Best Practices for Saturn + Neptune

Neptune turns direct in the final degree of the zodiac next week, at 29° Pisces, setting us up for its permanent ingress into Aries on 26 January 2026. A couple of weeks later, on 14 February, Saturn will join Neptune in Aries again. The two have been dancing around each other and across the cusp of Pisces and Aries since the spring of 2025, and will finally complete their exact conjunction at 0° Aries on 20 February 2026. The development of their new relationship will continue to play out into 2028 as they remain co-present or in what is referred to as a sign-based conjunction, until Saturn leaves the sign of Aries.

This is the first conjunction of Saturn and Neptune since their last meeting in the sign of Capricorn in 1989, and prior to that in Libra in 1952-3. They meet in this fashion every 36 years, each time wearing each other’s pretenses and assumptions down (along with our frameworks of social meaning) until they are both satisfied that falsity has been eradicated between them. In so doing, they establish a new foundation upon which we can create a new and more sustainable cycle of growth and shared meaning.

 SEARCH FOR MEANING

With any Saturn-Neptune conjunction, there’s a search for meaning because we become disillusioned with faulty beliefs, structures, or foundations in our lives – often in the form of empty promises or outworn motivations. Under this influence as much as ever, we want to create something meaningful in our lives and from our lives. Often, this meaning takes the form of a cause, though in Aries, for many of us this may be fundamentally personal and individual.

This placement also encourages sacrifice for something greater, so we may be called to surrender something in our lives that we believe we need. This may be something our ego is holding onto, or which is attached somehow to our identity. This can be a willful sacrifice, or external situations can appear to force our hand.

Often, this is followed by an opportunity to create something new for ourselves that is more true or aligned for us – something that represents a meaningful or purposeful contribution to society. Sometimes this is simply by setting an example, living our own truth on a personal level and showing others that it can be done. But we may also be called to sacrifice time, energy and emotion in order to contribute to some cause greater than ourselves, and by doing so gain a greater sense of ourselves and what we truly value in life.

Often, under Saturn-Neptune conjunctions, we are also forced to face reality and limitation, and this can be due to having over-relied upon something that wasn’t genuinely true or aligned with us, something which had served its purpose or had even become corrupted. Often we were trying too hard to make this work for us. We may also discover with this conjunction in Aries that, where we thought we could handle a situation on our own, we may need help or may need to alter our commitment in order to make it more sustainable, enjoyable or aligned for us. We are likely already seeing this in the increased community and mutual aid of recent months.

INDIVIDUATION

This conjunction will also call upon us to individuate in different areas of our lives, to establish for ourselves our own identity (rather than in relation to something else, or as belonging to something outside ourselves). Having relied upon ready-made social roles, we often have handed over some control of ourselves – our choices, values, actions, feelings, thoughts, perspectives, potentials – to something external.

This is true of many different types of alliances. We do this first with our families. Then we often create identities for ourselves based on our friends, with peer pressure from wanting to fit in, or based on the work culture of the companies or fields we engage in, identifying with the virtues of those environments.

This allows us to spend less time, thought and effort on creating our own identities and thinking through our own values. It also prevents us from having to face the misalignment of our values from those we rely on socially. This may sound trivial, but this level of honesty flies in the face of human evolution and human nature, which depend on the security found in acceptance and inclusion within a group identity. So this is usually a lifelong battle for those who push themselves to this level of self-awareness.

But this transit will push us all to acknowledge these issues. Where is it that we maintain illusions out of convenience?

TRUE IDENTITIES

On the other hand, we will also experience with the help of this transit the crystallization of new identities. It would be wise to set our minds on questions such as:

Are there ways in which I look for identity or definition outside myself?
What do I truly value?
Who do I truly want to be?
How do I truly want to be seen?
What truly makes me proud?
What do I truly enjoy?
What am I truly talented at?
What are my true limitations, and can I challenge them by becoming more aligned within myself?

We are likely to realize (whether we like it or not) where we have not been true with ourselves, where we have handed over power or control, where we have sold ourselves short, where we have been overconfident or in denial, or where we have created veils to conceal certain aspects, actions, behaviors, patterns, thoughts, emotions, or conditioning.

If we can face this without retreating into denial, it will take us far toward realizing a new and truer identity. Disillusionment will be a major theme with Saturn and Neptune in Aries, and without a doubt some of that disillusionment will be with old versions of ourselves.

DEVELOPING VIRTUE

This alignment will also call upon many of us to face some fears. The limitations we place upon ourselves make us feel safe by not exploring outside the boundaries of the comfort zones we set (or which are set for us). Many of the fears we confront during this time will relate to standing up for ourselves, doing things on our own, being courageous, taking calculated risks, or becoming what we are afraid to be for fear of rejection, alienation, insecurity. This is another theme with Saturn transits, especially Saturn–Neptune. We may be required to face fears of imposter syndrome, inadequacy, or fears of our own capabilities, strength, self-sufficiency and value, in order to realize a major goal. Often though, it is precisely this kind of perseverance in the face of our own shadow which provides the reward.

Deciding ahead of time that you will not give up in any endeavor you seek under this influence will make that perseverance easier to maintain. With any Saturn transit, but especially this one, we will be called to be persistent toward our goals, even if we face setbacks or delays. And these will be likely as Saturn’s rulership of time and long-term plans conflicts with the instant gratification-seeking associated with this sign of Aries, which Neptune will be glad to delude us into perceiving as a shortcut to satisfaction. The timing of matters is likely to frustrate us and even trip some of us up, but the important thing is to keep our eyes on the goal rather than fixating on how or when we will achieve it. If there is a setback or obstacle, if it takes longer than we’d like, or if it demands more effort and focus than we want – that is what we will need to bring to the table to realize the reward.

