Though Neptune can deliver ‘the Dream’ (with all the repercussions, both positive and negative, that can contain), it can also obscure the very thing we’re trying desperately to understand; worse, it can give us the illusion that we can see things perfectly clearly, both in its natal house placement and in the house through which it’s transiting. This is why long-term observation of the behavior of Neptune in one’s natal chart can be so important. With time, we get to know the Neptunian nature that is specific to us; we can anticipate our Neptune related weaknesses and also become adept at calling on its inherent strengths, things like spiritual knowledge and imaginative ability. What follows are a few likely focal points for each of the houses when Neptune is found there natally. Knowing how our natal Neptune functions means we will be able to single out and apply the most likely effects it’s having for us in transit.
With Neptune natally in the 1st house, it all relates back to who we are; if Neptune is conjunct the Ascendant (from either the 12th or the 1st), or aspects the natal Sun, Moon, or chart ruler (ruler of the Ascendant), the concepts represented by Neptune and how they figure in to the identity are very important. Neptune in transit, then, no matter what house it’s traveling through, will always in some way affect the image of the Self, and one’s personal behavior. For example, with natal Neptune in the 1st, and transiting Neptune in the 3rd, we may see feedback or experiences concerning our communications that change the way we see ourselves, as well as the way we interact with others. In the 2nd, Neptune can also center on the Self-image, but this time it’s channeled specifically through one’s feelings of Self-worth and personal assets. With our example of transiting Neptune in the 5th, we may see a romantic encounter that gives a false sense of worth and image (and this could feel either positive or negative, as in a relationship that makes one feel like a Prince, or that uses the Neptunian propensity for dissolution–”I feel like less than nothing!” The important thing is that the effect on the Self-image is illusory). A 3rd house natal Neptune makes communication a facet of every transiting Neptune effect–with it passing through the 6th, for instance, you may say everything right, or be misunderstood at every turn, all of it manifesting in the work situation. The same 3rd house Neptune might respond to an 8th house transit with the feeling that he or she is continually commenting on the partner’s assets, whether that’s the communication intent or not!
The natal 4th house Neptune will feel the sting either deep inside or within the family circle. If experiencing a transit through the 10th, this person will take the career and reputation related Neptune experiences as either an inherent part of themselves being reflected back by circumstances, or may see direct connections between these experiences and the family of origin (for instance, in encounters with a boss who is ‘exactly’ like one’s father). With the 5th we see the nature of illusion as native to romance, dealing with one’s creations, and in relationships involving one’s children. The transit through the 7th might convince us we’ve found the perfect blend of romantic and marriage partner, while the transit through the 9th might convince us that only the wider world can provide the ‘romance’ (in the largest sense) we seek. The natal 6th Neptunian generally has a tough time in the workaday world, not from any inadequacy, but from an innate otherworldliness; an experience of Neptune transiting the 8th might cause one to believe others are the ones pulling the ‘work strings,’ cause fantasies or delusion about the assets others are willing to share, or tie feelings of survival to co-operation, while Neptune through the 9th might finally prompt making those daily dreams a reality via travel or education, or could lead to running away from the real responsibility.
Neptune in the 7th causes a bit of a problem–a tendency to say, “Is that you or is it me?” can cause another kind of identity crisis. Add to this an 11th house transit and you may give up the dream, or go for it wholeheartedly; it all depends on whether you can claim the Neptune energies as your own. The 8th house natal Neptune may give an imagination that gets ‘carried away’ with morbidity or deep creativity that touches on the most mysterious parts of life; experience a transit through the 12th, and there’s the danger of losing oneself, either to commitment to a cause/ goal, or to a complete unmooring of the identity. In the 9th natal Neptune brings the Neptunian enthusiasms to others by sharing/ teaching; a transit of the 11th can prompt one to gather a group and dare the impossible, and a transit of the 1st can make everything Neptunian contacted in the world suddenly have a very personal meaning.
10th house natal Neptune makes one’s own public image or career goals hard to visualize, but a transit through the 2nd can ground enough to pin down the ideals and make them realities. The 11th house Neptune may cling to the group, only being liberated when transting Neptune hits the 1st. The 12th house Neptune is right at home; cosmic relating is the norm, but this is challenged with passage through the 4th–the family may demand the kind of allegiance and responsiveness previously reserved for the Universe!
In all these scenarios we can see the seeds of disruption, dissolution, and folly that lie just below the surface, ready to sprout once just the right Neptunian energy within us is touched; these same seeds can also be the starting point of great imagination, compassion, and spiritual awakening, and as well can be the essence of creativity and a flawless expression of who we are, Soul-deep.
