Neptune retrograde · 2040
Neptune retrograde 2040: dates, degrees and what it means for each sign
Everything about Neptune retrograde in 2040 in one place: the exact station dates and degrees, the shadow periods, which other planets are retrograde at the same time, and a reading with practical advice for each of the twelve signs.
In 2040 Neptune is retrograde until January 11 and again from August 8 to January 12, 2041. The retrograde of Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041 runs from 5°52′ Taurus to 3°03′ Taurus. Astrologers read it as a time to review dreams, ideals, intuition and illusions.
Neptune retrograde 2040: the dates
- August 6, 2039 – January 11, 2040 (157 days). Neptune stations retrograde on August 6, 2039 at about 16:00 UTC, at 3°37′ Taurus. Neptune stations direct on January 11, 2040 at about 05:00 UTC, at 0°48′ Taurus. Most of this retrograde falls in 2039; its reading for each sign is in Neptune retrograde 2039.
- August 8, 2040 – January 12, 2041 (157 days). Neptune stations retrograde on August 8, 2040 at about 05:30 UTC, at 5°52′ Taurus. Neptune stations direct on January 12, 2041 at about 16:30 UTC, at 3°03′ Taurus.
Neptune is retrograde once a year, for a little over five months. Compared with the previous retrograde (Aug 6, 2039 – Jan 11, 2040), this one begins about 2° further along the zodiac, still in Taurus.
Times are UTC. Nothing reverses in space: retrograde motion is the apparent backward drift a planet shows when Earth overtakes it (or, for Mercury and Venus, when the planet overtakes Earth).
Neptune retrograde 2040: all dates
| Retrograde (UTC dates) | From | To | Shadow period | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2039 – Jan 11, 2040 | 3° Taurus | 0° Taurus | Apr 15, 2039 – May 1, 2040 | 157 days |
| Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041 | 5° Taurus | 3° Taurus | Apr 16, 2040 – May 4, 2041 | 157 days |
Computed from NASA JPL Horizons (geocentric positions in the tropical zodiac). The shadow period runs from the day the planet first crosses the degree where it will turn direct to the day it passes the degree where it turned retrograde.
Neptune retrograde Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041: key dates
| Date (UTC) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2040 | Pre-retrograde shadow begins: Neptune first crosses 3°03′ Taurus, the degree where it will later turn direct |
| Aug 8, 2040, about 05:30 UTC | Neptune stations retrograde at 5°52′ Taurus |
| Oct 27, 2040 | Opposition: Neptune is opposite the Sun at 4° Taurus, closest to Earth and visible all night; the midpoint of the retrograde |
| Jan 12, 2041, about 16:30 UTC | Neptune stations direct at 3°03′ Taurus |
| May 4, 2041 | Post-retrograde shadow ends: Neptune passes 5°52′ Taurus again and covers new ground |
Computed from NASA JPL Horizons. A station in the first hours of a UTC day falls on the previous evening in the Americas. Neptune is almost motionless around a station, so the time is given to the nearest 30 minutes; the date is firm.
What else is retrograde at the same time
Retrogrades overlap, and astrologers read them together. These planets are also retrograde during at least part of each period:
- Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041: Mercury (Oct 9 – Oct 30, 2040), Uranus (Nov 12, 2040 – Apr 10, 2041), Pluto (May 27 – Nov 7, 2040).
The whole year is on the retrograde calendar 2040.
What Neptune retrograde means in 2040
In astrology Neptune stands for dreams, ideals, intuition and illusions. Neptune retrograde is read as the fog thinning: you see a situation, a person or your own wishful thinking more clearly, sometimes with disappointment and usually with relief. In Taurus the subject is money, comfort, stability and what you are building to last.
Who notices it most. For Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 3° and 5° of Taurus, and at the same degrees of Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Everyone else can read it through the house it falls in, below.
What to do
Compare the story you are telling yourself with the facts, return to a creative or contemplative practice, and watch the habits you use to escape. The longer guide, with the astronomy and the reading of a natal Neptune retrograde, is on the Neptune retrograde page.
Neptune retrograde Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041 for each sign
Read your rising sign first if you know it, since it sets the houses; then your Sun sign. Houses are counted from your sign in whole-sign style. The birthdays show whose Sun the retrograde touches directly: Neptune covers 3° Taurus to 5° Taurus, and the Sun moves about one degree a day, so the dates are approximate.
Aries: 2nd house
Area of life: money, income, possessions and self-worth. Vague finances and wishful thinking about money, and the question of what you truly value. What to do: look at the real numbers, close the small leaks, and be wary of a deal that sounds too good.
Neptune makes no major angle to a Aries Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Taurus: 1st house
Area of life: your body, identity and how you come across. Your sense of who you are is hazy, and you see where you have been playing a role. What to do: spend time alone to hear your own voice, and drop one mask.
Strongest for Taurus born around April 23–26 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune retrogrades over your Sun.