We will also need discipline – Saturn’s strength – yet in Aries this can be a struggle. It will be essential that we spend this time creating structures for our dreams, establishing routines, setting aside time, following a game plan even when it feels difficult, or when we feel disillusioned, doubtful or bored. One way to motivate ourselves, especially for those of us who work well with Aries energy, is by remembering the growth that is guaranteed through discipline. Discipline responds well to practice, and even if we cannot guarantee that a specific goal will manifest, we can guarantee that through the application of disciplined effort, we become stronger, more courageous, more capable and more formidable.

QUESTIONING AND WISDOM

We will likely also experience some existential crises through this transit. Saturn and Neptune take things seriously, and in Aries they work on our sense of self and identity. If we feel existential dread or a “dark night of the soul,” the best way through is not to simply try to raise our emotional baseline, but to look at the root of the crisis – to define it, to find its origin, to identify whether there was a point in time when we did not feel as we currently do about life or the world. Then we must put effort into addressing it rather than wallowing, which is a trap that Saturn and Neptune can encourage if we remain in denial.

There may also be a crisis of meaning regarding the way history is unfolding, and many people will experience angst in this context, realizing the ways we have bought into false narratives we believed were immutable. We may feel guilt or remorse for not having taken seriously the fallout for others of certain beliefs, until we began to experience that impact firsthand. The best way to deal with this is to put sincere effort into understanding the truth, looking outside ourselves and outside of those sources that led us astray. Those sources should be discredited, and we will need to invest time and energy into redefining our own values, ideals and beliefs rather than relying on faltering authorities.

A much better understanding can be gained once we open ourselves to sources of knowledge (particularly experiential expertise) that we may have rejected due to subtle conditioning from false structures or leaders that undermined our faith in those who have different experiences than we have had and therefore believe or identify differently than we do. Remaining open-minded, adopting a beginner’s mind toward the world, society and history, and looking at everything with fresh eyes will be the surest path back to a sense of comprehension.

MANIFESTING DREAMS

We will also feel a deep desire, and be presented with real opportunities, to realize our dreams – to take an ideal or vision of our futures and bring it into reality. This will often present a need for self-sufficiency, self-belief and tenacity, almost certainly accompanied by fears, anxieties, feelings of inadequacy, or imposter syndrome. But this alignment truly offers the best opportunity to bring a new reality into being – whether by accomplishing goals or overcoming personal challenges and gaining a greater sense of strength, courage and capability.

This is a powerful transit for manifestation as long as one remains dedicated. Life itself can become magical, through recognizing the alchemy of investing energy into a goal and transmuting that energy into an outcome. This is as magical as any other ritual.

We may even recognize the magic of life in contemplating the improbability of our existence, the wonder of a species developing so long, yet still unable to answer basic questions about reality. The “little things” like connecting with animals, pleasant moods, meaningful conversations, good food, music also reveal their magic.

In Aries particularly, this can help us see the magic of our own lives, appreciate our accomplishments, and take pride in our strength. It can even allow us to acknowledge our weaknesses without letting them restrict or inhibit us unnecessarily.

OVERCOMING BLOCKAGES

This alignment will also gladly teach us that some blockages we perceive are not real. This relates to denial and excuse-making, and will be especially poignant due to these planets having just moved out of Pisces. We may believe there is an arbitrary limitation we must respect or which is unfairly imposed upon us, but the blockage itself may not exist to the extent we believe.

That may sound beneficial, but it could manifest as, for example: “I can’t pursue monetizing this passion project because I work full-time and need my job to pay my bills,” and then, in an extreme scenario, the job is removed to demonstrate that independence was possible all along. These experiences can be jarring, so to avoid them, it may help to write down all the reasons you believe you cannot do what you want, and then genuinely address them. This enables you to remain more in control of the changes this transit brings.

In another scenario, you may think you are not capable of something, and then have your hand forced where you must act in a way you didn’t believe you could.

DELAYED GRATIFICATION AND REWARD

Some will also be forced to choose between “selling out” and maintaining integrity. This can strengthen our convictions which are so important to both Saturn and Neptune. We may see people pushing strongly toward certain outcomes, socially or personally, choosing integrity over the easy way out, representing virtue through effort when virtue seems harder but betraying it would lead to greater difficulty later. These matters often hinge upon delayed gratification, which is so rewarded by Saturn.

Delayed gratification is likely to be an overarching theme across the board, as this transit plays out in our lives. Saturn and Neptune don’t offer an easy way out, but in my experience they offer immense support to those engaging with the realities of time, effort, persistence, patience, and faith. This is especially so when these virtues are exercised without a promise of an external reward, but rather with a focus on the reward of virtue itself: to strengthen and practice one’s own honesty, integrity, perspective, humility, persistence, courage, hope, flexibility, structure, discipline, wisdom.

Unlike many Jupiter transits that give us what we want but not what lasts, Saturn conjunct Neptune is not necessarily an easy transit. But the rewards of a Saturn–Neptune conjunction are among the most meaningful, because they offer not only deep virtue and strength of character, but also because that is precisely what we need to sustain our motivation and sense of purpose to accomplish our goals. These are the lessons that can sustain us for a lifetime.

– Shannon 🌎💞

Tiranë, Albania