Saturn-Neptune Conjunction
As I write this in April 2025, Saturn continues to approach Neptune, and I discuss this at length in my latest rising sign horoscopes. This conjunction occurs about every 36 years, and is strongest for about 2 years, depending on your definition. Saturn and Neptune together represent themes of:
what is real, fake, or imaginary,
boundaries or porosity,
clarity and confusion,
rationality and spirituality,
doubt and faith,
Saturn and Neptune are two very different archetypal energies coming together, reflecting these themes in specific areas of our lives between now and mid-2026. See what specific life topics may be affected for you in my latest rising sign horoscopes.
Saturn and Neptune in the Past
The last time this conjunction occurred was 1989, and before that, 1952-53. In the early 50s, we were in the post-WWII era and still enduring McCarthyism (accusations without regard to evidence). In 1989, the end of the cold war that would lead to dissolving of a big wall. Neptune dissolved Saturn’s influence.
The 1980s also included Reagan’s criminalization of crack cocaine, which deeply harmed the Black community under distorted accusations, compared to the criminalization of regular cocaine that was more often used by white people. We see one combination of Neptune and Saturn in the form of boundless accusations and enforcement of authority, or authority being used in deceptive or fabricated ways.
Also in the late 80s, the united states government and Big fossil fuel were intentionally obscuring the evidence of damage of fossil fuels on the environment. Climate science deniers repeating ad naseam that we ‘just don’t have strong enough evidence, we just don’t know enough to invest in change.’ Manufactured uncertainty used to delay change. Deception about the evidence we had at that time. Saturn rejection over a perceived lack of clarity. Over 30 years later, and we’re in many of these same battles.
Saturn and Neptune in 2025-2026
Over the last year, we’ve already been seeing the reflection of this Saturn-Neptune conjunction in the rise of images, videos, and art created with AI, making it difficult and confusing to know what’s real and not real.
The increasing erosion of societal agreement on what constitutes a fact.
Similar to the baseless accusations of the early 1950s, we're seeing it more loudly again in 2025, with people being detained and imprisoned without due process, causing international outcry. I think it’s worth mentioning the nuance that especially marginalized and oppressed populations in the united states have been wrongfully imprisoned without due process in the form of bail, and often times not being able to pay bail, for hundreds of years now. Also, imprisonment under the guise of forced mental health institutionalization. However, we are currently in a peaking of these unfortunate themes again after another three decades. Please check out https://www.bailproject.org and continue calling your senators demanding release of imprisoned people.
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More and more news reporters are using the word ‘uncertainty’ as of April 2025, to the point where it’s excessive, and yet completely appropriate.
There is an excessive and increasing amout of Uncertainty, and this will continue as long as Neptune is near Saturn, which peaks in intensity June, July, and August 2025, and finally on February 20th 2026. Then, the above themes of this transit will slowly begin to wane, with less and less uncertainty and confusion as we make our way through 2026.
What’s Difficult About Neptune
Let’s all be clear that uncertainty doesn’t feel good. It feels neutral-to-bad. Our brains stop providing calming neurohormones when we are uncertain or confused. So part of getting through this transit is tolerating and caring for the discomfort of uncertainty. And this is no small matter for many people, depending on the thing we are uncertain about, the amount of fear and stress resulting in emotional, mental, and physical distress can be incapacitating. And this is a natural response in many situations. Unclear living situations, uncertainty around legal protections, employment, the safety of loved ones or yourself, waiting on life altering health diagnoses or results. All to say, uncertainty is a big deal and I want to validate that for those who are struggling with heavy problems right now and over the next year.
In my rising sign horoscopes, I mention some ways to think about the fog of Neptune. One way is that if there is confusion and yet your response is needed, try to focus on the next most helpful action to take, or inaction to take. Sometimes it’s taking a breath. Eating. Sometimes it’s finding a form, or making a call. And we may not know the next three or four steps, but we may know the next one or two. When walking in the fog, we walk carefully, a step or two at a time. Similarly, with specific life areas affected by Neptune, this may have to be how we operate until approximately mid-2026.
Whatever becomes clear on the other side of this Saturn-Neptune conjunction in mid to late 2026, good, bad, or ugly, it’s always better to see clearly and to know, than to have dust in our eyes.
What’s Supportive About Neptune
It would be fair to say, and I do get into this more in my related video, but Neptune can also represent archetypes that are supportive, like imagination, faith, interconnectedness, acceptance, connection with spirit or spirituality. Neptune is creativity fuel in the way it reduces separations between things. They will bring these themes as well to the places and planets Neptune interact with.
Saturn and Neptune will come together in ways that are constructive, like making the imagined a reality. Spiritual discipline, or even creating a structure or container in which to do spiritual, creative, or advocacy work. At the same time, Neptune will make it harder for Saturn to maintain healthy boundaries. In some ways, this advances spiritual insight, through dissolving the separation between self and other. In other ways, health boundaries in regular life become harder to maintain (in the name of stability and sustainability).
Contrary to the possibilities of confusion mentioned above, there’s another possibility when we see Saturn and Neptune together: Saturn can help with disillusionment, which here I define favorably and Buddhistly as the removal of illusions (a good thing!). Most people don’t enjoy the process, and I’ve been there, but better to see clearly. Grieve what we thought was real or hoped for, grieve the illusion, in order to be able to move on. Difficult but fruitful work under these skies.
DATES OF INTEREST
Rough periods of time, mapping out the Saturn-Neptune Conjunction:
Conjunct within ~10 degree orb
June 2024 (then Saturn stationed Retrograde and backed away)
January 2025 through March 2027
Conjunct within ~3 degree orb
May 2025 to April 2026
Within 1 degree orb
June 2025 - August 2025
February 2026
Perfects
February 20th 2026
Even if you don’t know your rising sign, listen to the 40-minute intro where I provide more ways to frame this transit, as well as some guidance regarding navigation.
If you’d like to work with your own birth chart regarding the Saturn-Neptune Conjunction in a session with me, use the code THANKYOU10 at check out for 10% off any of my services. I also have a sliding scale if price is an obstacle: see if you qualify here!
Thanks for reading and best of luck!
(Thumbnail photo of ice is by me)