The wrath of Poseidon: Star hopping to find Neptune in Oct 2013

Neptune is 7.8 magnitude and probably better to look for it under dark skies.

These days (Oct 2013) Neptune is in Aquarius and the planet is not far from a whole story (classical mythology)  forever written into the skies around his (assuming Poseidon and Neptune are the same God) wrath with the Queen Cassiopeia. Just above and to the left the constellation of Aquarius one can find the asterism - the big square of Pegasus. Connected to this asterism at Alpheratz is the chained princess Andromeda. Above her towards Polaris, is her mother Queen Cassiopeia and next to Cassiopeia is the King-Cepheus. Rising in the eastern horizon is the hero Perseus, future husband of Andromeda. Story goes Cassiopeia angered Poseidon  by praising and comparing her daughter to the Nereids . Anyhow the story also has a happy ending when Perseus marries Andromeda.

Actually  the big 'W' traditionally associated with Cassiopeia reminds me more of the Golden State Warriors than anything else.

To find Neptune, start from Sadachbia in  the Aquarius Waterjug down thru 51 Aquarius and 44 Aquarius. 51 Aquarius is about 3.5 deg below from Sadachbia. If you have an equatorial, just slowly turn on the declination slow-motion handle.  44 Aquarius is to the lower right of 51 Aquarius. Hardly within 2.5 degrees below 44 Aquarius is Aancha (mag 4.3). From Aancha then hop down a little over a degree to HIP110009 (magnitude 5.4),
HIP110009 forms a triangle with Sigma Aquarius (lower left of HIP110009) and 38 Aquarius (lower right of HIP110009). All 3 stars are within 6 degrees and should be viewable together in a 6x30 finder-scope. If you a draw line from sigma Aquarius to 38 Aquarius, Neptune is in the center. Below Neptune are 3 dim stars towards 38 Aquarius.

Another option is from Deneb Algiedi in Capricon. To the left is  the magnitude  4.2 star  Iota Aquarii. Further to the left of Iota Aquarii are two magnitude 4 stars: 42 Aquarii (magnitude 5.4) and 38  Aquarii (magnitude 5.3). Between 42 and 38 Aquarii are 3 dim stars. The fist is magnitude 6.9, then 7.2 and finally 7.9 (HIP110169 about 670 ly away) . Neptune is the 3rd star to the right above HIP110169. Hop down these 3 stars and to the upper left you should find Neptune.