The Masters of Destiny

Howard Sasportas – Lords of Fate (A Mythological Approach to Resolving the Major Crises in the Life of the Modern Human)

Introduction Part 1. Cooperation with the Inevitable Chapter I In Search of Meaning The Core of the Human Being and the Birth Chart The Layout of the Seed’s Growth How to Find Meaning in Transits and Progressions Chapter II To Fall in Order to Break Through The Theory of Dissipative Structures Chapter III Interpreting Transits: Practical Instructions The Question of Orbs Retrogradation The Nature of the Transit Aspect Inclusion of Natal Aspects Transits to Midpoints and to Progressed Planets Transits and Houses Part II. Transits of Uranus Chapter IV Uranian Crises Uranus in Mythology The Saturn–Uranus Dilemma The Birth of Venus Freedom of Choice or Coercion Uranus and Prometheus Higher Mind Chapter V Transits of Uranus Through Planets and Houses Uranus–Sun Uranus–Moon Uranus–Mercury Uranus–Venus Uranus–Mars Uranus–Jupiter Uranus–Saturn Uranus–Uranus Transit Uranus in Sextile to Natal Uranus Transit Uranus in Square to Natal Uranus Transit Uranus in Opposition to Natal Uranus Transits Through the Houses of the Horoscope 1st House 2nd House 3rd House 4th House 5th House 6th House 7th House 8th House 9th House 10th House 11th House 12th House

Introduction

“Your pain is but the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding of reality.”

Kahlil Gibran

Life is not always easy. It is impossible to live fully without experiencing pain, without going through crises and profound transformations. Of course, it is impossible to avoid this, but we do not always remember that pain and crises play a very important role in our development and evolution. While some people feel exhausted and crushed after hardships, others emerge from ordeals renewed and transformed, truly more alive. They “return” to life with a new understanding of things they once neglected, with a sense of what we might call the “sacred,” with an enriched perception of the lives of those around them. The ancient Chinese used a wise word to describe a crisis—wei-chi—which combines two characters: danger (wei) and opportunity (chi). A crisis can be seen as a catastrophe, something terrible to be avoided at all costs, but it can also be viewed as a turning point, an important stage in development—a chance for new life, an opportunity to change and become someone else. It is human to want to avoid painful situations, to wish everything could remain as it was before the crisis. Yet there is still the possibility of using the time of crisis for growth and development, for a new understanding of oneself and the world around us. Something must die, but something new is born. Nothing remains unchanged: the old is destroyed to make way for the new. So the question is not “How can we avoid crises, pain, and change?” but rather “How can we use periods of crisis most creatively?” Roberto Assagioli, the founder of psychosynthesis, called this “collaboration with the inevitable.” To live a full life means to experience and accept both its dark sides and its light, both joy and pain. Inevitably, there comes a time of fractures, destruction, and change, but nothing can force us to stop seeking paths of improvement, nothing can make us refuse the lessons that the time of trials brings.

I am often asked, “What makes people turn to astrologers?” Some of my clients are simply very curious—one of their friends visited an astrologer, had their chart interpreted, and now, after hearing the friend’s account of the astrological interpretation, this person became interested in what an astrologer could tell them. Others hope that astrology can reveal their potential and hidden resources. Yet my experience shows that most people turn to an astrologer because they are experiencing a state of crisis. They pick up the phone and call an astrologer because they need to understand what is happening to them; usually, they no longer feel in control, everything is slipping out of their hands, the usual ways of solving problems no longer work, and they begin to feel lost. They experience turmoil in family life, face serious problems at work, are unable to connect with their children, cannot communicate with their parents; they fall ill with a serious disease or lose a loved one; they sink into depression and lose the will to live.

Some people come to me thinking that I can magically solve all their problems in a short time. There are, however, clients who view my role more realistically; they see me as someone who can help them find meaning in what is happening to them. In most cases, periods of depression, stress, and sudden changes coincide in time with the transits of Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, or progressions affecting these planets. Each of these planets brings its own specific problem, its own kind of trial. The conflict associated with Saturn is different from the one related to Uranus; the confusion caused by Neptune has little in common with the pressure exerted by Pluto, which reminds us of the saying that “life is like a stone—it either knocks us down or polishes us.” Sometimes two, three, or even four planets simultaneously affect several important points in the natal chart, as if the cosmos has decided to “seriously confront” the person. But whatever kind of conflicts, traumas, and dilemmas these planets bring, one thing is always observed: they do not want to leave us in the state in which they first found us.

Dane Rudhyar once wrote that “not an event happens to a person, but a person happens to an event.” A person encounters certain events because they need them in order to become who they are potentially. It is clear, therefore, that our attitude toward crises will influence how we navigate such periods: if we consider a crisis something terrible and our main goal is to turn back the clock and get rid of the crisis as quickly as possible, it is very likely that we will remain in the crisis situation for a longer period. However, if we believe, like the ancient Chinese, that a crisis is an opportunity for renewal, we increase our ability to use these periods constructively. There are people who are luckier: in the midst of a crisis, they can see the rational kernel in everything that is happening to them. They can view the crisis from the perspective of their growth and development, and this understanding helps them navigate their problems. For others, it takes more time to begin to realize the meaning of the misfortunes that befall them and the renewal opportunities this situation offers. Unfortunately, there are also people who never emerge from a crisis—they continue to focus not on the future but on the past, clinging to the old, longing to return life to what it was before the crisis, and missing the chance to start a new life. Our attitude toward these phases of the life process not only affects how we navigate such periods but also how we, as astrologers, interact with our clients. If we tend to see only the negative in crisis periods, how can we help others find meaning in the difficulties they are experiencing? If we have a tendency to avoid conflicts, trials, and pain by any means, we are likely to directly or indirectly encourage our clients to do the same. We will try to resolve all problems and “save” people as quickly as possible, unaware that by doing so we are depriving them of the strength or chance to transform, which the crisis provides.

The goal of this book is to examine all types of crises associated with the transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and to show the growth and transformation opportunities they offer. Where possible, I have included examples from my own astrological practice, and in the final chapter, I analyze three cases in detail. This book can be used as a guide to interpreting the transits of the outer planets, but I hope it will also enable the reader to gain a deeper understanding of how to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

Howard Sasportas, London, 1988

Part 1. Collaboration with the Inevitable

Chapter I
In Search of Meaning

“Woe to him who sees no meaning in his life, no goal to strive for. He will soon lose himself.”
— Viktor Frankl

C.G. Jung once wrote: “If we see meaning, we can endure almost anything.” The presence of meaning helps us endure life’s challenges. We can cope with pain and crisis if we find some significance or purpose in what happens to us. Few examples could better illustrate this than Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. In it, Frankl describes the years from 1943 to 1945, when he was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. This period marked a turning point in Western self-awareness, challenging our notions of morality, good and evil, and the very existence of a benevolent universe. Drawing on his experience, Frankl concluded that (setting aside pure chance) prisoners who found meaning in their ordeals had a far greater chance of survival. Some found meaning in the belief that God was with them, while others had a more concrete personal motive to stay alive: “I must survive to see my family again.” Frankl himself endured the horrors of the camp because he was determined to tell others what he had gone through. He describes a day when he felt he could no longer bear it—the wind was too cold, he was sick and hungry, and he had to walk many miles with injured feet. He wanted to die. But suddenly, a vision appeared before him: he saw himself standing on the stage of a comfortable lecture hall, facing an attentive audience gathered to hear his lecture on the psychology of camp prisoners. This vision helped him survive; it gave meaning and purpose to what he had endured. He had to live to tell the world about the horrors that took place in the camp. At that moment, Frankl realized something he never forgot, which later became the philosophical foundation of his own form of therapy (logotherapy): “The prisoner who lost faith in the future—his future—was condemned. With the loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay… He simply gave up.” Nietzsche wrote: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” As Frankl discovered through his harrowing experience, if we can find meaning in a difficult trial—or even remain open to the possibility of finding it—we can mobilize the resources to face the crisis head-on.

The Core of the Human Being and the Birth Chart
One way to find meaning in life, I believe, is through the conviction that we all possess a deep core that guides and regulates our growth and development. Just as an apple seed knows it is destined to grow into an apple tree rather than a pear, a part of our being knows who we are meant to become and what path we must take to fulfill that destiny. Concepts like “individuation” and “self-realization” describe the process of becoming what we are meant to be. In What We May Be, Piero Ferrucci describes his view of human development according to certain inner directives: “Clearly, every thing has its own path of development, intrinsic to its nature: it becomes what it is meant to be. Aristotle called the completion of this process entelechy—the full and complete realization of what was once merely potential.” Whether it is when a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, when a ripe fruit falls from a tree, or when an acorn grows into an oak, each of these processes clearly demonstrates the harmony and plan of the Creator. According to the doctrine of Dharma in Eastern philosophy, each of us is called to achieve a particular life purpose… each of us must strive to uncover that purpose and help bring it to fruition.”

This is where the birth chart can be especially useful in revealing the nature of our seed: it informs us about what our deep “Self” has prepared for us. The birth chart tells us something about what kind of seed we are—whether, as Liz Greene says, we are a lentil, an avocado, or a Brussels sprout. Astrological consultant Kristina R. Rose compares studying the birth chart to examining the picture on a seed packet. You can see from the picture what will grow from the seed and what it will become. In the introduction to Planetary Transit, Rob Hand makes a similar observation: “I am absolutely convinced—though I cannot prove it here—that within each of us there exists a creative core that actively shapes the universe, either by creating each part from nothing or by agreeing in advance, even before our physical incarnation, to play a certain role according to certain rules.” In this case, the horoscope becomes an indicator of your intentions rather than a timetable of everything that will happen to you. In other words, character is destiny.”

The idea that there is a deep “Self” guiding our development is something we encounter in Liz Greene’s work, though she preferred to describe it differently: “My experience working with astrological clients leads me to conclude that there is something—it doesn’t matter what we call it: fate, Providence, the law of nature, karma, or the unconscious—that always reacts strongly when its area of competence is violated or when it does not see from a person a respect and willingness to cooperate. It seems to have an ‘absolute knowledge’ of what this individual needs and even what may soon be required for further development… I do not claim to know what this ‘something’ actually is, but I am inclined to call it fate.”

The Growth Schedule of the Seed
The birth chart is a frozen moment in time—a snapshot of the celestial sphere as it appeared at the place and time of birth. But the planets do not stop moving after a person is born: they continue their journey, and eventually, they return to the positions they occupied at birth, or they pass through the location of another planet, or they form an aspect to another planet. Transits show where the planets are at any given moment in relation to their positions at birth. Another form of temporal analysis of the chart—progressions—symbolically represents how the movement of the planets after birth affects the horoscope. The birth chart shows the kind of seed we are, while transits and progressions tell us the growth schedule of that seed. Has something ripened? Will a new shoot sprout? Some seeds take weeks to mature fully; others require years. Each of us is in a process of continuous development, and I am convinced that transits and progressions show us what our deep “Self” wants us to do at any given moment. Our core animates different aspects of our soul, different parts of our birth chart, depending on the developmental tasks that lie before us. Transits and progressions reveal what the inner “Self” seeks to bring to our attention—what we need to work on. If we wish to cooperate with our evolution, we must listen carefully to what is happening within us. Only then will we perceive transits and progressions as signals emanating from the very center of our individuality.

However, we cannot deny that transits and progressions often correlate with external events that sometimes descend upon us from a clear sky. Even if this is the case, I remain convinced that these events are synchronous external manifestations of internal changes—or that our inner core may use external events to facilitate the transformations we need to become what we are meant to be. I just quoted Rob Hand, who believes the birth chart reveals the intentions of our inner creative “Self.” Here is what he writes about transits and progressions:

“Both transits and progressions indicate different phases in the development of the original intention of the inner ‘Self.’ Although I often slip into the language of ‘causality,’ I do not believe the planets cause anything. They are merely signs of the manifestation of the primal intention, which is partly experienced as a will that passes through us. This intention, which you understand…”Another part of intention is experienced as it passes us by. You may call this fate, destiny, or circumstances beyond your control. But it also happens to you, and you need to rise to the awareness of it. One of the tasks of astrology is to raise individual consciousness in this way. If we do not listen, do not pay attention to the path of development that the core of the personality has chosen for us, we are likely to attract external events that will force us to change or adapt. For example, when transiting Uranus conjuncts our Venus, a time of reevaluation of relationships arrives. If we are attuned to our inner world, we understand this and can do what is necessary. But if we begin to resist and reluctantly accept the Uranian impulse, the transit may manifest as an external event that forces us to change. Our partner may leave, pushing us toward changes in this area of life. In other words, our core will act through events that help us become aware of the development expected of us at a certain time in our lives.

Again, a quote from Hand, describing the connection between the inner psychological meanings of transits and the types of external events we attract:

“I am convinced that, in the end, transits signify changes that occur within us — psychological changes, but psychological changes in the broadest sense. However, you may experience these inner changes either as psychological changes in the usual sense, in the form of social interactions, or as events that occur entirely in the outer world. The event may also be felt as illness. This is how your inner energies can be experienced on different planes of existence. This is something you need to understand well, because if you do not understand how you are involved in the event, it means you are acting unconsciously and therefore will not control the situation.”

Liz Greene, in “The Astrology of Fate,” attributes a supernatural intelligence to what she calls fate, which I relate to the core of the personality:

“It manifests in the creation of circumstances so remarkable that they bring one person into contact with another or with an external situation at precisely the right moment. All changes are felt equally on the inner and outer planes. This manifests on the physical level, on the personal psychic level, and on the collective level; it may wear the mask of Mephistopheles or appear as God himself… I feel that if we understood these things better, we could help our clients—and ourselves—go much further.”

How to find meaning in transits and progressions
If an astrologer correctly understands transits and progressions, they give him the opportunity to reveal the essence of the period of life or phase of development the client is experiencing. Studying the chart through these methods clearly shows which parts of the personality are ripe for conscious integration or transformation. The main part of the work of an astrologer-psychologist is to find ways to bring the client closer to his own Self. Once this contact is established, the consultant can successfully guide the client toward cooperation with the core of the personality, toward the implementation of the plan prepared for him by the inner core.

In Psychosynthesis, a variety of transpersonal psychology developed by the Italian psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli, the next step in personality development is called the task. The task reflects the intention of the inner core at any given moment and is usually directly related to the client’s most pressing life issues. By analyzing transits and progressions, the astrologer can ask himself the following three questions to clarify what the inner core has planned for the person:

1. What can manifest, be born through the resolution of this problem?
2. What archetypal qualities does the inner core of the client seek to bring into consciousness?
3. What is the next milestone the inner core wants to lead this person toward?

While the French philosopher Pascal claimed that “a branch cannot know the design of the tree,” Frankl, on the other hand, was more optimistic about this. He believed that we can clarify the intentions of our inner Self. Frankl describes the behavior of monkeys that tasted the polio vaccine regularly injected into them. The monkeys had no chance of understanding the meaning of the procedure, but a human being, with a highly organized brain, can become aware of why something happens.

With the birth chart and the system of transits and progressions, we can determine the meaning of the experience—whether positive or negative—that we create or attract into our lives. Sometimes it is very easy to understand what our deep core is inclined toward. In other cases, the reasons why the core of our personality guides us through periods of crisis are not always obvious or easily identifiable.

I do not believe that our inner Self arranges trials for us or torments us out of sadistic pleasure. The inner Self cannot operate in this way. Its goal is to anticipate and guide our development toward the full unfolding of individuality. Thus, whatever the inner Self brings into our lives—even if it is trauma, stress, or exhaustion—relates to the process of growth. The inner Self may require us to experience periods of pain and stress to develop qualities that would otherwise remain undeveloped. In other words, conflicts, from the perspective of our overall development, can play a creative role.

Similarly, if we have deviated from the path of individual development, a certain dose of negative emotions may be necessary to help us reconnect with our true individuality and return us to the path assigned to us. Pain can be an indicator that we are behaving incorrectly, that we are disrupting the schedule of our development. If, for a long time, we consistently neglect the core needs of our personality, this disharmony manifests as tension, illness, or stress. Whether we listen to these symptoms or not, physical ailments or other life difficulties are most often attempts by our inner Self to convey information that somewhere we have strayed from the right path.

Some people live out only part of their birth chart, ignoring other constellations that cause them discomfort. Beata Bishop, a practicing astrologer and psychotherapist, in a lecture for members of the Astrological Association of Great Britain, emphasized the consequences of suppressing certain parts of our being and, accordingly, parts of our birth chart. One of her clients—a woman with Sun in Leo, Moon in Aries, and Ascendant in Pisces—tended to live out only the Neptunian side of her personality, while the problems she encountered related to the expression of her fire signs—Aries, Leo, Sagittarius—the part of her nature that was more extraverted and willful. Following the Piscean ascendant line, she constantly neglected her own interests, helping others, and devoted her entire life to her husband and family. When transiting Uranus in Sagittarius passed through her Midheaven, the neglect of the fire side of her chart manifested in the following symptoms: nightmares, panic attacks, and nervousness.

Beata Bishop’s conclusion should interest anyone using astrology as a counseling tool:

“It seems to me that people who do not resemble their charts, who do not live out the main factors of their charts, sooner or later will experience physical symptoms of inner conflict. The woman in my previous example got off relatively easily with her nightmares and daytime panic, but it could have been much worse…” The physical symptoms of this woman were a way to inform her that she had lost contact with the essential part of her true nature.As a result, pain and discomfort forced her to seek help; if her inner “Self” had resorted to these means, it would have made clear how she needed to organize her life. It cannot be said that the discomfort was very severe, but it was sufficient to initiate the process of self-healing. In the next section, we will examine in more detail how stress and crisis serve our transformation, and, in particular, what role Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto play in this process.

