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The Book of Neptune
Neptune marks the border between the conventional planets and deep space. It is the window through which you peer into your own mystical vastness—and through which that luminous vastness peers back. This mysterious window has forever hypnotized humanity. Some of us—those who have truly cleaned the glass—are the precious mystics who light our paths. Others, flooded by imagery pouring up from the depths, are the treasured artists who inspire us. Legions more, overwhelmed by their own minds, have sought refuge, disappearing into whiskey bottles and video screens. In this powerful, practical book, best-selling astrologer Steven Forrest unveils a priceless secret buried in your own natal chart.As you come to understand Neptune’s place in your life, a treasure map emerges—one that reveals your best pathway into higher states of consciousness, while warning you about delusions custom-designed to con you into squandering your own soul. Underlying every word is the core notion that everyone is different—that one-size-fits-all spiritual practices can only take us so far. In a nutshell, The Book of Neptune helps you clean the windowpane that stands between you and your own ultimate divinity.
- GenresAstrologyPsychology
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 13, 2016
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April 5, 2016[NOTE:--To get the most out of this book requires at least a rudimentary knowledge of astrology. This need not be extensive, but should include knowing Neptune's sign and house position in your natal chart, any aspects between Neptune and the other planets as well as where he currently resides in sign and house placement by transit. A transit, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, refers to the current zodiacal location of a planet or other cosmic entity, including any aspects it forms to a planet in your natal or some other astrological chart, of which there are too many to get into here. You can obtain this information for free from astro.com. Once you have that, you're all set to apply the information Forrest has provided in this outstanding book. If you'd like to learn astrology's basics, I recommend my own book, "Whobeda's Guide to Basic Astrology", which contains what I would have liked to have found when I was first learning about this ancient discipline.]
Prior to Neptune swamping me with other-worldly, space cadet ditziness, I'd been an organized, disciplined, responsible, hardworking person. Now I couldn't stay focused to the point that if I hadn't realized it was Neptune, I would have been deeply concerned that I was developing Alzheimer's. I kid you not. As the cosmic surfactant, Neptune tends to dissolve what he touches, and I believe that includes your brain. Not surprisingly, the god of the deep is associated with loss, disappearances, deception, psychic phenomena and abilities, spiritual experiences such as enlightenment and so forth.
To sum it up, Neptune left me in a state best described by WTF? I advise my clients that there's always a positive side to any transit, no matter how grueling, but I was having serious difficulty finding anything about this one that was useful. The usual approach with a transit is to identify it, then direct that energy to something productive, yet I had never been less productive, more confused and generally feeling as if I were adrift in the ocean with no land in sight. I had never felt so lost.
Then I was fortunate enough to get a copy of Forrest's book and I must say that he nailed it. He starts out by explaining Neptune's realm, on the edge of the solar system, beyond which lie Pluto, Eris and possibly other planets or minor planets, the domain of comets and then interstellar space. It's an area filled with mystery and the unknown, so it's no wonder it's unfamiliar to someone who's practical, logical and responsible by nature.
In describing Neptune's effect when connected with the other planets, Forrest provides both the "Light Side" and the "Dark Side." This is tremendously helpful because sometimes with Neptune it's not easy to tell which is which. For the twelve houses, he provides snapshots which include an overview, significant quote and a sentence or two regarding "Leaking Energy" as a preface to several pages of in-depth explanation. This is particularly helpful if you're desperate, as I was, so you can grab the highlights before diving into the book as a whole. He discusses loss, often experienced during a Neptune transit, as well as navigating those murky waters in a positive way. He talks about synchronicity, which is typically ramped up during this time, both of a favorable and less favorable nature. His section on how the zodiac sign Neptune resided in influenced the music for different eras is fascinating, as is his journey through history, recounting key events that occurred when Neptune was previously in his home sign of Pisces, as he is now.
If you feel as if you've lost your footing, are sinking in quicksand or adrift on a large body of water with no land in sight, there's a good chance that Neptune is involved. If that's the case, I can't recommend this book highly enough. The price is a far cry less than a psychologist, especially one who doesn't augment his or her practice with astrology. It has not only provided me with the answers I was looking for, but made me a better astrologer who can be more helpful to any of my clients going through Neptune's often dark and mysterious waters.
[An unabridged version of this review can be found on my blog at https://marcha2014.wordpress.com/2016...]
Prior to Neptune swamping me with other-worldly, space cadet ditziness, I'd been an organized, disciplined, responsible, hardworking person. Now I couldn't stay focused to the point that if I hadn't realized it was Neptune, I would have been deeply concerned that I was developing Alzheimer's. I kid you not. As the cosmic surfactant, Neptune tends to dissolve what he touches, and I believe that includes your brain. Not surprisingly, the god of the deep is associated with loss, disappearances, deception, psychic phenomena and abilities, spiritual experiences such as enlightenment and so forth.
To sum it up, Neptune left me in a state best described by WTF? I advise my clients that there's always a positive side to any transit, no matter how grueling, but I was having serious difficulty finding anything about this one that was useful. The usual approach with a transit is to identify it, then direct that energy to something productive, yet I had never been less productive, more confused and generally feeling as if I were adrift in the ocean with no land in sight. I had never felt so lost.
