I've always been dissatisfied with explanations of the astrological Neptune in terms of it's higher personal development, and while I was reading a book on émile gallé and some other art nouveau artists, I suddenly realized that it was a fit for what the will of Neptune would be like in a person, in certain conditions.

A little background: Neptune will typically be described as a "higher octave of venus" or be described at incredible lengths as an archetype, similar to Poseidon, or an all consuming mother. Many authors go incredibly in depth at describing the complex qualities of Neptune in an individuals chart. Basically modern astrologers would say (accurately I think) that:

Neptune trine a planet is naturally easy, and strengthens the vision of the other planet
Neptune square a planet will bring confusion and diffusion to that planet
Neptune opposite a planet will be a challenge that can be overcome by the balance of the two planets
Neptune conjunct a planet diffuses the other planet, but infuses Neptune's qualities with the other planet's particular "flavor"

Of course the other planets, houses, signs, and the rest of the chart as a whole are very important factors when taking into consideration the way Neptune will influence an individual's horoscope... and life. Neptune typically comes from outside influences beyond an individual's control since it is an outer planet.

The issue I have had with modern explanations of Neptune is in the explanation of it's successful development, in particular ways. Specifically, Neptune is not described (by anyone I know, or have read of) as having a strong will. I define will as "The mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action"^1 Simply put, Neptune as a planet in a horoscope is not considered to create a "will", the way mars obviously would. Even other planets like Saturn would typically indicate a "will". However I now believe that I understand the nature of Neptune, and its will looks like art nouveau. Below I will explain further what I mean alongside images which I think serve as good examples.

The qualities I considered when choosing these images as characteristic of the "will" of Neptune are the following: strong boarders, dreamlike but defined and clear, artistic but often utilitarian, fantasy but fantasy which AUGMENTS reality instead of fantasy which REPLACES/DELUDES reality. Any astrologer who is not very Neptunian by nature (like me) may be frustrated by the incredible lack of clarity when dealing with people who have an emphasized Neptune, especially when connected to thinking, such as Neptune in the 3rd, 9th, or Neptune making aspect to Mercury, or Mercury/Sun in Pisces, or Sun/Mercury in the 12th in aspect to Neptune... the list goes on but likely you have run into these people.


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This Tiffany lamp is an excellent example of the "will" of a highly developed and individualized person. It is aquatic but it is not messy or unfocused. Instead it is clear. The boundaries are marked with heavy black, making for a dramatic effect. I suspect that although not very many people truly develop the "will" part of their Neptune, if they did it would be calm and feel like someone was impacting you with the spirit of art whenever they interacted with you.
(IMG:http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/images/wisteria_250.jpg)


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This architecture is very "real". You can feel the walls and floor. Neptune is not considered tangible. It is described as being smoke and mirrors and dream-like. An individual who is strongly Neptunian but evolves a "will", will look something like this. S/he will be powerful because that person would possess the spiritual qualities of a god. Pluto might be the traditional "will" but if Neptune is strong, and desires to be focused and have direction despite being dreamlike, then it would manifest in as tangible and powerfully moving substance as these walls.
(IMG:http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/images/horta_250.jpg)


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Poseidon is usually the example of the Neptune archetype, which is incredibly funny because the Neptune of astrology is nothing like the Greek "god" Poseidon, or the Roman "god" Neptune. Instead of trying to fit the Planet Neptune into one of the aforementioned gods, I suggest considering this image of Athena. Instead of focusing on the name, please consider the image. I won't describe the qualities you can clearly see, such as it being golden and dark, because they are so apparent, but I would rather emphasize the feeling this painting evoking in you. Can you imagine that woman vibrating into golden existence through sheer spiritual power? A strange, vague, nightmarish background lurks close by but instead of carefully looking at her surroundings she overwhelms the viewer with an incredibly impacting stare from above. She doesn't worry about the dark creatures darting in the background because she is at home with both dreams of ecstasy and the worst kinds of nightmares.
(IMG:http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/images/klimt_250.jpg)


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This vase possesses the above qualities with an aquatic theme.
(IMG:http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/images/zsolnay_250.jpg)



Hopefully I have been clear and accurate. This is mostly speculation based on a very limited understanding of art, and a little bit better understanding of astrology. I wrote this because I have unfortunately not found satisfactory information on the "will" of an individual with an incredibly highly evolved Neptunian nature (or spirit). Too often people think that the height of Neptune in an individual chart is someone who is dreamy and who feels good spiritually. All the outer planets are incredibly powerful (and Saturn is right up there too but not as elusive). But I think that there is a "will" to each of the outer planets. In comparison, Pluto is basically the definition of "will", and Uranus is typically associated with urges of individual freedom which seem to strongly serve the "will". Neptune, I argue, should also have a will. It would be too out of place for Neptune to simply manifest, at its most evolved, as artists, musicians, and spiritualists. Being an artist, musician, or spiritualist might be the result of being in-tune with the harmony of a well placed Neptune, but I do not think that being those things exemplifies the underlining and essential nature of Neptune in our earthy realm. Even the forces of Neptune are subject to being incarnated into this world in various ways.

I think that this explanation of Neptune would best fit someone who has Neptune in the first house, and is strongly aspected. The less emphasis that Neptune receives in a chart, the harder it may be for someone to evolve and embody this manifestation of a highly evolved, highly individualized Neptune. Earlier I gave examples of typical aspects of Neptune, here are some examples Neptune in the horoscope assuming that Neptune has been successfully individualized and evolved to a very high degree :

Neptune trine venus: This might indicate that this individual does not distinguish between his true soul, and his ego. Strong spiritual awareness would be present, as will the other aspects. There would be a danger of not furthering his natural spiritual abilities, but since they are already so evolved the astrologer might not feel the need to consciously develop these talents any further, for the present time.
Neptune square the moon, with the moon in Scorpio and Neptune in Leo. Moon in 1st house, Neptune in 9th: This individual might astral travel a lot. The moon would have an enormous impact on Neptune here, and both would be major points of emphasis. The individual would probably identify her spiritual powers as a tool (instead of being soul) and would see her nature as being strong and powerful, even though she may only identify with her conventional self. She would probably learn about her ability to develop spiritual talents because of hardship with conventional education prior to college.
Neptune in the first, in Gemini opposite Jupiter in Sagittarius: This person could easily be a magician who has "earned" her spiritual abilities through magic. She might have difficulty with balancing what is practical, but that issue would not dampen the talents that she has. She might be lured into using her spiritual abilities on other people, or might find her marriage partner through her spiritual group.
Neptune conjunct mars in the third: Instead of Neptune diffusing the martial energy into mental confusion and self doubt, Neptune would temporarily crystallize the powers of mars into a force that would be both defensive and offensive. Spiritual information would be easily accessible in this individual, and he or she would use their developed spiritual force to influence their surroundings.

I would like to end and summarize the above points with a quote by the landscape artist George Inness. He lived around the Art Nouveau time period.

^1: definition of "will" from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/will
^2: all images from: http://www.nga.gov/

This post has been edited by ☞Tomber☜: Jul 8 2012, 06:16 PM