Copyright 2005 Eileen Nauman
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Email: docbones@gotsky.com
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Who ever say Spring has Sprung has sure meant it this year! When you place a water element planet in a fixed air sign, Aquarius in this case, something has to give. Perhaps we can look at Aquarius like a stout cardboard box, and Neptune the water that silently runs toward it, encloses it, wets the material and finally, weakens the entire structure over time until the cardboard material dissolves without a whimper into the watery embrace of this nebulous, diffused planet's energy and purpose. These two remind me of a new pair of shoes, one size too small for your feet and yet, you have to wear 'em, stretch them, suffer some pain, certainly some adjustment, until the shoes accommodate you. And when Neptune goes retrograde (backward motion, seemingly, in the sky--it isn't really, it just looks that way from our perspective here on Earth...) the shoes might pinch a little.

Each planet is an energy expression and vibration. Each zodiac sign also has its resonance, too. You can sort of look or evaluate them like different radio frequencies on your FM or AM radio. Each is a "station" that pulsates its endless signals toward us. HOW we respond to them is up to each of us; and the reactions and actions are going to be as diverse as raindrops sparkling in sunlight to create a colorful rainbow.

Neptune goes RETROGRADE on May 19, 2005 at 18 degrees of Aquarius. Who is affected? Aquarians and Leos.

The Aquarians most effected are born February 6th (your sun is at 15 degrees of Aquarius). This is 'ground zero' for this retrograde, for Aquarian folks. However, Aquarians born from February 3rd through February 9th, will be affected with the most energy on those who have a birthday on February 6th. The opposite sign is Leo. Those born between August 6th to the 13th are spotlighted. People with a birthday on on August 10th (your sun is at 18 degrees of Leo) will feel the full impact of this retrograde.

Those who have a sun, moon or planet or cusp (such as the ascendant or midheaven) at 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 degrees of Aquarius or Leo, you will certainly feel the effects of this Neptune turning retrograde.

If you feel the need to consult your professional astrologer for more specific information on how exactly it will effect your life, please contact them now. On athena, our professional astrologer is Carol B. Willis and she can be reached via email at: cbwillis@lightlink.com

WHAT NEPTUNE RULES--does it affect you?

Using the keywords of Neptune, which I've posted, let's look at what it rules and how it may affect you:

NEPTUNE

actors and actresses

alcohol--you may drink a little too much; so watch the amount

artists--your creativity may take a dive during this three week retrograde shadow period--don't worry, it will return.

ambiguities--someone can pull the wool over your eyes--buyer beware

anesthesia (bad reaction to--allergic reaction)--very bad for surgeries scheduled around this time.

bacteria--you can pick up something real easy--staph, Strep, AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis--wash your hands with an antibacterial soap and wash your food off well before preparation, as well as cooking meat WELL done.

beaches--great place to be for de-stressing

beverages--drink lots of water during this period to flush out--don't be consuming a lot of alcoholic or sugar-content fluids

boats--a nice place to de-stress

clairvoyant--you may become more so for a couple of weeks--pay strict attention to your intuition during this period--it can save your butt :-)

coma--you may feel like you're in one until after it turns retrograde. You'll "wake up" or feel the fuzz is gone from inside your head about 2 weeks after it has turned retrograde

compassion--practice it--daily

confusion--will be rampant. Get signed contracts. Don't take anyone's word for it. Scams are big time right now

codependent--will probably kick in stronger than usual during this time frame

creative--you will be much more so...take advantage of it....paint, write, sing, dance....de-stress!

dancing--absolutely!

deception--who is lying to us? How do we lie to ourselves? Are we lying to ourselves about something? Someone? A situation? Come clean now.

delusion (by ourselves toward ourselves or others)--what we're fooling ourselves about may rear its ugly head on this retrograde--so pay attention to what you see. The truth is out there....

dreams--more of them....keep a journal...see the pattern of how your subconscious is talking to you....

drug addiction--yep, the druggies are gonna want MORE of their recreational drug right now than usual....

