When Neptune transits the 11th House, we experience phases of uncertainty and confusion regarding our life goals and objectives. This is because our ideals are changing; the vision of what we expect in life is fluid. Our old ideals seem too narrow, too limited, and therefore lose validity or power. As long as we cannot formulate a new set of ideals, we drift, not knowing what to believe or what to expect.
In time, the uncertainty will pass, and we will emerge from it with a renewed sense of vision or purpose, referring not only to ourselves but, possibly, also to the entire planet. Instead of worrying only about our personal needs and demands, we can support and promote the needs of humanity, and especially the most mistreated or misunderstood sectors of the population. In one of its broadest manifestations, Neptune’s transit through the 11th House promotes this type of altruism and concern for others: it inspires a utopian vision that motivates us to join groups dedicated to promoting humanitarian, social or spiritual causes. We want to join others to offer the world our idea of truth, justice or beauty, and this can be a period in which we consecrate and dedicate all our time to promulgating the ideals that, in our understanding, will be beneficial for our planet.
These ideals can be noble and achieve many positive effects, but when Neptune is involved, it can also happen that we get carried away by our beliefs and visions. It is possible that we put our faith in something that later disappoints us or does not give us what it initially promised. To make matters worse, Neptune brings with it a tendency to proselytize, an emotional certainty that what we see as true is also what others need. We get lost in a cause and fly too high. Neptune is paradoxical: it inclines us to this type of emotional and sentimental flight, but if we go too far, at some point it will pop our bubble with its trident to bring us back to Earth. What goes up must come down. It is necessary to avoid “going overboard” in any matter related to the 11th House.
This transit can also be experienced through experiences centered on friends and friendship. In its most positive aspect, Neptune indicates friends who offer their support, attention and presence when we really need it, or who broaden our horizons and open our eyes to new goals and visions. Our ability to help and nurture our friends emotionally and spiritually will also increase. However, if we continually ask them to “save” us, we will not only exhaust their patience, but we will also fail to cultivate in ourselves the qualities we need to deal with our own problems. Conversely, during this transit it is likely that our friends will want us to rescue them in some way, or perhaps we will feel that our mission is to “save” them. As is often the case with Neptune, we need to examine the personal motives that may be secretly contributing to our taking on this role.
During this transit, we may sometimes have difficulty finding a group where we feel comfortable, or friends who connect with us. In general, new friendships that we establish may reflect the qualities of Neptune: perhaps their Natal Chart is heavily influenced by the Sign of Pisces, Neptune or the 12th House, and they are artists, healers, dreamers, or are attracted to any of the interests associated with Neptune.
No matter how hard we try to pursue them, our goals and expectations in life may continually elude us during this transit, and we may be forced to recognize that some of them are unlikely or unrealistic. Childhood dreams of wealth, fame, and fairy tale romances that last forever will have to give way to more realistic ideals and more in line with our ability to achieve them. No matter how effectively we fulfill many of these desires, we will still feel vaguely dissatisfied.
With Neptune transiting this House, we place our faith in our dreams: “If I could have this or that, I would feel complete.” However, the form of satisfaction that Neptune pursues can very rarely be fully achieved – and certainly not by anything external, be it material wealth, a loved one, or being in the service of noble causes or principles. That lost feeling of wholeness that we all try to recover really exists, but it cannot be found by looking for it outside of ourselves, but only within ourselves.
When Neptune transits the 11th House, a person is attracted to the spell of social life, parties, club activities, or participation in some idealistic group. These dreams tend to be unrealistic, and one can be drawn to social novelties of all kinds. At this time, a person should be careful not to fall under the spell of false “teachers” or prophets, or get involved in social intrigues. They should be the master of their own destiny rather than depending on others.
Contact with friends or groups can become more confusing and uncertain, and this state of affairs can cause a person to doubt their social skills and the value of their established goals. One may even neglect to maintain contacts under the illusion that their friends do not love them. Instead of brooding over such a situation, one must understand that Neptune is dissolving a form of social participation in the hope that one will side with something more valuable, vaster, and of more spiritual quality.
In these terms, the breaking of ties with people who are not worth it and the interruption of participation in selfish and limiting social activities will be totally beneficial. The world needs the zeal of crusaders, and people capable of concentrating through their minds and public activities a vision of the next step forward in terms of social needs. Therefore, one must prepare, if possible, to assume such responsibility or, if not ready, at least to seek friends and companions who are fired by a similar desire to create conditions for social or religious change.