In July 2025, Saturn and Neptune will be in close proximity. They will be within half a degree of each other at 1° of Aries during this time.
This alignment precedes their exact conjunction at 0°45′ of Aries on February 20th, 2026.
Saturn and Neptune’s approach signifies an intensified blending of Saturn’s commitment to creating structures with Neptune’s tendency to dismantle them.
The last time Saturn and Neptune were in conjunction, the USSR was dissolved. This is why millennials born in the late eighties have Saturn and Neptune in conjunction in Capricorn.
In this text, I want to review some of the themes associated with Saturn and Neptune in conjunction. Doing so will help us understand the characteristics of the current times.
I have used Richard Tarnas’ book Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View as my source.
This is the table of contents:
Ready? Let’s go.
The Astrological Meanings of Saturn and Neptune
Neptune was named after the god of the sea. Therefore, it has always been symbolically associated with water in different states.
In astrology, the sea, the ocean, streams, rivers, mists, fogs, and amniotic liquid belong to Neptune’s realm.
Neptune’s themes include transcendence, spirituality, mysticism, inspiration, escapism, surrender, deception, (dis)illusion, enchantment, and dissolution, just to name a few.
If you want to know more about Neptune before continuing reading, check out this other post: Neptune by Transit Conjunct the Natal Saturn
The meanings connected with planet Saturn are far from those of Neptune.
Saturn’s themes include structures, limits, boundaries, mastery, responsibility, sobriety, commitment, precision, organization, and patience.
If you want to review Saturn’s meanings, check out this other text: Saturn’s Themes and Their Activation During The Saturn Return
Based on my enumeration, it’s clear that these two planets offer different meanings and operate in different realms of existence.
Therefore, their clash is evident when Saturn and Neptune are in conjunction.
Saturn-Neptune Conjunctions in History
Tarnas suggests that the prevailing tendency when Saturn and Neptune are in conjunction doesn’t liberate the Neptunian dimension.
Instead, Saturn creates dichotomies and tensions with this Neptunian dimension. The planet of the rings brings out Neptune’s problematic qualities, opposing, negating, and even judging them.
On the bright side, Saturn can discipline, structure, ground, forge, and mature the Neptunian qualities. By doing so, Saturn gives the Neptunian dimension a concrete embodiment.
Historically, the times when these two planets connected coincided with events that reflect the archetypes related to them. These events can be summarized in the following list:
- Tension between religion and science
- Mental health issues
- Disenchantment and disillusionment
- Loss of faith in politicians
- Dark humor
- Poisoning, both literal and metaphorical
In this opportunity, I’ll focus on the first three types of events.
Tension between religion and science
An expression of Saturn-Neptune conjunctions is the tension between ideals and the hard realities of life.
The same archetype can be expressed in conflicts between religion and secularism. The difference between “belief and facts” leads to each side perceiving the other as living in a state of delusion.
When Neptune and Saturn are in conjunction, there’s an intensified secular skepticism towards religious beliefs. At the same time, there’s an intensified commitment to conservative religiosity.
Disputes between secularism and religion often involve anti-scientific biblical literalism. In the past, the conflict between creationism and evolution was a characteristic expression of this polarity.
Charles Darwin was born during the Saturn-Neptune conjunction of 1809. Today, pseudosciences permeate religious discourse, particularly regarding health issues, among conservative politicians and their supporters.
A different manifestation of this transit is an increased sensitivity to the oppressive and constraining aspects of religious belief. This situation prompts sharp criticism of religion as superstitious nonsense. Discerning truth from illusion is a topic of Saturn and Neptune conjunctions.
When Saturn and Neptune meet, dark nights of the soul and challenges to religious faith are experienced. Friedrich Nietzsche announced the “death of God” during the Saturn-Neptune conjunction of 1881–82.
