Neptune has been in the sign of Aquarius since 1998. During that time, we saw movie technology become much more accessible, and video sharing became the standard in which many of us get our entertainment. It is said the Internet is the great equalizer. Neptune in Aquarius took it a step further, and allowed anyone to have equal airtime online. This period also brought about many people who escaped into technology, creating virtual realities to live in.

Neptune will enter Pisces in the spring and through the summer of 2011 for a brief mid-year taste of his presence in that sign. Next year he begins a longer stay in Pisces until 2026. This year, we get a brief glimpse into how the Mayan prediction of a new phase of humanity will unfold. Recent guest on Episode 3 of my online show “Nadiya Shah Productions”, Julie Simmons articulated the celestial omens the Mayans said would herald in the new phase have already happened. However, Neptune’s move into Pisces will make our new age undeniable.

The sky suggests we enter a phase similar to the beginning of the renaissance. An interest in esoteric and alternative arts will flourish, along with all forms of art, music, and poetry. However, a more dramatic redefinition has been predicted. One popular hypothesis states we will be visited by aliens, causing us to move beyond defining ourselves by nationality, which will lead to a new unity among all of us on Earth. Whatever occurs will be part of the new spiritual paradigm we will usher in more fully at the end of 2012.

When Neptune changes signs, it’s not just about what’s coming, but more significantly, how what has been changes. Neptune leaving a sector of the sky is felt more acutely than the sector of the sky he enters. This is Neptune we are talking about. Few things are certain with him. The planet ruling mist, fog and mysticism does bring a spiritual infusion into the area of the sky he touches. But the thing with mysticism is, it’s so personal and ultimately uncertain, that we can never be quite sure whether what we feel is good, bad, or if we are feeling it at all. When he leaves a sign, the clarity in at least one area of life is notable.

With Neptune working harmoniously with Pluto in compatible signs, it’s likely we are able to find comfort within the fog. Neptune rules sensitivity, and we will find ways to channel our sensitivities to our advantage. With Pluto in Capricorn, the sign of the economy and other government and social structures, chances are, even with the challenges that Uranus in Aries encourages, we are more likely to see the ideal in what is and attempt to find ways to work with established structures.

Spirituality isn’t simply about the rejection of materialism. It’s about understanding materialism as part of the earthly experience, thereby keeping it in its rightful place, one not taking precedence over the other. With Pluto showing us the dark side of materialism in Capricorn, the caution with Neptune in Pisces is that we may think we have to choose one over the other. While these planets are in harmony, chances are good we are not likely to get carried too far in either direction. We will work to keep ourselves connected to both the physical aspects of living in the world with the inspiration needed to make life meaningful.

Neptune is the god of the seas, and like the water, can be hard to pin down, changeable, can come on with strong tidal waves and rush out just as fast. The representation of our changing emotions symbolizes the lack of stability in the area of life he touches. While he certainly infuses a spiritual understanding and a deep faith, it feels hard to explain. Along with inspiration can come over sensitivity.

You can’t talk about Neptune in Pisces without mentioning that it’s coming home, both planet and sign representing an experience of the divine that is highly personal. This was the vibration we had with the rise of theosophy, which blended eastern religions with western mysticism, creating new, highly personal forms of religion and ushered in the New Age movement, based on values of self-trust and inner authority as above any external, institutionalized hierarchy. New forms of hypnosis therapies and other “mind over matter” modalities should present themselves or at the very least, regain popularity. Like the sea, there is a “recycling” quality, as the waters of the oceans are billions of years old. The new healing and spiritual ideas will affirm their validity in older ideas.

Neptune was known to the Ancient Greeks as Asclepius, who served as patron of doctors and hospitals. We can also expect a return to conversations around pain management, especially in terminal illness, as well as a renewed debate on euthanasia. New, more potent pain management drugs should emerge under this cycle. We are also likely to see new, more potent forms of designer drugs, both legal and otherwise, providing an escapist experience.We will be asked to take a more compassionate approach when addressing the needs of those nearing the end of their lives.  We can also expect hospitals to become more mindful of the environment they create. This trend is further emphasized by Chiron, the Wounded Healer, dancing with Neptune in Pisces. Holistic models to treat those with addictions issues will also become part of our cultural ethos.