Chapter II To Fall in Order to Break Through

God is near, though understanding Him is not easy, But danger arises And protective forces grow Heldrin

Do we attribute this to the manifestation of fate or to the work of our internal “I”, the transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto test and destroy our understanding of our own “I” so that we can recreate it anew. However, before we discuss the specifics of these planets, we need to come to a common understanding of the term “Ego”; we also need to understand something about how our ego develops in childhood. The “Ego” is usually defined as the part of the psyche that feels like individuality, i.e., the ego is our sense of “I”, the feeling of “I-am-here-and-now”. We are not born with a clear sense of “I”. In the womb, we do not have an awareness of ourselves as a separate entity. We think that everything around us is our “I”; we think that we occupy the entire universe. Born, we find a body, and having realized that we have a body, we also realize that we have boundaries; my body ends somewhere, and another body begins somewhere. We call this the “bodily ego”. Over time, the “mental Ego” develops: the feeling that we have our own consciousness and our own feelings. People can share our thoughts and feelings, but in general, what we think and feel is not always what others think and feel. The “Ego” – our sense of the separateness of our own “I” with its own body, feelings, and thinking – once established, continues to expand, including more and more different attributes. We begin to think of ourselves as intelligent, pleasant, and generous, or as stupid, useless, and unbearable. We have different needs and goals, some of which are acceptable and we allow them into our consciousness, while others evoke fear, and we suppress them, usually because the environment does not approve of them. Thus, we begin to live, thinking that we are the whole world, but gradually, our self-identification narrows and includes only certain qualities and characteristics. Our “Ego” is a limited manifestation of our essence, consisting of those sides of our nature that are acceptable to us. Our self-identification has the appearance of a border. Everything on this side of the border, we define as “we”, everything on the other side of the line – as “not-we”. The most common demarcation line is the skin. What is inside my skin is “I”, and what is outside my skin is “not-I”. Things outside the border of my skin line may belong to me – my car, my house, my family – but they are not me. However, our skin is not the only border we create. We draw boundaries within our own skin. Some things and processes that occur within us, we assume into our Ego, while others we strive to reject. We can accept the part of ourselves that seems pleasant, loving, creative, etc.; and reject the destructive, intolerant part of ourselves. Some do the opposite: they identify themselves with the harsh and cold part of their personality and do not recognize the soft and sensitive part. Thus, even within ourselves, we make a distinction between “I” and “not-I”. In Jungian psychology, this is called the Ego-Shadow border, or the border between what we are aware of in ourselves and what remains unconscious – the border between what we show to the outside world and what remains hidden and dark. From an astrological point of view, the skin and the function of distinguishing between one’s own and someone else’s symbolize Saturn. In its positive expression, Saturn helps us define who we are, helps us concentrate, stabilize our energy within the given structures and forms. Saturn teaches us discipline and responsibility. Saturn also represents the border that we draw between the parts of the personality that we allow into our own “I” and those that are denied entry into our “I”. In this sense, Saturn symbolizes the Ego’s desire to structure itself – the Ego’s defense system – the mechanism of building and maintaining the status quo of a certain self-identification. This ability of Saturn can also manifest negatively – it can “protect” us from everything new, preserve outdated feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Anyone who knows military strategy understands that the border line is a potential front line where hostilities are unleashed. As soon as we create borders between ourselves and others, between different parts of ourselves, we create the possibility of conflict between elements on different sides of the border. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are hostile to any borders and in this sense are the antipodes of Saturn. Transiting the birth chart, they threaten the stability of our Ego, because their energies destroy the boundaries built by the Ego. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto destroy the borders between us and the environment and help us realize our unity with everything that happens in the world, with all life (this mainly applies to Neptune). Even more importantly, they destroy the wall between the conscious and unconscious, hidden parts of ourselves. Thus, we have to deal with the contents of our psyche that were previously suppressed. Saturn, of course, will try to restore the status quo and return things to their original state, but ultimately, Saturn loses. We ourselves will go through the path of change, or Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto will force us to do so, but we will no longer be able to live in the old way. We will have to outline new boundaries of the Ego. The theory of dissipative structures In 1977, the Nobel Prize was awarded to the Belgian chemist Ilya Prigogine. He created the theory of dissipative structures, and his work scientifically demonstrated what was well known in ancient China: stress and crisis play a very significant role in the process of transformation. Prigogine’s results had the same meaning as the Chinese expression Wei-Chi: the ups and downs in our lives are opportunities to transition to a new level of existence. Prigogine studied what is called “open systems” in physics. An open system is a system that is involved in a certain kind of energy exchange with the environment. Cities, towns, institutions, groups of people – all these are open structures. A city, for example, is not isolated from the outside world: its industry uses raw materials from neighboring regions, and then this energy returns to these areas in a transformed form. Similarly, you and I can change, interacting with the environment or under the influence of the unconscious contents of our psyche, our conscious Ego is also an open system that is described by Prigogine’s theory. According to Prigogine’s theory, if fluctuations and disturbances are introduced into an open system and do not exceed certain limits, the system is capable of self-regulation and maintaining its existence and identity. In other words, the system can cope with all disturbances of its normal functioning and not be destroyed. Similarly, inevitable internal and external disturbances can periodically disrupt the smooth flow of our lives. But if these actions are not too strong, the homeostasis of our Ego allows us to easily adapt, without seriously changing our way of life. We slightly readjust, remaining largely the same as before. However, if the impact on an open system exceeds a certain level, it brings the system into a state of “creative chaos”. Everything that was before and made sense can no longer continue in the same way. Too great a disturbance makes it impossible for the system to exist in its previous forms, and a crisis arises. If the system is at all capable of surviving, it must transition to a new level of existence. This is the nature of growth and transformation. When our life flows smoothly, there is no reason for transformation. Only when everything goes wrong, when we suffer, when we are pursued by failures in all important areas of our life, do we think about changing our existence. When familiar relationships are destroyed, a partner dies, a child dies, we lose our parents; when the philosophy we believed in goes bankrupt, when our life is threatened by a serious illness, we are forced to transform our life. It becomes impossible to continue existing as before; we are forced to reevaluate our entire life, our relationships, our motives.The connection between the theory of dissipative structures and the possible consequences of transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto is obvious. As I have already said, Saturn is associated with form, boundaries, and structure; while Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, in this sense, are Saturn’s enemies. They undermine existing structures so that something new can emerge. On the one hand, Saturn is the homeostatic principle of our ego—the drive to maintain the status quo. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, each in their own way, introduce fluctuations and disturbances: they shatter our lives so that we may begin anew. Sometimes their influence is deeply unpleasant: illness, depression, and so on. But disturbances can also be positive: marriage, love, buying a house, unexpected success, or even winning the lottery. These seemingly positive events cause no less stress and disruption to our routine than negative ones. Whatever the nature of these disruptive influences may be, whatever methods Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto use to throw us off balance, they always call us to begin a new life.

Making changes is not always easy. For the most part, people are creatures of habit, expending much energy to avoid pain and crises. Most of us struggle to accept the loss of what is familiar, even— as Jungian psychologist Sally Nichols notes— with things as trivial as our “teeth wearing out and hair falling out.” We especially mourn the loss of those things tied to our sense of “I,” with which we identify: relationships, work, income, ideals, principles. Outdated parts of our psychic apparatus—old habits, negative self-images, or what transactional analysis calls “scripts” that never truly served us—cause the same pain upon parting as the loss of loved ones.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi loved to tell the story of a family that moved from a humble cottage into a magnificent palace, yet still longed for the old, familiar, dirty hut they knew so well. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, working with the terminally ill, identified five stages her patients had to pass through before accepting their inevitable death. Kübler-Ross’s observations align with the reactions people experience during transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Since these planets seek to transform us, threatening the death of the ego, we may resist their influence just as Kübler-Ross’s patients resisted the reality of their fate.

Most patients, upon learning of their incurable illness, typically react with: “No, not me! It can’t be!” The first reaction is denial: “There must be a mistake—my tests were mixed up with someone else’s.” Likewise, when we begin to feel the effects of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and sense a crisis looming, we do everything possible to avoid acknowledging it. We may employ selective perception—looking away from the brewing storm. Several years ago, I was casting horoscopes for a married couple. I met with them separately— the husband in the morning, the wife in the evening. The husband’s Sun was in Libra in the 7th house, and transiting Uranus was conjunct his Sun. At the same time, transiting Uranus was squaring the wife’s Sun in Cancer. When speaking with the husband, I asked about his relationship with his wife. He replied that everything was wonderful, better than ever. In the evening, at the start of our conversation, the wife said, “You must know why I’m here— I can’t take these relationships any longer.” Such selective perception is very common.

The second stage or type of reaction Kübler-Ross observed in her patients was anger. Instead of “No, not me!” they cried, “Why me? It’s not fair. Why didn’t this happen to Joe Bloggs next door, who smokes 40 cigarettes a day and drinks six pints every evening?” The fact that their life was ending filled them with rage. All their future hopes, all the projects they had worked on, all the relationships they had nurtured—everything would come to an end. Most people redirect their dissatisfaction outward: doctors are incompetent, nurses do everything wrong, the bed is uncomfortable, and so on. People in any critical situation may react similarly, blaming their loved ones. Some direct their dissatisfaction toward God, the cosmos, or the planets that have led them to such hardship. You can find people nearby who are angry at Pluto for what it is doing to them.

After denial and anger comes the bargaining stage. Patients can no longer deny that they are seriously ill. They have expressed their dissatisfaction with life, doctors, nurses, and so on, but nothing has changed, so they try to negotiate with fate. They begin bargaining with their illness: “If I promise to change my lifestyle, eat properly, and exercise every morning, can I hope to recover?” Or: “If I recover, I will dedicate the rest of my life to God and the church.” Attempts to postpone death are another form of bargaining with providence: “Give me the chance to at least live to see my son’s wedding,” or “Don’t let me die before I sing one last time at the concert.” In some cases, with significant lifestyle changes, diet, and so on, bargaining brings success, and the patient recovers. But for most, it comes too late.

The behavior of the sick often resembles that of children. For example, if a 13-year-old girl asks her mother for permission to go to a disco bar tonight, the mother will likely say it’s too early for such places. The girl may first react with denial: “I’m going anyway.” Naturally, the mother will declare, “Over my dead body,” putting an end to the denial. The girl’s next reaction will be anger: “I hate you! You’re the worst mother—you never let me do anything!” The mother remains firm, and finally, the girl moves to bargaining: “Fine, but what if I promise to wash the dishes every day, stop fighting with my brother, and keep my room clean?” People facing a difficult situation, a critical juncture symbolized by the transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, often resort to bargaining tactics: “Okay, dear, if I promise to become a devoted husband and stay home every night, will you stop the divorce proceedings?” They seek ways to escape painful feelings. But if concessions don’t help, they may return to denial and aggression.

If bargaining fails, they may enter the fourth phase: depression. Kübler-Ross distinguishes two types of depression in terminal patients: reactive depression and preparatory depression. Reactive depression comes first, when the patient realizes that recovery is impossible. Symptoms worsen, the body weakens. A sense of loss takes hold. A businessman who spent his life working to prove himself and tied his sense of “I” to his career can no longer work and must part with that very “I.” Caring and understanding relatives and friends can help adapt to the new situation. They can instill faith in the person, assure them that they have not lost their value as a member of society, that they are still needed by their loved ones.

Reactive depression, if desired, can be alleviated, but preparatory depression is different: it is the final trial those leaving this world must pass through. It is a time of grief for the things they will not accomplish and the people they will never see again. At this stage, attempts to draw the patient’s attention to the brighter sides of life are futile. To accept death peacefully, the dying need this profound sense of sorrow and loss. The same patterns apply not only to physical death but also to metaphorical death—when we abandon a certain way of life, when something familiar comes to an end. Grief is part of the process of cleansing from the old. It prepares us for the journey ahead.People who encounter transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto require a period of sorrow, bidding farewell to what is passing away forever. Finally, after grief and sorrow comes a period of acceptance. If a dying patient has enough time and receives appropriate care, they often reach acceptance of inevitable death. Once all emotions have been expressed, the person can calmly accept the fact of impending death. This phase signifies surrender. It is associated with tranquility rather than dissolution. One of Kubler-Ross’s patients compared this phase to “the last rest before a long journey.” It is not always a joyful stage, but it is almost always peaceful. The patient takes the doctor’s hand, and they sit in silence, listening to the birds singing outside the window. People who face transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto can also, in time, reach this stage and consciously accept the changes brought by these planets. At this stage, what writer and psychoanalyst James Hillman would call the free flow of our emotions into the stream of our fate unfolds. Or, as he put it, “the union of love and necessity.” The crisis is accepted, and with acceptance comes the understanding that what we must endure is a necessary condition for our growth. Bitter tears turn into the salt of wisdom. Acceptance makes possible the healing power of magic. Of course, reaching this stage is not easy, nor does it happen all at once. Acknowledging that pain, disappointment, and stress are necessary is no simple matter. Yet conflict and tension are manifestations of growth. Thus, the new enters our lives. By refusing to accept it, we deny ourselves the happiness of transformation. And with acceptance, transformation begins.

Chapter III Interpreting Transits: Practical Instructions

In real practice, one needs to study the entire chart before assessing the impact of a transit of Uranus. For this reason, astrological “cookbooks” on transits have obvious limitations, yet despite these limitations, they still provide food for thought in terms of evaluating possible manifestations of the transit. It is difficult to describe this area without using the language of causality. For example, I might write that Uranus brings destruction, or that Neptune demands adjustment to the environment, or that Pluto tears us apart in some way. But I do not believe that planets as such do anything to us, that they actually do something to us. Transits of planets are not the causes of events, but they symbolize the psychic energies and forces that work on us and determine what we encounter and what we attract.

Before we examine the specific transits of Uranus, we need to establish several principles for exploring and interpreting the transits of the outer planets. The question of orbs
What orbs should we consider when examining transit aspects? There are different views on this in Astrology. My personal experience allows me to draw some conclusions regarding the transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. In the case of a conjunction, square, or opposition of a transiting outer planet to a natal planet, we usually notice their influence about 5 degrees before the exact aspect, and in some cases even earlier. The process begins to unfold, and if we listen to what is happening inside, we may feel an increase in anxiety and dissatisfaction. We will see a desire for change, a craving for something new. Such feelings are the prelude to events that may occur when the aspect becomes exact. For a trine and sextile, I would reduce the orb to 3–4 degrees before the exact aspect. I am convinced that we can quite well prepare for the transit of the higher planets before the aspect becomes exact. For example, if we know that an important aspect of Uranus is approaching, we can start experimenting with innovations, paying closer attention to that part of our being that demands renewal. We do not necessarily have to completely destroy old structures; we simply need to make room for the new. If we anticipate the aspect and strive to cooperate with it, it is unlikely to catch us off guard, overwhelming us with its full force. However, if we are unaware of the need for change and do not take any steps to integrate something new into our lives, the transit aspect, when it reaches its peak, will sweep us away. As a result, the changes will occur in an uncontrolled manner, take extreme forms, come from outside, and act in a coercive way.

In her book Transits: The Time of Your Life, Betty Lundsted uses an orb of 10 degrees, and her justification for such a large orb makes no sense: “Transits mark periods of growth. If we want to use the transit for our development—in the interests of our growth—we must begin at the moment when the seed of the transit has just been planted…” Many astrologers try to understand the transit when it is already largely behind them, since they start working with it when the harvest is already ripe, and that harvest can be very unpleasant if we have not sufficiently recognized the impact of a difficult transit in time. I use a 10-degree orb in a similar aspect. In this case, I have time to transform the energy through understanding and awareness.

Tracy Marks echoes this sentiment: “If we do not want the cosmos to burn down our houses, destroy our cars, and send our wives and husbands into strange beds to force us to think about what is happening, we must actively live the transits ourselves. We must attune ourselves to the energy of the transit from the very beginning and develop ways to use the transit energies constructively.”

Rob Hand developed a rather complex system for tracking transits. This system includes, first of all, observing the transits of the inner planets, which trigger the transits of the higher planets. For example, if your transiting Uranus is making a square to your natal Moon, you will notice the results of this transit most clearly when a fast planet such as the Sun or Mars makes an aspect to the transiting Uranus or your natal Moon. For a more detailed acquaintance with Hand’s method, the interested reader is referred to the second chapter of his book Planetary Transits.

Generally, we continue to feel the influence of a transit of a higher planet even after it has moved 2–3 degrees past the exact aspect. However, assessing the impact of a waning aspect is complicated by retrograde motion, which we will now discuss.

Retrogradation
The term retrograde denotes the apparent backward motion of a planet. The Sun and Moon are never retrograde, but the rest of the planets, after direct motion, pause for a time (the stationary phase) and then turn retrograde. After a period of retrograde motion, the planet again pauses and then resumes direct motion. The direct, stationary, and retrograde motion of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto must be taken into account when we study their transits. When one of these planets makes an aspect to a natal planet, we must engage in restructuring in the area of life symbolized by the natal planet involved. However, if the transiting planet is retrograde, any changes we wish to make will most likely be blocked. The desire to make adjustments in life may also weaken. When the planet turns direct again and approaches the exact aspect in direct motion, all obstacles to change are removed, and it becomes much easier for us to carry out our plans.

When a transiting higher planet turns retrograde, it temporarily halts—this is the stationary period. If the stationary planet is within one degree of a natal planet, the influence of the transiting planet is felt very strongly.

The nature of transit aspects
When considering the transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and their aspects to natal planets, I have grouped trines and sextiles together and called them soft or harmonious aspects, while I have placed conjunctions and the major hard aspects—squares and oppositions—in the category of tense or hard aspects. Nevertheless, I urge the reader to be flexible on this point. A trine of transiting Uranus can trigger very serious changes and in this respect manifest as a tense aspect. Conversely, a conjunction or square of transiting Uranus can give a sense of uplift and be experienced as a very happy time, while the trines and sextiles of Neptune and Pluto can cause the same tension as the oppositions and squares of these planets.

To assess the results of a conjunction of a transiting higher planet with a natal planet, it is necessary to analyze how that natal planet is aspected in the birth chart. For example, if transiting Uranus aspects a natal Mars that has a square to Jupiter and an opposition to Saturn, such a transit aspect will most likely cause considerable conflict. But if transiting Uranus aspects a natal Mars that has a trine to Jupiter and a sextile to Venus, it is unlikely to cause serious tension.

On an internal psychological level, the transits of the higher planets evoke a similar reaction. However, we tend to perceive an opposition as an external influence that either stimulates change or complicates it. Below are the principles that deserve attention when analyzing the squares and oppositions of transiting higher planets:

1. The area of life connected with the aspected planet is in a state of renewal.
2. The need for change is felt more intensely than in the case of soft aspects: trines and sextiles.
3. There is a very real internal conflict between the part of our personality that seeks change and the part that resists it. In the case of a transiting opposition, the source of resistance may be external circumstances, but this is merely a reflection of our inner state of duality.

Correct and opposite: in the case of a transit opposition, external causes may force us to make innovations, but, more likely, this is merely a reflection of the hidden dissatisfaction within us with the current state of affairs, which we do not fully recognize. Although we have not analyzed the transit quintile, semi-square, and sesquiquadrate, I would advise interpreting them in the same way as oppositions, squares, and conjunctions. Their influence is not always so strong and pronounced, but they can still exert a significant impact on the course of life, especially this applies to the quintile. The same approach should be taken toward the semi-sextile and quintile, which I classify as belonging to the group of easy aspects—trines and sextiles.

Inclusion of natal aspects

A transit planet aspecting a natal planet activates all natal aspects of that planet. Keep this in mind when using the reference sections of this book. For example, if at birth you had Mars at 28 degrees Pisces and Jupiter at 4 degrees Capricorn, then under a tense aspect of transit Neptune to Mars, the natal Jupiter will also be activated. Transit Neptune will reveal, bring to the surface, the natal square between Mars and Jupiter. When analyzing the aspect of transit Neptune to natal Mars, the influence of natal Jupiter should be taken into account. Thus, the agitated instincts of Mars-Neptune must encounter the ethical considerations of Jupiter. The influence of the aspect of transit Neptune to natal Mars will last until Neptune makes an exact aspect to natal Jupiter.

Transits to midpoints and to progressed planets

Aspects of transit outer planets to midpoints are very important and can coincide in time with profound crises and key events in a person’s life. If, in the birth chart, the Sun is positioned at the midpoint of Mars and Pluto, then when a transit planet conjoins the Sun, the principles of Mars and Pluto will also be activated. The midpoints of natal squares and oppositions are especially significant. When a transit planet passes over such a midpoint, the natal square or opposition is awakened. Transits aspecting midpoints of planets that do not form an aspect in the natal chart are also significant. For example, if 15 degrees Libra is the midpoint between Venus and Mars, then a transit planet passing through 15 Libra will stimulate both Venus and Mars. One should not underestimate transit aspects to progressed planets. In the reference section, I discuss transit aspects of outer planets to natal planets. However, this can be applied when analyzing transit aspects of outer planets to progressed planets. There are no reasons to prevent this approach.

Transits and Houses

Transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto through the houses of the natal chart signify changes, tensions, and upheavals in the areas of life governed by these houses. An outer planet moves through a house for a fairly long period, but this does not mean we experience changes throughout the entire time the planet is in the house. In addition to the moment when the planet enters the house, the conjunction of the transit planet with a natal planet positioned in that house, the aspect of the transit planet from the house to another natal planet, and the moment when another transit planet forms an aspect with the outer planet moving through the house should all be considered important. In the case where a transit outer planet aspects a planet in the birth chart, the houses ruled by the aspected planet will be affected. For example, if Uranus aspects natal Saturn, then the houses where Capricorn and Aquarius are on the cusp or within the house will react to this transit aspect. It is obvious that one must also take into account the house where Saturn is positioned and the house ruled by Uranus. I will not repeat these general observations again when discussing specific transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, so always keep them in mind.

Part II Uranus Transits

Chapter IV Uranian Crises

It seems that ideas choose the time for their appearance. The French astronomer Pierre Lemonnier (1715–1799) saw Uranus at least 12 times but could not imagine that this tiny point might be a planet. Perhaps it was difficult for him to accept that the correct model of the Solar System with seven bodies orbiting the Sun would cease to exist. He could not have known that Uranus symbolizes the destruction of established beliefs and the overcoming of the old order. The honor of the actual discovery of Uranus belongs to William Herschel (1738–1822). He reported his discovery to the Royal Society of Astronomers on April 26, 1781. Interestingly, the discoverer of Uranus was not a professional astronomer but a musician who pursued astronomy as a hobby. Is it not true that this suits Uranus—the planet of eccentricity and surprises—perfectly?

Uranus is located twice as far from the Sun as Saturn, and its discovery doubled the size of the Solar System. The appearance of Uranus explained some disturbances and irregularities in the movement of known planets that had long perplexed astronomers. From the very beginning, Uranus revealed itself as a disruptor of laws, showing no respect for the established cosmological order. In full accordance with the theory of synchronicity, the emergence of Uranus coincided with three major social revolutions aimed at destroying the existing system. The American and French Revolutions empowered the oppressed against existing authorities. The Industrial Revolution marked an unprecedented breakthrough in science and technology. The inventions that followed, especially in communication, transformed the world beyond recognition.

On a personal level, Uranus transits are associated with change and transformation when something new seeks to enter our consciousness. This is a period of exploration and experimentation, a time to take risks and try new approaches to old problems. Sometimes we consciously embrace change, while at other times external events force us to do so. In any case, Uranus draws our attention to the unexplored aspects of our being. Where we have built a sturdy armor out of safety concerns, Uranus makes us realize that old frameworks are too narrow and limit our growth. Whether we like it or not, Uranus acts like an alarm clock, waking us from sleep into a new day. Some people eagerly leap out of bed and rush toward new opportunities, while others pull the blanket over their heads and refuse to acknowledge what awaits them.

Uranus in mythology
Little is written about Uranus in mythology, but the main myth associated with this deity helps clarify the action of Uranus transits. In Greek tradition, Uranus played a key role in the epic of creation. Initially, there was Chaos, from which Gaia, or Mother Earth, emerged. Gaia gave birth to Uranus, and though he was her son, he also became her husband. Gaia ruled the Earth, while Uranus governed the starry sky and the infinite cosmos. From this, we can conclude that Uranus is not connected to material things; he is married to Earth but belongs to the realm of air, space, and the sphere of thought. He rules the kingdom of the ideal and is not bound to the concrete everyday reality.

Each night, the starry sky envelops the Earth, and as a result, strange children are born. First came the Titans—a race of giants who, according to legend, gave rise to the human race. Then the Cyclopes and other monsters with hundreds of hands and heads appeared. Uranus did not like the children he had created. They seemed monstrous to him, nothing like the ideal image he had in mind. Unwilling to see them, he hid them again in Gaia’s womb—a metaphor reflecting the process of repression into the unconscious of what we deem unworthy.

In the mind of Uranus, an ideal image of his children existed, but what he saw in reality was far from his ideal. Similarly, many people with a strong Uranus in their birth chart experience disappointment when they try to compare their visions with concrete reality. For example, they may form an ideal mental image of partnership, but when they enter a real union, the outcome is entirely different, far removed from their imagination. Or such a person may nurture the idea of a perfect social system, only to face inevitable disappointment when the project is implemented. Then they turn to another project. The Uranian type is often accompanied by a trail of unfinished projects.

Similarly, as Uranus moves through a house, it evokes a sense of dissatisfaction with the affairs of that house. We develop a desire to change the course of events, switch tracks, and grab onto anything promising a new life.

Naturally, Mother Earth was not pleased when Uranus returned her children to her womb. So, forging a sickle from steel, she convinced one of her sons, Cronus (Saturn), to castrate his father. Cronus approached this task with great responsibility. One night, as Uranus descended to lie with Gaia, Cronus cut off his phallus and threw it into the sea. The castration of Uranus by Cronus astrologically signifies that Saturn deprives Uranus of its creative impulse. This myth is a metaphor for the most important conflict of the human psyche: the Saturnian desire to preserve and maintain the existing order of things is opposed by Uranus’ urge for change and diversity. One part of us strives to preserve the status quo (the principle of homeostasis), while the other seeks growth and development. Saturn builds, guards, and prefers what has been tested by time; Uranus wants to destroy everything old and make way for what has never existed before.

The Saturn–Uranus dilemma
A myth is always what happens but never can happen. Psychologically, Saturn castrates Uranus whenever forces of inhibition—external, internal, or both—prevent activity in a new, unexplored direction. We may block Uranus for various reasons: a sense of duty or responsibility toward someone or something, the need for security, or fear of the unknown. While we pay homage to Saturn, we stop and close ourselves off, but the Uranian impulse does not disappear; it merely lies dormant within us.

The consequences of Uranus’ castration by Cronus are vividly depicted in the myth. A few drops of blood from the severed phallus fell to Earth and gave birth to the Furies, whose names translate as jealousy, vengeance, and relentlessness. If we suppress Uranus’ impulse for change, the Furies awaken within us. Externally, we may appear calm, but inside, a storm of dissatisfaction brews against those we believe hinder our progress, development, and achievement of new heights. And whether we realize it or not, we are also filled with dissatisfaction with ourselves.

Uranus demands that we take action, but if we remain stagnant, the energy that would have been directed toward action instead turns inward, attacking us and causing illness. Alternatively, it may lie dormant deep within, only to erupt one day in an uncontrollable manner, sweeping everything in its path. Or we may expend so much energy suppressing Uranus that we lack the strength for anything else in life. It is no wonder, then, that we become irritable, apathetic, and exhausted. Uranus transits are not usually associated with fatigue, weakness, or depression; however, if such states accompany Uranian transits, it means that Uranus’ energy has been blocked.

Now imagine that we decide to yield to our Uranian impulses and destroy familiar structures in favor of something new. In other words, what happens when Saturn takes a vacation? Now Uranus is in the saddle, and Saturn seethes with anger. If we truly act in the spirit of Uranus and disrupt the status quo, the Furies attack us from the side of those threatened by our revolutionary actions. We have done everything to realize our Uranian urges, and the Furies no longer have energy within us—but now they come from outside. Such a shift is not uncommon, for example, in cases where relationships break down.

I once cast a chart for a woman who had been married to a man for many years, but when Uranus approached her Venus, she began to feel acute dissatisfaction with the relationship. Both overtly and subtly, her partner made it clear that she could not aspire to much and hindered her development.He was against her attending evening astrology classes, which she hoped would not only help her with self-improvement but also open new professional horizons. Even when Uranus first made a conjunction with Venus and turned retrograde, she held on and did not express dissatisfaction. Furies raged inside her. She tried to discuss the situation with her partner, and at first, he attempted to change his attitude toward her, but then reverted to his old way of thinking and behavior. When Uranus turned direct and made a triple conjunction with the woman’s Venus, she could no longer tolerate the restrictions imposed by the partnership and left for another city. Her first reaction was relief. She felt some regret over the end of the relationship, but in light of the new prospects, her sorrow was short-lived. Now her life felt so inspired. She was certain she had made the right choice. Her husband suffered: he was consumed by hatred toward her. The furies no longer tormented her from within. BUT for several months after her departure, her ex-husband’s furies pursued her through mail and phone calls. This story shows that furies are very tenacious beings and find fertile ground not only in family relationships but also in government institutions, where they revive amid the divisions tearing the government apart. Families, too, form structures that determine the behavior of their members. Unwritten rules and repetitive transactions create patterns that regulate acceptable types of behavior within the family—who can do or say what. If a family member begins to act in a way that threatens the family’s stability, all the furies are unleashed upon that person.

Something similar happened to a young man I counseled for several years. His mother brought him to me. She wanted him to become an accountant—the same profession as her husband’s. However, the young man’s Sun was in Pisces in the 5th house, and the Moon in Leo stood in the 10th house. He showed little interest in a career in finance or economics. HE dreamed of becoming an actor. His mother hoped that through psychotherapy, his mind could be reshaped, making him more practical and willing to meet her demands. As our sessions continued, transiting Uranus crossed his Ascendant in Scorpio and formed a square to his natal Sun. Instead of conforming to his mother’s expectations, the young man became even more determined to follow his own path. Gradually, his mother realized that therapy would not achieve the desired result. She and the rest of the family began to persecute my client, doing everything to prevent him from attending psychotherapy sessions. The boy found himself between two fires—on one side, the uranian impulses within him, and on the other, the furies of his relatives. He fell into depression and resentment. But in the end, Uranus prevailed, and he enrolled in a drama school.

The Birth of Venus
Fortunately, furies are not the only beings born from the clash of Uranus (change) and Saturn (preservation of stability). According to the myth, Cronus cast the severed phallus of Uranus into the ocean, where, mingling with the sea foam, it gave birth to Aphrodite or Venus. What does this mean? This part of the myth suggests that Venus—the principle of love, beauty, harmony, and balance—can emerge from the conflict between Saturnian forces of order and homeostasis and Uranian forces of destruction and change. The birth of Venus indicates that there is a possibility to introduce new ideas and alternatives tactfully, without seriously disrupting the established order. Uranus, unrestrained, seeks to shatter Saturn’s chains to pieces, while Saturn stands guard over the status quo to the death. However, if Uranus’s actions are tinged with Venus, it becomes possible to achieve greater flexibility from Saturn. Uranus with a Venusian nuance can present its needs in a softer form: “Let the best of the old be preserved, but room must also be made for the new” or “Listen, Saturn, I like much of what you do, but perhaps there are other ways, other approaches to work. What if we try acting a little differently?” With the help of Venus, Uranus can prepare Saturn for the necessity of change. For example, suppose we have to do work we dislike. Instead of simply quitting, we might keep the job for a while while using our free time to look for a new job or retrain. If possible, we could carve out a few extra hours from our work schedule to pursue interests that excite us. Eventually, we may become so proficient in the new field that we can find work we truly enjoy. By acting this way, we create space within the old niche for something new to emerge. We transition from Saturn to Uranus—but in a gentle, Venusian manner.

Or suppose we start a new job and notice that many aspects could be improved. If we immediately rush to the boss and present a list of all possible reforms and innovations, the manager will likely think, “Young and eager, but you’ve only been here a week and think you know better than everyone else!” In other words, if we rebel too sharply against the existing order or system, that order and system will undoubtedly resist. However, if we keep quiet for a while and work within the old rules, earning respect in the process, we will be in a better position later when we wish to voice our ideas for reform. By acting this way, we lend more weight to our words, and management will respect our opinion rather than dismiss the changes we propose outright. But if diplomacy and tact fail, and the existing system refuses to yield, we have no choice but to confront it directly and face all possible consequences. Sometimes, there is nothing left but to destroy outdated structures and embark on a path that suits us better.

Beyond her role as the goddess of beauty and love, Venus can also act as a factor of restoration—justice, balance, and equilibrium. For example, if we are in a relationship that hinders our self-realization, we may need to end it to live in alignment with our deeper “Self.” In this case, through conflict, we return to a state of inner harmony, harmony with our innate nature.

Freedom of Choice or Coercion
When, during a Uranus transit, we are drawn into something that does not meet our needs or align with our deeper nature, and if we do not change this situation or attempt to introduce something new, external events may force us to do so. In other words, the effect of a Uranus transit will manifest either through free will or coercion. When our job or partnership blocks our development, and we avoid making adjustments in our life to meet the demands of the moment, our inner “Self” will somehow organize external circumstances to compel us to change. Our partner may leave us, our boss may fire us, and so on. When this happens, our first reaction may be to blame others. We will blame them for what has befallen us. And indeed, perhaps our partner was unfaithful, or our boss undervalued us; yet from the perspective of our inner “Self” to open our eyes to new paths of development, we may find meaning in these seemingly unfavorable events.

I tried to explain all of the above to a Frenchwoman who came to see me for a consultation several years ago. In her natal chart, Saturn in Aquarius was at the “handle” of the chart: Saturn was the only planet at the Midheaven. It also formed a square to the conjunction of the Sun and Venus in Taurus. Six planets were in the Earth element. It is people with such a strong Earth emphasis and a prominent Saturn who face the greatest difficulties during Uranus transits.Saturn and the earthy planets strive to preserve the status quo; they fight for consolidation, security, and stability of structure. Earth types generally resist the inner Uranian impulses. They fear the unknown and do not want to take unnecessary risks, even if a very favorable opportunity arises as a result. They lack the confidence in a final favorable outcome that fiery signs possess—they do not believe that everything will somehow work out in the end. And this woman was no exception to this rule. At the moment of our meeting, I did not even need to look at her birth chart to understand that she was in a state of shock. For 25 years she had been married, and suddenly her husband ran off with a young girl. The transits of Uranus during this period were very revealing. Moving slowly through the middle of Scorpio, the transit Uranus stationed retrograde opposite her natal Sun at the 13th degree of Taurus. The Sun often symbolizes the husband in a woman’s chart. When Uranus finally went direct, it immediately formed a square to her Saturn at the 15th degree of Aquarius and opposed her natal Venus at the 17th degree of Taurus. Poor woman, I thought, what is this Uranus doing to her, and what’s more, this scoundrel of a man who left her after so many years of marriage.

However, as we began to discuss the situation, some additional facts emerged. Yes, she had been a faithful wife for many years, but she confessed that most of the time she had been deeply unhappy in this union. It was truly a union for the sake of the union itself—a partnership without love. She was so honest that she admitted she had maintained the marriage out of a sense of duty, driven by fear of losing the stable life and security it provided. The thought of loneliness and the unknown terrified her. Who would she be if she stopped being a devoted wife? What else could she do? This continued until the transit Uranus, passing through Scorpio, shattered this union. She had not wanted to acknowledge the full truth about her marriage, but by the time Uranus reached the middle of Scorpio, it became impossible to deceive herself any longer. Uranus does not tolerate falsehood, and when it finally opposed her Sun and Venus, her husband became the agent of Uranus, destroying everything false and outdated. By neglecting her inner Uranian impulses and refusing to end the empty relationship, she created a situation in which external forces were forced to do this work for her. In other words, she was compelled to meet Uranus—it was not her free choice.

If you are in a situation where you can no longer tolerate where you are and want to leave but are afraid to take the step, your frustration can take many forms. You may constantly arrive late or find reasons to dislike your boss. Then it is only a matter of time before you are fired. You start thinking, “Look what this wretch has done to me,” when in reality you were unconsciously provoking your boss to do what you yourself should have done—change your situation. One might assume that something similar happened with this woman’s marriage. Her hidden sense of unhappiness and dissatisfaction with her husband and their relationship must have manifested in a hundred different ways, despite her attempts to be a model wife and her desire for external well-being. In the end, he did what she could not have done herself. Astrologically, all of this occurred at the opposition of the transit Uranus—it seemed as though Uranus brought everything from the outside, but in reality, she was confronting her own suppressed Uranian impulses through the agency of another person.

I tried to explain this to her, but she refused to listen. Too absorbed in her phase of resentment, she was not ready to see that all these years she had suppressed her own desire to end the relationship. And this desire is directly connected to her husband’s departure. She was not ready to understand that the destruction of her marriage meant deliverance from an unnecessary burden and the possibility of finding something new in life. Instead, she wanted to blame her husband entirely: “How could he do this to me?” She preferred to share with me countless plans for how she would take revenge and poison his life. It became clear that what she needed most was to cry and complain. At subsequent consultations, I tried to explain to her that not all was lost, to show her the opportunities she had to boost her self-esteem, to strengthen her independence and security outside of marriage. Despite some glimmers of understanding, she was too angry and agitated (her furies, born of such prolonged castration of Uranus, overwhelmed her) to take seriously what I was saying. She did not want to see how this break could make her life more meaningful and happier. Aphrodite had not yet risen from the foam.

Uranus and Prometheus
If we suppress Uranian impulses, it gives rise to furies within us. If we follow these impulses, the furies are unleashed upon us by those who disapprove of our bold actions. One way or another, we must pay a price for our deeds. Even if we are convinced that we are doing the right, noble thing by defying the established order, we must be prepared for punishment. In this sense, the story of Prometheus clarifies much. Prometheus was one of the Titans. His name means the ability to see into the future, to foresee the development of events. When Zeus fought the Titans, Prometheus foresaw the outcome—the victory of Zeus—and sided with him. At first, Zeus and Prometheus were loyal allies and rendered each other numerous services. Prometheus, for example, helped Athena be born from Zeus’s head; in return, Athena taught Prometheus astronomy, mathematics, and other sciences. As a result, Prometheus gained wisdom. But this idyll did not last long. Gradually, Prometheus grew increasingly displeased with the injustice around him: why did the gods hold a monopoly on knowledge and enjoy the best of life? Seeking to improve the lot of ordinary mortals, Prometheus set out to teach them the sciences. Zeus, who did not approve of Prometheus’s attempt to make humans equal to the gods, punished humanity by taking fire away from them. Then Prometheus rebelled against the gods, stole fire from them, and gave it to mankind. In retaliation, Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock and ordered an eagle to fly down daily and devour his liver. Prometheus represents within each of us the Uranian impulse toward progress and improvement, toward changing the existing state of affairs and seeking a better life. Prometheus represents that part of our psyche that strives to rise above our animal nature and become greater than our current state. And Zeus symbolizes that part of our psyche that resists change and calculates the price that must be paid for development and progress. Zeus does not want to share his privileges and punishes Prometheus for attempting to reveal his secrets.

All of this can also be applied to the transits of Uranus. During Uranus transits, we may receive revelations that change our perspective on things, on ourselves, and on our lives. However, the immediate results of such revelations are not always pleasant: for example, if you always thought of yourself as a kind and good person, you may discover that beneath your benevolent facade lurks a jealous creature who resents the success of those close to you. Realizing that you are not as charitable as you believed yourself to be can be quite a shock—a kind of punishment for enlightenment. Or you may suddenly see that an unconscious negative self-image has prevented you from fully enjoying life. You realize that for many years you unconsciously believed that people treated you as an inferior being, and this prevented you from taking advantage of all opportunities, causing you to waste much energy and time. Your low self-esteem has slowed your development.Certainly, becoming aware of one’s negative self-image is not a bad thing, as it helps change destructive behavioral patterns. But what if this awareness had come to you earlier? Would you have lived a happier and more successful life? Even a joyful revelation can be accompanied by disappointment, indignation, and a sense of guilt about what was before. Any change has its price. Whether society demands revolutionary actions from us, which Uranus forces us to take, or not, we still have to deal with an inner sense of guilt and that part of our psyche that expects punishment for breaking the established order.

Once, a woman came to see me for a consultation. At that time, transiting Uranus was crossing the cusp of her 7th house. She had decided to end her current relationship for the sake of a new union she had recently formed. Although she was quite sure she was doing the right thing, she still felt some guilt about her actions and anticipated that she would somehow have to pay the price for it. In particular, she worried that the person she was leaving might fall ill or even commit suicide. It seemed to her that the new relationship might be unstable, and in the end, she would be left alone.

Sometimes our sense of guilt and fear of punishment are unconscious—we don’t even realize that we ourselves expect retribution. Unfortunately, even unconscious things can interfere with our lives. Unconsciously, we attract to ourselves what we fear. For example, if you end a relationship and enter a new one, an unconscious fear that you must be punished for your actions may threaten the stability of your new relationship. However, if you become aware of your expectation of retribution for Uranian actions, you can gain control. You can analyze your sense of guilt and take the necessary measures.

The Higher Mind
Each of us has an Inner Core that guides us through life and controls our development. Our “Self” determines which situations and circumstances are necessary for our growth, but for the most part, we are unaware of these things. This work of our “Self” happens unconsciously. However, Uranus transits sometimes illuminate the work of our “Self.” The veil lifts, and a broader picture of our life opens before our eyes. In this perspective, we understand the true meaning of what has happened to us at different times and the direction in which our “Self” forces us to move. The Uranian vision clarifies which steps we need to take or what actions we must perform to align our lives with the deeper program of our development.

Even at the height of a crisis, if transits involve Uranus, we often more clearly understand why we have encountered such circumstances and what they can teach us. For example, a man came to see me when transiting Uranus was conjunct his natal Jupiter in the 10th house—the house of career. The company he worked for had just gone bankrupt, and he was fired. However, he clearly felt that his dismissal served a purpose: he had never been fully satisfied with his job, and now he was faced with a new situation—the need to find work that truly resonated with him. He was experiencing the stress typical of Uranus transits and mostly understood what was happening to him.

A similar story happened to an actor when transiting Uranus from the 8th house aspected his natal Sun in the 5th house. In previous years, he had enjoyed great success, but it seemed that “luck” had abandoned him when the Uranus aspect became active. However, he did not fall into depression. He told me that he knew why this had happened to him. He had always dreamed of trying his hand at writing, and this change in fortune allowed him to fulfill that dream. Like the man who had been laid off in the previous example, the actor went through difficult moments and hours, but he was able to understand that these difficulties served a higher purpose.

It is quite different with the transits of Neptune and Pluto—it is often impossible to understand what purpose they serve. Not only are we guided by the Inner Core—the Higher “Self.” Many philosophers believe that the entire cosmos evolves according to a single plan. In other words, there must be a Higher Creative Mind that directs and controls the evolution of all life. In this vein, the reflections of the wonderful American philosopher and occultist Dane Rudhyar are particularly insightful. He believed that Uranus has to do with “the power of the universal mind.” Uranus transits temporarily connect us to the Higher Mind, allowing us to “grasp” some of the intentions and plans of what can be called the Higher Intelligence. Under the influence of Uranus, we gain a sense of knowing the Truth with a capital “T.” Accordingly, we can take actions that, in our opinion, reflect the will of God or the Cosmos. We are convinced that it is not our personal will but that God Himself demands that we act in this way. Or, as Rudhyar put it, “The transformed individual becomes the focal point for the release of the forces of the higher intelligence.”

Of course, in some cases, the conviction that we are acting on behalf of some higher authority can fuel arrogance and conceit at best and mental disorders at worst. History knows many examples of individuals and entire nations committing atrocities while claiming they were acting on God’s will. Nevertheless, we should not underestimate the concept of the Higher Mind. Mystics and great teachers of various civilizations have constantly asserted the existence of a higher unifying element that permeates all aspects of our lives. And as recent studies have shown, some scientists agree with this point of view.

Our contemporary, physicist Fritjof Capra (an Aquarius with Uranus in Taurus in the 12th house conjunct the Ascendant), speaks about the interdependence of all elements of life as follows: “Modern physics reveals the fundamental unity of the universe. It shows that we cannot dissect the world into independently existing small objects. As we penetrate deeper into matter, we see that there are no isolated building blocks of the universe. Instead, the world appears as a complex web of relationships between the different parts of a single whole.” Heisenberg spoke of it this way: “The world is presented to us as a web of events, where combinations of different kinds of connections determine the substance of the whole.” Capra’s statement supports the mystical concept of the Higher Mind, which unites the universe into the most complex network of interactions. Nothing can be understood in isolation but only in relation to other things. At a deep level, we are all connected to one another, and the mind and body of any person are intricately linked to the entire wealth of the universe.

If our intellects are interconnected, then it is not difficult to accept the idea proposed by the priest and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “Anything that is truly seen, even by a single mind, will eventually spread across the entire field of human consciousness.” Rupert Sheldrake, an English scientist, proposes a similar hypothesis. He believes that there are invisible structuring fields (which he calls morphogenetic fields) that connect members of the same species. As soon as one member of a species learns something new, a change occurs in the morphogenetic field, allowing other members of the species to access this information. We once again arrive at the concept of the group mind.

Uranus transits can activate our ability to understand the intentions of the Higher Mind. When this happens, we can become a channel through which a new idea circulating in the collective intelligence can be planted. Of course, not everyone will be influenced by Uranus in this way. But my own experience shows that there are many people who, under the influence of significant transits of this kind, have served as mediums for new ideas. In this context, two examples come to mind. One is connected to a director whose natal Venus in Libra was trine to Uranus in Gemini. When transiting Uranus approached an opposition to his natal Uranus, he began experimenting with new techniques in music videos. He achieved great success in refining old approaches and pioneered a new direction in this field.Another example concerns a woman with a Mercury–Mars conjunction in Pisces square to natal Uranus in Gemini. When transiting Uranus in Sagittarius squared the natal Mercury–Mars conjunction, she proposed several new educational concepts that later gained wide circulation. Whether we believe in the Universal Mind theory or not, one thing is certain: Uranus transits often bring major political consequences. Some people, under Uranus’s influence, develop new theories they believe can transform the existing order of things. Others find ideals that challenge society’s existing structures. Thus, Uranus stimulates not only personal growth but also the development of the entire collective. Now that we have clarified some points about Uranus, we can proceed to examine Uranus’s passage through the planets and houses of the natal chart.

Chapter V. Transits of Uranus to Planets and Houses

Uranus — Sun

On its own, a trine or sextile from transiting Uranus to the Sun usually does not cause serious problems. Nevertheless, it marks a time when we are in tune with our inner need to develop in ways we have not previously explored. A part of our being yearns to open up and experiment with life, and we can use the harmonious aspects of Uranus to the Sun to follow this impulse. Opportunities for change may come through people, a new job, or education. The house where transiting Uranus is located, the house where the natal Sun stands, and the house on the Leo cusp indicate the areas of life where growth and expansion are most likely.

As with any Uranus transit to the Sun, some existing structures in our life will have to give way to new things. How much rebuilding is required depends largely on how the Sun is aspected in the birth chart. If the Sun has no tense natal aspects to Saturn and the outer planets, the process of change will not be too painful. However, the conjunction, squares, and oppositions of transiting Uranus to the Sun often lead to serious trials. If we naturally enjoy change, we will find it easy to cope with these transits. But if we fear the untested and unknown—if we do everything possible to preserve the existing order of things, even if it does not greatly satisfy us—then we will have a difficult time. Such transits are usually accompanied by a feeling of acute anxiety. We may feel trapped by circumstances. We may want to blame others for our failures: “If only I had a different wife (husband, boss, mother, father), I would not be in this predicament.” To some extent this may indeed be true, but ultimately it is probably not the people around us who need to change, but ourselves first and foremost. We must turn our attention to the part of our being that feels dissatisfied and anxious and create the possibility for something new to enter our life. Our inner “I” wants us to change, and if we resist this intention, we are likely to attract destructive external forces that will force us to change. Alternatively, by expending so much energy on suppressing our revolutionary impulses, we may eventually fall into illness or depression.

Difficult aspects of the Sun to Uranus do not necessarily require a complete restructuring of our life, but we may need to bring in something new to allow our personality to develop further. Again, the keys lie in the houses of the birth chart that are touched by these transits. The Sun is also a symbol of the father, and transits of Uranus to the Sun often indicate changes in our relationship with him. Again, much depends on how the Sun is aspected in the natal chart: if the Sun has tense natal aspects, a trine or sextile from transiting Uranus provides support for positive changes in the relationship with the father. Communication may become more intense, and negative relationship patterns may shift toward better understanding and openness. However, a conjunction, square, or opposition from transiting Uranus to a natal Sun that is already under stress will bring to light inner contradictions between you and your father. Some of my clients with such transits felt the need to rebel against their father, to challenge his authoritarianism, his power over them, or his demands. The time comes to break away from the father; the time to clarify who you really are has arrived.

A transiting Uranus making aspects to the Sun can also symbolize the discovery of the “Father” within us—the ability to take responsibility for our own life, the ability to control our behavior. During this period it is not enough simply to adapt to the needs of others, especially if it goes against what we ourselves feel. Rather, we will make demands of others rather than adapt ourselves. The transits that link the Sun with Uranus allow us to realize our own power, and this may be expressed in a struggle with figures in authority, in rebellion against people we have previously allowed to control and influence us. If a woman has not yet discovered her inner strength and developed the assertive side of her being, this is the time to do so. In addition to the opportunity for self-assertion, she may experience new sensations from meeting men—for example, she may meet a man with a strong Uranus in his natal chart or someone whose transiting Uranus is making significant aspects in his horoscope. This may be a bold, dynamic person who will bring much that is new into her life, open up new perspectives, and offer a fresh view of things. In this way, she imports Uranus into her inner sphere, transforming her personality. In some cases, a woman during the passage of transiting Uranus to her Sun becomes aware that serious changes are taking place in her partner, and as a result her life changes too.

Regardless of gender, under tense aspects of Uranus to the Sun we may lose our peace of mind, become excitable and unpredictable. We want to free ourselves from all traditions and limitations; we may be captivated by new ideas and a new view of our life. If we can accept and assimilate this energy and make the necessary changes, then these transits, however difficult they may seem at first glance, will mark a great step in our self-discovery.

Uranus — Moon

While the Sun describes the ways we achieve self-realization and self-assertion, the Moon is connected with our emotions and feelings—it shows how we instinctively react to others. The Moon also describes our home life, our mother, and everything related to our relationships with women. When transiting Uranus aspects the natal Moon in any of these areas, we must expect changes. If Uranus makes a trine or sextile to the Moon, we usually welcome change easily. Thus our feelings may be stirred, and we are ready to accept new emotional experiences. Both men and women expand the range of their emotional reactions at this time. For men, this is often connected with meeting a woman. In a woman’s chart, harmonious transits of Uranus to the Moon indicate further development of her feminine essence. For example, a woman became a mother for the first time when Uranus was making a trine to her Moon. If we move house when Uranus makes a harmonious aspect to our Moon, this change will turn out for the best even if it seemed destructive at first.

A trine or sextile can also be expressed in the form of positive changes in our relationship with our own mother. Our ability to understand each other grows, and we find that we can be open with her and communicate without emotional overflow. We become able to separate ourselves from her while at the same time seeing her more clearly. However, under tense transits of Uranus to the Moon, problems with the mother are inevitable. If our individuality is too bound up with the maternal, at this moment we may rebel to clarify our individuality more distinctly. The conjunction, square, and opposition of transiting Uranus to the Moon can also describe a time when our mother undergoes changes in her own life. Some young mothers with tense aspects of transiting Uranus to the Moon may experience frustration related to the limitations imposed by motherhood, and a positive approach for them may lie in seeking other outlets for self-expression. For older women, such transits often correspond to the period of menopause, signifying that new ways must be found to express the lunar need to care for and nurture others.

Men with transits of Uranus to the Moon may attract women of a Uranian nature who change their view of life, or they may meet a woman who is herself going through a Uranian period of reassessment, which will inevitably affect the men’s lives as well. Children with transits of Uranus to the Moon usually experience this influence in their relationship with their mother, who herself is going through a very difficult period.

Conjunctions, squares, and oppositions of transiting Uranus to the Moon can also describe very unusual emotional states. If you belong to the kind of people who are not easily moved, you may suddenly burst into tears over the smallest thing. You will surprise not only others but also yourself with the feelings you experience at that moment. Some people with tense transits of Uranus to the Moon are so frightened by these new emotions that they feel they are having a nervous breakdown and lose control. The feelings that were previously controlled burst into consciousness and shatter all the restraints that held them back. If transiting Uranus touches a poorly aspected Moon in the natal chart, it may be necessary to consult a psychological specialist and analyze your feelings.

