I am sitting here in Redington Beach, Florida with the sound of the surf lapping against the shore in the background. The Sun in Pisces is just cresting across the Midheaven, what we would think of in layman's terms as 'high noon'. It is an overcast day, and there are a few who are walking along the edge of the waves, but the shoreline is largely deserted. It is the fourth day of a five day annual fast, and the mood is decidedly contemplative.

All of these themes derive from the nature of Neptune, natural ruler of Pisces and the 12th house. As we have covered so often before, this is the sign of the subconscious. This single term is a trapdoor leading to many of the magical mysteries which this Lord of the Wine Dark Sea unlocks. It is our sleep and our dreams, and speaks to us in ways that are often difficult to put your finger on. It works in metaphor, through symbolism, or while you are asleep. It is a sidelong glance, or the wisp of a memory which you're not quite sure was something which you experienced, or not.

      Employing this new vibration at the beginning of the Age of Pisces, Jesus spoke in metaphor and symbolism, as do dreams. Our subconscious is the springboard to spirit, the realm through which we pray, meditate, or simply take a vacation. It is a break from what you normally focus on, or what you are 'conscious' of. Indeed, it is the portal through which we pass as we cross into the spirit world. Did you imagine you just connected with a deceased loved one, or was it real?

      When hard aspects are either made from Neptune by transit or progression, or to natal Neptune in your chart, whatever you have pushed aside out of consciousness, what has been denied, ignored or forgotten, can come bubbling back to the surface as your subconscious sponge is squeezed. Interpreting Neptune transits in the charts can be tough, because it all depends on what one has pushed aside and refused to deal with. The point of these alignments is that they are flushed back into consciousness so we can take a second look at them, so we can bring them to closure and complete the cycle in order that they need not be brought up again. One of the problems with Neptune transits (it is a highly emotional energy, ruled by the water sign Pisces) is that it was uncomfortable when we first dealt with it. Now these same issues have been sitting in our 'basement', and when they are re-flushed they are generally dank, moldy and musty and have a bit of a metaphorical odor to them which was not there when they were first swept aside. We don't wanna.

This week we will leave Pisces behind as the Sun crosses the Vernal Equinox and we enter Spring. As the light begins to overtake the darkness in the northern hemisphere, the mists of our dreams and memories fades into the action of effort. Vitality returns and it is time to renew life in all its splendor. The blood is stirred under the sign ruled by the red planet Mars, and we are excited. Pisces is the sign during which we pass through Lent, where we go within to reestablish our relationship with spirit, reflect on how we can live our lives better, and try to strategize our new approach to life. With Aries, the period of contemplation is over, like waking up from a dream, and it is time to put those perspectives into gear and make it happen.