drugs (hypersensitive to)--watch out for allergy reaction

drugs (allergy reaction to)--yes, they will be worse than usual for about three weeks

drugs (picking up something you didn't really want)--watch going into a hospital...bugs abound and they might take a shine to you!

energy defrayed (feels tired, exhausted)--absolutely...everyone could use a little Curly Dock flower essence to bump up their energy and quit feeling like they're dragging around a ball and chain on their feet :-)

epidemics--very possible...somewhere...don't know where, though

escape--everyone is going to be day dreamy, spacy and somewhere else. Great time to take a vacation...

forgery--buyer beware...you can be fooled big time right now

fishing--another de-stressing idea

idealism and what one idealizes--these things may be shattered right now and Truth and reality will stare you in the face, instead...

illumination--wonderful time for an "aha!" meditate, meditate, mediate--it will pay off

illusion--what you see is not necessarily what you'll get. If you meet someone during this time--they are NOT what they seem to be--watch, be patient and sooner or later, this person will reveal their true selves to you--and you probably will be very jilted and unhappy about what you see

imagination--is on the increase! Use it!

manipulated by others--most definitely. Put up healthy boundaries and learn to say "no" instead of being abused/used/manipulated

music--yes! Listen to it. Play it. A de-stress

obligations and serving--absolutely. Do your karmic responsibility right now.

Pantothenic Acid (B-5)--may need 100 mgs. a day between now and the retrograde on May 19th--it feeds the adrenal glands--your flight or fight mechanism and you may be under a lot of stress right now--so it will help you through this

poisons of all kinds--Have Poison Control Center phone number handy. You or your family can be poisoned by air, water or food.

psychic--yes, you will tune in more clearly during this period. Listen. You may doubt what you get, however. Try not too....

sacrifice--yes, you will be asked to help. So, pitch in and help and don't bellyache about it.

sensitivity--all your five senses are turned up to an excruciating degree--find silence. Find being alone or more quiet to escape this phenomena.

spirituality--wonderful time for it. Find time to be alone, quiet and meditate.

suffering--yes, some of us will during this time frame. Do it for the right reasons. Learn to practice the Art of Compassion.

vagueness--everyone is going to be this way. You won't get a straight answer. Better to wait until after the retrograde and try again...things may seem a clear as mud.

victim--you can become one. Your choice. Put up your boundaries--learn to say "no."

virus--yep, they're around.

weak (as in an organ or system of the body)--mostly ankles and calves for you Aquarians and heart/circulation/back problems for you Leo's

Tools for de-stressing such as meditation, Tai Chi, Chi Quong, acupuncture, massage, swimming, reflexology, polarity therapy, flower and gem essences, homeopathy, taking a quiet walk, working in a garden, shamanic journeying, communing with Nature, listening to classical music, taking trips into isolated and beautiful natural power spots around our globe, learning to commune and then open up to Mother Earth (and understanding she, too, is a LIVING being), and going to health and spiritual-oriented spas will become "in."

As a result of spiritual quests taking precedence as a matter of health in our lives as never before--and the traditional medicine people finally understanding that "parts are not parts", that we are a fully connected, viable organism that has a spirit that must also be taken into consideration in health matters, will evolve. Earth-based philosophies, mostly fueled by a powerful Native American resurgence in the last decade, will underwrite the understanding of connections and of connecting or learning how to reconnect. Speaking from personal experience as well as observing it too many times, I have seen Mother Earth heal others, animal as well as human. We will learn how to get into touch with her on this level for ourselves and for others more clearly and consciously with Neptune in Aquarius.

Neptune rules the immune system. Allergies may kick up. Problems with vaccinations in children will flare up. Finally. Unfortunately, many millions of people will suffer with an impaired, over-sensitized immune system that sets them up, down the line, for many other forms of disease--unless they get help from homeopathy.

Homeopathy is ruled by Neptune, so you are going to watch as it enters a "golden age" in the next thirteen years under Aquarius' leadership. It will take its place at the head of all the alternative medicine modalities as "the" medicine or form of medicine to use. It can engage the immune system, when practiced carefully and safely, on a gentle, noninvasive level. No drug can create cure, but homeopathy can CURE. This is a good time for you to find your local homeopathic practitioner and get your constitutional case taken.

