The Astrological Neptune

I have challenged myself to finally read The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption, by Liz Greene. I have had the book in my possession for quite some time now, and I have never managed to read it from beginning to end. The book is nearly 500 pages long and contains everything you would probably ever need to know about the planet Neptune, from both a mythical and astrological perspective.

I am a Neptunian personality and can relate to this phenomenal piece of writing. The author began the process of putting the work together under a transit of Uranus conjunct Neptune. The explanation of water for its healing, cleansing, redemptive and destructive qualities is succinctly explained by the author. I have always enjoyed the mermaid myths in connection with Neptune, probably because I am a female and prefer the feminine motifs. Greene disagrees that a male god should rule over Neptune and that she should preferably be represented by a female deity. Of course Jaws and other less pleasant water creatures are also related to the darker face of Neptune. What is interesting is that some of the mythical stories surrounding the planet, paint reality as an illusion.

“An individual life is nothing more than a dream among many, dreamt by the cosmic sea; and the events of that life are the emanations of her substance, just as we believe our own dreams arise from the human brain. An individual death is thus only the end of a dream. Just as a psychologically sophisticated Western person might sift through a dream to distill its meaning, forgetting the images once the essence has been gleaned, so the cosmic sea draws the essential meaning from the dream of a human life which is quickly forgotten.”By Liz Greene, The Astrological Neptune, and the Quest for Redemption

I am currently in the process of reading about the Paradise Garden and Adam and Eve’s extinction from Eden. The story is compared to Prometheus’ rebellion against the Gods and his excruciating punishment. In The Mythic Tarot the author uses the image of Prometheus chained to a rock in the Greek version of the cards to depict the hanged man, that's if my Mercury in Pisces memory serves me correctly. I do have a memory like a fish, but I do tend to remember symbols and imagery more than concrete facts. The curse which God inflicts on Adam and Eve as "punishment" is the pain of childbirth and the struggle to earn a living. Liz Greene relates these experiences and the whole process of maturation to the cycle of Saturn. In Greene’s other book, The Mythic Journey she also compares children leaving home to the story of Adam and Eve.

“On one level, this story describes the first loss we must face - the separation from mother’s womb at the start of existence. In the womb, life is pleasant and without stress or strain. There is no need for clothes, as there is no extreme heat or cold, nor is there any experience of hunger or thirst. Life is peaceful without loneliness, conflict or suffering. And then comes the shock of birth. Just as Adam and Eve are propelled unceremoniously from Eden, so the baby has its first taste of loneliness as well as physical pain.” The Mythic Journey by Liz Greene and Juliette Sharman

I actually have two copies of the book, for some reason another book was posted through my door, so perhaps next year, I will give the other copy away on the blog. It is a fascinating book and I am reading it slowly to absorb all the information fully. It is definitely a worthwhile read for astrologers and Neptunians, or both in my case.