The illusion ends here
- The International
- 18 hours ago
- 5 min read
With illusion giving way to confrontation and identity under pressure, Ophelia Wu explores
why clarity, intention, and self-honesty may be the most radical acts of the years ahead.
Photographs: Various
Text: Ophelia Wu
As we move into February, the world and the sky have some big news. On January 26th, Neptune entered Aries, where it will stay until 2039. Neptune, the planet of illusion, dreams, spiritual vision, and the unconscious, dissolves boundaries and exposes where we’ve been drifting in borrowed scripts, fantasies, or self-deception. Aries, in contrast, is about direct action, individuation, courage, and primal identity - raw, bold, and focused on the “self” rather than the collective. The meeting of these energies creates a subtle but profound tension: the illusions and borrowed patterns that previously floated in the background now demand attention. In other words, the question arises: whose life are you actually living?
Neptune moves slowly, and each sign it visits spans over a decade. The last Neptune-in-Aries cycle, between 1861 and 1875, coincided with major upheaval and reinvention in history, including the U.S. Civil War and shifts in social structures and ideals. For most of us today, the answer to this question isn’t immediately clear. We carry layers that aren’t ours: expectations, beliefs, roles, even ambitions borrowed from ancestors, parents, partners, or society. These borrowed identities shape our decisions, our desires, and, often, our sense of self.
Borrowed time, borrowed identity
Time, too, is borrowed. The moment we are born into this world, we are living on borrowed time, counting down day by day until we run the course of our lives. We spend years chasing goals that aren’t truly ours, performing roles to satisfy others, and living according to scripts that feel safer than being fully ourselves. The danger isn’t always obvious; it often masquerades as duty, virtue, or practicality. Yet every moment spent on borrowed paths is a moment we cannot reclaim.
This is where clarity enters, not as a checklist or productivity hack, but as the visible expression of intention. Intention is the seed; clarity is the lens through which that seed finds its direction. Without clarity, our intentions float vaguely, filtered through expectations and illusions. Clarity allows us to recognise the borrowed parts of ourselves and, importantly, to begin the hardcore, courageous work of reclaiming what is truly ours. It works the other way; without intention, there’s no clarity because you lack direction and focus. How are you going to navigate life without knowing what you want or who you are? These are fundamental questions we all need to confront, yet they are among the most profoundly confusing philosophical ones - ones that evolve as we grow and experience life.
And that work is never easy. Being true to yourself is easier said than done, because few of us are ever taught how to do it. We are shaped by nature and nurture, by culture, experience, and circumstance. We are already born into a set of beliefs and customs that feel natural and familiar. With each chapter of life comes a new layer, sometimes insight, sometimes another borrowed mindset, adding both wisdom and complexity. That’s why the hard, often lonely work of self-understanding matters. Whether through therapy, spiritual practice, or honest introspection, we confront our obstacles, our blind spots, and the why behind our patterns. We unravel the borrowed identities to uncover the person beneath.
That reminds me of my time at university, when I was fascinated by postmodern ideas of the self. Where does one begin, and where does one end? According to Foucault, our identity is shaped by the social and cultural structures around us - there’s no pure, autonomous self waiting to be found. Derrida adds that the very concept of self is never fixed; it is always deferred, fluid, and unstable. In this sense, the self is not a singular, static entity but a constantly evolving construct, layered with influences, expectations, and experiences.
Fake it till you make it? Sorry, that doesn’t work anymore
Neptune in Aries amplifies this cosmic call. Where Neptune in Pisces blurred boundaries and invited reflection, Neptune in Aries compels action. It ignites the inner compass, urging us to act on the clarity we’ve cultivated, to step into our own lives rather than perform someone else’s. It’s a reminder that understanding alone is not enough; insight must lead to living with integrity, moment by moment. It’s embodiment, not performance.
Over the past 13 years, with Neptune in Pisces, many of us were invited into deep spiritual work and shadow exploration. Ancestral healing, confronting generational trauma, and facing our own patterns offered opportunities for transformation if we were willing to do the hard, painful work. Those who truly engage with this process will emerge from this period with clarity and direction; Neptune in Aries will give them the motivation to act, take steps forward, and bring their insights into tangible reality.
But for those who didn’t do the work, or only engaged superficially - scrolling endlessly through social media “guru” accounts, taking bite-sized, misinterpreted, out-of-context healing advice, or using spiritual practices as a bypass - the illusions will now begin to fall away. The foundation for clarity and grounded action is fragile or nonexistent. If you haven’t embodied it, it isn’t your reality. What was once a comfortable “my truth” or “her truth” will collide with the truth, and when that happens, the illusion collapses. There’s no more delusional la-la land for you to hide in anymore. It’s hard. It’s painful. But it’s the necessary reckoning that allows genuine clarity and forward movement to take root.
Living with intention
So where do we begin, and where do we end? Perhaps the truth is that we never truly finish. Life layers new experiences over old ones, offering opportunities to notice what’s borrowed, to release what no longer serves, and to reclaim what is ours. Clarity isn’t a destination but a practice - an ongoing dialogue between intention, understanding, and action. A light that keeps you grounded for the version of you, guiding you from where you are to where you want to be. As life goes on, your identity can evolve accordingly, your goals can change, your priorities can be rearranged, and your perspective can shift - as long as you are living a life you want, for yourself. The only person you need to be responsible for is yourself, instead of living other people’s realities, building someone else’s dreams, and putting your own dreams and needs on hold. Each act of self-awareness, each moment reclaimed from expectation, each decision rooted in clarity and integrity, is a quiet rebellion against borrowed time. Intention is the map; clarity is the compass; and the work, as hard and nuanced as it is, is the journey of finally being truly yourself, bridging the gap created by years of misalignment.
So here is the question to carry with you: what do you really, truly want? If nothing is a constraint, how do you want to live your life?
