The Great Conjunction
Saturn and Neptune merge at 0° Aries:
The Spark of a New Era of Consciousness
The Great Conjunction occurs on February 20, 2026, at 11:18 am EST, at 0° 45’ Aries, the Aries Point of New Beginnings.
From The Dark Crystal movie (Jim Henson, 1982), Aughra points to the symbol for The Great Conjunction, explaining her prophecy of the Three Suns aligning over the restored Crystal to begin a new age.
While Saturn and Neptune meet somewhat often - the last Saturn-Neptune conjunction was in 1989 in Capricorn and coincided with the fall of the Berlin Wall - Saturn and Neptune joining forces at the ignition point of the zodiac, where it all begins - 0° Aries, has not happened for at least six thousand years. To call this a rare alignment is an understatement. It feels more like fate - or a prophecy coming true, like the one described in the 1982 Jim Henson film, The Dark Crystal.
The Dark Crystal movie poster, 1982, Jim Henson
In the film, a young elf-like creature called a Gelfling is tasked with repairing a fractured mystical crystal that energizes the beings of their universe before the Third Great Conjunction of the planet’s Three Suns occurs. Since the splitting of the crystal after the Second Great Conjunction caused the race of urSkeks to split into two races of beings - one mystical and peaceful, the urRu, and one cruel and violent, the Skeksis - if Jen the Gelfling didn’t restore the crystal in time, the evil Skeksis would rule forever. As Jen restores the crystal in time for the Great Conjunction, the Dark Crystal is healed and restored to the Crystal of Truth. Thus, the Skeksis and urRu recombined into the urSkeks once again as a whole race, and a new Age of Power began.
The Split
As allegorically illustrated in The Dark Crystal, astrology is an ancient art that can be used to assist humans back to their wholeness, overcoming the split inherent in humanity as beings of duality: both dark and light, animal and divine, masculine and feminine, unconscious and conscious.
As we are part of the Earth and its systems, we are thus also a part of the solar system and the universe the Earth resides in. The planets mirror our inner energies (as above, so below) and are thus used as mystical guides to help us evolve toward cohesion - ordered, regulated wholeness and consciousness that reflects our connectedness to the universe and the divine.
All planets and signs contain and represent both unconscious, unevolved, lower energies and conscious, evolved, higher energies which mirror our own. In its lower (or “malefic”) vibration, Saturn is aligned with restriction, limits, consequences, karma, punishment, loss, severity, cruelty, and death. The higher vibration of Saturn is aligned with lessons, practice, mastery, rationality, foundations, intentions, structure, containment, regulation, groundedness, security, ambitiousness, discipline, integrity, and manifestation.
You could even go so far as to say that the lower vibe of Saturn is akin to toxic masculinity and patriarchy, the wounded masculine, and the higher vibe of Saturn is the expression of the Divine Masculine.
Before the invention of the telescope, Saturn was the last known planet in our solar system and the furthest planet visible to the naked eye. It represented the boundary of all knowledge, the boundary and limit of our consciousness at the time. It represents Father Time and physical reality. It symbolizes everything physical, material, rational, regulated, and embodied in the world, the 3D things of structure we can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste.
Saturn is the Patriarch; it represents the patriarchy, death,
and the OG malefic that rules with an iron fist.
Saturn from Planetarium app
Neptune also has higher and lower vibrations. Lower vibration Neptune is aligned with delusion, diffusion, dissolution of structure, fantasy, escapism, surreality, addiction, manipulation, glamour, trickery, mental illness, overwhelm, loss of coherence, and the collective unconscious. Higher vibration Neptune is aligned with spiritual illumination, faith, magic, inspiration, creativity, intuition, psychic ability or insight, particularly through dreams and meditative states, compassion, feeling at-one with the universe and all beings, transcendence, quantum leaps, timelessness, and the collective consciousness.
As with Saturn, we could say the lower vibe of Neptune is the toxic, wounded feminine, and the higher vibe aligns with the Divine Feminine expression.
Neptune is associated with the 5D realm of spirit or energy, with the unseen that requires faith or wisdom to experience, with self-realization, and with God- or Christ Consciousness. It is the attainment of Higher Love and enlightenment.
