“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
―Edgar Allan Poe
As every year, Neptune in Pisces turns retrograde for about 6 months. The power of chaos and images fuels Midsummer dream state. Waves of shapeless colors, distant sounds, blurred encounters, expanding feelings, boundless horizons, mystical impulses. Nature whispers to let yourself go and give up control.
During its retrograde motion, Neptune is going to make two sextiles with Jupiter in Capricorn. As we know, Jupiter in Capricorn is in its fall, meaning that the planet of philosophers is dealing with hard lessons coming from the earthly realm of matter (Capricorn). And we all know what these lessons are, considering 2020 so far.
Still, these sextiles are going to loosen the grip. Many people are dreaming about a better future, looking at the worldwide chaos as an opportunity for change. The neptunian energy can be the amniotic fluid that provides a space for these ideas to grow, a gestation for a better world.
The importance of dreams unfolds itself clearly before our eyes. No human vision can be pursued if we lack the ability to imagine it. Imagining requires escaping from the world of senses, emerging in a place of pure thoughts where anything is possible. A place where we risk to get lost, abducted by the fairies. But also a place where we can develop a real bridge towards higher realities.
Anthroposophy and Imaginative Knowledge
How is it possible to gain more consciousness about this inner dimension? How can we process the chaotic world of images we bear inside, to give birth to something completely new? Our modern world is insanely saturated with images that pull us from every direction.
One possible answer comes from Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy that indicates a way through this chaotic world of inner images, to develop a new state of consciousness called Imaginative Knowledge. Developing a new state of consciousness, especially in regards to the life of images, is a neptunian challenge for modern times.
You can think of Imaginative Knowledge as the transformation of our normal dream state to a higher octave. A state of consciousness that would enable us to penetrate in the world of the living Archetypes, Plato’s world of Ideas that he called Hyperuranion—a place beyond the heavens.
In this state of consciousness we experience each component of the inner image as if it was “intelligent”, a symbol constantly and intuitively streaming meanings towards our mind. It’s not a mere vision, something we passively undergo. We feel our will, as well as our whole inner world, actively united with the experience.
For more information about Imaginative Knowledge, and higher states of consciousness as described by Rudolf Steiner you can find more information in his book “Knowledge of the Higher Worlds And Its Attainment”, freely available online.
In addition, if you are interested in Anthroposophy I highly suggest Giorgio Tarditi Spagnoli’s blog. Specifically you can find a recent article about the 7 Nights of Midsummer Dreams that relates this period of the year with the 13 Holy Nights following the winter solstice. Check it out!
Aspects of Neptune Retrograde (UTC)
Tue 23-06-2020 6:32:09 Neptune <20Pis57> S/R Sun 12-07-2020 20:43:04 Sun (20Can51) Tri [20Pis51] Neptune Mon 27-07-2020 18:06:20 Jupiter [20Cap39] Sex [20Pis39] Neptune Mon 27-07-2020 19:47:45 Venus (20Gem39) Squ [20Pis39] Neptune Thu 30-07-2020 20:44:21 Mercury (20Can35) Tri [20Pis35] Neptune Thu 27-08-2020 23:12:31 Venus (19Can57) Tri [19Pis57] Neptune Sun 30-08-2020 20:43:56 Mercury (19Vir52) Opp [19Pis52] Neptune Fri 11-09-2020 22:25:44 Sun (19Vir32) Opp [19Pis32] Neptune Mon 12-10-2020 9:06:44 Jupiter (18Cap45) Sex [18Pis45] Neptune Sun 18-10-2020 16:48:45 Venus (18Vir37) Opp [18Pis37] Neptune Tue 10-11-2020 7:11:31 Sun (18Sco15) Tri [18Pis15] Neptune Tue 24-11-2020 6:39:41 Mercury (18Sco10) Tri [18Pis10] Neptune Sun 29-11-2020 2:36:35 Neptune <18Pis09> S/D
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I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
