Astrology and Aging

I am personally intrigued with the power of Neptune symbolism in Arc and Transit. We can say across the board, that any strong angular contact by Neptune Arc or Transit (conjunction or square) will signal a period of suppression, of ego wipeout. The time of life is lonely, bewildered, lost. Very rarely does this measurement signal the idealized inspiration that is possible through Neptune, and there must be some reason for this.

It’s all very nice to say, “Well, we face these times of withdrawal or suppression or escape or abandonment in order to gather ourselves anew, to count our blessings, to come back refreshed, all the wiser.” This is easier said than done, especially after the fact. And, let’s note the fact as well that this can happen several times in life. Don’t we ever learn our lesson(s)?

I think we can ameliorate this observation of Neptune Arc and Transit activity a bit. I’ve noticed now for quite some time, especially in lives where much work has been done and much growth has been accomplished, to the point that there is a ready acknowledgement of personal fulfillment, that Neptune significances can and do change in their manifestation in life. I think we can say that The Arc or Transit of Neptune works more productively the older we get.With experience -the supports and defeats in life- we are becoming refined. Ideally, our behaviors are adjusting, modifying themselves, and efficiency and reliable patterns do begin to prevail. As we grow older, the process of Neptune assimilation seems to be come simplified, and we should remember this in our work with clients.

I have had a long string of horoscopes presented to me now this year wherein I was faced with tough Neptunian action. I worked hard to portray potentials in the most refined and wisest light for the clients. I was converting symbolisms within a more mature perspective since I was dealing with clients, say, over 50. My efforts were well received, knowingly received, by the clients. While I am an older astrologer, I felt that I was seasoning my observations appropriately for the older client.

Here is a dramatic example: Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt. Everest, was 76 years old and facing transiting Neptune exactly opposed his Sun and SA Neptune exactly opposed his Moon. That’s difficult. The end of life? No more dreams? No more mountains to climb?

But that is precisely the time when Hillary was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. For Hillary, natal Neptune was peregrine at his Midheaven! Earlier in his life, with the transit of Neptune crossing his Ascendant, we have a huge silence in his biography!

And indeed, perhaps the same idea of symbolism changing, maturing, in a life over time can be applied to the other outer planets as well. With Saturn, we certainly see a series of changes that can be structured in league with the quadrature of the transit cycle: we see the necessary controls that guide life into efficiency changing from parents (usually the father) to teachers, to job supervisors, to government, Church, and the god within. Isn’t that a spectrum of fulfillment, of development into wisdom through aging? And after time, don’t those necessary controls become assimilated with identity and don’t their presence and pressure abate, even disappear?

With Uranus, we certainly see bursts and blasts of individuation initially causing disruption, conversion, and change. But then, with time, we see ingenuity inspired by experience. We see the strident assertion of identity, and finally the appreciation of individuation. Isn’t that a spectrum of fulfillment, of development into self-hood through aging? Isn’t the attitude of completion a statement of individuation? “I don’t have to fight for this or that anymore!”

With Pluto, we certainly see the dynamics of personal power management developing in parallel with other dimensions of maturation. We see radical, dramatic shifts of personal perspective finally settling into the sense of who we are and where we are. We find our presence and place in life, and this is surely a viable spectrum of fulfillment throughout the aging process. But after a while, those big changes just don’t seem to be needed, to be important. We settle down, and that implies power understood and used to the best of our abilities.

So, I think it is helpful in our astrology to be aware of these heavy symbologies when they are operating within a young organism, within a growing organism collecting experience and refinement, and within a matured organism well aware of wisdom. We have to adjust our presentations of these potentials; we have to re-inspect our words. Our dreams change, our self-image changes.