Neptune’s higher vibe is the realization of the Unity of All Things; it is gnosis
realized through the energy of the Heart instead of deduced by the rational mind.
Neptune has rings! New photo from NASA’s Webb Space Telescope.
Neptune Discovery Chart
We did not begin to fully grok the energy of Neptune until its official discovery in 1846 in the Berlin Observatory (it was unofficially recorded, however, by Galileo in 1613, so peeks of its influence began to seep into the collective consciousness over 400 years ago). It’s discovery led to mystical and psychological movements like spiritualism, romanticism, German idealism, modern psychology and psychoanalysis (Freud and Jung), and existentialism becoming mainstream in the mid-to-late 1800s and continuing into the the current zeitgeist.
In the Neptune Discovery Chart (September 24, 1846, 12:00:15am, Berlin), Neptune and Saturn are conjunct at 25° Aquarius (only three degrees away from the Solar Eclipse we just experienced on February 17, 2026!) - this means that the astrological signature of Neptune, by its nature, includes a tight conjunction to Saturn. These two opposite-in-nature planetary bodies - one is reality, the other is an alternative reality or even non-reality, physical and metaphysical - belong together like yin and yang, like male and female, like unconscious and conscious, is quite stunning. It is baked into Neptune’s natal chart.
It’s discovery was literally making the unconscious (Neptune, a previously unknown, unseen planetary neighbor), conscious (Saturn).
To say that the discovery of Neptune was life changing - epoch changing - is an understatement. Before the discovery of the outer planets (Uranus - 1781; Pluto - 1930) astrologers were relegated to using the solar system as it had been known for millennia. To discover we have more planetary bodies in our midst would have been mind-blowing. I can’t imagine discovering such a thing today in our relative backyard. It would be on par with the discovery of aliens.
Neptune Discovery Chart, September 24, 1846, 12:00:15 am, Berlin
The Aries Point
The Aries Point marks the Spring or Vernal Equinox - the portal between worlds when, in mystical and mythological terms, Persephone comes back into the world of light from the underworld, bringing her compassionate, healing knowledge and insight from the underworld. Her time there shows us that going to our own underworlds - or inner worlds, going within - is the way to heal our own inner split, our own inner division of polarity, and achieve inner balance and unification, to become whole, cohesive, and awakened. This sparks a “rebirth,” a “resurrection,” becoming “born again.”
In the physical world, it marks the beginning of Spring and new life on the planet blooms and grows after the cold stillness of winter. This was Ceres’ promise, upon the return of her daughter to her after her allotted time in Pluto’s realm.
Both represent the point of new beginnings, the spark of life returning after apparent darkness and death.
Tarot Associations
From the Major Arcana: Aries is associated with The Emperor. The Aries Point is associated with The Fool. Saturn is associated with both The Devil, in the form of entrapment in the material world and abdication of willpower and control to an outside authority, representing its lower vibration form, and in its higher vibration form with The World, in the form of achievement, fulfillment, manifestation of goals and dreams, and reward after the completion of tasks. Neptune in lower forms is associated with The Hanged Man, as surrender, sacrifice, and new perspectives, and with The Moon as intuition, dreams, illusions and delusions; and in its higher vibration form with The High Priestess as intuition, the subconscious, insight, and accurate prophecy by accessing the higher consciousness through meditative states (Akashic Records).
In numerical order, we have:
The Fool = Aries Point; High Priestess = Neptune as intuition, the subconscious; The Emperor = Aries; The Hanged Man = Neptune as surrender, sacrifice, new perspectives; The Devil = Saturn as materialism, entrapment, abdication of will/control; The Moon = Neptune as delusion, dreams, illusions; The World = Saturn as completion, manifestation, outcomes in the material world realized as achievement and fulfillment.
We are utilizing all these energies and experiences, overcoming challenges and pitfalls, and utilizing all our higher power resources to arrive at the culmination of fulfillment at The World.