Then I was fortunate enough to get a copy of Forrest's book and I must say that he nailed it. He starts out by explaining Neptune's realm, on the edge of the solar system, beyond which lie Pluto, Eris and possibly other planets or minor planets, the domain of comets and then interstellar space. It's an area filled with mystery and the unknown, so it's no wonder it's unfamiliar to someone who's practical, logical and responsible by nature.
In describing Neptune's effect when connected with the other planets, Forrest provides both the "Light Side" and the "Dark Side." This is tremendously helpful because sometimes with Neptune it's not easy to tell which is which. For the twelve houses, he provides snapshots which include an overview, significant quote and a sentence or two regarding "Leaking Energy" as a preface to several pages of in-depth explanation. This is particularly helpful if you're desperate, as I was, so you can grab the highlights before diving into the book as a whole. He discusses loss, often experienced during a Neptune transit, as well as navigating those murky waters in a positive way. He talks about synchronicity, which is typically ramped up during this time, both of a favorable and less favorable nature. His section on how the zodiac sign Neptune resided in influenced the music for different eras is fascinating, as is his journey through history, recounting key events that occurred when Neptune was previously in his home sign of Pisces, as he is now.
If you feel as if you've lost your footing, are sinking in quicksand or adrift on a large body of water with no land in sight, there's a good chance that Neptune is involved. If that's the case, I can't recommend this book highly enough. The price is a far cry less than a psychologist, especially one who doesn't augment his or her practice with astrology. It has not only provided me with the answers I was looking for, but made me a better astrologer who can be more helpful to any of my clients going through Neptune's often dark and mysterious waters.
[An unabridged version of this review can be found on my blog at https://marcha2014.wordpress.com/2016...]
July 5, 2016
In interests of total disclosure, I first had my chart drawn up and interpreted by Steve in 1979, when he was the Village Astrologer of Chapel Hill, NC, and I was a grad student in medieval literature. Then he published The Inner Sky, The Changing Sky, Skymates, and others, of which The Book of Pluto was particularly helpful when Pluto did his best to "transform" my life. I was excited to hear he was working on a book on Neptune, as I have been and will be going through major slow-moving Neptune transits--one trine my MC for most of 2 years, at the beginning of which I lost my job (which, later, I read was typical of Neptune transits to the MC in Steve's book), and now Neptune is squaring my natal Sun, which it will continue to do through early 2018. Neptune encourages patience, if you can develop it.
Steve's Book of Neptune, which he wrote when Neptune was transiting conjunct his IC, gave me encouragement that the vagueness ("well I need some of that vagueness now, I see things all too clearly / yes I loved you dearly") concerning who I am evolving into and where I am going is okay; I don't have to have the future all definitely plotted out for me to go boldly, or at least openly, there. I was born with Neptune conjunct Saturn in the same degree, so my tendency is to try to take the Neptunian Will-o-the-wisps and make something concrete (poems, mostly) out of them, but I just do that as my daily practice (I write a sonnet each morning, not always rhyming) as something to mark time with until...and then, if nothing else, I will have all those sonnets, for whatever good they do.
I teach English, and if I were grading this paper right now, I'd say it is drifting, and needs some shape and direction. Well, the shape is an amoeba, and the direction is wherever it happens to send out its pseudopods, wherever its protoplasm happens to flow.
The one finest sentence in all of Steve's book--and there are many--is to the effect that you should assert your Sun and be who you intend to be, because Neptune lets you let go of your individuality and conform to what Society (Momma, therapist, boss, the boyz on the corner) want you to be. To let your Neptune seduce you into saying, "In 500 years, who will care what you do now?" is a massive cop-out, because you are not living 500 years from now, you are living now.
I'm taking Steve's workshop on Neptune this weekend at Omega to reinforce what I learned from this book, then I'm rereading the book, as well as going back into Liz Greene's Neptune book. As a Saturn-Neptune conjunction kind of guy, I know that there are no boundaries, yet we need boundaries, as artificial as they may be. Still working with this balance (Steve also introduced me to Greene's Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil years ago, which led to my paper on Michelangelo's true natal horoscope in the 16th Century Journal). Look for a 1960s era short film titled "Liquid Jazz."
Steve's Book of Neptune, which he wrote when Neptune was transiting conjunct his IC, gave me encouragement that the vagueness ("well I need some of that vagueness now, I see things all too clearly / yes I loved you dearly") concerning who I am evolving into and where I am going is okay; I don't have to have the future all definitely plotted out for me to go boldly, or at least openly, there. I was born with Neptune conjunct Saturn in the same degree, so my tendency is to try to take the Neptunian Will-o-the-wisps and make something concrete (poems, mostly) out of them, but I just do that as my daily practice (I write a sonnet each morning, not always rhyming) as something to mark time with until...and then, if nothing else, I will have all those sonnets, for whatever good they do.
I teach English, and if I were grading this paper right now, I'd say it is drifting, and needs some shape and direction. Well, the shape is an amoeba, and the direction is wherever it happens to send out its pseudopods, wherever its protoplasm happens to flow.