THE DOWNSIDE

Neptune has rulership over bacteria and viruses. This also includes COMPUTER VIRUSES. Be sure to back up everything! Better safe than sorry.

Over the Spring period we will see more bacterial and virus complaints starting--especially ones like the West Nile Virus in the West continues to make inroads. I think you'll see the West Nile Epidemic crank up on the East Coast and continue to move Midwest and South. The West is going to take a "hit" on this, as well. Colorado is bracing for its 4th year and Arizona the 3rd year, which is being said to be very bad.

With Neptune going retrograde, you'll probably see this disease go "underground" but that doesn't mean it's done circulating the globe...not a chance. All epidemics have an ocean-like ebb and flow, a tidal wave effect, and with Neptune going retrograde, there's the possibility that it will pull back and seemingly be dormant or "under control" for now.

Neptune rules poisoning of any type and what we are at risk for is air pollution and water pollution. Bacterial assaults on our sewage, the chlorinating efforts, etc., are going to backfire and city water is going to continue to become, literally, undrinkable. Poisons such as uranium and arsenic that leach or leak into the underground aquifers is going to happen more and more out in rural America and people who own wells should get their wells tested yearly for all the poisonous elements that are known to their area--especially those who live near chemical factories, landfills, mines or mining activity and the like.

Because Neptune is subtle, the poisoning can go on for years before a person's health begins to deteriorate--and it won't be waving a red flag to get your attention, either. For instance, a leaky refrigerator can leak out its fumes and cause headaches over time each time the freezer portion is opened up. If the tubing isn't carefully checked, no one would suspect the person is slowly being poisoned in such a way--and yet, this is a typical Neptune way....and with Aquarius being the air element, such poisoning especially by carbon monoxide, is going to be epidemic in and of itself. This is a good time to go to your doctor and find out--have your water tested, too.

Chemicals and all gasses are ruled by Neptune. Fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides are going to be spotlighted for the insidious murderers that they are--and that these chemicals settle in the fat of our bodies. Women, in particular, will find that the poisoning going on in them from what they eat, drink and breathe from farm water run-off carrying these deadly toxins, will eventually wind up in the fat and lymph of their breasts--and these will be found to be one of the main reasons why women have such a high incidence of breast cancer in this century. DDT was also a very Neptunian poison and until decades of careful tracking of it, did farmers and chemical makers finally understand how terrible an instrument it was on our environment and the creatures in it.

The immune system (Neptune) is going to take a battering. Those who get more vaccinations are going to be at particular risk. Those who are in super-stressful jobs or environments (cities), are going to see their health begin to deteriorate unless they do something drastic (like leave the city and the stressful job). We are going to see immune-related disease leap to the top of the list of health problems--and the traditional medical people are going to wonder why--until they put it together with too many vaccinations. We are going to see arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and other central and peripheral nervous system dis-eases become highlighted in our culture. Now is a good time to de-stress. Look at the keywords above for some suggestions as to how--for instance, meditation or yoga, as examples.

Aquarius rules the calves of the legs, our ankles and the rods and cones of our eyes. With Neptune there, you are going to see more glaucoma, blindness and retinal detachment than ever before. There will be virus or bacteria that will be found that affect our vision or decrease it. There may be central nervous system complaints involving the calves and ankles of those people who have planets in Aquarius or Leo, particularly those with Saturn, Uranus or Neptune in them--and with three or more hard aspects to them. Viruses or bacteria will attack this part of their body leaving them wheel chair bound or having to use crutches or other types of conveyances instead of being able to walk normally. If you suspect eye problems, go see your ophthalmologist for the appropriate tests to check this out. This is a big time for anaphylactic reactions to allergies or to foods we eat--so beware.

