The watery planet of Neptune rules over spirituality, cinema, and all things elusive in nature. It bridges the gap between waking life and the dream realm. Depending how Neptune is aspected in a natal chart, it can give the power for immense empathetic and intuitive ability, or it can delude, conspire and deceive us- or others. As with anything in astrology, nothing is black and white. While a well aspected Neptune may very well provide depth of intuition and creativity, in isolated cases, it can provide the opposite. The planet of deception can illude or deceive others. "Good" aspected Neptune doesn't always mean it's used for good, as a badly aspected Neptune doesn't always mean you're doomed to failure. It comes down to other things in the chart. The point of this post is to delve more into that

Neptune hides things from us, from plain view. So, it's no surprise that the work of Espionage (the act of spying for the government or a company) is commonly found in natal charts with strong Neptune (Neptune falling in the 10th house or Sun conjunct Neptune make for remarkable spies). Espionage can be used to boost a company's significance by understanding how others market, and government espionage can be used to protect the security of one's country. On the other hand, overtly stealing the ideas of a competing company and masquerading them their own isn't. As with governmental duties, one can just as easily protect their country, as well leak classified information in order to destroy a supply, or wage a war.

In cases that, Neptune is well-aspected, there's usually other things going on in the chart that motivates deceptive behavior. For example, squares from Pluto and Mars are common culprits. Mars means war, Pluto represents death and disease. If we're not using our Pluto for self-transformation, or our Mars for personal drive, these planets can become a problem. Mars conjunct Pluto in the natal chart can create a strong character, but it's effect is often not felt by others. They know what they want and how to get it because they're strategic in their efforts. Detachment from emotion comes naturally. Someone with Sun conjunct Neptune in good aspects, but Mars conjunct Pluto in hard aspect to their Sun, this can become quite a inconspicuous character, with the potential for real damage.

I've found that many body guards have strong Neptune contacts, giving them the ability to conceal, but still be present. Guards have to deal with a lot, and this includes the unruly who revel in provoking others. A body guard with strong Neptune in the chart, and hard aspects to their Mars (i.e., Moon conjunct Mars can be impulsive, with a temper). Provoking someone who's quick to anger may not be the best idea, for both the sake of provoker, and the bodyguard.

The world of cinema is rooted in Neptune. It's not surprising to see that many actors and actresses have prominent Neptune in their charts (there are many Neptune/Venus/Sun conjunctions, and even squares).The art of acting stems from Neptune's ability to see, transform and live the persona- it brings life into the fictional character. With this ethereal planet being the higher octave of Venus, I think this only solidifies that acting is an art in itself: the illusion comes to life

While all these things tie into the art of what makes acting and the ability to conceal oneself quite interesting, these same sentiments can create chaos, deceit, deception. A (really) good actor has the potential to be a good liar. Good liars can get away with a lot, especially if they understand the "groundwork" in doing so. This isn't to say all actors are good liars, because it takes more than acting- it takes an understanding of appropriate body language being used at the right time (some body language is actually hard mimic, such as frowning). This isn't to say all really good actors with an in-depth analysis of body language lie constantly. Aspects like Mercury conjunct Neptune, or Mercury squaring Neptune can be an indicator of the inclination to lie more than average.

These examples only skim the surface of how Neptune interacts with other aspects in the chart. Astrology is complex, and as each individual's chart represents this. I hope this post was helpful