The one finest sentence in all of Steve's book--and there are many--is to the effect that you should assert your Sun and be who you intend to be, because Neptune lets you let go of your individuality and conform to what Society (Momma, therapist, boss, the boyz on the corner) want you to be. To let your Neptune seduce you into saying, "In 500 years, who will care what you do now?" is a massive cop-out, because you are not living 500 years from now, you are living now.
I'm taking Steve's workshop on Neptune this weekend at Omega to reinforce what I learned from this book, then I'm rereading the book, as well as going back into Liz Greene's Neptune book. As a Saturn-Neptune conjunction kind of guy, I know that there are no boundaries, yet we need boundaries, as artificial as they may be. Still working with this balance (Steve also introduced me to Greene's Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil years ago, which led to my paper on Michelangelo's true natal horoscope in the 16th Century Journal). Look for a 1960s era short film titled "Liquid Jazz."
January 25, 2021
Such a great book! Having read some of his other books and having heard him speak at many conferences this book was a pleasure to read. It is done in a very conversational style since it is based on a workshop he did which was converted into this book. This is not the first book on Neptune which I have read, but it was thoroughly enjoyable and gave clear ideas and understandings for the different ways in which Neptune can show up. This is absolutely a wonderful achievement because Neptune is so hard to disseminate. My favorite part might have been in the beginning where he talks about how the sun and Neptune need to work together which was a nice way to begin to put everything in context. The ego and the search for spiritual awakening are such different things but Steven explains it all brilliantly.
January 16, 2020
If you enjoy Steven Forrest and his teaching style, you'll love this. It's clear, interesting and seems to fit the pattern of what I'm experiencing with transit Neptune going over my ascendent in Pisces, squaring my natal Neptune at my Midheaven.
I think people interested in astrology would benefit from doing a deeper dive into this mysterious planet; especially with Neptune transiting its home sign. I feel that the opioid crisis, mega-churches, and resurgence of yoga and meditation into the mainstream all have strong Neptunian themes.
I enjoyed the breakdown of Neptune through the signs and houses and I felt that it truly resonated with how I use this planet in my own chart-- as a visual artist.
I think people interested in astrology would benefit from doing a deeper dive into this mysterious planet; especially with Neptune transiting its home sign. I feel that the opioid crisis, mega-churches, and resurgence of yoga and meditation into the mainstream all have strong Neptunian themes.
I enjoyed the breakdown of Neptune through the signs and houses and I felt that it truly resonated with how I use this planet in my own chart-- as a visual artist.
June 1, 2020
Forrest writes beautifully and covers each topic in his books on astrology with depth, wisdom and humor. This dive into Neptune, that planet which acts as the "window" between the world of the conscious and the unconscious is a very illuminating look that can shed some light on this mysterious, oceanic presence in our skies.
July 7, 2024
Such a good book for anyone who's ready to move beyond the basics of astrology and start studying specific planets (in this case Neptune) in depth.
Forrest's writing manages to be both profound and simple, his terminology easy to understand for folks just starting to dip their toes into more advanced aspects of astrology.
Forrest's writing manages to be both profound and simple, his terminology easy to understand for folks just starting to dip their toes into more advanced aspects of astrology.
May 30, 2024
Another astrological masterpiece and classic by my favorite author in the field.
Here he delves into Neptune and its place in unlocking the trans-Neptunian realm, and gives us a glimpse into the future of astrology, while providing greater context on its past and present.
Truly a pleasure!
Here he delves into Neptune and its place in unlocking the trans-Neptunian realm, and gives us a glimpse into the future of astrology, while providing greater context on its past and present.
Truly a pleasure!
July 17, 2020
Very good, but very lengthy. I'm sure it could have been more condensed, but even so whatever Steven Forrest has to say is worth reading.
July 30, 2020
Favorite excerpts coming soon
November 29, 2020
Writes in a way that you can remember and create your own dialog with. If you are an Astrologer, student, or lover of Astrology you will enjoy this book
November 11, 2022
Fantastic book, as usual he doesn’t “just” write a book on one specific topic — he does that while also delving deep into the rest of the universe around and within us.
November 22, 2020
Es un libro interesante, que enfoca el Neptuno astrológico de una forma distinta a los estudios habituales, dentro del contexto de la "astrología evolutiva" que defiende el autor. Vale la pena de ser leído. Particularmente interesante me ha parecido su nuevo enfoque respecto del Sistema Solar, aunque al leerlo por primera vez me hiciera rechinar los dientes. Comparado con el libro ya clásico de Liz Greene, no desmerece en absoluto.
September 3, 2016
Insightful and thought provoking
This was a very insightful book about Neptune. I enjoyed Steven's humor as I feel that one must go forth with humor (light hearted), along with a deep sense of humility when traversing the terrain of a trans-personal planet. I recommend this book to any student of astrology or astrologer.
This was a very insightful book about Neptune. I enjoyed Steven's humor as I feel that one must go forth with humor (light hearted), along with a deep sense of humility when traversing the terrain of a trans-personal planet. I recommend this book to any student of astrology or astrologer.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews