The Dialectic of Two Opposing Forces

Astrology is an art of observation. The apparent cycles observed from Earth seem to correspond to events and themes experienced on the planet for centuries. An astrologer like Richard Tarnas suggests in his book Cosmos and Psychethat, while the planets do not "cause" specific events—any more than the hands of a clock "cause" a particular hour—their positions are indicative of the cosmic state or archetypal dynamics of the moment.

This is how astrologers are studying the upcoming Saturn-Neptune conjunction that will occur on January 20, 2026. The Saturn-Neptune pairing follows a cycle of approximately 36-37 years, and returns to the same sign every 323 years.

For reference, here are the most recent exact conjunctions:

• 1917 in Leo

• 1952-1953 in Libra

• 1989 in Capricorn

• 2026 in Aries

We had a preview of this in August and September 2025, when Saturn and Neptune briefly aligned as seen from Earth. Afterward, both planets went "retrograde," appearing to move backward and away from each other. On February 20, they will reunite, and their next meeting won't occur until 2062.

At the heart of this conjunction lies an archetypal tension between two radically opposed principles. Saturn, the austere guardian of time, joins Neptune, messenger of the soul's mists. Their conjunction is a doorway between the worlds of Incarnation and the Invisible, a crossroads where rigor meets magic, where stone accepts being sculpted by the ocean.

Saturn embodies the principle of contraction, crystallization, and limitation. It is the planet of structures, boundaries, laws, dense matter, and linear time. It represents what is tangible, measurable, what can be touched. Conversely, Neptune symbolizes dissolution, the erasure of boundaries, ambiguity, imagination, and transcendence. Neptune is like watercolor: the pigment disperses unpredictably, and this lack of control creates beauty.

When Saturn comes into play, we often face the consequences of our actions. When Neptune operates, we may try to escape reality or fall victim to deception. But together, these two planets form a massive creative energy.

This dynamic of dissolution-reconstruction explains why periods of Saturn-Neptune conjunction dissolve empires, walls, structures, and failing foundations. Neptune comes to erode what Saturn has built; certainties liquefy, borders become porous, ideologies lose their rigidity. Then, from this shapeless chaos, new constructions can emerge—Saturn resuming its work of structuring on terrain renewed by Neptunian waters.

Russia Under the Sign of Saturn-Neptune

The Saturn-Neptune pairing is traditionally associated in mundane astrology with socialism and communism, with a particular influence on Russia. This association makes perfect sense when you consider that communism is precisely an attempt to structure (Saturn) a collective and egalitarian ideal (Neptune).

Astrologers note that previous conjunctions have marked decisive turning points for this country. In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution upended the world order by destroying Imperial Russia to establish a new order, thus demonstrating Neptune's power of dissolution applied to Saturnian structures.

More recently, in 1989, the Berlin Wall fell—the stone, under Neptune's fluid action, collapsed and gave way to a new era. This is the perfect image of this dialectic: the wall (Saturn par excellence) dissolved by the aspiration for freedom and unity (Neptune).

For the current period, several astrologers note that this conjunction will occur in the sign opposite to that of 1952-53 (Putin's birth and Stalin's death). They see this as a premise for change. This may seem weak, when you consider that the 2026 conjunction will form a sextile to Saturn in the declaration of independence...

Nevertheless, Russia is in poor shape. Pro-Ukrainian analysts are quick to announce its decline sooner rather than later.

Vladimir Putin: A Man Born Under the Saturn-Neptune Conjunction

Putin's case particularly fascinates astrologers because he literally embodies this planetary cycle. Putin was born in 1952 with the Sun in Libra in very tight conjunction with Saturn, Neptune, and Mercury, a few months before Stalin's death in March 1953.

Putin's rapid rise actually began at the square of the two planets in 1999. Then their opposition marked the transition to absolute power with his stratagem of becoming Prime Minister while his puppet, Dmitri Medvedev, became President.

Saturn, but especially Neptune, has been forming a square to his Mars since 2022, which certainly hasn't helped the Russian president succeed in his war against Ukraine. In June 2026, Uranus will conjunct his natal Moon. Could he be swept away by the collective force of Uranus?

Iran and the End of a Religious Cycle

Iran is no stranger to Saturn and Neptune:

• 1917: Conjunction in Leo: Great famine, fall of the Qajars

• 1952-53: Conjunction in Libra: Coup against Mossadegh

• 1979-80: Waning square: Islamic Revolution

• 1989: Conjunction in Capricorn: Death of Khomeini

• 2026: Unprecedented protests. Beginning of an uprising. How far will this go? Both planets have remained near the natal Mars and Mercury respectively at 25° and 27° Pisces of the Iranian Revolution chart (April 1, 1979). Moving faster, Saturn will reach the Iranian Sun at 10° Aries in... May 2026.

An Era of Dissolution and Renewal

The fact that this conjunction occurs at 0° Aries considerably amplifies its scope. This is the vernal point, the zero degree of the zodiac—where everything begins. After the Neptunian dissolution of old forms in the final degrees of Pisces, Saturn and Neptune enter together into the fire of Aries to initiate a new 36-year cycle.

When Saturn's boundaries meet Neptune's transcendence, we theoretically witness a dissolution of structures coupled with a crystallization of new inspirations.

According to the late André Barbault, who predicted the 2020 pandemic in 1992, 2026 should be one of the culminating points of the 21st century, a major but beneficial turning point for the planet.

For now, things seem rather poorly underway for this golden age!

However, this conjunction isn't the only thing in the sky. The beginning of the year could represent an obligatory passage through a major global crisis before hoping for better auspices. It remains to be seen how these energies of dissolution and reconstruction will concretely manifest.

And Trump in All This?

I recently wrote on this subject (https://orbiscantus.com/en/blog/trumps-destiny). Let's simply recall here that the next solar eclipse will be positioned opposite Trump's natal Mars at the time of the Saturn/Neptune conjunction.

And People Like You and Me?

After the "late" Pisces natives of March 18-19, it will be the turn of "early" Aries natives of March 20-22 to "undergo" these planets. These people have lived or will live through this conjunction in a particularly intense way, since Saturn and Neptune will pass directly over their natal Sun. If you are an Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn born with the Sun in the first degrees of the sign, this energy will be personally impactful for you. The same applies if you have planets or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, MC, or IC) in these degrees.

For these natives of the vernal point, the conjunction won't be a mere background transit but a profound identity transformation. With the Sun representing the core of identity, they will be called to dissolve (Neptune) and then restructure (Saturn) their very sense of who they are. On a personal level, look in your chart for planets at 0 to 4 degrees of any sign, even 28-29 degrees.

On the positive side, this is a period when the deepest dreams can take concrete form—provided one first accepts letting the old versions of oneself die. Conversely, many will feel the dissolution of what they've acquired, uncertainty, or great existential fatigue.

An astrologer can help you determine the true color of the season ahead. As the saying goes: help yourself, and heaven will help you.