How’s 2025 looking? Well, there are some MAJOR planetary changes coming up. To echo a phrase repeated by Kamala Harris, 2025 will be a ‘turn the page’ year. Almost every planet changes signs this year, with Pluto getting a headstart in late 2024 when it finally settles into Aquarius (where it will be until 2043.)
The other two outer planets – Neptune and Uranus – will change signs in 2025. This is major, because Neptune changes signs roughly every 14 years, and Uranus changes signs roughly every 7 years. Then two inner planets – Saturn and Jupiter – will also change signs. Saturn from Pisces into Aries, and Jupiter from Gemini into Cancer (the rest of the planets naturally change signs regularly during the year).
Neptune is moving from Pisces into Aries, and Uranus is moving from Taurus into Gemini. Along with Pluto changing from Capricorn into Aquarius in 2024, these are clear moves from earth and water signs into fire and air signs. Saturn is also following suit in 2025 by moving from Pisces into Aries. A major exception to this pattern is Jupiter which moves from air (Gemini) into Cancer (water) a sign that it’s exalted in.
Generally, Earth and Water signs tend to signify practical activities (Earth) and emotions (Water), whereas Air and Fire signs signify ideas, and energised actions. Aries will welcome two planets with Neptune and Saturn both entering its sign, and Aries is a sign often associated with new beginnings.
It’s probably very cliched to say that 2025 will be a major tone shift, because there’s been a lot of major astrology in the last five or so years. But 2025 is definitely a year of major changes.
Below is an outline of these major planetary changes.
Neptune in Aries – March 31st to October 22nd NZT
With Neptune leaving dreamy, spiritual (and at worst deluded) Pisces and entering Aries, I’m hoping for a ‘wake up and smell the reality’ vibe – because in many ways I think we need this collectively. Neptune in Pisces in particular can get very deluded – think wellness trends with zero scientific grounding. We need a lot of energy if we want to truly face down our collective challenges – climate change being perhaps the largest (though of course it’s interconnected with so many other issues of justice and equality). And Aries absolutely has the ability to bring that energy.
Some notable events from the last time Neptune was in Aries include: the American civil war, the invention of dynamite by Alfred Nobel and the invention of the typewriter by Christopher Latham Sholes. ‘War and peace’ and ‘Crime and punishment’ were both published during this time – showing us the Neptunian qualities of fantasy and idealism mingling with the Aries theme of conflict. Aries is also about competition and trailblazing (it’s ruled by Mars after all) which feels well captured by the invention of both dynamite and the typewriter.
Whenever an outer planet moves into a new sign it tends to retrograde back and forth a bit before finally settling. Neptune will be in Aries in 2025 from March 31st NZT to October 22nd NZT, which will give us a taste of what’s to come…
Saturn in Aries – May 25th to September 1st NZT
Saturn has a hard time in Aries – Aries wants to go go go and Saturn wants to slow it all down. Considered in its ‘fall’ in Aries, Saturn is opposite it’s sign of exaltation in Libra. Aries is action taking, Saturn is reality checks. Saturn was last in Aries between April 1996 and Feb 1999. This was during the rise of the internet and personal computers, the impeachment of Bill Clinton (reality catching up to action taking), and the explosion of ferocious Girl Power aka The Spice Girls. Harry Potter and the film Titanic were both released during this time. Commitment (Saturn) to trailblazing (Aries) is a vibe here. It will retrograde back into Pisces from September 2nd, but will be back in Aries in February 2026. Consider this first ingress an introduction.
To quote from Liz Greene’s excellent book on Saturn, “Saturn is considered to be in his fall in Aries…but I am inclined to believe that planets in their fall, and Saturn in particular, can offer to the persistent and perceptive person a much greater key to the meaning of the planet…This is because a planet in its fall must generally struggle, and it is this struggle which, if carefully tended, yields insight and eventual expansion of the field of consciousness.”