Saturn and Neptune conjunctions coincide with collective expressions of opposite sides of the same archetype. On the one hand, there’s loss of faith and disillusionment. On the other hand, a forging of a deeper faith emerges in the face of harsh or tragic realities.
Those who want to expand their faith after disillusionment do it in many ways. Sometimes, they search to discover a foundation of hope in a greater, though not yet visible, reality.
In other instances, there’s an inward-turning withdrawal from the world to contact inner spiritual resources and ideals. Non-religious people may commit to a spiritual discipline and engage in rituals, prayers, and meditation.
Saturn and Neptune in conjunction can crystallize an impulse to engage with the world in a spiritual and pragmatic manner. People do this by trying to overcome the gap between the ideal and the actual through service.
The synthesis of Saturn-Neptune is expressed through the embodiment of compassionate ideals enacted within the concrete challenges of human communities. A call for service and sacrifice may be strongly felt.
Mental health issues
During Saturn-Neptune eras, there is a tendency to experience a subtle but pervasive darkening of the collective consciousness. Sometimes this occurs as a diffuse and difficult-to-diagnose social malaise. At other times, it is a direct response to deeply discouraging or tragic events.
In its most intense form, Saturn-Neptune eras are marked by experiences of loss, defeat of ideals, and death of dreams. A sense of profound sorrow accompanies all of these events.
Discouragement, depression, resignation, pessimism, despair, and disorientation are some manifestations of the Saturn-Neptune conjunctions. These feelings descend on many like an immense dark cloud.
Social anomie and spiritual malaise are common when Saturn and Neptune are in conjunction. Sometimes, this drives people into a state of profound alienation.
In their milder expression, these tendencies can be expressed as an underlying mood of confusion, doubt, uncertainty, and ambivalence. When Neptune is present, clarity is absent.
Self-deception is a negative expression of Saturn-Neptune conjunctions. You could experience a state of delusion about your actual condition in the world. This state is maintained by filtering out the information that might cast questions on the validity of your belief system. By doing it, you may create a closed feedback loop.
These tendencies can manifest in an individual’s state of mental illness, requiring professional treatment. However, they can also be expressed in a collective delusion.
An example of collective delusion could be embodied in a nation’s leader. This person could encapsulate themselves in a bubble of denial and self-reinforcing belief. This bubble is often tinged with religious themes and self-idealizing fantasies. The fantasies are at odds with the reality that the rest of the world perceives.
Disenchantment and disillusionment
One of the central themes of Saturn and Neptune conjunctions is disenchantment and disillusionment. They are manifested in both the negative and positive senses.
On the negative side of the spectrum, they include loss of faith, discouragement, social alienation, and existential meaninglessness.
On the positive side, these feelings propel an empowerment that can emerge from confronting an illusion and shedding beliefs. It may feel like waking from a dream, lucidly recognizing the socially accepted madness, and demystifying it.
When Saturn and Neptune meet, oppressive structures are subtly dissolving. The dissolution occurs on many levels, affecting individual belief structures and collective institutions.
Saturn-Neptune periods are demanding both psychologically and spiritually. Simultaneously, they cause nobility of spirit and profound vision. These times can engender a darker cast to the imagination, but also a more realistic spirituality.
An admirable expression of this transit is the courage to face reality without illusion but with faith in a better world.
Instead of provoking passivity, the gap between the ideal and the real can inspire you to undertake the necessary labor. This labor will transform the world’s resistant structures to serve your highest spiritual intuitions.
A deeper spiritual faith can emerge from encounters with death and suffering. This hope transcends tragedy and instigates compassionate action on behalf of the poor and the oppressed.
Saturn-Neptune transits align with times of deep spiritual loss and contraction. However, they also lead to spiritual awakenings, introspection, and serving those in need.
If you want guidance on how to navigate this transit, subscribe to the newsletter for free. Every week, I share some reflections and prompts to keep you grounded and optimistic.
Thank you for being here, and until next time!
First Saturn Return 
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