This week’s question comes from Fumi in London, England:

I have the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction squaring my Venus/ Ascendant, whilst Uranus trines my Venus/Ascendant for the rest of 2009. I am quite confused as to how this is likely to play out. I also am dealing with the ongoing Pluto square to my natal Moon. I am hoping for a fresh and liberating start romantically (Uranus) but am weary of the Neptunian illusion that the square indicates.

Neith’s response:

Fumi, it is understandable that confusion reigns now, with Neptune & Co. sitting in your third house. Also, the sign on the cusp of your seventh house, Taurus, is ruled by Venus, and Neptune & Co. are creating a T-square with your Ascendant-Venus and transiting Mercury (retrograde for another day) conjunct your Descendant. This is not favorable for clear thinking about romance.

After Mercury makes the final square to Neptune on June 10, the Neptune fog will thin some, and Uranus will remain at 26° Pisces until the second week in August. The biggest drawback of Neptune squaring your Venus-Ascendant may not be your lack of clarity, but the expectations others are projecting on you. You can either forego romance this summer or relax and have fun with this.

Pluto in the second house squaring your Moon in the tenth has to be bringing into focus what is truly of value to you. Do you still enjoy your career? Does it bring you the emotional satisfaction it did initially? If not, are there changes you can make, even if it means living more frugally for awhile? Many times when we spend time making do with less, we find it is not the hardship we thought it would be.

Perhaps the best thing for all of us who have been struggling with Neptune & Co., including myself, is to look at the lighter side of things and to keep in mind that the fog will lift eventually.

Pat’s response:

Fumi, confusion is not always a bad thing! Or, as an old friend of mine used to say, “I don’t know” is a good place to be. How many people do you know who are quite sure of themselves … and wrong?

The key thing to remember about Neptune transits is that your ego boundaries are dissolved, and this is particularly true when Neptune squares your Ascendant. It’s also important to keep in mind that Neptune is traveling with Jupiter and Chiron — what Neith is referring to with her shorthand “Neptune & Co.” Chiron and Neptune together provide a powerful opening for healing deep and ancient wounds, while Jupiter amplifies this effect and helps us expand into greater spiritual awareness.

The combined effect for you and for many others will be to heal an internal wound that has made it hard for us to connect on a soul level with a romantic partner. There are many things that keep this from happening. Two of the biggest obstacles I see are attachment to a particular outcome and trying to control another person. It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we aren’t controlling when we’re just doing so on a very subtle level.

Because you also have Uranus trine your Venus and Ascendant, a surprising new romance could come into your life, and this will be an opportunity for you to observe your behavior and response. I don’t believe it’s bad to become attached to someone; in fact, I totally disagree with this notion that we somehow can love with all our hearts and yet not be attached. Again, the key is to be bonded with that person and yet to resist controlling them or where the relationship goes. These are fear responses, and fear is the enemy of love.

This is not a personal judgment of you. To the contrary, I believe that we suffer from a collective wound in this regard, and I find it deeply gratifying that more and more people see it and want to work on it. Aquarius is the sign of the collective, and Neptune & Co. in Aquarius means that we have an unprecedented opportunity to do personal growth work that will have a huge impact on the collective. That is our mission, if we choose to accept it.

You, dear friend, are sitting in the catbird seat. I wish you much love and courage. Keep in touch with us, and let us know how it goes.

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