The brother of Zeus and Pluto, Neptune was given the domain of the underwater world. We are fascinated by the underwater world. we have built aquariums to be able to see what happens in the murky depths of the ocean. The study of the underwater world is very risky, and we can succumb to the allure of the unknown ocean.

We will talk about the collective unconscious also called the murky depths of our psyche and how it influences us. Neptune is the spirit of Dionysus and the rescuer-victim archetype. What happens when we free ourselves from this archetype? The process of dissolution is the breaking away from the material world and entering the plane of the gods.

The collective unconscious is a continuous storehouse of images, dreams, and psychic seismic activity, that brings the tsunami into consciousness, which may lead us into the dark realm of the underworld of escapism and substance abuse. When we become dreamy and begin to fantasize, we enter the spirit of Dionysus.

Dionysus is the proverbial “Wild Man” the person who knows they are more than a mere human but chooses to ignore and indulge in spreading drunken ecstasy, tearing men apart, and dancing with intoxicated women. Neptune is here connected with two things art and intoxication. Many people with a strong Neptune placement become part of the world of entertainment, such as film and television.

Dionysus the god of religious ecstasy, is said that he was torn apart himself, the embodiment of the sacrificial god, who becomes the” sorrowful god” and is slain amidst the sacred dance. Giving us the gift and the fatal flaw of ecstasy. The rock stars of the 1960s are a prime example, they surrendered willingly to the “wild man” did the god-dance and was killed, for it.

Another example of the dance of religious ecstasy is that of the shaman, who does not fall prey, he dances the god-dance, he puts on the mask but returns to an ordinary human after the tribe is healed. If it happens to be the actor in the theatre, the donning of the mask is to create and alter the personality to bring a message to the public, the consciousness of the spectator has been altered.

Remove the mask after the archetypal possession of the spirit of Dionysus because if you succumb to its illusion and don’t remove the mask the spirit consumes you. Marilyn Monroe, according to Gutman and Johnson in Mythic Astrology is a prime example of a person who descended into the world of drugs and alcohol and was unable to lay down the mask of Aphrodite (She had Venus on the Midheaven).

Neptune often has the rescuer-victim archetype, which plays out through our relationships, in an unhealthy way. At first, you rescue the person, and get rewarded for your efforts, but beware of the drama triangle.

According to the Karman Drama Triangle a model developed by Stephen Karpman: This triangle operates like a negative game of musical chairs: the Rescuer affirms the person’s condition as a Victim.  The victim grows resentful of being treated as helpless and switches to the role of Persecutor, angry that the Rescuer is keeping them disempowered.  When the person(victim) in the role of Persecutor attacks the rescuer, the rescuer feels like the Victim.  It is a never-ending vicious cycle.

This can be a way to find balance and maturity, but as we can see it is risky. However, it is better to heal your inner longing through the maturity of the soul.  Facing the subconscious by self-dissecting of the psyche. Tearing yourself apart may prove fatal but if you are courageous there is hope for redemption. We need to discover our inner rescuer, to rescue us from the victimhood, we enslaved ourselves to. Take responsibility and stop blaming others for our problems.

We need to look at the reality we created and let go of fantasies, dreaminess, and addictions. Addiction stems from co-dependency, feelings of shame, and unworthiness, daring to look at the true reflection in the mirror until we can truly see who we are. Where are the denials and delusions that we feed with our addictions, the co-dependency?

When we free ourselves, it allows us to see the truth, all those hidden fears that rise like a tsunami wave fail to drown us, and it gives us insight into our inner being. We rise to the challenge of keeping in touch with the spiritual world while operating in the material world. It is through the Neptunian storm and mist that we learn to trust our intuition, where we can navigate our way, without seeing but just trusting that inner being, showing us the way.

Dissolution of boundaries are necessary part of life, Neptunian people do not have boundaries especially when placed in a water sign, and when Neptune transits the planets in our chart, it is a time to reflect on what walls and hubris behaviors are part of ourselves need to fall away, so that it can make way for the next stage in our lives. It may feel like a tidal wave and be quite frightening but necessary.

Neptune’s transit only lasts 2 years, and Neptune is due to change signs soon, moving from Gemini to the water sign of Cancer. Where is Neptune in your chart and what aspects is it making? How can we penetrate those murky depths, without drowning, in our sorrows? What planets in our chart are supporting our Neptunian journey, either enabling our addictions or setting us free from them and putting us in touch with the Soul, so we can navigate life successfully?

References: Mythic Astrology: Ariel Guttman & Kenneth Johnson.

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