Once, a woman came to me whose transiting Uranus was passing through her Moon, which in the birth chart was in square to Pluto. She had recently given birth to a second child and fell into a severe postpartum depression. Usually, a square from the natal Moon to natal Pluto describes dark or intense feelings that were activated by transiting Uranus. She felt guilty about destructive fantasies related to herself and the new baby, but discussing these experiences helped her gain an objective understanding of what was happening.

The Moon reveals much that is important in our early experiences of communication with our mother and environment, and when transiting Uranus touches the Moon, some old behavioral patterns surface under the guise of today’s problems. A man came to see me when transiting Uranus activated the natal square between his Moon and Saturn. He had been raised by a strict, traditionally minded mother who saw no need to meet his emotional needs, and when transiting Uranus activated this aspect, the issue resurfaced in his relationship with a woman who did not understand his emotional state. Through his current partnership, Uranus exposed problems that dated back to childhood. It was time for him not only to work through his current relationship but also to resolve the emotional issues he had with his mother.

When Uranus makes a tense aspect to the Moon, we usually feel discomfort in the areas of life indicated by the houses involved in this transit (the house where the Moon is natally placed, the house where Uranus is transiting, and the house with Cancer on its cusp). We may feel a desire to break free from restrictions that poison our lives. But do not rush to act on these impulses if our usual behavioral pattern includes a readiness to disrupt the status quo whenever we feel discomfort. Before acting, we need some time for calm reflection on our aspirations, our desire to end existing structures and relationships. If our evolution and personal growth are truly blocked, we may need to obey the Uranian impulses and break free. However, we may find that what is really holding us back is not the external situation; we may discover that the blockage is internal and that we have projected our inner fears onto our surroundings. We blame others for obstructing us when, in fact, we ourselves hesitate and fear stepping onto a new developmental path. In such a case, there is no need to blame external circumstances or change them; instead, we should address our inner resistance.

We may experience the effects of a transit of Uranus to the Moon through external events that, at first glance, seem uncontrollable and overturn our entire world, threatening our security. Our relationships with others may break down, or we may be forced to change our place of residence. Nevertheless, even if all of this appears in a fatal light, we must analyze our feelings and understand whether they were somehow connected to what we attracted into our lives. Our own suppressed desires for change, projected outward, may return in the form of events that disrupt the status quo. If, upon examining the situation, we find no connection between external events and the restrained impulses within, it is likely that the “inner self” initiated these trials so that we could develop qualities that would be impossible to cultivate in the calm course of life.

Uranus-Mercury

If we want to think calmly, the time when Uranus transits Mercury is not suitable for that. Even if transiting Uranus makes a trine or sextile to Mercury, the nature of our thinking changes. Our mind becomes more receptive to new ideas. Learning new subjects is a good application of such a transit. Old ways of thinking and habitual patterns of intellectual activity are replaced by new attitudes. The ability to see life in a new light appears. During this transit, intuition works well, and we may find solutions to some problems that have tormented us for a long time. Answers and solutions suddenly appear in our minds at the most unexpected moments.

When transiting Uranus makes a trine or sextile to Mercury, we can successfully explore the city or area where we live. In the course of such exploration, we meet new people, groups, and communities that stimulate our intellectual interests. At this time, we may become interested in various “Uranian” subjects: astrology, metaphysics, ecology, computer or information technology. We absorb new ideas, floating in their atmosphere. We may act as press attachés who bring these ideas to the public. The surrounding environment is usually ready to accept what we say. These transits are favorable for proposing new schemes, introducing inventions, organizing advertising and other campaigns. If we are involved in writing or another form of communication with a wide audience, this is a time when our thinking will be able to skillfully manipulate new ideas.

Conjunctions or other tense aspects of transiting Uranus to Mercury symbolize a period of mental stimulation but may be associated with far more problems than in the case of a trine or sextile. Our mind may be in a state of overstimulation and hyperactivity throughout this time; we feel anxiety and nervousness, an inability to resolve simple problems. If we are used to working at a calm pace in a well-organized space, tense aspects of Uranus to Mercury can cause serious difficulties. Without our usual mental focus and stability, we may feel lost—some people even fall ill with nervous disorders during this period. It is useful to find a constructive outlet for the excess mental energy, some channel where we can discharge the surplus nervous energy. A sensible program of physical exercise, sports, or yoga can serve as a valve that releases excessive mental energy and helps us relax. New ideas and revelations hit us with such force that there is a danger of losing mental balance, and although some of these ideas are quite sound, there is still a risk of losing orientation and being distracted from our usual work schedule. Therefore, a sensible approach is needed; perhaps we should discuss our thoughts with someone we trust. And amid the abundance of ideas, we should choose the most valuable, filtering out extremes. Some of us, under the influence of this transit, may become enslaved by ideas that take on an uncontrollable force. We may come to believe that we have discovered the truth and must put it into practice. Later, when the transit passes, looking back, we will wonder what could have drawn us to these ideas. Sometimes our thinking takes on a radical and unconventional character. The ideas themselves may not be bad, but the force with which they affect us requires us to be very careful. If we have enough wisdom and common sense, we will be able to pass through this period without losing our mental balance and ability to interact with our surroundings. The very image of our thinking may change dramatically.

When Uranus makes trines and sextiles to Mercury, we are ready to accept new ideas, and our environment, in turn, is ready to accept our revelation. Things can turn out quite differently if the transiting Uranus makes a square or opposition to the natal Mercury: in this case, other people and external forces will seek to change the direction of our thinking precisely at the moment when we are not at all ready to rebuild. Especially in the case of an opposition, we feel how Uranus descends upon us from the outside, trying to destroy the foundations of our life. However, if we engage with such situations, most likely the “inner Self,” working through other people and external forces, is trying to shake us in some way to ensure further development. Conversely, this can be a time when our original ideas and insights are not accepted by others; they may find our ideas too controversial, strange, impractical, and premature.

Mercury is usually associated with siblings and our relationships with close relatives in general. When transiting Uranus makes a trine or sextile to Mercury, positive changes can come into our life through brothers, sisters, and close relatives. A new interest, project, or study in which they are involved may captivate and engage us as well. However, when transiting Uranus makes a tense aspect to Mercury, there may be quarrels, breakups, and separations. Some flexibility or willingness to compromise may be required. If we have strongly identified ourselves with a brother, sister, or close relative, the development of our life view will require a break from them in order to reveal our own individuality.

Any contact between transiting Uranus and Mercury indicates a time when our mind or thinking becomes more powerful than usual and may be strongly influenced both by our own “Self” and by other people. During this period, we can constructively use our mental abilities and imagination, forming positive images. An old saying states that energy follows thought. This is indeed true!

Uranus — Venus

When transiting Uranus aspects Venus, changes and upheavals touch the sphere of love, relationships, and creativity. A shift may occur in our perception: everything we once considered beautiful, attractive, and desirable ceases to seem so. There is a chance that the way we have expressed ourselves is no longer satisfying. We seek new paths of creative self-realization.

When transiting Uranus makes a trine or sextile to natal Venus, these changes occur quite smoothly. This is a good time to bring something new into your relationship with a loved one; to abandon following stale patterns, for example, to go to different places of entertainment and relaxation, to try what you have never done before. If we were too firmly attached to a particular person, during this period we may distance ourselves from that person and realize what we imagine ourselves to be. Regardless of whether we maintain close relationships or not, we may meet a new person who will be unusual in some way and have a stimulating effect on us. This person will introduce us to new ideas, new values, and a new worldview. A new connection may also have a sexual character, although Uranus usually facilitates the meeting of two minds; it enables fruitful intellectual interaction. Physical attraction may be present, but circumstances usually prevent the relationship from developing at this level.

My experience shows that Uranus aspects to Venus are directly related to creative self-expression. If your creative side has not been expressed before, during this period you may truly discover your creative potential. If you already work in a creative field, now is the time to experiment with new techniques, try new forms of self-expression.

However, if the transits of Uranus are very tense, our creative pursuits may be perceived as too extreme, shocking, and far ahead of their time. The conjunction, opposition, and square of transiting Uranus to natal Venus can evoke the same excitement and sharp sensations as trines and sextiles, but ultimately they can lead to destructive consequences. If dissatisfaction and frustration prevailed in our relationships, then during the Uranus transit, if we have done nothing to correct the situation, we face a breakup; our paths with a partner will diverge.

We usually associate Uranus with absolutely unexpected events that fall upon us out of nowhere, but I believe that a sudden relationship breakup always indicates that unresolved issues have been accumulating subconsciously, and at the moment when Uranus touched Venus, they manifested dramatically.

I realize that all this does not sound very pleasant, and indeed there is little pleasant about it. However, there is always an opportunity to approach these transits constructively. When dissatisfaction and frustration overflow, Uranus gives us the chance to analyze what we have done wrong in our relationships, and it can act as a trigger for relationship experiments that will breathe new life into our union.

If we were in a close relationship with a partner, Uranus does not necessarily seek to destroy our relationship, but it may demand that we establish more independent relationships if we are too dependent—it seeks to make us more autonomous. However, if we have avoided too close, deep relationships, if we were not fond of trust and fidelity, an aspect of Uranus to Venus may mean a time when the need arises to be faithful to a single partner.

Uranus encourages us to try something new that we have not tried before and to rebuild our relationships in a different way. Even if both sides are full of goodwill and good intentions, tense aspects of Uranus to Venus can end in a breakup. In most cases I have observed, the breakups that occurred during these transits were generally welcomed by one or both parties. One partner or both partners felt that the relationship had outlived its purpose or required reform to allow us to start a new life in which the partnership would be an obstacle.

Uranus helps us make the necessary adjustments, as it activates that part of our personality that sees the need to complete one phase of life so that another can begin.

Once, I was making horoscopes for a married couple who had been living together for 7 years. In the husband’s chart, transiting Uranus was in opposition to his natal Venus, and in the wife’s chart, transiting Uranus was making a square to her natal Venus at the same time. The dissatisfaction that had accumulated over several years, with the help of Uranus, spilled out. They tried in various ways to breathe new life into their relationship, but without success. And then, one fine day, in the midst of the relevant Uranus-to-Venus aspects, they looked each other in the eye and said, “Well, it’s time to part ways.”

The transiting aspect of Uranus to Venus in both charts marks a time when we can recognize the need for a breakup. Neither of them knew what they would do next; each regretted that it was impossible to return to the past, but at the same time neither had any doubt that they had done the right thing.

Of course, it is not always the case that both partners simultaneously experience transiting aspects of Uranus to Venus. Sometimes the person who has the transit may seek a relationship breakup, but their partner may think very differently. The opposite can also happen: your Venus is aspected by Uranus, but your partner wants the breakup. If this happens, it means your partner is acting as a channel for releasing the frustration and dissatisfaction you have suppressed for a long time.

Transiting aspects of Uranus to Venus can also cause a temporary break in the relationship. You or your partner may want to become independent for a while, perhaps even to be alone; but when the transit passes, this desire also goes away, and you reconnect.

Tense aspects of Uranus to Venus do not always signify the end of a relationship. If you are not in a serious relationship, these transits may indicate the formation of a new connection, but given Uranus’ unpredictability, there is a big question of whether such a relationship will survive the transit period.

Uranus – Mars

Uranus always stimulates, activates, and intensifies the expression of the planet it contacts during transits. When it forms a trine or sextile to Mars, we can expect an influx of more energy than usual. This is not a time to sit idly by and watch television. Go out and look for projects where you can expend the increased energy—vitality. Discard routine tasks, seek a convenient opportunity to compete, engage in what interests you, find a mountain to climb. Challenge yourself, and then you will be able to use the harmonious aspects of a transiting Uranus to Mars for growth.

When Uranus conjuncts Mars or forms a square or opposition to it, the increased energy and desire to act cannot be expressed in a normal way. We may become more restless, anxious, irritable, impatient than usual. We do not let anything proceed in its own time because we are focused on struggle and confrontation. We are determined to stand up for ourselves at all costs and react with outrage when others interfere in our affairs or hinder us. Any obstacle to our movement provokes strong anger: if we want to move forward but something beside us stops us or pulls us back, we become irritated. This dynamic during a Uranus transit to Mars can only escalate.

If we need self-assertion or advancement but do not pay close attention to these impulses, Mars will turn its energy against us and attack our bodies, leading to physical dysfunctions and illness. Also, if most of our energy is spent resisting change or the progress we need, we will have much less energy left to accomplish anything in our lives. If we suffer from depression during a Uranus transit to Mars, perhaps we need to look within ourselves and understand what we need to start doing. We need something that will fully engage us during this period—any project that will inspire us and into which we can channel the excess Martian energy.

Mars is associated with the drive for self-assertion. If we can find a way to channel Mars constructively, even the most challenging transits of Uranus to Mars will signify a time when our self-assertion and development accelerate, and we take a big step forward in our growth.

Tense aspects of a transiting Uranus to Mars are often linked to accidents and catastrophes, and for many reasons this is indeed true. The combination of Uranus with Mars produces over-impulsiveness and recklessness: we rush into everything with double the energy and often lose control of our actions. If we are already in a state of frustration, anger, and nervousness, we will inevitably attract an accident. We have the opportunity to avoid many troubles if we analyze our feelings and do not let them reach a boiling point.

A wide range of emotions and moods accompanies transiting aspects of Uranus to Mars. In a positive sense, we will feel excited and full of enthusiasm; in a negative sense, anger and aggression will overcome us. There is a high likelihood that we will waver between these two extremes. However, these transits allow us to come into closer contact with our core vitality, our strength, and power. Our increased power potential will manifest in the areas governed by the houses in the natal chart where Mars is placed, and where transiting Uranus is located, especially if the Ascendant or Midheaven is in Aries or Scorpio.

Uranus – Jupiter

When a transiting Uranus aspects Jupiter, our worldview and life philosophy begin to change. We feel that the future holds attractive possibilities and that new paths are opening up. Some of these visions will materialize, while others will prove unrealistic or overly optimistic. Yet by the time the Uranus transit ends, our perspective on life and its prospects will have significantly shifted. A trine or sextile from transiting Uranus to Jupiter often marks a phase of intense growth and development, an expansion of our influence, and the opening of new paths to self-realization. Success may come in the form of large sums of money, advantageous job offers, useful acquaintances, the emergence of new interests, and a fresh approach to surrounding phenomena that fills life with meaning. You may experience unforgettable adventures in distant lands.

Harmonious aspects of Uranus to Jupiter usually signal that it is time to embark on bold ventures, risky enterprises, and the realization of adventurous plans. It is then that we step beyond the boundaries of our usual limits. We can use these transits constructively by reaching the higher reaches of our “self,” finding faith in our boundless potential. If, however, we hesitate and do not dare to take on a great endeavor, if we do not believe in our abilities, we are wasting the opportunities that harmonious aspects of Uranus to Jupiter open up.

Conjunctions, oppositions, and squares of transiting Uranus to natal Jupiter are also associated with expansion, growth, and new opportunities, but in this case, problems and obstacles may arise that would not occur with harmonious aspects. Often during such periods, we are gripped by mental unease and feel the need to review our beliefs and abandon theories that hinder our progress. This period typically leads to the dethronement of idols and authorities. We are ready to blindly rush toward what we believe holds the key to wealth and the fulfillment of all desires, which we think is the ultimate meaning of life.

Uranus undermines Jupiter’s desire to achieve the maximum in everything, but tense transits introduce extremism, unreliability, and eccentricity into all expressions of Jupiter. Someone makes you a very attractive offer, but two weeks later it collapses. Yet you have no time to be upset—on the horizon, a new adventure looms. It is impossible to assess the reality of enterprises and endeavors without a thorough analysis of the entire birth chart. Still, it is worth taking a moment to think before rushing headlong into something new. It is wise to formulate a long-term action plan, to carefully consider all the details of the venture that you believe will turn your life upside down and give you everything you dreamed of. There is a danger that, following our dreams, we may go too far. It is better not to rely entirely on imagination, not to be overconfident, but to take the time to discuss all prospects with people you trust. Then you have a chance to come out ahead.

As with harmonious aspects, a conjunction, opposition, or square of transiting Uranus to natal Jupiter can lead to radical changes in worldview and life philosophy. Overall, this time is very suitable for taking a course of study that broadens your horizons of knowledge and enriches your vision of the world. However, tense transits may prompt us to adopt an unusual religion; we may fall under the influence of an extremist religious sect that takes over our entire existence.

With transiting aspects of Uranus to Jupiter, it is impossible to do things halfway or half-heartedly; we may abandon everything and set off for India or begin preaching a doctrine that we believe is true for all times and all peoples. Some of our ideas and beliefs have a solid foundation, but we overemphasize them and go too far. The fervor with which we seek to spread our views can provoke a negative reaction from our surroundings; they may be concerned about our state: have we lost our minds? It is precisely sound judgment that will help us use the power of this transit for our own benefit and that of others. If we are unable to restrain ourselves, it may turn out that we have been led down the wrong path, and everything we have devoted ourselves to is a sham.

A conjunction, opposition, or square of transiting Uranus to natal Jupiter can send us on a long journey. The adventures may be very exciting; we may visit exotic countries far from well-trodden paths and, in any case, return home as different people—or perhaps not return at all.

Uranus — Saturn
When transiting Uranus aspects Saturn, the new meets the old, and how friendly this meeting will be is indicated by the nature of the aspect. A trine or sextile suggests that we are ready to accept the new, to integrate new things into our lives. We can preserve the most valuable from the old while simultaneously making room for something new. We prepare space for new ideas, new tasks, new principles, new people, new interests. Everything that has survived has grown old and is open to innovation. It is time to force authority figures to think anew. We may act as a bridge between familiar, tested views and fresh, original approaches to any situation.

