Why do I think of them as stealthy sextiles with Neptune involved? This morning I had more or less targeted composing a SkyScraping. Upon getting up, I didn’t much feel it. So, I thought I’d sit back until inspiration hit me - any time in the next few days would be fine. Then, while looking at the chart of the day I noticed the upcoming sextile of Neptune to Pluto, now with both outer planets retrograde some three and a half degrees apart. Sure, that’s within the orb of influence - especially between planetary brothers (mythologically).
Then I got thinking about my generation of Pluto in Leo sextile Neptune in Libra. There was a heap of invention, discovery and refounding of basic beliefs. Creativity derived innovation and vision applied energetically and in earnest. Not all of it came out good, mind you, but a lot of it for the collective betterment and not all of the innovations were solely dedicated to the plutocratic bottom line.
The process of Neptune came to mind. Inspiration is subtle. When it comes, it is often but a whisper... an impulse... a thought. Without recognition, nothing happens from the Neptunian stimulation. Sometimes though, inspiration arrives from idle action (consider the ape pounding the bone in the opening of 2001 - A Space Odyssey), bending a paperclip, pondering the spinning of a ceiling fan. It’s whenever something pings the “pay attention” radar scope.
And then comes the guzinta factor. This thing you’re thinking right now goes into (guzinta) this next thought which fleshes the concept further. This new conceptualization lends itself to the next round of thought that enhances the initial mnemonic blip and kicks the development can down the road. And so on.
Realizing the ephemeral quality of my immediate thought pattern, I grabbed my trusty tattered ephemeris. The first exact Neptune sextile to Pluto in this next round of such aspects doesn’t occur until the second half of 2026 and does so with Neptune in Aries sextile Pluto in Aquarius. That’s not particularly useful to patterns in the next weeks.
Then I recalled that less than a month ago (18 June) Saturn sextiled Neptune, Capricorn to Pisces. He will do so again on 9 November. Cool, we’re still good. This is the “field of dreams” aspect - the engagement of Saturn and Neptune through any aspect possesses the agenda to manifest inspired creativity in the real world. The movie Field of Dreams came out with Saturn and Neptune conjunct: “If you build it, no matter how contrary to practical reality it may appear, people will come.” If you do nothing with your vision, squat happens. Okay, so there’s time to get cooking and serve up abundant dollops of manifestation within Saturn sextile Neptune.
Next year, Jupiter and Neptune sextile three times: 20 February, 27 July, 12 October. Not only do these dates, and the week or so around them represent times for downloading amazing creative thoughts that present opportunities for those aware of them to engage, it’s a time of subtle, yet powerful reconciliation of a core religious beliefs with spiritual inclinations. Real world beliefs contrasted with creativity proclivity and aspiration.
In the very first weeks of 2020, Saturn aligns with Pluto in Capricorn for the only conjunction of this cycle. Okay, so that means there’s only one shot at your manifestation to blow up the phone of the collective (un)consciousness... in this cycle, at least. So, strive to get the most out of it. Put on your “Get it done” skivvies... we are talking Pluto here.
Get what done? What you’re doing now and what you’re going to be doing within the next couple months. You have a plan, right? Well, even before that, do you have ideas? What are you working to develop? What’s blipping your radar? What commands your attention?
No worries, transits from Leo will quincunx both Neptune and Pluto, forming those peculiar yods that demand adjustment en route to perfect a most efficient track to dharmic destination given changing life conditions and environmental variables.
On 20 July, Mars in Leo forms an inconjunct to Neptune. Come 4 August, Mars does the same with Pluto, a planet with whom he shares sign territoriality and grooves with similar bass background. This suggests before the 20th it’s good to recalibrate your personal idea radar scope. If you’re not sitting on an accurate scope you won’t see the blip. If you’re present and see the blip, some level of cognizance is required to accept its appearance. You have until 4 August to recall any idea blips received in the past two weeks and form the conscious idea you’ll engage and then engage immediately.
The Sun comes into play 10 August with his quincunx Leo to Neptune in Pisces. Four days later on 14 August, the Sun moves to quincunx Pluto’s Capricorn occupancy. This is where it gets real. Realizing what you’ve got in front of you is imperative. See it. Feel it. Recognize it and recognize the role this thing plays in your life. Is it going to be huge? Good. Deal with its bigness. The bigger the better. Let it be magnificent. Allow profoundness to prevail. The more out of your personal control, the better.
This ongoing, long-lasting Neptune-Pluto sextile, albeit not exact, intends to offer a big picture result. Here’s the other thing: these distant planets take a while to move about. Their influence is similar. Think long term. Consider if your action is a patch or a significant redesign with long term application benefit. Think consequentially. This is a good thing, right? It will remain a good thing, right? Once it was believed that TV dinners with their additives and preservatives in aluminum trays were a real world improvement. Now prepackaged food is available in GMO free and vegan manifestations.
There’s not a lot of time for you to wrap around what challenges your sensibilities. The time is now to realize the value of what stands directly in your path. The day after (11 August) the Sun engages Neptune, Venus in virtual conjunction with the Sun, engages Neptune through the quincunx. Three days later, 14 August, Venus matches up with Pluto through an inconjunct. You want funding? Show the intrinsic value, demonstrate cost and return on investment factors. Act like you understand the real world and as if you know how to ground inspiration in the densest aspects of the material plane. Monetize the crap out of this. Of course, knowing now this is required then, maybe even though Mercury is retrograde, you might want to start those spreadsheets. What better time than Mercury reversed to research and discover suppliers, costs, and all that commerce stuff?
Predictably, Mercury next shows up. On 23 August the messenger quincunxes Neptune, the very next day (24 August), Pluto. Obviously, it’s time to get it out there. Sure there’s social media, podcasts and such, but Pluto is in Capricorn. Think traditionally. How about a well-written press release transmitted to the e-mails of all parties suspected to have actual interest in the results of your brilliance. How about getting out there and meeting people? One to one, personal engagement. There’s something about looking deep in the irises of the eyes of someone claiming to have the next “thing” that reveals the actuality of that thing.
By no means, should the end of August be considered the end of this Mars in Leo cycle. In fact, it’s merely seeding and initial cultivation in preparing the stage for what’s next that holds the vision of those subtle sextiles between gaseous giants and other planetary power players. Transits build upon transits in that oh so, guzinta manner. Before you know it, personal planets in Virgo oppose Neptune. This hopefully renders an objective, critical yet positive review of the efforts of the Mars in Leo “I got good stuff to get out there” campaign. This Virgo transit strategy creates a campaign of edit, enhance and evolve. The program starts with Venus in Virgo on 4 September in opposition to Neptune and continuing through Mars who brings up the rear on 13 September as he comes into his own Neptune opposition. Of course, following the opposition to Neptune, each of the inner planets moves to trine Pluto from Virgo. Mars in Virgo closes out this phase as he trines Pluto on 18 September.
What’s on your calendar for the next two months or so? Better yet, what are you up to in the next or so to pick the plums of inspiration from the canopy of consciousness above? There’s a symbolic harvest of creative fruit, some low hanging and ripe. Some to be picked in order to ripen. All of this is prep work for Saturn sextile Neptune and the following conjunction with Pluto. And prep work for the trinity of Jupiter sextiles to Pluto next year. Given subtle sextiles are oft overlooked in lieu of squares, on your mark...
More soon.