I’m a big believer in connecting with Saturn as the teacher it is. If you were born between April 1996 and February 1999 this will be the beginning of your Saturn return – checkout my article on the topic here.
Jupiter in Cancer – 10th June 2025 to 29th June 2026 NZT
This ingress has the potential to counterbalance all the fiery Airian energy of 2025. Jupiter in Cancer is exalted, so it will be supercharged in all the positive ways. A local reference I like about Jupiter in Cancer is that the 32nd Prime Minister of NZ, David Lange had that placement natally (of course). An imperfect figure, he was known for his generosity, playfulness and incredible presence.
Another Jupiter in Cancer figure is the comedian Mike Birbiglia, who’s a Cancer rising with Jupiter co present with Mercury in his first house. His 2023 Comedy Special titled ‘The Old Man and the Pool’ feels very Jupiter (old man) in Cancer (water) to me.
Last time Jupiter was in Cancer was between June 2013 and July 2014. During this time the ‘ice bucket challenge’ went viral – a viral stunt to fundraise for a worthy cause that involved water – very Jupiter in Cancer. Over in the US, same sex couples were given the right to marry 🌈💕. In terms of pop culture, in September of 2013 Lorde released her first album ‘Pure Heroine’, and Beyonce released her self titled fifth studio album, which included such singles as Flawless, Drunk in Love and Partition.
To quote from the excellent Alice Sparkly Kat’s article on Jupiter in Cancer, “Jupiter in Cancer relies on its own gut to make the call. It believes in people because it cares. It understands that anyone can become brilliant when they receive enough nurture.”
This is such a benevolent transit, and I hope we are able to feel that deeply. It has the potential to bless us with the optimism we all thirst for.
Uranus in Gemini – 7th July to 8th November NZT
Uranus shakes shit up. It’s the planet of surprise and upheaval. Uranus in Gemini is also a Uranus return for the USA. We’ve had Jupiter transiting through this sign, so we’ve already been feeling this curious, double sided, distracted meme loving energy. But where Jupiter makes this energy bigger, Uranus promises to disrupt through Gemini themes in all sorts of unexpected ways. As with Saturn and Neptune, Uranus will retrograde by the end of 2025, so consider this ingress an introduction.
The last time it was here: August 1941 – June 1949.
Events during this time include: The Nakba, WW2, the invention of the atomic bomb, computer technology that pre-cursed the creation of the internet, the publication of Animal Farm by George Orwell, and the invention of the microwave.
Gemini has a ‘both, and’ quality to it, and Uranus isn’t a simple planet. Because of the curious quality of Gemini and the surprising energy of Uranus, I feel it would be foolish of me to attempt a prediction of this ingress. However, Gemini being an air sign, and in many ways connected to social media, I do wonder if this ingress might disrupt our already fracturing relationship to social media as an avenue for connection.
There are of course other things going on in 2025, including the nodes changing signs, and some notable retrogrades. Hopefully this outline of some of the major changes in 2025 will help give you a sense of what’s to come. If you have any important planets in Aries, Gemini or Cancer (or your rising sign is one of these), then these transits will certainly impact you more directly.
If you want to go into more depth:
- Chani Nicholas – I highly recommend using Chani’s free birth chart calculator on her website, and/or subscribing to the incredible Chani app to get more detailed intel about how these transits will affect you personally. The team at Chani is also selling a ‘2025 yearbook’ which can only be purchased digitally if you’re in New Zealand but is an incredible resource.
- Alice Sparkly Kat – This astrologer has a brilliant archive of articles on various planetary placements among other things over at their website, and they’re always writing beautiful insightful stuff.
- The Astrology Podcast – Chris Brennan offers a great deal of free content on his podcast which can be consumed via audio and video on youtube and can be a great tool for better understanding astrology. His archives are an absolute treasure trove.
I receive no payments or anything from recommending these folks, I just genuinely think they’re all brilliant.