them.
I am very aware (and more so since beginning meditation), but that gut intuition of what is all actually “means” is missing – I can observe, but not interpret. I’ve gone through my tarot journal and gone “Ooh, THAT’S what that meant” – but have got it completely wrong at the time. Its like Nostradamus – its no bloody use in hindsight !
As for clairvoyance, clairaudience etc – not a dicky bird. I can feel auras if I concentrate very hard, but then, everyone can, and I certainly can’t sense disturbances, illness or issues. I can send energy through my palm chakras, but once again, no information is involved and I have never healed anyone, to the best of my knowledge, although I’ve tried.
My natal Neptune is in my Fourth house and is just on the cusp of transiting into my 5th house, whatever the hell that means….
I have Neptune in my 7th house at 15 deg scorpio. And it’s opposing Jupiter in my 1st house (13 deg taurus).
Is this why I feel I have a wild crazy side but balanced with an extremely sane and sensible grounded side, which prevents me from going too far towards excess?
Yes the past month has seen a lot of partying and alcohol (my drug of choice) for me. It would be good to cut down for a while… I think I use it well, mainly avoid hangovers and just have a lot of fun (and make peeps around me laugh a lot).
Have also been feeling quite psychic and like I can actually hear what other people are thinking. Interesting.
Can’t handle drug use/alcohol abuse in myself or others. My father used them for decades – you’re not enlightened & spiritual, you’re an abusive addict.
SP: so true “addictions have a life all their own” such a great way to get at the power they have–and the momentum.
That passage lured me back to a place I assumed I would dwell in until the day it all just stopped. Expressed so scarily acurately. Survival I fear was only due only to destiny and the tireless intervention of my guides to ensure this occurred.
SO true Mystic that connection thing, that Neptunian portal.
So yes I survived but I carry the energetic memory of those choices and seek to see them as a path to wisdom.
I now have my connection to the never worlds only now I dwell in the energy of light not in the energy of darkness. I hope that I know serve as a example of a different perspective to those I knew that still dance a little in the darker shadows of the Neptunian vibes.
Neptune in Scorpio in the eighth house, trine Chiron, sextile Pluto and Venus.
Had a dream last night in which I felt something in my body that was uncomfortable. I went to the bathroom, stood in front of the mirror, opened my mouth and began to pull out a very long string which was both thick and illuminated. I finished with one and pulled out one more. The string was glowing. I’ve been actively trying to change the way I relate to people-especially in how I talk to them so that might have something to do with it.. Or literally pulling out my own light source (I hope not)? Not sure what the meaning is but felt Neptunian and/or pyschic for sure.
Love Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ writing.
Raised tolerance for alcohol slightly and like cigars. Tipsy is okay for me but drunk makes me feel awful, disgusting, and stripped.
Hung on to fantasies too long in a certain area because afraid of the work I have to do. (and there’s work) This period also made me more fun, joyous, so ya, Neptune in Pisces. Going to use Aquarius Neptune to regroup and organize and going back into Pisces Neptune wearing vintage sunglasses and a big smile.
i’ve never been this straight. no wonder I’m bored
*woof whistle* sweeeeet gravatar Ms.
it’s appropriate for this merc retro. My tongue is so sharp atm I will take the next head off who says anything remotely condescending or “advice” orientated
oh calm down sweetie…*head drops on lap*
hiss purrr hisss
Neptune in my 8th house squares my Saturn and Mars; trines my Pisces Ascendant & Venus & Chiron; sextiles my Pluto. Asteroid 2063 Bacchus is also opposite my Moon and conjunct my Venus. I am hyper-sensitive to the effects of alcohol and drugs. Some common drugs are highly toxic for me. Therefore I am wary of all and enjoy in light moderation and only when safe. I pray that I am never unconscious and at the mercy of inexperienced docs. It is my parents, aunts and uncles who were and continue to be the substance abusers.
never felt inclined to take drugs and don’t need to drink alcohol though I will for fun like everybody else. i’ve always felt pretty psychic though and it has definitely heightened this year. way too many spooky occurrences, which both creeps me out and amazes me.
Having woken at 4am last Saturday night with a virus – streaming cold, fever, coughing, total snot fest, I took some Chinese herbal Gan Mao Ling and went back to bed under the doona. Even though I live in the tropics I woke up chilled but later in the afternoon remembered my unopened duty-free Grand-Marnier. a couple of 1/2 tumblers of that sipped slowly, over the next 24 hours and the virus was gone – exactly what the Dr (old school) would have ordered. I was reminded of the valuable medicinal nature of brandy and thanked the universe for its invention.
