As Neptune prepares to enter Aries, we stand at the threshold of a cycle that is not about escaping reality, but meeting it with vision, authenticity and soul-led action.

Neptune, the planet of dreams, hope, inspiration and spirituality - essentially all that is unseen - completes its 165-year cycle in January 2026, on the 26th to be exact (26/1/26).

We were given a brief preview of what is to come when Neptune dipped into Aries for a short time in 2025. Now, the moment arrives to truly explore and experience this new energy, as Neptune begins a long transit through Aries that will continue until 2038-9.

Whenever the outer planets change signs, it marks a significant collective shift. Neptune is a generational planet in astrology, meaning its movement shapes the collective consciousness rather than individual experience alone.

Neptune represents vision, ideals, imagination and reflection. It is creative, intangible, mystical and surreal. Watery and ethereal by nature, Neptune can blur the boundaries between reality and illusion, making it difficult at times to discern what is true, solid or sustainable.

As Neptune moved through its home sign of Pisces, many of us experienced this heightened sensitivity - along with confusion, longing, spiritual exploration and emotional dissolution. Neptune dissolves boundaries, erodes what is no longer viable, and gently washes away outdated structures.

When we work with Neptune consciously and with intention, it becomes a powerful ally for release and healing. The final degrees of Pisces (activated multiple times with the retrogrades) have been particularly pronounced urging us to let go of what has been holding us back. This was further supported by 2025 as a nine year — a year of endings, completion and closure.

Neptune’s move into Aries marks a profound energetic shift — from dissolution into initiation. As someone who works with what is essentially intangible, I find this transit both exciting and full of potential.

Astrology does not offer fixed predictions or absolute outcomes. Instead, it invites us to explore potential and possibility. Nothing is set in stone. This approach aligns beautifully with Neptune’s archetype, which asks us to imagine, sense and intuit rather than define.

What I feel very strongly with Neptune in Aries is the rise of a new type of leadership. This will be further supported and anchored by Saturn’s ingress into Aries just weeks after Neptune’s entry. Most notably, Neptune and Saturn meet at 0° Aries in February (20th) — a truly monumental moment within the wider astrological landscape.

Aries is the sign of leadership, initiation and courage. It is the pioneer, the one who moves forward without hesitation. In its lower expression, Aries can be impulsive, naïve or even aggressive, with its ruling planet Mars associated with war and conflict. However, Neptune’s influence is likely to soften and spiritualise this archetype, dissolving old patterns of competition and comparison as it does so.

I see the emergence of leaders who are more compassionate, inspiring and creative — leaders who know who they are and have the courage to step into the unknown, trusting that others will naturally follow. This is not a top-down approach, but a model rooted in authenticity and inner authority.

This vision does not necessarily reject what has come before, but it is fresh. It carries a renewed sense of authenticity and autonomy. Aries is about the self and the individual, yet Neptune dissolves the fears that often accompany standing alone — fears of abandonment, rejection or isolation.

With Neptune in Aries, we are invited to stand strong in the truth of who we are, while also knowing that we are part of something far greater. I also sense a softening of deep survival fears and root-chakra wounds, allowing many of us to feel more secure, grounded and confident in who we are and where we belong.

As self-esteem rises, this will naturally affect how we relate to and treat others.

The End of Old Identities and the Spiritual Warrior

Old identities — particularly those that are false, forced or no longer aligned — will begin to dissolve. There is a sense that there is nowhere to hide within this energy. We are called to embody and express our most authentic selves. This requires courage, and that is precisely where Aries supports us.

The days of constant comparison, external validation and judgement feel as though they are drawing to a close. We are being asked to step into our own power and light, and to act on our spiritual truth without seeking reassurance from others.

This creates space for the rise of the spiritual warrior — not a combatant or conqueror, but a leader without fear. There will be a powerful call to trust your inner guidance, even when it contradicts external voices, and to stand firmly in your own authority.

Spirituality will increasingly be experienced as something that lives within us, rather than something we seek outside ourselves. The Piscean age taught us to look to institutions, gurus or external sources; Neptune in Aries reminds us that everything we need already resides within.

This is, of course, a slow and gradual transit. These changes will not happen overnight. With Aries representing the zero point, there may be moments of uncertainty — much like a child learning a new skill. Practice, patience and courage are required.

What matters most are the seeds being planted now, which will take root and eventually blossom into something truly new.

Aries is cardinal fire — fast-moving, initiating and action-oriented. Combined with the universal one year of 2026 and the energy of the Fire Horse, we are likely to feel an acceleration of pace. This can feel exhilarating and exciting, but also destabilising for those who resist change. Read more about the energy of the Horse here.

To work with this ingress on a personal level, look at where 0° Aries falls in your natal chart. The house it activates reveals where this bold new beginning is unfolding for you — and where you are being invited to lead with courage, vision and soul.

Find out more about the Astrology of 2026 with my extended Deep Dive report. Available here. 

Louise Platt | Spiral Bright Insight