Gemini: 12th house
Area of life: rest, solitude, endings and what you keep private. Strong dreams, old sorrow and the pull to escape. What to do: sleep, create, meditate or pray, and watch the habits you use to numb yourself.
Neptune makes no major angle to a Gemini Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Cancer: 11th house
Area of life: friends, groups and long-term hopes. Disappointment or clarity about friends and causes, and ideals for the future revised. What to do: notice who is truly on your side, and give your time to one cause you can verify.
Easier for Cancer born around June 24–27 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune sextiles your Sun.
Leo: 10th house
Area of life: career, reputation and public role. Uncertainty about your vocation: a dream career weighed against the real one. What to do: clarify what you want to be known for, and take one practical step towards it.
Strongest for Leo born around July 25–28 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune squares your Sun.
Virgo: 9th house
Area of life: travel, study, beliefs and publishing. Your faith, your ideals and your dreams of faraway places are sifted for what is true. What to do: return to a spiritual or contemplative practice, and keep the beliefs that survive honest doubt.
Easier for Virgo born around August 26–29 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune trines your Sun.
Libra: 8th house
Area of life: shared money, debts, intimacy and trust. Unclear shared finances, and trust that rests on hope more than on facts. What to do: read the shared paperwork carefully, ask the direct question, and avoid lending on a promise.
Neptune makes no major angle to a Libra Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Scorpio: 7th house
Area of life: partnerships, marriage and one-to-one relationships. You see a partner more clearly, with the idealisation or the excuses removed. What to do: compare the relationship you have with the one you imagine, and state a boundary plainly.
Strongest for Scorpio born around October 26–29 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune is opposite your Sun.
Sagittarius: 6th house
Area of life: daily work, routines and health habits. Blurred boundaries at work, low energy and routines that drift. What to do: keep habits simple and regular, rest when you are tired, and stop rescuing colleagues.
Neptune makes no major angle to a Sagittarius Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Capricorn: 5th house
Area of life: romance, creativity, children and fun. Romantic illusions and creative inspiration, including falling for a fantasy. What to do: check the dream against the person, and pour the feeling into something you make.
Easier for Capricorn born around December 24–27 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune trines your Sun.
Aquarius: 4th house
Area of life: home, family, roots and where you live. Idealised or blurred pictures of home and family, and a longing for somewhere to belong. What to do: see your family as it is, and make one corner of your home a real refuge.
Strongest for Aquarius born around January 23–26 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune squares your Sun.
Pisces: 3rd house
Area of life: communication, learning, siblings and short trips. Misheard words, daydreaming and half-truths in everyday talk, and more imagination in how you write and think. What to do: check the facts, put agreements in writing, and give imaginative work a regular hour.
Easier for Pisces born around February 21–24 (Sun at 3°–5°): Neptune sextiles your Sun.
Neptune retrograde 2040: questions
When is Neptune retrograde in 2040?
In 2040: until January 11 (in Taurus, since August 6, 2039); August 8 – January 12, 2041 (Taurus). Dates are UTC.
When does Neptune go direct in 2040?
Neptune stations direct on January 11, 2040 at about 05:00 UTC, at 0°48′ Taurus.
Which sign is Neptune retrograde in during 2040?
Aug 6, 2039 – Jan 11, 2040: from 3°37′ Taurus back to 0°48′ Taurus. Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041: from 5°52′ Taurus back to 3°03′ Taurus.
When is the Neptune retrograde shadow period in 2040?
For the Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041 retrograde the pre-shadow begins on April 16, 2040 and the post-shadow ends on May 4, 2041.
When is Neptune at opposition in 2040?
On October 27, 2040, at 4° Taurus. Neptune is then opposite the Sun, closest to Earth for the year and visible all night; it is the midpoint of the retrograde.
Who is most affected by Neptune retrograde in 2040?
For Aug 8, 2040 – Jan 12, 2041 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 3° and 5° of Taurus, and at the same degrees of Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Others feel it through the house it falls in for their rising sign.
Is Neptune retrograde in 2041?
Yes: until January 12, 2041; August 10, 2041 – January 15, 2042.
Sources
The checkable facts on this page come from these external sources. The astrological interpretation is our own.
- Horizons System (planetary ephemeris service) · NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryNeptune in 2040, computed from JPL Horizons positions: retrograde 2039-08-06 15:57 UTC at 3°37′ Taurus, direct 2040-01-11 05:10 UTC at 0°48′ Taurus; retrograde 2040-08-08 05:26 UTC at 5°52′ Taurus, direct 2041-01-12 16:36 UTC at 3°03′ Taurus
- Neptune: Facts · NASA ScienceNeptune makes a complete orbit around the Sun in about 165 Earth years (60,190 Earth days)
- What does it mean for Mercury to be in retrograde? · NASARetrograde motion is an apparent change in a planet's movement through the sky; the planet does not physically move backwards in its orbit
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