In an individual’s birth chart, the location of Uranus represents the area in which a person will be unique and creative, often in a way that is counter to societal norms. Sometimes, this will manifest as a rather forceful break from tradition. When Uranus transits sensitive points in an individual’s chart, sudden flashes of understanding or transformative events may result that lead to an unexpected shift in the direction of the person’s life.
In the collective experience, Uranus’ movement through the signs and the various aspects to other planets that it makes along the way indicate society’s endless path of awakening to new frontiers of understanding, as well as its liberation from previous limitations. This can be as dramatic as a violent revolution or as enlightening and innovative as an invention that ushers in a paradigm shift in cultural reality. When Uranus enters Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, it begins an entirely new cycle of inventiveness that can launch the world in an unexpected, previously uncharted direction. During the 1843 to 1844 entry of Uranus into Aries, the first electrical telegram was sent, Charles Goodyear patented his new-found technique to vulcanize rubber, and the first wagon train headed for the American Northwest. During the 1927 to 1928 entry of Uranus into Aries, television was successfully demonstrated for the first time, the first talking movie - the Jazz Singer - was made, and Charles Lindberg made the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic. It is easy to see in these events the seeds of profound transformations that increasingly permeated society for subsequent decades. By the 21st Century, television, movies, and air travel had become ubiquitous and had led to the even more amazing proliferation of computers, space programs, and satellite technology.
In less than a week, on May 28, Uranus will again enter Aries and renew its 84-year cycle. During the next few years, seeds will be planted that will lead to the as yet unanticipated cultural shifts of the coming decades. It is perhaps not coincidental that Uranus, in the last degree of the last sign of the previous cycle, has brought with it what will likely be the most environmentally devastating oil spill yet. Out of this mess may come a forceful inducement to the creation of new forms of energy, new techniques in pollution management, or other yet-unknown innovations that launch us in the direction of completely different societal norms with respect to energy usage. Uranus is, after all, moving into the sign of pure energy, Mars-ruled Aries, while Neptune-ruled Pisces, its previous home, is more often associated with gas and oil.
It should be pointed out, however, that Uranus will briefly return to Pisces from mid-August 2010 through mid-March 2011, so the transformation into a truly new, innovative cycle will not be complete until next year. During the retrograde of Uranus back into Pisces, the old oil and gas paradigm may temporarily strengthen, especially during the final two of three Jupiter/Uranus conjunctions which will both take place in the last degrees of Pisces, during September 2010 and January 2011, respectively. It may even seem, with the inventiveness and optimism of Jupiter/Uranus in combination, that technology and improved regulation will enable safe oil exploration in the future. But Uranus’ re-entry into Aries in March 2011 will begin to move us much more forcefully in the direction of dramatic alternatives, not only in energy development but also in other fields such as medicine. The next few months, during the June to mid-August station of Uranus at 00 Aries, may give us a taste of what is to come.
During Uranus’ seven-year passage through Aries, several other planets will combine with its imprint at various times, further defining its impact. The first of these will be the first Jupiter/Uranus conjunction which will be in effect for the first half of June 2010, exact at 00Aries18. Watch this period for some potent outside-the-box thinking, some of which may be focused on a solution to the oil spill disaster. Hopefully, this highly creative period will also include the final financial reform legislation. If, on the other hand, financial reform is signed before May 28, while Uranus in still in the 29th degree of Pisces, this attempt at financial industry correction may incorporate some of the self-deceptive nature of Pisces and may need further, radical revamping in the next few years. Jupiter is also likely to expand Uranus’ revolutionary and tradition-breaking qualities during this conjunction, ramping up scientific breakthroughs, as well as rebellion and volatility in many parts of the globe.
Since November 2008, we have been under the sway of the Saturn/Uranus opposition, one of the most significant aspects in the Obama Inauguration chart. Progressives chafe at the slow pace of change mandated by Saturn as it restrains and restricts the enormous ingenuity and transformational urgency of Uranus. The final Saturn/Uranus opposition of this series, from mid-July through August 5, 2010, and exact at 00Aries24/00Libra24, is likely to once again frustrate those who wish for more immediate and comprehensive change. On the other hand, the issues that have been addressed during the Saturn/Uranus opposition may all be understood as wild, out-of-control and potentially very destructive situations (Uranus) that have needed careful attention and regulation (Saturn) in order to render them harmless and once again beneficial to society. These include the financial bailout, Wall Street and banking reform, health care, the Gulf oil spill, and even the recent upsurge of terrorist incidents.
What will no doubt be the most memorable period during the transit of Uranus through Aries will come in the months surrounding the seven exact squares between Pluto and Uranus, from June 2012 to March 2015. To some extent, this aspect, which in July and August 2010 will be briefly within a three-degree orb, is already being felt, although its most dramatic and ultimately transformative impact is yet to unfold. While Uranus represents sudden breakthroughs and radical, unexpected change, Pluto indicates a tremendous consolidation of power toward a focused goal. With the two acting together in the somewhat tense relationship of the square, we can expect consolidations of power that are a radical departure from tradition in order to deal creatively with unprecedented challenges. We can also expect large scale rebellions against the increasingly consolidated power structures of the status quo. Some of the players in this drama are likely to be: global corporations attempting to further consolidate and enrich themselves; governments attempting to break-up overwhelming and intransigent corporate dominance; governments attempting to increase control over a turbulent citizenry; governments dealing with the immense challenges of environmental upheaval; and global leadership dealing with increasing economic turmoil.
The last passage of Uranus through Aries included a twenty-one month span during which three squares with Pluto occurred, from April 1932 through January 1934. The magnitude and ramifications of the events during that period are very instructive. In Germany, initially in response to the post-war experience of defeat and economic crisis, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor, the National Socialist Party (Nazi) became dominant, the Gestapo was established, and the Reichstag fire took place and was used to nullify civil liberties. It is easy to see in these events both a radical departure from tradition and an overwhelming consolidation of power, sometimes initiated by sudden events (Reichstag fire).
In the United States, there was also a radical departure from tradition and a consolidation of government power, but these were in the form of Franklin Roosevelt’s coming to office and instituting the New Deal to meet the challenges of the Great Depression. During 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Civil Works Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission were established, while the US was taken off the gold standard and Prohibition was repealed. The changes were dramatic and far-reaching and initiated a new phase in American history.
As the oil spill in the Gulf looms, as climate change threatens, as the cracks in the financial edifice of civilization begin to break through, and as the Taliban/fundamentalist resurgence throughout the Middle East continues to press hard against the West, there are many fault lines that could erupt in the coming years. It seems likely we will see tremendous turmoil during the Uranus/Pluto square of 2012 through 2015 out of which much will be transformed in the world we know. With Uranus now moving into Aries, new discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, and shifting government power structures and alliances are all quite possible. But, as this volatile and rebellious planet moves closer and closer to its square with Pluto, significant challenges - economic, political, and environmental - are likely to intensify and be met with extraordinary vehemence. As of 2010, the global birth pangs are only just beginning that indicate the world’s imminent movement toward the next phase of its history.