I’ve long posited that Saturn and Neptune are the antidote to one another - they balance each other out. Saturn on its own can be rigid, strict, and joyless, giving in to depravity, evil, psychological warfare, dominance, enslavement, extraction (colonialism) - The Devil tarot card. Neptune on its own can be flaky, ungrounded, gullible, directionless, escapist, powerless, manipulative, and prone to self-medication to cope with overwhelm - The Moon tarot card and the Hanged Man tarot card. But unified, Saturn is the ship (and the ballast in the ship that keeps it upright and afloat) that sails Neptune’s boundless ethereal seas. Without Saturn’s rationality, nothing Neptune intuits could be understood in a material or purposeful way. Without Neptune, Saturn would have no higher meaning or purpose and would exist in drudgery and suffering.
Together, they represent the Inner Marriage. Together, they elevate one another to their highest expressions and the world is whole again. Together, they heal each other’s wounds and pain.
Together, they can manifest heaven (Neptune) on earth (Saturn).
Aspects to the Great Conjunction
The Great Conjunction of Saturn-Neptune at 0° Aries aspects includes:
A slew of strong goddesses: Kaali (liberation through truth), asteroid Lilith (untamed sovereignty), Sekhmet (sacred rage and justice), Morgan (the Morrigan - war, protection, and retribution), and Artemis (defender of women, children, and wildlife), all within the first six degrees of Aries.
Also Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring, is conjunct Saturn and Neptune from 24° Pisces. It is quite fitting that the Goddess of Spring and Rebirth is about to enter Aries herself (Persephone enters Aries on March 9, 2026, and will be conjunct the Sun as it enters Aries on the Spring Equinox, March 20, at 3° Aries) and is part of this epic picture, as she - as I mentioned recently in my article, Persephone Rising, is also heralding a new age of unity consciousness. It is all converging.
It is also conjunct asteroid Apophis at 1 Aries - the ancient Egyptian personification of pure evil and the enemy of Ra, the light bringer. Apophis was an embodiment of chaos and disorder and one committed to destruction, anarchy, and the commission of horrible unforgivable acts. This asteroid figures frequently in the charts of mass shootings, terrorism, extreme cruelty, either in the events themselves or in the natal charts of their perpetrators.
Also conjunct TNO Borasisi at 1 Aries - Astrologically, Borasisi represents deception of all types, especially those perpetrated by or in the name of religion. It relates to illusion and delusion, particularly conscious self-delusion, as well as the dangers of technological excess.
It is certainly interesting that there is such a tight stellium of celestials with strong influences that would seem to be at odds with one another morally/philosophically, but then again this is the story of Saturn and Neptune. I can’t help but feel that all these things are being revealed – female strength, anger, justice, retribution, protection of the vulnerable, while also revealing the deceptions and unforgivable destruction wrought by religion, patriarchy, and evil-doers.
Mars is the ruler of this Aspect as it rules Aries. Mars will be at 22 Aquarius, which is co ruled by Saturn – mutual reception! – and Uranus, which is at 27 Taurus and squaring Mars. Taurus is ruled by Venus, which is in Pisces, which is co ruled by Jupiter in Cancer (Moon is in Aries, so back to Mars) and Neptune – mutual reception! – in Aries. So there is lots of echoes and pinging around.
Mars is opposite asteroid Magdalena and White Moon Selena in Leo, making the drive for the higher mind the impetus for the collective awakening here.
The only major aspect this conjunction makes (other than Saturn and Neptune to each other) is to Pluto - they are sextile. Pluto in Aquarius is the power of love
overcoming the love of power. This is true coherence.
Jimi Hendrix quote/meme - Power of Love over the Love of Power
Sabian Symbol for 0° Aries
A WOMAN HAS RISEN OUT OF THE OCEAN, A SEAL IS EMBRACING HER
This degree is the beginning of the zodiac where the old gets left behind and a new understanding and awareness comes to light. Something new is emerging and it needs to be welcomed and nurtured. This is the beginning of a whole new impulse, creative and responsive. There’s an emergence of a whole new potentiality. Resist looking back to outgrown and unsatisfactory conditions in your life as they can pull you back to old and unrewarding ways of being. This is also about finding your voice and your feet.
(Positive expression) Beginnings. Emergence of the feminine into concrete manifestation. Cycles beginning. The beginning of spring or autumn. Confidence in a whole new arena of being. Shedding old skins.