3D technology should go through new depths of virtual realities, with a movies being sold as a ticket to escapism more assertively than ever. Movies will become a step into another world, allowing us to leave the mundane behind, with technological help. Television will increasingly become a 3D experience, with greater availability of cheaper home theatre systems that take the whole viewing experience in mind. Virtual concepts of holograms and touch screens will become a greater part of our entertainment experience. Gaming technology will also grow to emphasize virtual worlds and escapist offerings. Uranus through Pisces from 2003-2011 made the technology possible. Now, Neptune will ensure it is implemented to its maximum effects.

Slavery based on race in the United States of America was abolished with Neptune in Pisces, with Neptune dissolving what it touches in the sign that rules slavery, both external and self-imposed forms. This latest visit of Neptune coming home should bring the next step to freedom, helping us to see where we have been enslaved in our own lives and where we can take inspired action to set ourselves free. With Uranus close by in the sign of the individual, it may be up to ourselves to do the personal work of liberty, by choosing to live our individual lives in close proximity to our ideals, decided by our personal spiritual experiences.

Here’s the horoscope for how Neptune’s change into the sign of Pisces will speak to you in your sign:

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your friendships may not have been clear. You relied on people to help you move towards the big dream. Sometimes they came through for you, but too often, they disappointed you. All the while, maintaining connections felt like an important endeavor.

You now begin a process of taking your faith and your dreams out of others hands and directing your attention to more spiritual sources. Your friendships will come to a new clarity as you decide who is truly with you and where you are ready to say goodbye. When you have faith in a higher hand and take time to develop that connection, you become less attached to mere mortals.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your focus has largely been on your career, but your direction may not have always been obvious. The only thing you were certain of was that there had to be a better way to make your mark. Now, as Neptune changes signs, you should find your footing. Progress and a plan forward become easier to grasp.

Your friends hold the keys to making your dreams come true. You might seek new alliances with organizations based on your newfound spiritual interests. You come to see how all the people in your life are part of soul contracts, whose ultimate function is to lead you back to yourself.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You have spent many years questioning the value of faith guided by an institution versus going it alone. All the while, you likely found a place where you could find camaraderie, in the midst of deep support or disillusionment.

Now, your more fervent stance eases so you can begin carrying all you have learned in the practice of faith into your career. You’re finding yourself with a strong desire to create a legacy that is in some way divinely inspired. Maybe it will not always be clear on what that will be, but your intention to merge love, beauty, and inspiration into your goals ensures your faith will be rewarded.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Many people of your sign took quickly to practices that fall within the “Law of attraction” heading. You sought new ways to tap into your power to manifest the things you desired. Sometimes it worked, and other times, it left you more confused than you were before. When things didn’t work out as you had intended, you may have blamed yourself. Leaving little room for a higher plan to work its magic may have been at odds with what you thought would be good for you.

Now, you ease the pressure and start to focus on how to expand your influence in the world. Wherever you travel now can feel like home. Be careful not to only see the enchanting side of far away locales, as the tendency is strong now. If you can mesh glamour into the picture, you will capture the world’s attention.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your relationships have been anything but clear, and all this has made you feel like there is little you can trust. Your desires caused you to see what you hoped rather than what actually was. You had a tendency to attract people who were idealistic, at best, or escapist in some way. Now your relationships gain new clarity and with it, you find your footing. When you find new stability in yourself, over-sensitivity to partners will fade away.

Your mystical understanding shifts towards seeing the power of your emotions and how to direct them wisely. The most practical people of your sign may find themselves interested in occult subjects and may take up some esoteric art form successfully, like astrology or another form of divination. You can see through to the truth of any situation for its underlying love and beauty.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You may have found yourself with mysterious health concerns, for which no one had the right solution. Through the process, you may have come to doubt that medical professionals could truly help you. As soon as Neptune enters Pisces you should find your health noticeably improves, or at least, you’ll get clear answers about what you can do to better your health. Now, with the answers finally in your hands you will quickly find yourself feeling better than ever. You’ll also have the drive to take action to improve your circumstances.