Lia that is so funny. My Nanna (died 20 years ago) kept a small bottle of brandy in her pantry and would take a dash in water “for medicinal purposes”… if she was feeling a bit funny. I do the same. It’s really funny as in general she strongly disapproved of women drinking any alcohol! A very conservative, sensible woman.
I thought you said “The Neptune In Pisces era is going to see some wild _poetry_ in this regard.”
I would love to see some wild poetry!
moreover, I would love to WRITE some wild poetry.
*starts now*
me too LS. i’ve gone off the hooch big time for the same reasons. however after a frustrating day at work i’ve had a bit of the sav blanc. not good to fall so easily. No excuses no prisoners it should be.
i’ve had a rough year so plenty of hooch but fortifying my intentions and strength slowly. its 2 steps forward 1 step back and thats ok. I’m on a 6mth saturn diet and gong gentle gentle on myself and others,
Perhaps i myself am just a premonition of the self i’m becoming..?
This is so timely! Once again you are not only in my head but in the head of those around me.
And yes I have been aware of this Neptune cusp in that it feels like a doorway, but a very confusing doorway like something from Alice in Wonderland.
no no no… i have just automatically stopped my last addiction, tobacco. Its such a fuqer of a substance. I say no, because, I say no to all other addictive substances including people, places, spaces, etc. But I like the haute neptune stuff and this is what neptune has become for me.
right… my post sounds so weird on reflection… do not worry… just recovering from being very sick, and have myopic thought processes… best not to communicate mostly at the moment.
i have a nasty neptune square my mars. Yes i am an addict. But i only take weed and i eat it not smoke. But my life is a series of bad neptune relationships and having pot hangovers. Will i get over it? Not an easy ride.
Squares always challenge, it doesn’t have to be nasty. Change the associations and its easier. You become what you mix with. Any addiction is only 48 hrs in the body once left alone, the rest is the grief of leaving all those associations. It can be as simple as turning your head slightly the other way. x
I have Neptune Square Mars also. Luckily, I am not a drug addict. I experimented with a few LSD, X, pot but nothing more than that. Alcohol is easier social crutch for me. But, I get intoxicated far too quickly now, working on that issue.
It does seem to be a challenging aspect though, doesn’t it? I like to use music and art as a drug now. No hangovers.
that is cool Shula!
I have to assume that all this Neptunian action is bringing about exceedingly heightened psychic activity. I’ve been seeing stuff all over the place.
l have natal Neptune (4th) opposing Sun l did drugs when Neptune was transitting my 5th house, lot’s of them..it was nice but not for me. Now with Neptune transitting the 6th ((how nice!!) for a long while it got me uber interested in tai-chi, Tao, it made me :super body sensitive and oh well my prgressed moon will ingress Pisces very soon in the 6th …dubble the trouble l guess.
l’m not at all ok with virgo/the 6th especially not with Neptune there! l can’t wait for it to move on!
This picture above is how l feel lately like l’m drawning in emotions not COOL! it’s like this cold, wet blanket that falls over me, l’m trying hard to get used to this new vibe…l HOPE Neptune Pisces will help creativity.
Neptune in Pisces will sqaure my sun as well.
Drugs no, l feel it wont be good for me to indulge in drugs/alcohol l might not be able to handle it right plus l feel the effect could be disturbing with my body being uber Neptunized as it is already! But yes still looking forward to Neptune in Pisces!
Yes, I have also triffled with drugs (!), but honoured their power concurrently. “Set and setting” or whatever Leary used to say, was the mantra. Good people, good locations & back-up locations, chupa-chups on hand…
(Had a bit of shuffle this morning to some trance – been ages – the 8 year old niece looked like I had grown three sets of ears!!)
This has been exactly as you say MM, a totally Neptunian period in my life, from late March till now, involving no substance other than energy – mine, my friend’s and teacher’s and a $hit load of crystal’s.
Neptune opp my natal Mars currently, it’s like the hallucinatory feeling of weakness when you are on the mend from profound illness.
I have natal neptune in scorp in my 5th, sextiling pluto, trining mars…so although enjoying my drugs have never allowed myself to go past the tipping point. I would have to say that I have had a good experience, fun, awe, never heavy, and have grown as a person from their use. I ritualise them in a way and honor their power.
They are triffled with or abused at great risk. Between april and august ? well, the desire has been there but not the time or required ‘elements’ to partake.