The opposite sign, Leo, rules the cardiovascular system and our heart. We are going to see a huge flare-up of rheumatic fever, scarlet fever and Strep throat (if not caught, can injure any of our major organs, including our heart). Weak hearts, congestive heart failure, angina are going to plague us for this next thirteen year period. This is a good time to see your doctor about your heart and your cholesterol levels. Back problems could crop up at this time--a "weak" back, where a vertebrae kicks out. See your DO or chiropractor for help.

Problems with circulation are going to become highlighted, also. The easy answer to this is: get some exercise. Unfortunately, there's a lot of Baby Boomers who have turned into couch potatoes and it is that segment of our society that is going to have cold hands and feet, numbness, tingling or Raynaud's Disease, stalking them in earnest. Just puttering outside for an hour, or going for a walk around the block would help stave off this particular symptom. Getting a massage once a week will also help stop this condition.

IN SUMMATION...

Our life, our reality, is what we make of it. Neptune in Aquarius promises us if we want to create our reality (which we do anyway) but know on a more conscious level that we're doing, is at hand. One might look at this door opening as the sorcerer's apprentice (the Walt Disney version of Mickey Mouse and the Night on Bald Mountain classical music playing in the background) working with the magician's tools while he's stepped away from the castle.

Our health is in our hands. How we express our level of health is up to each of us and many of us will get more in touch with the why we are the way we are than ever before. The 'tools' of Aquarius are going to mind-blowing, mind-stretching, awe-inspiring, scary, unbelievable, frightening or miraculous--take your pick. Whatever your consciousness, whatever your attitude toward yourself and how you see yourself involved with Life's Spiral Dance, is up to each of us. As my mother sez, "If you get mud, Eileen, you damn well make mud pies and sell 'em!"

Find out what your 'tools' of reference, of belief in, of perspective and reality are.

TOOLS TO HELP YOU WITH NEPTUNE RETROGRADE ENERGY:

I don't believe we have to SUFFER endlessly through change. The people below are, in my opinion, the best in their particular business and are skillful catalysts to help people to help themselves. Utilize Neptune in the BEST and most healthy of ways... check out this group and choose which tools resonate most strongly with you and contact them. You won't be sorry you did!

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELORS:

You can engaged the services of the medicinegarden.com's professional astrologer and find out. Our own Carol B. Willis is a natal counselor. Just contact her at: cbwillis@lightlink.com

If you are wanting to move and aren't sure where or you have a place in mind, but aren't sure if it's "right" for you, Gail and Michael have locale information available. If health is your consideration, both are trained medical astrologers. To contact them: Gail Carswell at rockdoc@mindspring.com or Michael Foltz at solardoc@mindspring.com. Better yet, visit their web site: http://www.owlswebnest.com, for more information on all the services they provide.

I'm sure one of these three professionals will be able to shed considerable light in what is going on in your life and the many choices you have available to you to institute and use.

UN-CONFUSE YOURSELF DURING THIS RETROGRADE:

NEED A "Coach", some serious therapy that gets to the "heart" of your angst or what you're wrestling with? We recommend Rose marie Brown. Please contact her at: http://www.rosemariebrown.com or by email at: starrose@sedona.net

VOICE ANALYSIS--THE MISSING NOTE:

I've had my voice analyzed by Ani Williams and I can tell you from personal experience that we all have a "missing note" in our life. So what? Well, consider this. Without this missing note back in our life, we aren't working off of 8 cylinders. We're working on 6--or less! Please go to Ani's web site for more information. This is a life-changing "tool" that you should include in your personal Mercury transformation kit. http://www.aniwilliams.com or contact her via email at: songaia@earthlink.net

SPIRITUAL UPKEEP RENOVATION: NEED A SHAMAN?

Gail Carswell, Michael Foltz, Grace Verte (grace@graceverte.com) and Rosemarie Brown are all trained shamanic facilitators who can help you through your spiritual transformation.

FOR CARE OF BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT: HOMEOPATHY

Our favorite classically trained homeopath is Yolande Grill of Cave Creek, Arizona. She does long-distance case taking by phone and I consider her one of the best we've got in the USA. So, don't delay! She is also a shamanic facilitator, as well. Get a hold of Yolande at: y.grill@att.net