A conjunction, opposition, or square of transiting Uranus to Saturn indicates a situation where the meeting of the new and the old threatens serious problems and may be explosive (especially if Mars is somehow involved). In many cases, we are so tired of certain things, so opposed to the usual course of events, that apart from radical change, we have no other way out. If we try to preserve a partnership or job based on Saturnian considerations—stability, security, a sense of duty, the need for status—Uranus’ power will sweep away everything we cling to and force us to seek something new. Our way of thinking will shift, and we will want to take risks, discard the known, and explore new possibilities.

Even if old structures in our lives did not bring us great satisfaction, some of us will struggle to abandon what is familiar and has become habitual. We cling to the comfortable, heartwarming reminders of the past, though another part of our being longs to try something new. Ultimately, transiting Uranus will not let us leave this Uranian period with the same baggage we entered it with. We can only try to avoid total destruction by preserving the most valuable from the old and gradually making room for the new. We may attempt to correct the existing order, improve what dissatisfies us, but if such improvements do not resolve the issue, we have no choice but to completely clear away the old and accept what Uranus brings.

Transits of Uranus to Saturn are the most challenging type of Uranian transit, as they threaten aspects of our existence directly tied to security and stability. This is felt most strongly during oppositions of transiting Uranus to natal Saturn, but squares and conjunctions are no easier to experience. It is like an earthquake—all traditions crumble, and the ground gives way beneath our feet. To some extent, we become victims of fate. Something external descends upon us, and we cannot avoid it. At first glance, we seem to have nothing to do with what is happening; we are not to blame for the arrival of such formidable events. However, if we perceive Uranus as a guide of the inner “Self,” we must find an inner cause for what is occurring. Even if we do not believe that something guides us through life, finding meaning in what happens will allow us to better withstand the destructive force and channel its powerful energy constructively.

Ultimately, we may discover that tense aspects of Uranus to Saturn have become catalysts for changes necessary for our growth—changes that could not have begun without these difficult aspects. More often than not, honest self-analysis will reveal our personal role in attracting destructive energies into our lives. Looking back over past years, we will likely find dissatisfaction and frustrations that we did not acknowledge and suppressed. We often like to blame others for everything, but using Uranus transits positively involves recognizing our role in destructive events.

Transits of Uranus to Saturn create the most serious problems in those areas of our lives where we are overly rigid, constrained, or defensive. I once had to draw up a chart for a man with Saturn in the 11th house. The 11th house governs group situations, and this man felt very constrained in such settings; he was afraid to speak up. He had something to say but sat in the corner, afraid to take the stage. When transiting Uranus conjoined his natal Saturn, he overcame his complex and became confident in any audience. We, too, can use these transits constructively to introduce new behavioral patterns into old situations. If in the past we were the type to say “No” in such cases, now we will say “Yes.” If we usually said “Yes,” now we may try saying “No.” Of course, when Uranus is active, it is not always easy to predict what we will actually say.

As transiting Uranus approaches natal Saturn, we often find ourselves in confrontation with an authority figure—a father, mother, older brother, boss at work, or government official. We defend a viewpoint fundamentally different from theirs. Moreover, we find it difficult to keep our opinions to ourselves and impossible to watch as things are done that we do not approve of. Yet, outright confrontation is not always the wisest solution. We will face equally strong resistance. The struggle between Uranus and Cronos (Saturn), as we know, led to the birth of Venus (Aphrodite). During tense Uranus transits, we must likely seek ways to assert our own policies without threatening others or placing them in difficult positions. Undoubtedly, our ability to present our ideas with tact and diplomacy will prove favorable. If diplomacy fails, we may resort to ultimatums, as under such transits we are unlikely to compromise on principles.

Uranus — Uranus
When considering aspects of Uranus to itself, we cannot overlook what is called the “Uranus Cycle.” Uranus takes 84 years to complete its orbit and return to its natal position. Throughout this period, Uranus forms various aspects to its natal state. The Uranus cycle symbolizes developmental patterns that all people experience at certain stages of life. Gail Sheehy, in her book *Passages*, called this “predictable crises of adult life.” We will examine all aspects, from the sextile to the conjunction, and see what crises are associated with them. In all cases, the areas of life first affected relate to the house where Uranus is placed in the natal chart, the house where transiting Uranus is located, and the house with Aquarius on its cusp.Our bodies may be capable of performing all the functions of an adult, yet no one takes us seriously or believes we can play a productive role in society. The liberating effect of a transiting Uranus is that we can now work through negative patterns from childhood. In our youth, the problems of early childhood return in a new cycle. If, for example, we felt intense insecurity in childhood, these fears resurface in adolescence as we enter an unfamiliar world, relying on our own strength. But now, being older, we are able to examine ourselves and overcome the negative complexes that plagued us since childhood. As adults, we trust in our abilities, which our parents—consciously or not—undermined during early childhood.

A transiting Uranus makes a sextile to natal Uranus around the age of 70. Gail Sheehy calls this period the “reflective seventies.” According to her research, all happy and healthy seventy-year-olds share two traits, which, by the way, reflect the positive use of the Uranus transit:

1. They can work independently on something that is also socially significant;
2. They continue to plan for the future, at least five years ahead.

The first condition is Uranian, as it involves belonging to a certain social stratum while remaining autonomous and able to devote oneself to a special pursuit. The second condition aligns with Uranian foresight and the discovery of new possibilities. Even at 70, we are still capable of change. Old age is a time when we can do what we want to do, not what others think we should do. We spent most of our lives achieving external goals, but now we can pause and focus on inner tasks. Now we can calmly reflect on what we have done—both well and poorly—reassessing the importance of certain foundations in our life philosophy. Our obligations to the external world become less self-sufficient; we can now see what is truly meaningful to us personally. What are our individual needs and aspirations? What is the meaning of our existence? What exactly do we want to accomplish with the time we have left?

A transiting Uranus in sextile to its natal position gives even a seventy-year-old the opportunity to clear away the old and make space for the new.

A transiting Uranus in square to natal Uranus
This aspect occurs twice in life: first around the mid-twenties and then again around sixty. In full accord with the nature of Uranus and the nature of the square, these periods bring profound changes to our values and orientation. While the first sextile of Uranus to its natal position marks the beginning of youth, the first square marks the end of youth and the beginning of adult life.

Around the age of 14, we feel the need for independence, though we are hardly capable of truly starting an independent life. We may clash with our parents in asserting our autonomy, but we almost certainly remain living with them. When a transiting Uranus forms a square to natal Uranus, we gain the strength to move further along the path of independence. The most common manifestation of the square, which Sheehy calls “uprooting,” is leaving the parental home. The intention to define oneself and separate from the family, which arose in adolescence, becomes particularly strong and persistent, even if we are not overly rebellious—serious changes still occur. Never before have we so strongly sought to find our place among peers, to identify ourselves in sexual terms, or to do everything independently, regardless of authority. We are drawn to groups whose aspirations differ radically from what our parents preach.

The second Uranus square is also about separation, but this time we detach what is significant in our lives from what is secondary and unnecessary. Now is the time to focus on a few essential things.

A transiting Uranus in opposition to natal Uranus
A transiting Uranus comes into opposition to its natal position between the ages of 38 and 45. Saturn also opposes its natal position around 42. In some cases, around the same time, Neptune and Pluto form a square to their natal positions. It is no wonder that the period from 38 to 45 is considered one of the most important turning points in a person’s life. This phase of life has been dubbed the “midlife crisis,” and it has inspired countless films, plays, academic psychology textbooks, and astrological writings.

The essence of this crisis is that we dismantle ourselves brick by brick and then reassemble, but in a new way. All aspects of our nature that were ignored or suppressed must now be examined and acknowledged. Resolving the crisis increases the likelihood that the second half of life will be successful. Those who avoid self-critical analysis of their lives risk encountering major problems later on. The issues do not disappear; they wait, ready to overwhelm us at the most unexpected moment. But dealing with them at 50 or 60 will be much harder than at 42.

Even if we have managed to live out our ideals, we now ask, “What’s next?” The happiness and satisfaction that once seemed permanent begin to fade before our eyes. We need to rethink and change throughout our lives. We are drawn to try something new, to test ourselves in a new field. Our youth is behind us; our physical condition is no longer what it was at 21. Regardless of how close we have come to our dreams, a sense of loss and dissatisfaction begins to take hold. We are forced to seek something that will fill the void. Perhaps a new partner will lift us out of this oppressive anxiety? Perhaps working harder or focusing more on household tasks will keep us too busy to feel this emptiness? Maybe running three extra miles in the morning will help somehow? All these tricks may offer temporary relief, but if we are trying to escape our problems now, they will return later, pressing even harder.

If we do not make the necessary reforms, we create psychic tension, and the only way to release it is through a creative approach to the crisis. As with any transformation, the first step is to say goodbye to the familiar version of our “self” that must pass away. The second step is to examine the aspects of our personality that have been closed off to us. All hidden parts of the psyche must be integrated into a whole. From now on, we must present ourselves unedited: both the good and the bad must exist in our personality on equal terms.

During the midlife crisis, the parts of the personality that were previously ignored get a chance to emerge. For example, if the first half of life was spent focused on material concerns—ensuring a comfortable existence—the midlife crisis will open up values of a spiritual or esoteric nature. Conversely, if youth was spent in meditation, seeking nirvana or spiritual enlightenment, during the opposition of transiting Uranus to natal Uranus, you may suddenly feel drawn to earning money and achieving tangible results in practical activities.

The personality changes during the midlife crisis are often related to what psychology calls “cross-sexual” issues. This means that men discover qualities traditionally associated with the feminine sphere, while women turn their attention to areas usually occupied by men. Men who devoted the first half of life to achieving success in the external world may begin to question the values of that direction, spending more time with family and focusing on raising children. A man may develop an inner sphere that was previously closed to him. However, turning to family is not always a natural solution to the situation.

Sometimes he finds a side passion and immersion in it is a response to increased needs of the inner sphere. During the midlife crisis, men’s attention may be drawn to various creative manifestations. He may conclude that his work does not allow him to fully self-actualize. He may revise his daily routine and devote more time to creative self-expression.

In women, we sometimes see a shift of focus from a partner and children to self-realization in the social sphere. Women seek recognition in the outside world. Their children have grown up and no longer need her care. What should she do with herself? Perhaps it is time to take decisive steps and try herself in a new field.

Transiting Uranus through the houses of the horoscope

1st house

When transiting Uranus crosses the Ascendant and enters the first house, it is like being reborn. Our approach to all life’s problems changes; sometimes our appearance, demeanor, and style of dress change as well. Uranus also helps us fully realize the qualities of the sign occupying our first house. New, previously untried opportunities related to the Ascendant sign open up. For example, a person with an Ascendant in Sagittarius, who has spent much time traveling, may turn to literature or philosophy. Regardless of the Ascendant sign, under the influence of Uranus we become easily excitable, restless, and impatient. We jump out of bed in the middle of the night, illuminated by amazing insights; ideas swirl in our minds, energetic surges pass through us, and we cannot stop. External and internal stimuli do not give us rest.

Uranus gives us the ability to look at familiar life circumstances anew, to feel the unexplored abilities of our body, and to free ourselves from cultural and social restrictions. This transit often coincides in time with unexpected events that sharply change the direction and purpose of our existence: leaving parents, losing a loved one, marriage, the birth of children, a new job, or moving to another city.

2nd house

The most common effect of this transit is a change in the financial situation and our attitude toward money and the material world as a whole. Our value criteria change—we put new price tags on old things. Often, a large sum of money suddenly comes our way, or we suffer losses. Usually, despite our attempts to maintain the financial status quo, external circumstances force us to experiment with money, seek new sources of income, and abandon what has been tested by time. Many people under the influence of this transit strive for financial independence. They start their own business, quit jobs where they cannot directly influence their income. If in previous years we were not particularly interested in the issue of material security, now we are forced to address it closely. Conversely, if earning money was the most important thing for us, now our focus shifts to other matters.

The transit of Uranus through the second house does not favor a cautious approach to available resources and means. There is a risk of extravagant and unjustified spending of vital energy and material resources.

3rd house

Everything we learn during this period strongly influences us. A lecture we heard, a book we read, or even a simple conversation with a friend can radically change the course of our thoughts and create a new center of gravity in our consciousness. Our receptivity to new ideas and the general mood circulating around us sharply increases. The mind constantly generates bold ideas; one insight follows another. Usually, the projects that come to mind are far from reality and far ahead of their time. Uranus allows us to see glimpses of the future in this.

When we try to explain our concepts to friends, parents, or teachers, we most often encounter incomprehension; sometimes our ideas shock those around us.

When transiting Uranus passes through the third house, changes in our life may come through siblings and close relatives. A new project or study they are involved in may captivate us as well. However, there may also be quarrels, breakups, and partings. Some flexibility or willingness to compromise may be required. If we have strongly identified with a sibling, sister, or close relative, the development of our worldview may require breaking away from them to reveal our own individuality.

The transit of Uranus through the 3rd house indicates a time when our mind or thinking becomes more powerful than usual and may be strongly influenced both by our own “self” and by other people. During this period, we can constructively use our mental abilities and imagination, forming positive images.

4th house

The passage of Uranus through the IC can feel like an outburst of energy from the depths of our being. All the foundations of our personality are shaken, and radical changes occur in our life. This is not a time to compromise or suppress our desires. On the contrary, we must make room for the manifestation of hidden aspirations. Usually during such periods, a person begins to act driven solely by their feelings. All hidden desires burst outward. Those who refuse to acknowledge their desires and give them the right to manifest risk, sooner or later, experiencing the destructive power of Uranus.

Since the fourth house governs all aspects of the home, this transit may involve repairs or remodeling of an apartment, rearranging furniture, replacing outdated equipment, windows, doors, or wiring. Very often, Uranus prompts the purchase of electronics, a computer, a food processor, and so on.

At this time, external circumstances may even force us to change our place of residence. In any case, we feel instability in the home. A transit of Uranus through the 4th house generally has a strong impact on our relationship with our mother. We become able to separate ourselves from her and at the same time see her more clearly. However, under tense transits of the hard planets to the Moon, problems with the mother are unavoidable. If our individuality is too tied to the maternal, we may rebel at this point to assert our individuality more clearly. A transit of transiting Uranus through the 4th house may also describe a time when our mother undergoes changes in her own life.

The Fourth House also governs fundamental psychological attitudes rooted in family traditions and strongly influences our behavior. When Uranus transits the 4th house, all unconscious patterns of our existence become conscious.

5th House
When Uranus enters the 5th house, we are given the chance for fuller self-expression. The main task of the 5th house is to actualize that part of our essence that most fully reflects our unique individuality. Uranus intensifies all processes in the 5th house, compelling us to experiment with our image. If we hold back and are overly cautious, we lose the opportunity to learn more about who we are and what we are capable of. This transit fills our lives with enthusiasm. We develop new interests. We feel constant impulses that disturb us and push us to seek new forms of entertainment. However, if we become too absorbed, we must exercise caution: If we spend the entire night playing computer games or reading an interesting book on astrology, what about the job we need to go to in the morning?

Moreover, not all interests during this period are harmless. It is quite possible that your interest will turn to fast driving or high-stakes gambling. Those of us who are usually involved in an artistic environment may experience significant positive changes, breakthroughs to new achievements in this field. Or we may awaken creative potential that has never been realized before. If we are bored with the forms of creative expression tied to our daily lives, we may feel the urge to experiment with different new techniques and means of actualizing our inner potential. Some of these attempts may fail completely, while others may open up prospects for self-realization we never dreamed of. And we will never know unless we try.

Uranus will open a romantic umbrella over the 5th house. If we have lost existing connections or are dissatisfied with them, Uranus will bring these feelings to the surface. At the very least, we will find a way to breathe new life into old relationships, shake up familiar patterns of perception, and feel something that follows. We may meet someone who allows us to once again experience the fullness of emotional and sexual life or who enables us to feel what we have never felt before, opening a new chapter in our lives.

Yet this Uranus transit can also bring unpleasant things. For example, our new romantic relationships may become a subject of public discussion or even condemnation. Or it may push us to change our usual course, only to leave us feeling lost once the goal is achieved. We may become interested in someone who is very different from those we have been involved with before, or something new, unusual, or even unpleasant may arise in our relationships with ourselves.

During Uranus transits, we may suddenly find ourselves acting in ways that do not align with our usual value system or the behavioral patterns we followed in the past. We may surprise not only others but also ourselves.

The Fifth House—the house of creative self-expression—also describes our children and our relationships with them. When Uranus transits the 5th house, our lives can change dramatically because we may become parents for the first time. (This can sometimes happen unexpectedly. Sometimes it can even be difficult to accept, as we may not have planned to have children at this time.) Existing relationships between us and our children may change in certain ways. A child may leave home, rebel against the usual order, or enter a phase of confrontation. Uranus may demand that we change the behavioral patterns we are accustomed to with our children. They may become more independent or find their own path. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between granting greater autonomy and maintaining necessary boundaries while staying close to the child.

6th House
As Uranus moves through this house, changes or resolutions may occur in the realm of work or health. If the work we currently do is boring to us or does not allow us to express ourselves sufficiently, Uranus can bring radical changes to these circumstances. This does not necessarily mean a drastic change of workplace or profession. We may gain a new perspective on how we live, how we work, and how we earn a living. We may propose new projects, take initiative, change familiar routines, or transfer to another department or division within the same organization. If such innovations are not possible, it is a favorable time to look for something else. At the very least, Uranus’s movement through the 6th house is associated with the opening of new opportunities that attract us and seem interesting and unusual. This is a good time to undergo some training or education that will update our professional skills and knowledge.

