While we may feel familiar with Mercury retrograde—maybe even a bit too familiar—we often overlook the other planetary retrogrades that make an impact on our lives.
And in the spotlight today is nebulous Neptune, ready to shift up its already mysterious energy by going retrograde in the sign of Pisces.
Before you panic, remember to take a look at your birth chart, specifically your Neptune placement and aspects, to determine how this transit will affect you. Yet, no matter what your own birth chart looks like, Neptune retrograde will affect us all in some way, and that’s what we’re here to find out about today.
Keep reading if you’re ready to learn all about mystical, enigmatic Neptune and what its retrograde period means for you!
Don’t forget to find out Which Planets Are Going Retrograde in 2022 & Which Ones Are Not?
Neptune Retrograde Dates
Neptune goes retrograde every year for about five months or 160 days. The most fascinating aspect of Neptune’s cycle—which lasts for approximately 164 years—is that it spends just about 14 years in one sign, giving it the ability to color an entire generation.
This year, the Neptune retrograde period begins on June 28th and ends on December 3rd of 2022, continuing its journey in its native sign, Pisces.
What Is Neptune Retrograde?
Neptune, the ruler of Pisces, bestows its imaginative, compassionate, and intuitive spirit on this Water sign.
Associated with dreams, illusions, mysticism, and spirituality, Neptune is a visionary planet that allows us to dream up our wildest fantasies and open our minds to a world of possibilities.
Yet, the nebulous nature of this planet is exactly what it can bring to the table within our lives, and depending on the transit, Neptune can cause cloudy thinking or difficulty separating fantasy from reality—especially when it’s in the dreamy sign of Pisces.
When Neptune goes retrograde, we can sometimes harness Neptune’s positive energy much more than usual. Because retrogrades emphasize the internal versus the external, Neptune’s energy is more accessible if we are willing to embrace it.
This is when feelings, thoughts, intuition, and dreams come to us with greater clarity, and this period offers extraordinary moments of clarity and intuitive insight.
Overall it is a great time for soul-searching, meditation, and reconnecting with yourself.
So, what are the six things we can expect from this Neptune retrograde?
Read next: How to Understand Transit Periods of the Outer Planets
6 Things You Can Expect From Neptune Retrograde in Pisces
While most retrogrades might seem scary, this is one retrograde that may bring quite a few positive changes. Here’s what you can expect from Neptune retrograde in intuitive, sensitive Pisces.
1. Heightened Intuition
Neptune is inherently connected to intuition, and when it has slowed down, leaving room for more clarity, that intuitive prowess is even stronger within you. This is an especially beneficial time to work on strengthening your intuition through spiritual exercises.
It’s important that you learn to trust your intuition during this time, to listen to your gut feelings, and follow their lead. Neptune retrograde heightens sensitivity, meaning that you’re better able to pick up on the vibrations around you – trust your own instinctual feelings about them.
2. Enhanced Mental Focus & Creativity
Without Neptune’s full-speed motion to create confusion, your mental focus is stronger than ever, as is your creative spirit. This is a time to not only express yourself creatively but to focus on the creative projects that bring you the most joy and help you feel aligned with the energy of the Universe.
Your creative outlet is crucial now, as heightened sensitivity also means heightened emotions.
When you’re faced with big, overwhelming feelings, it’s best to express that through painting, drawing, writing music, or dancing, allowing yourself to both acknowledge and process those emotions.
Your imagination is boundless during Neptune retrograde, so take advantage of your brilliant visions and wildly creative ideas!
Don’t miss: A Tarot Spread to Overcome A Creative Block
3. Heightened Spirituality
Neptune is associated with all things mystical and spiritual, and your spirit will be aching to explore the world and express itself during this period. This is the perfect time to develop and deepen your spiritual and metaphysical rituals, work with your favorite spiritual tools, and get acquainted with spirit guides.
This doesn’t mean you have to take a trip to some far-off remote mountain. A spiritual ritual can be as simple as engaging in meditative prayer in the evening, holding a crystal in the morning for ten minutes, or closing your eyes and repeating positive affirmations.
All spiritual activity is heightened during Neptune Retrograde.
During this period, the more you engage in daily spiritual rituals, the more you can tap into your intuitive side and connect with the deepest part of yourself!
4. Manifest Your Most Desired Reality
Manifestation is especially potent now, particularly when you pay attention to your intuition and follow your dreams—which are watched over and influenced by Neptune in both your waking and sleeping worlds.
During this time, you have the ability to shape whatever reality you want. Just remember that if you want something, be sure you want it.
Pisces is known to cause a few daydreams, so be sure that you’re creating the reality you want rather than focusing on your fantasies.
If you choose to take advantage of this powerful time of manifestation, make sure that your intentions are pure. As our connection with our subconscious is heightened, it’s all the more important that we act with intention and compassion.
Read this next: What Is Manifestation? & How to Use It
5. Crafting Critical Connections
Because Neptune has such a powerful influence on the subconscious and is the ruler of the 12th house of hidden things, we can tap into our own subconscious with greater ease and intuitively connect with the needs of others.
If done correctly, this retrograde provides us with the ability to strengthen our relationships with those we care for. It’s a wonderful time for a heart-to-heart or reconciliation. If you’re feeling more sensitive, then so are they.
Neptune retrograde allows us to put the past behind us, for this is also a forgiving planet that embraces love. The strengthening or mending of relationships around this time can forge deeper and long-lasting ones for the future.
6. Deeper Dreams & Their Meanings
Your dreams are more vivid than ever during Neptune—the planet that rules the subconscious—retrograde, and your heightened intuition makes it the perfect storm for some seriously meaningful messages within those dreams. This is especially true when Neptune is in dreamy Pisces.
Keep a dream journal next to your bed each night, and when you wake in the morning, try to write down your dream as best as you can recall. (Don’t worry if your dreams tend to slip away from you, this process gets easier over time.)
This is also the best time to give lucid dreaming a shot if you’re interested in more control within the dream world. Just be sure to look into the symbols and themes in your dreams to learn more about what your subconscious is trying to tell you.
Check out our Dream Dictionary for a breakdown of common symbols.
Self-Care During Neptune Retrograde in Pisces
If you feel extra sensitive emotionally, don’t be surprised. Healthy ways to deal with this are:
- Reading up on a variety of spiritual topics
- Taking the time to journal
- Engaging in meditation
- Talking to a respected healer/mentor
If you feel extra heightened in your awareness, stick to a routine that keeps you grounded so you don’t make any rash decisions on a whim.
Your internal feelings may be amplified, so take time to process them and not let your emotions rule your life. Ensure you still take care of the basics like eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.
Take care of yourself no matter your situation.
Making the Most of Neptune’s Mystical Energy
As Neptune retrograde in dreamy Pisces approaches, prepare yourself using the information above and let Neptune’s magic work for you.
The great thing about understanding planetary movements is that we realize that we do not simply accept whatever negative or positive influence they have on us. We can exercise it by understanding the planets and harnessing their energy for our own benefit.
We can be idealistic but realistic. We can trust but verify all information that comes in at this time. And then, we can create an action plan to achieve those ideals.
Embrace the energy of Neptune and Pisces, and let your imagination be your guide.
Related article: How to Listen to Your Intuition to Manifest Miracles & Abundance