The End of Neptune Retrograde Dials Up Your Intuition

Think back to this past June. Booksmart was in theatres. Taylor Swift had just dropped the music video for “You Need To Calm Down”. The first Democratic presidential primary debate aired. And Neptune went retrograde on June 21. 

Since then, Neptune has appeared to move backwards in its orbit, as we see it from our position on Earth. Now, five months later, Neptune will finally move direct starting on November 27.

In astrology, the eighth planet from the sun is thought to rule our dreams, imagination, and spirituality. But when the planets further from the sun appear to move backwards in the sky, they affect us more subtly than, for example, the notorious Mercury retrograde. Neptune retrogrades once a year for a full 150 days, compared to Mercury, which retrogrades for just three weeks, three times a year. And while Mercury retrograde is characterised by flight delays, broken phones, and DMs from your ex, the past several months have brought us a sense of deception.

“Prepare to feel the effects of gaslighting from others and self-deception, which can lead to emotional upsets. Others may try to shift the blame and attention on to us instead of accepting accountability. We may even do it to ourselves too. It may be hard to access the truth,” astrologer Lisa Stardust warned us at the time.

When Neptune is direct, Stardust says, we’ll be able to connect with our dreams more easily. “During Neptune retrograde, we all felt unsure in decisions and reality,” she tells Refinery29. “Now that Neptune has turned direct in elusive Pisces, we are reconnecting with our dreams and visions.”

However, that doesn’t mean you can expect complete clarity. “When Neptune was backstroking, it allowed us to see situations and others with more practicality than before. Now that Neptune is turning direct, we will start to feel confused and lost at sea again,” Stardust says. “Think of the direct motion of Neptune as the lights going dim during a long night at Studio 54. We can’t see clearly in the fog — everything looks glamorous and divine but it’s not.”

To combat this daze, play close attention to your inner self. “It’s up to us to suss matters out by using our intuition,” Stardust says. “And make note of any visions or dreams at this time because they can elevate our innovation.” In other words, this might be a good time to begin keeping a dream journal — and making a vision board can’t hurt, either.