I have challenged myself to finally read The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemptionby Liz Greene. The book is nearly 500 pages long and contains everything we would probably ever need to know about this nebulous planet, and the author began the process of putting the work together for the book, under a transit of Uranus conjunct Neptune.Neptune is considered one of the astrological significators for water, and Greene's description is one of the best I have ever read, and water and Neptune are hard to describe. Both its healing, cleansing, redemptive and destructive qualities are succinctly explained. What's interesting is that Greene disagrees that a male god should rule over Neptune and should preferably be represented by a female deity, and some of the less pleasant underwater creatures like Jaws are also compared to the planet Neptune.
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
Greene also relates the Paradise Garden and Adam and Eve’s extinction from Eden to the longing of Neptune to return home. The story is also compared to Prometheus’ rebellion against the Gods and his excruciating punishment. In addition, the author uses the image of Prometheus chained to a rock in the Greek version of the cards to depict the hanged man, in her other book The Mythic Tarot. In mythology 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.
“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
It is a fascinating book and is definitely a worthwhile read for astrologers and Neptunians, or both in my case.