Your love life is about to get infused with a shot of idealism, as you find yourself aching for a true soul mate. The softness will at first be welcome after the last decade’s drama and unpredictability. However, a soul mate may not be so easy to find, though you may kid yourself by thinking you have. You can easily get carried away on a dream with the right music playing, but the sonnet always ends. Through it all, you’ll learn where you end and another person begins.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Neptune prepares to leave the area of your chart connected to creativity and self-actualization, the exact area of your life that has been hard to realize. While fueled with the inspiration to find fulfillment and pursue your passions, it may have been hard to find exactly what that was, because what you considered your “passion in life” was changeable. All the while, you knew you wanted to find some creative expression in line with your highest ideals. Many Librans found a love of music or art at this time.

When Neptune leaves this sector of the sky, you should find greater clarity in what the path to self-actualize will be, as you take an honest look at what works and what doesn’t, despite your highest wishes. You now enter a cycle that asks you to take ownership of your health. You are likely to find success in improving your wellbeing when looking to hypnosis or meditation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Neptune leaves your house of home, bringing greater stability to where you live. During Neptune’s visit to this sector of your sky, there was always something that felt as if it could wash away where you live. Sometimes its flighty roommates who turn out to be hard to pin down with their portion of the rent, or they have a fondness for escapist activities like drinking or drugs. It could have been a more literal application, where water literally came into your home and damaged your valuables.

Through the process, you had to learn to find your sense of safety within your faith, trusting that there was meaning to the lack of stability. You are now entering a phase where you take that inner safety and begin to share more of yourself. You develop the spiritual certainty, sometimes guided by a higher hand or calling, that leads you to believe there is a light within you that is worthy of being seen. A greater interest in music and the arts is likely.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your mind and your words seemed decidedly romantic. There was a dreamy quality to your thoughts and in the way you expressed yourself. All this made it hard to think straight at times, leading you to wonder what exactly you were trying to say.

The first thing you should notice when Neptune changes signs is this trend changes. A welcome clarity to your thoughts is quickly followed up by an ability to be more precise in your communications.

You will now begin to consider the question, what do you need to feel at home? The answers will surprise you at times, especially as you find it’s not anything in your environment but an inner feeling of safety. Any changes you do make to your home will begin to make it look like the inside of a temple or yoga studio. In some way it will be noticeably filled with symbols of your spiritual understanding.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn’s are likely to welcome Neptune’s change of sign more than most people. As Neptune leaves your financial sector, you should notice your finances calm down significantly. Expenses that saw your fortunes rise and fall in dramatic moments, like the tide of the ocean, calm down and you can start to reformulate a plan that moves your financial picture forward on more secure ground.

You begin to believe your talents are actually gifts from a higher source. However, that should not absolve you of the responsibility of developing them. It’s too easy to believe you are innately blessed with the skills required to succeed that the work is an after thought. Luckily, with Pluto in your sign you are unlikely to let yourself slack off too much. You become determined to express yourself in new ways.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The lights are coming on and you will never be the same. You’ve spent so many years connecting to a type of faith you never knew before. It has become personal. You may not know who you are without it. You don’t have to let go of what you have come to understand, but now, with a shot of clarity, your ephemeral understanding can translate into a better reality. It’s as if you finally exhale and can’t believe what a difference a day makes. Your self-concept and your way forward will become much clearer.

Your finances become infused with idealism as you aim for a more perfect calling to pay your bills. There will be a need to stay practical in finances. Chances are, this is when karmic rewards start to cash in and you attract the kind of prosperity you knew you would have someday. However, keep in mind this is not the kind of abundance that asks for cash upfront investments. Those are the kinds you have to watch out for.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Neptune comes home to your sign, making you more “you” than you realized you could be. That doesn’t mean it will always feel that way, as the sensitivity your sign is noted for comes to the surface.

When Neptune was in the sector of your sky ruling your dreams and your faith, it remained largely hidden. You felt your faith held power, but it remained a largely ephemeral assertion. Now, your idealism becomes undeniable to you and those around you. However, be cautious of escapism and a lack of clarity.  You can ground this tendency with sound practices and, most importantly, asking the right questions of yourself. What is most encouraging is you become committed to living your life in line with your most hopeful ideals, ensuring there is a touch of magic to all you do.

You find your purpose through compassion and will likely be drawn to spiritual paradigms that re-enforce a path of unity. You’ll find a more loving world-view that insists on a personal experience of the divine. You believe faith can make it so, and that belief itself often does. As long as your faith leads you to be more loving and kind to others, and reinforces our inherent unity, you are on the right path.