Reflections on the Saturn-Neptune Conjunction

By Laurien Rueger

On February 20, 2026, Saturn and Neptune made an exact conjunction (both planets at the same position) marking the start of an interorbital cycle that will last until their next conjunction 35 years from now. Although the actual event was short-lived, its influence began about a year ago as the planets drew close to one another, and it will continue off and on for about another year until they move further apart. Lately, I have been reflecting about how pervasive the effects of this conjunction have been on mundane (worldly) affairs, perhaps because the conjunction occurred at the very first degree of the zodiac, 0° Aries, known as the World Point. In astrology, we say a planet rules or signifies things that accord with its basic nature. Looking at recent headlines, it seems that Saturn-Neptune is everywhere!

For example, Saturn rules the cold and Neptune is connected to moisture, so the conjunction is probably behind the extreme winter weather that Canada, the USA, and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere have been experiencing. (1) In wintertime, these two planets in combination can create the snow, freezing rain, and ice which many regions have endured this winter. (2) Also, Saturn rules construction and Neptune rules oil and gas, so the conjunction is likely behind the many oil and gas projects that are being greenlit because of the political climate, and despite concerns about climate change. The conjunction may also represent the risk of pollution (Saturn) from oil and gas (Neptune), especially to coastal areas and marine mammals, as Neptune was the Roman god of the sea. We can also see the conjunction’s influence in low or diminishing (Saturn) global oil prices (Neptune) due to oversupply and decreasing demand, and in plans to go ahead with deep-sea (Neptune) mining (Saturn) despite environmental concerns.

There’s more! Consider an elderly (Saturn) US President (also Saturn) who increasingly seems to be suffering from cognitive decline (Neptune). Or the withholding (Saturn) of oil and gas (Neptune) to Cuba by a hardline American administration (Saturn) that would like to see the Cuban regime fail (Saturn). Or a theocratic regime (Neptune) in Iran that the US and Israel governments would like to topple (Saturn). And with Iranians in the streets protesting high prices, water shortages, and decades of repression by the Islamic Republic, we may yet see a revolution that overthrows the regime, much as the Russian Revolution did during a Saturn-Neptune conjunction in 1917. The conjunction undoubtedly influenced Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in January where he talked about a new world order (0° Aries) that must be faced realistically (Saturn) while avoiding wishful thinking (Neptune). Some financial experts believe there is a stock market bubble (Neptune) that could collapse (Saturn) at any time. And artificial intelligence threatens to cause confusion (Neptune) over what’s real (Saturn) and what’s not (Neptune).

We can see the conjunction in the recent revelations about members of the global elite (0° Aries, Saturn) who became caught up in a shady world (Neptune) of sexual abuse and exploitation. And in the mystery (Neptune) of the death (Saturn) of the man at the centre of it all, Jeffrey Epstein, who was born at a previous Saturn-Neptune conjunction. (3) It’s in the mysterious (Neptune) kidnapping of an elderly (Saturn) woman in Arizona on February 1^st that has seized the attention of Americans. And the deadly (Saturn) mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, on February 10^th committed by someone with mental health issues (Neptune).

Astrologers have long associated Saturn-Neptune with infectious disease outbreaks. What may have been the first cases of Spanish Flu were detected around the time of another Saturn-Neptune conjunction in August 1917. (4) 1952 was the worst year for polio in the USA; (5) Saturn and Neptune were conjunct three times from 1952 to 1953. The current flu season has been worse than usual, while measles is making a comeback around the world, in large part due to conspiracy theories (Neptune) which have made people doubt (Neptune) vaccines that can prevent deadly diseases (Saturn). Where isn’t Saturn-Neptune these days? Am I seeing reality (Saturn)? Or am I deluded, paranoid, or projecting (Neptune)? These are questions many people may be asking themselves these days.

1. Wikipedia, “January-February 2026 North American cold wave”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January%E2%80%93February_2026_North_American_cold_wave

2.The Science Times, “Why The January 2026 Winter Storm Is So Dangerous: Ice, Snow and Arctic Cold Collide, January 24, 2026. https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/61184/20260124/why-january-2026-winter-storm-so-dangerous-ice-snow-arctic-cold-collide.htm

3. Astrodatabank, “Epstein, Jeffrey”. https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Epstein,_Jeffrey

4. Wikipedia, “Spanish flu”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu#Descriptive_names

5. Dr. Ravi Kumar, MD, “1952: The Year Polio Struck 57,879 Americans – A Record-Breaking Epidemic”, November 22, 2025. https://drkumardiscovery.com/posts/poliomyelitis-distribution-united-states-1952/