Uranus transits bring adventurous ideas and a desire for experimentation, though this can lead to losing our old job before we find a replacement or acquire new skills for a new position. We may get a job that is somewhat unusual, “of a Uranian nature,” related, for example, to science, new technologies, or computers. Some may find work that involves close interaction with others, requiring cooperation. Perhaps this will be a job that allows us greater freedom in expressing our own style and creative nature.

A Uranus transit through the 6th house can lead to us changing jobs: we may be fired, laid off, or the company that employed us may go bankrupt. Perhaps this will simply be a circumstance that allows hidden goals to manifest under these conditions. If we found our work boring and uninteresting but did not dare to do anything to change the situation, then this external intervention (though it may bruise our ego) will ultimately prove beneficial and push us toward necessary changes. If we were too attached to our work or even identified with it and, as a result, ignored other areas of our lives, being fired or retiring will help restore this imbalance. On the other hand, a sufficiently long period of unemployment may allow us to reassess our life priorities and understand whether work—and what kind of work—is valuable to us.

A Uranus transit through the 6th house has a serious impact on our health and our attitude toward our body. It stimulates experimentation with diets and the search for new healing systems. It is not unlikely that some will develop an interest in healing or alternative medicine. Since this house describes the connection between the body and the psyche, emotional problems and psychological distress that manifest as illness and ailments mean that our health will be linked to our feelings and mental state. If we fall ill during this period, it means we need to change our lifestyle and reconsider guiding ideas.

7th House
As Uranus enters the 7th house, it marks a period of renewal in relationships. This is a good time to bring something new into your relationship with a loved one; to dare to do what you have never done before. If we were too strongly attached to someone, during this period we may separate ourselves from that person and realize who we are on our own. Whether we maintain close relationships or not, we may meet a new person who is unusual in some way and has a stimulating effect on us. This person will introduce us to new ideas, new values, and a new worldview. The new connection may have a sexual character, though Uranus usually facilitates the meeting of two minds and enables fruitful intellectual interaction. Physical attraction may be present, but circumstances usually prevent the relationship from developing at this level.

Many astrologers believe that when Uranus enters the 7th house, it destroys relationships. This is not necessarily the case.Uranus simply demands a review of existing connections and offers opportunities for their renewal and improvement. However, if our partnership is held together by a sense of duty, fear of the unknown, or economic calculation, then in the form of Uranus we will encounter the fiercest enemy of our relationships. In such cases, it will inevitably attempt to undermine the status quo.

The Descendant is usually associated with the hidden part of our nature. We most often identify with the Ascendant, while the qualities of the Descendant we seek in others. The partner we attract typically possesses the qualities of the sign occupying our 7th house. However, when Uranus enters the 7th house, we may discover the qualities of the Descendant within ourselves. Uranus awakens the hidden part of our being.

8th house
The desire to achieve the closest possible interaction with another person is one of our fundamental needs. In childhood, our lives depend on the love and attention of another person. Later, as adults, we are usually capable of living independently, yet we still seek love and partnership. The 7th house quite fully describes everything related to partnership. But the 8th house goes a step further and describes our behavior in intimate situations—what happens behind closed doors. The 8th house shows the nature of the energetic exchange between ourselves and another person: what we give and what we receive in return. This may involve money and material values, but it may also include various kinds of emotions and feelings that circulate with the person to whom we are closely connected.

When Uranus enters the 8th house, drastic changes in this sphere are inevitable. The financial situation of our partner may undergo serious transformation. His or her business may suddenly collapse. He or she may face redundancy. Of course, a sudden rise in affairs is also possible, when our partner unexpectedly becomes wealthy. This transit may also indicate the beginning of a new business partnership or a change in existing business relationships.

Money and material values, however, are not the only things that people can share. Once, a woman came to see me when Uranus was transiting her 8th house. During this period, her husband—a stage actor—found himself out of work and spent far more time at home than usual. He became nervous, restless, and impossible to reason with—qualities she had never suspected in him. The transit of Uranus through her 8th house reflected the changes in her husband’s state and brought to light problems that tested the strength of their relationship.

The 8th house is that area of our birth chart in which we learn most fully to merge with another personality—when our “I” dies and “We” is born. The sexual act is the physical expression of the merging of two human beings. When Uranus transits the 8th house, we are given the opportunity to open ourselves most fully to others. For example, if we have had sexual problems, Uranus will help resolve them and cast off the shackles of prejudice. Married people may breathe new life into their sexual relationship. Whatever the situation, we may meet someone who will expand our sexual experience.

As is well known, the 8th house is directly related to death. When Uranus transits the 8th house, our attention is drawn to the tragic brevity of life, for instance, as a result of the death of someone close. We become fully aware of our own mortality and may develop a new attitude toward our values. We may also be drawn to the study of the philosophy of karma and reincarnation in order to understand the hidden laws and forces that govern life.

Bearing in mind Uranus’s eccentricity, it is necessary to be vigilant and not allow it to cross certain boundaries.

9th house In the 9th house we look for the meaning of life and the values on which we can rely when making daily choices. When Uranus transits this house, our views on life, religious beliefs and philosophy can change radically. A deeply devoted Christian may question some of the fundamental doctrines of his religion, experiencing a crisis of faith for the first time in his life, which may manifest as a Uranian protest against the authority of the Church. On the other hand, a staunch atheist may discover God, experience unexpected mystical revelations and insights. In any case, our belief system comes under pressure from new ideas that can seriously alter existing convictions and worldview. This can happen suddenly: in the middle of the night we may wake up from a strange dream or vision; we may be influenced by a book we happened to read, a lecture we heard somewhere, or a conversation with a friend that can bring revolutionary changes to our thinking, consciousness and faith. An unexpected event or encounter with an unusual person can shake our beliefs, sweep us up in a whirlwind of new ideas, and although we will no longer be able to see the world as before, we may (as Blake says) “see the world in a grain of sand.” Changes in life philosophy are unlikely to come easily. When our belief system changes, so does our value system. And when the value system changes, so does the nature of our life choices and the entire system of how we build our lives. Therefore, a Uranus transit through the 9th house can lead to radical changes in all of life. Higher education is the highest expression of the 9th house and it will also be affected. I have met many clients who changed the direction of their studies during such a transit: some abandoned the sciences and began to pursue art or switched from natural sciences to the humanities, while others did the opposite and began to study the exact sciences, abandoning art. Under the influence of a Uranian transit, we may study in a non-traditional way. We may protest against the educational system and various disciplinary aspects. There may also be a struggle to reform the education system as a whole. Another thing governed by the 9th house is travel. Amazing adventures await us in trips when Uranus enters the 9th house. We may buy a week-long tour to a distant country and decide to stay there to live. Our travel plans may suddenly be disrupted. We may set off for one place and end up in another. In any case, we return from the trip a completely different person.

10th house While Uranus was moving through the 9th house, our views and life philosophy were changing. The fruits of these changes become apparent when Uranus enters the 10th house. A new worldview requires us to change our social roles. New values are sometimes incompatible with our old job. An inner voice persistently calls us to try ourselves in a new field that better matches our true interests. Some will start their own business at this time. Others will rush into risky and unusual ventures. Someone may unexpectedly receive an invitation to take on a new position. In general, if a client with Uranus transiting the 10th house tells me about their desire to change jobs, I will not argue with them or discourage them. However, it is worth considering some compromises. For example, within the framework of the current job, you can free up some space for a new interest. You can talk to your boss about changing your work schedule, in particular, to give you more freedom. If we do not realize the need for change, these changes will fall upon us and force us to find a new job. The reason may be major social upheavals when entire industries find themselves in a critical situation. Sometimes a person with Uranus in the 10th house may themselves become an agent of revolutionary change in society. Through them, Uranian energies can initiate radical changes in society. Wherever Uranus is located, a person seeks to reject traditional restrictions. In the 10th house, this manifests as a need to destroy social restrictions, challenge traditional values and class prejudices. Relationships with parents are another thing that comes under pressure from Uranus when it transits the 10th house. At this time, there is a high probability that we will rebel against the dominance of one or both parents. If we have not yet dared to voice our own views in their presence, Uranus now provokes us to a sharp confrontation. In any case, we will look at our relationship with our parents in a new way and may discover a new way of fruitful interaction with them. Serious changes can also occur in the lives of our parents, which will indirectly affect us.

11th house Our aspirations, ideals and expectations regarding belonging to any social group or contributing to the development of society undergo profound changes during the period when Uranus transits the 11th house. We may discover new organizations or groups that have not previously interested us. We may join such groups, actively participate in humanitarian programs or radical political movements. We may face troubles and conflicts if these groups take an extremist position. Very often, the initial enthusiasm for encountering a new approach to life, an unusual train of thought, fades after a month or two, and we are overcome by dissatisfaction and disappointment. And the members of the group, in turn, begin to accuse us of eccentricity and anarchism. It is quite likely that during this period profound changes will occur in the sphere of friendly relationships. We will make new friends, and contacts with old ones will cease. The birth of children is another 11th house element that may manifest during the period when Uranus transits this house. If we already have grown children, the transit may be related to their achievements or our hopes for their special life path.

12th house For example, if you have a subconscious fear of being rejected, then during the Uranus transit of your 12th house you will somehow attract situations that force you to pay close attention to this fear, experience it in its most unvarnished form and learn this lesson. In short, Uranus, throughout its transit through the 12th house, changes us, revealing everything that is hidden and stored in the depths of our soul. Much of what we discover about ourselves may be frightening and unpleasant, but this transit can also open access to positive and winning contents of our psyche. The unconscious, as represented by the 12th house, is not just a storehouse of negative patterns and past feelings; it is also a reservoir of positive potential that we need to develop. The time of Uranus’s passage through the 12th house is favorable for in-depth psychological research; we need to “dive” into this watery house, either through psychotherapy or any other method. In this case, we will cooperate with Uranus in its efforts to unlock our psychic potential, which was previously inaccessible to our consciousness. During this transit, people and circumstances from our past unexpectedly re-enter our lives, giving us the opportunity to complete unfinished relationships. They may literally appear on our doorstep or come to us in our dreams and fantasies. In any case, our past will return to greet or frighten us. A meeting with the past can be healing and a purifying process that prepares our rebirth as Uranus approaches the Ascendant of the natal chart. When Uranus transits the 12th house, the boundaries between us and other people dissolve. This can manifest as a series of psychic insights and revelations. This is a time when we are extremely sensitive to the thoughts and experiences of those around us. Our friend may be a thousand miles away from us, but somehow we know exactly that they are going through something. Or we think of a person and they suddenly call us or knock on our door the very next day. Some of our insights may be very sharp and disturbing; other insights may be positive and encouraging.

It is difficult to say to what extent one can trust these insights, although sometimes the transit aspects of Uranus to other planets in the natal chart can provide valuable guidance in this regard. This is a time when we are extremely sensitively attuned to processes of a global nature, picking up on the slightest changes in the world’s political atmosphere, any shifts in collective mentality. The 12th house is, in one way or another, connected to public institutions and establishments, particularly hospitals, prisons, museums, and charitable organizations. If we are linked to such institutions, during a Uranus transit we may experience a sense of dissatisfaction and a drive to implement radical reforms. Most people who have experienced a Uranus transit to the 12th house describe their feelings as follows: groundless anxiety, a desire to change everything but an inability to identify which link to pull, difficulties getting started. Changes are brewing, but they are unlikely to begin until Uranus crosses the Ascendant…

Howard Sasportas

The Masters of Fate (A Mythological Approach to Resolving Basic Crises in the Life of a Modern Person)

Introduction Part 1. Cooperating with the Inevitable Chapter I In Search of Meaning The Core of a Person and the Birth Chart The Layout of Seed Growth How to Find Meaning in Transits and Progressions Chapter II Falling to Break Through The Theory of Dissipative Structures Chapter III Interpreting Transits: Practical Instructions The Question of Orbs Retrograde Nature of the Transit Aspect Incorporating Natal Aspects Transits to Midpoints and to Progressive Planets Transits and Houses Part II. Transits of Uranus Chapter IV Uranian Crises Uranus in Mythology The Saturn-Uranus Dilemma The Birth of Venus Freedom of Choice or Compulsion Uranus and Prometheus Higher Mind Chapter V Transits of Uranus through Planets and Houses Uranus-Sun Uranus-Moon Uranus-Mercury Uranus-Venus Uranus-Mars/Uranus-Jupiter Uranus-Saturn Uranus-Uranus Transiting Uranus in Sextile to Natal Uranus Transiting Uranus in Square to Natal Uranus Transiting Uranus in Opposition to Natal Uranus Transiting Uranus in the Houses of the Horoscope 1st house 2nd house 3rd house 4th house 5th house 6th house 7th house 8th house 9th house 10th house 11th house 12th house

Introduction “Your pain is just the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding of reality” Kahlil Gibran

Life is not always easy. It is impossible to live fully without experiencing pain, without going through crises and profound transformations. Of course, it is impossible to avoid this, but we do not always remember that pain and crises play a very important role in our development and evolution. While some people feel exhausted and crushed after severe trials, others emerge from ordeals renewed and transformed, truly more alive. They “return” to life with a new understanding of things they once neglected, with a sense of the importance of what we might call the “sacred,” with an enriched perception of the lives of those around them. The ancient Chinese used a wise word to denote crisis—wei-chi. It is a combination of two words: danger (wei) and opportunity (chi). A crisis can be seen as a catastrophe, as something terrible to be avoided at all costs, but it can also be regarded as a turning point, an important stage in development—as an opportunity for new life, an opportunity to change and become someone else. It is human to want to avoid painful situations, to want everything to remain as it was before the crisis. Yet there is still the possibility of using the time of crisis for growth and development, for a new understanding of oneself and the life around us. Something must die, but something new is also born. Nothing remains unchanged: the old is destroyed to make way for the new. Therefore, the question is not “How can we avoid crisis, pain, and change?” but rather “How can we use periods of crisis most creatively?” Roberto Assagioli, the founder of psychosynthesis, called this “collaboration with the inevitable.” To live a full life means to experience and accept both its dark sides and its light ones, both joy and pain. Inevitably, there comes a time of fractures, destruction, and change, but nothing can force us to stop seeking paths of improvement, nothing can make us refuse the lessons that the time of trials brings.

I am often asked, “What makes people turn to astrologers?” Some of my clients are simply very curious—one of their friends visited an astrologer, had their chart interpreted, and now, after hearing the friend’s account of the astrological interpretation, this person became interested in what an astrologer could tell them. Others hope that astrology can reveal their potential and hidden resources. Yet my experience shows that most people turn to an astrologer because they are experiencing a state of crisis. They pick up the phone and call an astrologer because they need to understand what is happening to them; usually, they no longer feel in control, everything is slipping out of their hands, the usual ways of solving problems no longer work, and they begin to feel lost. They experience turmoil in family life, face serious problems at work, are unable to establish contact with their children, cannot communicate with their parents; they fall ill with a serious disease or lose a loved one; they sink into depression and lose the will to live.

Some people come to me thinking that I can magically solve all their problems in a short time. There are, however, clients who view my role more realistically; they see me as someone who can help them find meaning in what is happening to them. In most cases, periods of depression, stress, and abrupt changes coincide in time with transits of Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, or progressions affecting these planets. Each of these planets brings its own specific problem, its own particular form of trial. The conflict associated with Saturn is different from the conflict related to Uranus; the confusion caused by Neptune has little in common with the pressure exerted by Pluto, which reminds us of the saying that “life is like a stone—it either knocks us down or polishes us.” Sometimes two, three, or even four planets simultaneously affect several important points of the natal chart, as if the cosmos has decided to “seriously confront” a person. Yet no matter what kind of conflicts, traumas, and dilemmas these planets bring, one thing is always observed: they do not want to leave us in the state in which they first found us.

Dane Rudhyar once wrote that “it is not an event that happens to a person, but a person who happens to an event.” A person encounters certain events because they need them in order to become who they are potentially. It is clear, therefore, that our attitude toward crises will influence how we go through such periods: if we consider a crisis something terrible and our main goal is to turn back the clock and get rid of the crisis as quickly as possible, it is very likely that we will remain in the crisis situation for a longer period. However, if we believe, like the ancient Chinese, that a crisis is an opportunity for renewal, we increase our ability to use these periods constructively. There are people who are luckier: in the midst of a crisis, they can see the rational kernel in everything that is happening to them. They can view the crisis from the perspective of their growth and development, and this understanding helps them navigate through the problems. For others, it takes longer. They need more time to begin to realize the meaning of the misfortunes that befall them and the renewal opportunities that this situation offers. Unfortunately, there are also people who never emerge from a crisis—they continue to focus not on the future but on the past, clinging to the old, striving to make life as it was before the crisis, and missing the chance to start a new life. Our attitude toward these phases of the life process affects not only how we go through such periods but also how we, as astrologers, interact with our clients. If we tend to see only the negative in crisis periods, how can we help other people find meaning in the difficulties they are experiencing? If we have a tendency to avoid conflicts, trials, and pain by any means, we are likely to directly or indirectly encourage our clients to do the same. We will try to resolve all problems and “save” people as quickly as possible, not realizing that by doing so we deprive them of the strength or chance to transform that the crisis provides.

The goal of this book is to analyze all types of crises associated with the transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and to show the growth and transformation opportunities they offer. Where possible, I have included examples from my own astrological practice, and in the final chapter I analyze three cases in detail. This book can be used as a guide to interpreting the transits of the outer planets, but I hope it will also enable the reader to gain a deeper understanding of how to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

Howard Sasportas, London, 1988

Part 1. Collaboration with the Inevitable

Chapter I

In Search of Meaning

“Woe to him who sees no meaning in his life, no goal to strive for. He will soon lose himself.”

