The Moon Wants You To Pay Attention To Your Dreams On Wednesday Night

This Wednesday night will see Americans nursing sunburns, packing up barbecue leftovers, and struggling to fall asleep amid the din of fireworks. But, this year's Fourth of July will also come with an introspective twist, one that places a premium on a good night's rest: The moon will be in Pisces, where Neptune's been hanging out since 2012. This movement will form an astrological aspect known as a conjunction, which refers to any two celestial bodies occupying the same sign. In the case of the moon and Neptune in Pisces, this conjunction suggests heightened emotions, excitable imaginations, and vivid dreams.

If you follow astrology casually, you probably already know a bit about the moon and its range of influence: It rules our thoughts and feelings, and its movements through the signs are believed to influence how we express ourselves.

Meanwhile, as one of the outer (and more distant) planets, Neptune's effects on our lives are much subtler — and of a far more mysterious nature. As the Astrotwins write, this far-off planet commands our dreams, sense of faith, fantasy lives, and the rest of our psyche. Think of Neptune as the planet of the subconscious.

Looked at separately, these are already two pretty powerful heavenly bodies when it comes to our emotions. But, when they're conjuncted and combining their respective energies in the same sign, their influence over our feelings and subconscious minds intensifies, increasing our sensitivity, empathy, and even intuition, writes astrologer Jamie King. Plus, they're mixing this emotional cocktail in Pisces, a water sign known for its introspective and compassionate leanings.

So, even though it's summertime and you probably aren't in the mood to deal with heavy feelings, the moon and Neptune may urge you to do just that on Wednesday. Be on the lookout for subtle hints about your emotional trajectory: Don't ignore the themes and images that appear in your dreams, as they could illuminate desires or fears you've been ignoring. Are your dreams populated by loving family members? Give your mom a call. Did you dream about taking a test you didn't study for? It could be time to tackle that massive project at work. And don't forget to listen to your instincts in your waking life, too — if something makes you feel uneasy or someone in your life seems upset, follow up on those gut feelings.

As you ride the waves of this conjunction, keep in mind that Neptune is retrograde until November. You're hosting a lot of internal activity right now, and it might be challenging to keep your emotions in check. Make sure you have an outlet like a trusted friend, journal, or tear-jerking movie to turn to when you want to let it all out. If it's any consolation, we'll all be under this lunar-cum-Neptunian spell, so hopefully we'll show each other a little extra patience this week, or until the moon moves into Aries on Friday. We could all use it, after all.