We recently had three planets in Gemini make their square to Neptune in Pisces. Venus was the first, then Mercury, and lastly the Sun. Each of these squares took place over the last week, and their energies have been flavoring the week. When we see planets squaring Neptune (or in any hard aspect), we tend to get blurred vision and see things through a distorted reality that is arguably better than the true reality of things. Neptune tends to offer us that first tipsy feeling we get after our first glass of wine on a warm summer night out with friends. We feel good in our bodies and operate with high hopes of happiness, success, love, etc. But this experience lacks a true, grounded understanding of the facts, and nine times out of ten, we find ourselves coming down off of this high with a reality that is much more bleak than we realized. We have only been seeing the reality we wanted to see and are, therefore, disappointed when things turn sour.
Having this astrological understanding and language to describe these time periods has been really helpful for me to enter situations and relationships with my guard up a bit more than I normally would. Understanding that I might be ‘under the influence’ if you will helps me overcorrect and be more discerning. With that understanding, I knew that this last week was a time where I needed to practice that level of discernment, especially when you consider that this week had three planets making contact with Neptune, not just one. All of that said, here is my Neptune story:
Last Monday, I received communication from a group that is widely known and respected (as far as I can tell) and spreads itself across different cities in the US under the mission of uplifting and empowering women. This group seemed so amazing at first, as I believe that female empowerment and connection are so important. Their business creates an opportunity for the women within the community to come together to learn from one another. They stand with the intention of uplifting small businesses that are female-owned and bring a level of help and empowerment to the community involved. This works as a benefit for the women who come together as the ‘consumers’ as well as the women who are there promoting themselves and their work. I loved the idea of getting involved within a space like this, and it worked out well for me as one of my goals this year is to get more involved within my community locally. All of this seemed like such an amazing opportunity, but knowing what I knew about the astrology of the week, I had my guard up (let’s be honest, that was also my Scorpio rising at work). I met with the woman in charge, and for most of the conversation, I felt so hopeful and excited to connect with such a wonderful organization. But, as I mentioned above, I quickly had this sobering realization that the company that I had talked up in my head was really just standing on the backs of these small businesses under the guise of helping them. It became quickly apparent that not only do the ‘consumers’ of this organization pay to receive the services and products from these small businesses, but that the businesses themselves also pay into the organization to be included in their events, named on their social media, and have access to their clientele. And, of course, the more active you want to be in this community, the more you pay. For me, this meant paying hundreds of dollars to be able to work an event for them, offering readings for free. I feel comfortable speaking for most small businesses here, BUT I won’t; I’ll only speak for myself. I have put in a lot of time, energy, money, and resources into studying astrology, and at this point in my astrological career, I respect my hard work enough to know that I deserve reciprocation for my education and knowledge. It is expensive to start a business, and I know that most businesses cost significantly more to start than I myself have invested. I quickly became engaged in the idea that this organization has become so widely known and successful by standing on the backs of hard-working women under the guise that they are uplifting and empowering them. It felt manipulative and gross, which can be a Neptunian effect as well. At this point, I sobered up, and I sobered up QUICKLY.
For me, it was important that I offer this feedback and express my feelings honestly, even though it wouldn’t change the entire structure of this organization. I felt that I needed to express these concerns and share my authentic feelings about the situation. But, it’s important to note that usually the ‘Neptunian’ person within the situation is typically pretty comfortable within their deceit, and it isn’t always helpful to communicate with them beyond setting a boundary or closing the door. If you find yourself processing a similar situation in your life this week, I encourage you to do what feels best to you. Sometimes it is safest just to exit the situation in the quietest way possible, but sometimes it’s empowering to communicate what you need and feel you deserve. These energies will find themselves lingering over the next few days, and you might find that you don’t have total clarity until next week or so. Be patient with yourself and honest about the current state of affairs. Let yourself take your rose-colored glasses off and see the situation clearly.
Stay safe out there, kids!
Xoxo,
Lauren
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