As Neptune moves into Aries and we are taken to the threshold of a new cycle and era. It is no longer about escaping reality, but meeting it with vision, authenticity and soul-led action.

Neptune is the planet of dreams, hope, inspiration and spirituality - essentially all that is unseen. It 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 we get to 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 has moved through its home sign of Pisces, many of us have experienced this heightened sensitivity - along with confusion, longing, spiritual exploration and emotional dissolution. Neptune dissolves and erodes what is no longer viable, and gently washes away outdated structures. It is not hard to see how this has played out.

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 9 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.

I remind everyone frequently that 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) - which is a monumental moment within the astrological year.

Aries is the sign of leadership, initiation and courage.  The pioneer, (sometimes seen as the Fool) 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. We are called to embody and express our most authentic selves. This requires courage, but that is precisely where Aries can support 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 validation or approval from the external world.

This creates space for the rise of the spiritual warrior - not as a combatant or conqueror, but as 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 10/1 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