Viktor Frankl

C.G. Jung once wrote: “If we see meaning, we can endure almost anything, almost everything.” The presence of meaning helps us endure life’s challenges. We can cope with pain and crisis if we find some value or purpose in what happens to us. Few examples illustrate this better than Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. In this work, Frankl describes the years from 1943 to 1945, when he was imprisoned in a fascist concentration camp. This period marked a turning point in Western self-awareness, challenging all our concepts of morality, good and evil, and the very existence of a benevolent God. Based on his experience, Frankl concluded that (setting aside pure chance) prisoners who could find some meaning in their ordeals had a much greater chance of survival. Some found meaning in the belief that God was with them, while others had a more concrete personal motive to stay alive: “I must survive to see my family again.” Frankl himself endured all the horrors of the concentration camp because he was determined to tell others about his experiences. He describes a day when he felt he could no longer bear it—the wind was too cold, he was sick and hungry, and he had to walk many miles with injured feet. He wanted to die. But suddenly, a vision appeared before him: he saw himself standing on the stage of a comfortable lecture hall, facing an attentive audience that had come to hear his lecture on the psychology of concentration camp prisoners. This vision helped him survive; it gave meaning and purpose to what he had to endure. He had to survive to tell the world about the horrors that took place in the camp. At that moment, Frankl realized something he never forgot, which later became the philosophical foundation of his own form of therapy (logotherapy): “A prisoner who had lost faith in the future—his future—was doomed. With the loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay… He simply gave up.” Nietzsche wrote: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” As Frankl discovered through his terrible experience, if we can find some meaning in a difficult trial—if we are at least open to the possibility of finding meaning—we can mobilize the resources to face the crisis head-on.

Core of the Human Being and the Birth Chart

One way to find meaning in life, I believe, is through the conviction that we all have a deep core that guides and regulates our growth and development. Just as an apple seed knows it is destined to grow into an apple tree and not a pear, a part of our being knows who we are meant to become and what path we must take to fulfill that destiny. Concepts such as “individuation” and “self-realization” describe the process of becoming what we are meant to be. In What We May Be, Piero Ferrucci describes his view of human development according to certain inner attitudes: “Clearly, each thing has its own path of development, inherent in its nature: it becomes what it is meant to be. Aristotle called the completion of this process entelechy—the full and complete realization of what was in a state of potential.” Whether this is revealed when a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, when a ripe fruit falls from a tree, or when an acorn grows into an oak, each of these processes clearly demonstrates the harmony and plan of the Creator: according to the doctrine of Dharma in Eastern philosophy, each of us is called to achieve a particular life purpose… each of us must strive to uncover that purpose and contribute to its realization.”

This is where the birth chart can be particularly useful in revealing the nature of our seed: it informs us about what our deep “Self” has prepared for us. The birth chart tells us something about what kind of seed we are—or, as Liz Greene says, who we are: a lentil, an avocado, or a Brussels sprout. Astrological consultant Christina Rose compares studying the birth chart to examining the picture on a seed packet. You can see from the picture what will grow from the seed and what it will become. In the introduction to Planetary Transits, Rob Hand makes a similar observation: “I am absolutely convinced—though I cannot prove it here—that within each of us there is a creative core that actively shapes the universe, either by recreating every part from nothing or by agreeing in advance, even before our physical incarnation, to play a certain role according to certain rules.” In this case, the horoscope becomes an indicator of your intentions rather than a schedule of everything that will happen to you. Thus, character is destiny.”

The idea that there is a deep “Self” guiding our development is something we encounter in Liz Greene’s work, though she preferred to call it something else: “My experience working with astrological clients leads me to conclude that there is something—it doesn’t matter what we call it: fate, Providence, the law of nature, karma, or the unconscious—that always reacts strongly when its area of competence is violated or when it does not see a person showing respect and a willingness to cooperate. It seems to have ‘absolute knowledge’ of what this individual needs and even what may soon be required for further development… I do not claim to know what this ‘something’ actually is, but I am inclined to call it fate.”

The Growth Schedule of the Seed

The birth chart is a frozen moment in time—a snapshot of the celestial sphere as it appears at the moment and place of birth. But the planets do not stop moving after a person is born: they continue their journey, and a time comes when they return to the positions they occupied at birth, or they pass through the positions of other planets, or they form aspects to them. Transits show where the planets are at any given moment in relation to their positions in the natal chart. Another form of temporal analysis of the chart—progressions—symbolically demonstrates how the movement of the planets after birth affects the horoscope. The birth chart shows the kind of seed we are, while transits and progressions tell us the growth schedule of that seed. Has something already ripened? Will a new sprout emerge? Some seeds take weeks to fully mature; others require years. Each of us is in a process of continuous development, and I am convinced that transits and progressions show us what our deep “Self” wants us to do at any given moment. Our core animates different aspects of our soul, different parts of our birth chart, depending on the developmental tasks that arise before us. Transits and progressions reveal to us what the inner “Self” seeks to bring to our attention, what we need to work on. If we want to cooperate with our evolution, we must listen carefully to what is happening within us. Only then will we perceive transits and progressions as signals coming from the very center of our individuality.

However, we cannot deny that transits and progressions often correlate with external events that sometimes strike us out of a clear blue sky. Even so, I remain convinced that these events are synchronous external manifestations of internal changes, or that our inner core may use external events to facilitate the transformations we need to become what we are meant to be.

I just quoted Robert Hand, who believes the birth chart reveals the intentions of our inner creative “Self.” Here is what he writes about transits and progressions:

“Both transits and progressions indicate different phases in the development of the original intention of the inner ‘Self.’ Although I often slip into the language of ‘causality,’ I do not believe the planets cause anything. They are merely signs of the manifestation of the primal intention, which is partly experienced as a will that passes through us. This intention, which you understand…”

Another part of intention is experienced as passing outside of us. You may call this fate, destiny, or circumstances beyond your control. But it also happens to you, and you need to rise to the awareness of it. One of the tasks of astrology is to raise individual consciousness in this way.

If we do not listen, if we ignore the path of development that the core of our personality has chosen for us, we are likely to attract external events that will force us to change or adapt. For example, when transiting Uranus conjuncts our Venus, a time of reevaluation of relationships arrives. If we are attuned to our inner world, we understand this and can do what is necessary. But if we begin to resist and reluctantly accept the Uranian impulse, the transit may manifest as an external event that forces us to change. Our partner may leave, pushing us toward changes in that area of life. In other words, our core will act through events that help us become aware of the development expected of us at a certain time in our lives.

Again, a quote from Hand, describing the connection between the inner psychological meanings of transits and the kinds of external events we attract:

“I am convinced that, in the end, transits signify changes that are taking place within us — psychological changes, but psychological changes in the broadest sense. However, you may experience these inner changes either as psychological changes in the usual sense, in the form of social interactions, or as events that occur entirely in the outer world. The event may also be experienced as an illness. This is how your inner energies can be experienced on different planes of existence. This is something you need to understand well, because if you do not understand how you are involved in the event, it means you are acting unconsciously and therefore will not be in control of the situation.”

Liz Greene, in Astrology of Fate, attributes a supernatural intelligence to what she calls fate and what I relate to the core of the personality:

“It manifests in the creation of circumstances that are particularly remarkable, which bring one person into contact with another or with an external situation at precisely the right moment. All changes are felt equally on the inner and outer planes. This manifests physically and psychically on a personal level and on a collective level; it may wear the mask of Mephistopheles or present itself as God himself… I feel that if we understood these things better, we could help our clients—and ourselves—go much further.”

How to Find Meaning in Transits and Progressions

If an astrologer correctly understands transits and progressions, they give him the opportunity to reveal the essence of the period of life or phase of development the client is experiencing. Studying the chart with these methods clearly shows which parts of the personality are ripe for conscious integration or transformation. The main part of the work of a psychological astrologer is to find ways to bring the client closer to his own Self. By establishing such contact, the consultant can successfully guide the client toward cooperation with the core of his personality, toward living out the plan prepared for him by the inner core.

In Psychosynthesis, a variety of transpersonal psychology developed by the Italian psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli, the next step in personality development is called the task. The task reflects the intention of the inner core at any given moment and is usually directly related to the client’s life problems, to what concerns him most at present.

Analyzing transits and progressions, the astrologer can ask himself the following three questions to clarify what the inner core has planned for the person:

• What may emerge, be born, through the resolution of this problem?
• What archetypal qualities does the client’s inner core seek to bring into consciousness?

What is the next milestone the inner core wants to guide this person toward?

Although the French philosopher Pascal claimed that “a branch cannot know the design of the tree,” Frankl, on the other hand, was more optimistic about this. He believed that we can clarify the intentions of our inner Self. Frankl describes the behavior of monkeys that tasted the polio vaccine that was regularly injected into them. The monkeys had no chance of understanding the meaning of the procedure, but a human being—with a highly organized brain—is capable of understanding why something happens.

With the help of the birth chart and the system of transits and progressions, we can determine the meaning of the experience—whether positive or negative—that we create or attract into our lives. Sometimes it is very easy to understand what our deep core is inclined toward. In other cases, the reasons why the core of our personality guides us through periods of crisis are not always obvious or easily identifiable.

I do not believe that our inner Self arranges trials for us or torments us out of sadistic pleasure. The inner Self cannot operate in this way. Its goal is to anticipate and guide our development toward the full unfolding of individuality. Thus, whatever the inner Self brings into our lives—even if it is trauma, stress, or exhaustion—is related to the process of growth. The inner Self may require us to experience periods of pain and stress to develop qualities in us that would otherwise remain undeveloped. In other words, conflicts, from the perspective of our overall development, can play a creative role.

Similarly, if we have deviated from the path of individual development, a certain dose of negative emotions may be needed to help us reconnect with our true individuality and return us to the path that is meant for us. Pain can be an indicator that we are behaving incorrectly, that we are disrupting the schedule of our development. If, for a certain period of time, we consistently neglect the core needs of our personality, the resulting disharmony manifests as tension, illness, or stress. Whether we listen to these symptoms or not, physical discomfort or other life difficulties are most often attempts by our inner Self to convey to us that somewhere we have strayed from the right path.

Some people live out only part of their birth chart, ignoring other constellations that cause them discomfort. Beata Bishop, a practicing astrologer and psychotherapist, in a lecture for members of the Astrological Association of Great Britain, emphasized the consequences of suppressing certain parts of our being—and accordingly, parts of our birth chart. One of her clients—a woman with Sun in Leo, Moon in Aries, and Ascendant in Pisces—tended to live out only the Neptunian side of her personality, while the problems she encountered related to the expression of her fire signs—Aries, Leo, Sagittarius—the part of her nature that was more extroverted and willful. Following the lines of Pisces rising, she constantly neglected her own interests, helping others, and devoted her entire life to her husband and family. When transiting Uranus in Sagittarius passed through her Midheaven, the neglect of the fire side of her chart manifested in the following symptoms: nightmares, panic attacks, and nervousness.

The conclusion of Beata Bishop should interest everyone who uses astrology as a counseling tool:

“It seems to me that people who do not resemble their charts, who do not live out the main factors of their charts, sooner or later will experience physical symptoms of inner conflict. The woman in my previous example got off relatively easily with her nightmares and daytime panic, but it could have been much worse…”

The physical symptoms of this woman were a way to inform her that she had lost contact with the main part of her true nature. As a result, the pain and discomfort forced her to seek help, as if her inner Self had resorted to these means to make it clear how she should organize her life. It cannot be said that the discomfort was very severe, but it was enough to initiate the process of self-healing.

In the next section we will examine in more detail how stress and crisis serve our transformation, and, in particular, what role Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto play in this process.

Chapter II To Fall in Order to Break Through

God is near, though it is not easy to understand him, But danger arises And protective forces grow Helderin

Whether we attribute this to the workings of fate or to the activity of our inner “self,” transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto test and shatter our concept of who we are so that we may recreate it anew. However, before we discuss the specifics of these planets, we need to come to a common understanding of the term “ego,” and we also need to understand something about how our ego develops in childhood. The “ego” is usually defined as that part of the psyche that feels like individuality; that is, the ego is our sense of “I,” our sense of “I am here and now.” We are not born with a clear sense of “I.” In the womb, we have no awareness of ourselves as separate entities. We think that everything around us is “I”; we think we occupy the entire universe. At birth, we find a body, and in recognizing that we have a body, we also recognize that we have boundaries; my body ends somewhere, and another body begins somewhere else. We call this “the body ego.” Over time, the “mental ego” develops: the sense that we have our own consciousness and our own feelings. People may share our thoughts and feelings, but generally, what we think and feel does not always correspond to what the rest of the world thinks and feels. The “ego” is our sense of separateness from our own body, feelings, and mind. Once established, it continues to expand, including more and more different attributes. We begin to think of ourselves as intelligent, pleasant, and generous individuals or as stupid, worthless, and intolerable people. We develop various needs and goals, some of which we accept and allow into our consciousness, while others evoke fear, and we suppress them, usually because our environment does not approve of them. Thus, we begin to live with the idea that we are the entire world, but gradually, our self-identification narrows and includes only certain qualities and characteristics. Our “ego” is a limited expression of our essence, consisting of those aspects of our nature that we find acceptable. Our self-identification takes the form of a boundary line. Everything on this side of the line we define as “us,” and everything beyond it is “not us.” The most common boundary line is the skin. What is inside my skin is “I,” and what is outside my skin is “not I.” Things beyond the boundary of my skin may belong to me—my car, my house, my family—but they are not me. However, our skin is not the only boundary we create. We also draw boundaries within our skin. Some things and processes that occur within us we accept into our ego, while others we seek to reject. We may accept the part of ourselves that seems pleasant, loving, or creative and reject the destructive, intolerant part. Some do the opposite: they identify with the harsh and cold part of themselves and do not acknowledge the soft and sensitive part. Thus, even within ourselves, we make a distinction between “I” and “not I.” In Jungian psychology, this is called the ego-shadow boundary, or the boundary between what we are aware of in ourselves and what remains unconscious—the boundary between what we show to the outside world and what remains hidden and dark.

From an astrological perspective, the skin and the function of distinguishing between self and other are symbolized by Saturn. In its positive expression, Saturn helps us define who we are, helps us concentrate and stabilize our energy within given structures and forms. Saturn teaches us discipline and responsibility. Saturn also represents the boundary we draw between those aspects of our personality that we allow into our “self” and those to which we deny entry. In this sense, Saturn symbolizes the ego’s desire to structure itself—the ego’s defense system—the mechanism for building and maintaining the status quo of a particular self-identification. This ability of Saturn can also manifest negatively—it can “protect” us from everything new, preserving outdated feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

Anyone familiar with military strategy understands that a boundary line is a potential front line where military action unfolds. As soon as we create boundaries between ourselves and others, or between different parts within us, we create the possibility of conflict between elements on either side of the boundary. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are hostile to any boundaries and, in this sense, are the antipodes of Saturn. As they transit the natal chart, they threaten the stability of our ego because their energies destroy the boundaries constructed by the ego. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto dissolve the boundaries between us and our environment and help us realize our unity with everything that happens in the world, with all of life (this is especially true of Neptune). Even more importantly, they shatter the wall between the conscious and unconscious, hidden parts of ourselves. Thus, we are forced to deal with the contents of our psyche that have been repressed.

Saturn, of course, will try to restore the status quo and return things to their original state, but in the end, Saturn loses. We ourselves will either take the path of change or be forced to do so by Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, but we can no longer live as we did before. We will have to redraw the boundaries of the ego.

The Theory of Dissipative Structures

In 1977, the Nobel Prize was awarded to the Belgian chemist Ilya Prigogine. He developed the theory of dissipative structures, and his work scientifically demonstrated what ancient China knew well: stress and crisis play a significant role in the process of transformation. Prigogine’s findings carried the same meaning as the ancient Chinese expression Wei-Chi: the ups and downs in our lives are opportunities to transition to a new level of existence. Prigogine studied what physics calls “open systems.” An open system is a system engaged in some form of energy exchange with its environment. Cities, towns, institutions, groups of people—all are open structures. A city, for example, is not isolated from the surrounding world: its industry uses raw materials from neighboring regions, and then, in transformed form, this energy returns to those areas. Just as you and I can change through interaction with our environment or under the influence of unconscious contents of our psyche, our conscious ego is also an open system described by Prigogine’s theory.

According to Prigogine’s theory, if fluctuations and disturbances introduced into an open system do not exceed certain limits, the system’s self-regulating ability can maintain its existence and identity. In other words, the system can cope with all disruptions to its normal functioning without collapsing. Similarly, inevitable internal and external disturbances can periodically disrupt the smooth flow of our lives. But if these influences are not too strong, the homeostasis of our ego allows us to adapt easily without significantly altering our way of life. We make minor adjustments, remaining essentially the same as we were before.

However, if the impact on an open system exceeds a certain threshold, it drives the system into a state of “creative chaos.” Everything that was previously meaningful can no longer continue in the same way. Too great a disturbance makes existence in former forms impossible; a crisis arises. If the system is to survive at all, it must transition to another level of existence. Such is the nature of growth and transformation. When our lives flow smoothly, there is no reason for transformation. Only when everything goes wrong, when we suffer, when we are plagued by failures in all important areas of life, do we begin to consider changing our existence. When familiar relationships collapse, a partner dies, a child dies, we lose parents; when the philosophy we believed in fails, when our life is threatened by serious illness, we are forced to transform our lives. It becomes impossible to continue existing as before; we are compelled to reassess our entire life, our relationships, and our motives.

Зв’язок між теорією дисипативних структур та можливими наслідками транзитів Урана, Нептуна та Плутона – очевидна. Як я вже казав, Сатурн асоціюється з формою, кордоном та структурою; а Уран, Нептун і Плутон у цьому значенні є ворогами Сатурна. Вони підривають існуючі структури з тим, щоб щось нове могло статися. З одного боку, Сатурн є гомеостатичним принципом нашого его — прагнення підтримувати “статус-кво”. А Уран, Нептун та