In the name of freedom: Uranus and astrology

In the name of freedom: Uranus and astrology

This week’s Full Moon in Leo may have stirred up some anxiety, as it triggered eclipse energies of the past and future. My energy was somewhat manic, a welcome if unsustainable change from previous weeks. While some of the tension and general over-stimulation can be attributed to the Full Moon and the connection to the eclipses, as with so much of the past year the restless and often heavy-handed planet Uranus was also involved.

Each planet carries a specific energy signature, modified by its placement in the sky as well as interactions with other planets. Whether we know it or not, we feel these energies and events in our lives reflect them. Uranus is a catalyst and accelerator toward unconditional change. It is said to rule breaks of all kinds – break-out, break-down, break-through, break-up – with the purpose, if I can use that word here, of getting us out of our own way of nothing less than absolute authenticity and freedom.

In my life and the lives of people who have worked with me, the actual events range from breaking habits, dishes and bones to the sudden redefinition of an important relationship – including love-at-first-sight meetings. Uranus was entering my house of career when I became an astrologer. It was opposite my Moon when I broke my collarbone, an unpleasant experience, yet one that led directly to completely shifting my physical, mental, and spiritual health through the study of yoga. My experience of injury and healing illustrates well the quality of Uranus as ‘the Great Awakener’.

I knew nothing of astrology when most of these events occurred. If I had, I know without a doubt the perspective would have helped me work more consciously with the feelings, events, and even relationships. One of the consistent themes with my astrology clients is the relief at knowing an experience can be ‘mapped’ in the chart. It’s certainly useful to have some idea of the timing and duration, but more important is often the greater wisdom behind big experiences. Forewarned is forearmed, as the old saying goes. Perhaps if I’d known about the Uranus transit at the time of my first divorce, I would have handled the situation more consciously.

Beyond the personal, too, is the vantage point astrology gives to current events. The Saturn-Uranus square of 2021 correlated with the great tensions around the world we saw as the desire to ‘break out’ (Uranus) of restrictions (Saturn) played out. The knowledge that this portion of the cycle of the two planets has a duration and, again, a purpose can help to keep it in context: we have lived through such periods before and they are part of the messy process of social change.

The energetic forces described through the language of astrology are not deterministic, and we have choice in how to work with them, both personally and collectively. Cooperation, though, requires awareness. To me, this is the great value of astrology – to give words to the energetic cycles of the cosmos, and its interactions with our our innate energetic blueprint so we can co-create our lives.

Want to learn more about the planet Uranus? Check out my workshop on this planet.