Saturn Neptune Conjunction 2026: Echoes of 1989 | When Structures Dissolve

Photos of The Baltic Way by: Gunārs Janaitis, Vilhelms Mihailovskis, Aivars Liepiņš, Vitālijs Stīpnieks, Uldis Briedis, Gunārs Janaitis

Hey, beautiful people!

There’s so much going on in the heavens right now, and I'm guessing you're feeling it, too.

Until just a few days ago, Pluto was stationed at 1° 22' Aquarius for eleven days (!!), deeply excavating our inner world. On top of which, Saturn and Neptune have been closely tracking each other for most of the year. They're gearing up for their first conjunction in 36 years, in early 2026.

The previous time these two planets came together was in 1989—a year that reshaped our world, politically. Certainly, Saturn-Neptune transits often herald social restructuring. (It's also worth noting that 1989 was a 9 Universal year.)

Notably, 1989 brought the student-led, pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, which were brutally and violently suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, using the might of their military. Remember the iconic image of "Tank Man"?

As a 17-year-old uni student at the time, I remember the sense of sickening shock and disbelief that a government could massacre its own people, its own students. I remember the images of the tanks. I remember attending a ceremony, in the Great Court of the University of Queensland, for those who'd been massacred. It was shocking. Unthinkable.

1989 also brought The Baltic Way — a peaceful pro-democracy protest that brought approximately 2 million people together, holding hands in the longest, unbroken human chain in history, stretching across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. (See the uplifting photo collage at the very beginning of this email.) They came together seeking independence from the communist Soviet regime.

The Berlin Wall fell that year.

And the Iron Curtain fell soon after.

Germans celebrating atop the Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. 9 November, 1989.

These iconic images from 1989 are seared into my memory. Burned into my mind's eye. As a teenager, they helped forge my understanding of the world.

1989 was a big year.

Again, these astounding events radically changed the global political structure.

Structures that we thought were permanent (Saturn) dissolved (Neptune) overnight. And dreams (the students' dreams of democracy) were brutally suppressed before they had a chance to take root.

And now, Saturn and Neptune are travelling closely together again, both preparing to move from Pisces into Aries within a matter of weeks of each other. The next Saturn Neptune Conjunction will be at precisely 0° 46' Aries, on 21 February, 2026.

This all brings to mind the current war in Ukraine, with Ukraine defending its independence from Russia. It also highlights the "No Kings" pro-democracy protests in America, along with the US president's stated desire to deploy the National Guard and military to quash them — turning American cities into 'training grounds.'

As they say, history may not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes.

I'm not fear-mongering — simply observing archetypal patterns at play. It'll be significant to observe this dynamic coming to fruition over the months to come.

Especially given that the last time Neptune moved from Pisces to Aries (in April, 1861) the American Civil War began. Notably, Saturn and Neptune were in opposition throughout much of the Civil War, opposing each other from late 1862 through 1863 — a period that included two of the deadliest battles waged, including the Battles of Gettysburg and Chickamauga. (The Civil War lasted from April, 1861 - April, 1865.)

So far, we've been looking at the macro level, the collective reshaping that Saturn-Neptune brings. But these transits don't only work on the global stage. They work intimately in our personal lives, too.

In my next article, we'll explore what this transit means for YOU personally — including reflection questions about your own experience of 1989, and the soul-work being asked of you in these final ten weeks of 2025.

Until then, if you have any questions or reflections you'd like to share, reach out.

I'd love to hear from you.

Peace

Juliette xo