(Negative expression) Using the masculine drive to overshadow the emotions. Refusing to move into a new state of being because one is held back by previous life conditions.
The Meaning of the Great Conjunction
Saturn is elevated to its higher vibration by its proximity to Neptune - and Neptune is grounded to coherence in its higher vibration by its proximity to Saturn. Here, we are dealing with the High Priestess (Neptune elevated) and The World (Saturn elevated). This is the achievement of the manifestation of magic - practical magic - in the real world. This is the quantum leap. This is the higher understanding of universal love made manifest in 3D reality. It is the merger of the metaphysical with the physical, the mystical with the rational.
The High Priestess (higher Neptune) and The World (higher Saturn) conjoined
Through Saturn’s higher influence, we are able to easily discern truth from lies, imagination from manipulation, intuition from our conditioning, love from fear, True Power from force and control.
Through Neptune’s higher influence, we are able to say to our lower addictions, urges, and unconscious, self-defeating, worst tendencies - to say to the God of Death - and especially in warrior ethos Aries - NOT TODAY.
Maisie Williams, actor who plays Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, HBO series based on the novels by George R.R. Martin,
is a triple Aries (Sun, Venus, Saturn).
It’s a convergence of understanding - the dawn after the Long Night. Arya slays the Night King in a moment of clarity of vision and purpose.
There is clarity with this merger: the pure fire of the Aries point burns away any delusion, confusion, misrepresentation, manipulation, authoritarianism,
games of power and control - Truth is all that remains.
The Veil is not just lifted - it is incinerated.
We begin to see how everything is connected, how previous lies, manipulations, subterfuges, etc., were weaponized against us. We are empowered to overtake them and force is not needed - Sauron’s towering eye crumbles to the ground. The illusion is laid waste and the earth swallows the detritus.
The Eye of Sauron tower falls at the end of The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, marking Sauron’s defeat by the power of love and unity
The eclipse on February 17, 2026 was a reset button; but the Great Conjunction is the system upgrade. We come online with a new OS. This is more felt than known, more experienced than articulated. This is in/from the heart, not from the rationalizing mind. We begin to know from a heart sense, an energetic knowing, rather than the logical trap of mind. We are actually in our body more than before, because we cease abdicating power to the mind, which is but a tool. We are learning to trust and lead from the heart.
The heart’s magnetic field is thousands of times stronger than that of the brain. The dark energies of the world (patriarchy, capitalism, oligarchy, colonialism) want to keep us disconnected from this power, and will resist this upgrade with all their might, because the darkness has no heart. It must extract our consciousness to power itself, like an energetic parasite or vampire. It is engaging in a War for Consciousness, because that is its only source of power. Connecting to your heart power, your divine consciousness, the power of Love, is the strongest power there is.
To win this battle we must activate our heart fields. To do this, we spend time going within, unifying our inner worlds, becoming coherent and contained, remaining aligned with our humanity, empathy, and compassion, and elevating our highest vibration - that of Love and Oneness.
We are leaving patriarchy behind by shining divine light on its primitivity and its ignorance. It is outdated OS and no longer supported or compatible with where we are headed. It is obsolete. We are being upgraded. The World OS is being upgraded.
This is undeniably the reset button for the manifestation of a new dream, a new reality, a new era of collective consciousness. We are rebirthing ourselves – and birth is always uncomfortable, exhausting, frightening, and dangerous. And sometimes it takes longer than we’d like it to.
We are in the eclipse portal now, in a liminal space of profound endings and beginnings. This is a powerful portal within that portal.
There is no turning back. We are evolving as a species. This is the turning point. This is the Great Awakening, the Great Unveiling, the Apocalypse, the Genesis Point, the Ignition Point for the New Era, the Aeon of Horus, the Age of Aquarius, the Hopi Prophecy, the Quantum Era. This is it – it is Now.
The Eye of Horus
This Great Conjunction of Neptune and Saturn at the Aries Point is the seed breaking ground, the beginning of the healing of the Split - and through that cohesion we can realize a higher expression of humanity, one that is based on love, unity, consciousness, truth, alignment, coherence, inclusion, and cooperation. We now are able to manifest a new reality here on earth, one that is based on Love instead of fear, if we choose it. That is true power.
