Saturn & Neptune’s Wake Up Call in Aries

Every year when the Sun moves from Pisces into Aries to mark the beginning of the zodiacal year, the Earth wakes up (at least in the Northern hemisphere) and what was dormant springs to life. In 2025, our friends, Saturn and Neptune, crossed this threshold and gave us a wake up call of their own, but what were we waking up to?

Well, for the last 14 years Neptune has been in Pisces, which is the sign of its modern rulership, so let’s look at the traits associated with both:

Honestly, as I wrote this chart out, it was difficult to differentiate the two, so you can see why Neptune is so at home in Pisces. That said, when something is completely at ease and comfortable in a place, it may feel unchecked and can become a parody of itself. As we look at what has transpired over the last 14 years, Neptune may fit that description.

Not surprisingly, psychedelic therapies enjoyed a resurgence during this time, and “ego death” became a popular term. Christian Nationalism became more prominent as many people sought spiritual connection and meaning through religious and political causes, many of which were based on delusions and conspiracy theories. Pisces was really flexing its muscles.

Saturn, which represents authority figures and the structures that rule our lives, accelerated this dynamic when it entered Pisces in 2023. Many ambitious leaders (Saturn) unleashed propaganda, social media algorithms and other subversive tactics (Pisces) to manipulate elections and popular sentiment by playing on deeply held subconscious beliefs, such as generational distrust of certain races and classes, as well as suspicion of education and the media. They convinced the masses that if they could just make the necessary individual sacrifices to their moral code, their freedoms or their physical and financial well-being, they would realize an ideal vision for society

The result was large groups of people who were willing to sacrifice (and vote against) their personal values and self-interest because they wanted to be part of something bigger and holier than themselves. Obeying the commands of their chosen religious and political authorities, these folks did things they would never dream of doing, like harming others, spouting hate and stoking division because it was all for a cause that they had been told held spiritual high-ground.

By 2024, the masses appeared to be brain-washed, hypnotized and sleep walking into a future that they hoped would be great (again?). Thankfully in 2025, these planets moved into Aries, and Pisces’ foggy veil began to lift. 

The influence of slower-moving Neptune’s entry in Aries is gradual and initially subtle, but one could hope that people will reclaim spirituality (Neptune) for themselves (Aries) by making moral and ethical decisions based on their own values and interests. 

Likewise, we may see the concept of “self-interest” (Aries) become more inspired and enlightened (Neptune). The recent pandemic exposed the intimate interconnectedness of all humans on this round petri dish called Earth while technology, global economics and the environment continue to link everyone’s futures together. Neptune in Aries will encourage us to see how our individual decisions and actions affect the rest of the world and how we actually rely on each other for our day-to-day existence.

Unlike Neptune, the impact of Saturn’s move is more immediately perceptible, so let’s take a look at the individual traits of Saturn and Aries:

As you can see, these two don’t mesh nearly as well as Neptune in Pisces, but this is perhaps a good thing because they offer checks and balances on each other. While in the murky waters of Pisces, the disintegration of the traditional structures (Saturn) that hold society together was difficult to see, but once Saturn entered Aries, it became obvious. 

People could clearly identify the true motivations of their chosen leaders (Saturn) because the earlier vague promises of a more righteous and prosperous future (Pisces) crystalized into active policy and unilateral executive orders (Aries) that resulted in palpable pain and real conflict for individuals that they could no longer deny. The job market weakened, tariffs led to higher prices and the US military was used for domestic civilian control. Saturn shook us out of our slumber, and Neptune’s alarm bell was ringing!

In September, Saturn returned to Pisces, and Neptune will do so in just a few weeks, so we may be tempted to hit the “Snooze” button. I expect that elected leaders will repeat their request for people to sacrifice their personal beliefs and interests to obtain “greater good”

Martyrdom will once again be sold as a high value proposition, which we have already seen with the eulogizing of Charlie Kirk. 

We may hear the following sales pitches: “Sure, prices are higher and you can’t find work, but some have given their life for the cause!”  Or, “I know Christ spoke out against violence, but ‘they’ are at war with ‘us’ and we need to fight fire with fire.” And finally, “Sometimes you have to give up your rights to ensure our security;”

Will you take the bait, go back to sleep and resume blind sacrifice? Or will you get up, make some coffee and enter the future with eyes wide open? 

Come February, Saturn and Neptune will reenter Aries and stay for their full visits (2.5 years for Saturn and 14 years for Neptune). Saturn will then ask us to reestablish structure and discipline in our individual lives and encourage us to become our own authorities. Neptune will ask us to leave dogma and saviors (Pisces) behind and to look within ourselves (Aries) to find our own true moral compass.

Sure, some with a narrow perspective may increasingly display the shadow sides of Aries, such as selfishness and a desire for quick wins, which could lead to more devolved Arian consequences like increased violence, military involvement and generalized rage. But perhaps some will have learned lessons from Neptune and Saturn in Pisces.

What are your personal spiritual and moral values (Neptune)? How do you make ends meet in this physical world (Saturn)? When we honestly answer those questions and apply that wisdom, then we may begin to make the progress we want to see. 

Saturn and Neptune in Aries are echoing the Hopi Indian Prophecy and alerting us that “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” It is time to wake up and step up to the challenge of this time as only we can. The future will be what we make it.