Uranus/Pluto and the power behind the revolution

As you may know, the revolutionary fever spreading through the middle east is not isolated to the Arab world.  In Wisconsin, protests against anti-union measures by the governor there have mobilized tens of thousands of government employees and students since February 15th.

These protests are just the beginning of what will become a firestorm of political resistance over the next year as Uranus, planet of revolution, squares off against Pluto, planet of power and control.  They were inspired by the return of Jupiter into Aries and the simultaneously square of Jupiter to Pluto in Capricorn, which mainlined confidence (Jupiter) and courage (Aries) into the souls of individuals who were fed up with the control (Pluto) of autocratic governments (Capricorn).

The face-off between Jupiter and Pluto is just above over now, but when Uranus enters Aries in a few weeks it will take Jupiter’s place in the battle against autocracy, and Uranus is a much stronger player in this game.  Uranus is at the 29th degree of Pisces now, so its influence is already filtering through.

Astrology gives us a window into the real meaning of personal and world events.  It cannot predict specific events, because (in the opinion of this astrologer) events are not predestined.  We make choices as individuals, as communities, as nations, that can alter the course of history.  But astrology does provide us with a climate report that alerts us to the energies with which we will be dealing over the next few years, and they are not pretty.

Political analysts can see the handwriting on the wall, even though they don’t understand the energetic dynamic that underlie the events.  One analyst writes that the protests in Wisconsin were inspired by the revolt in the Arab world.  There is some truth to this, because a small fire in a forest can ignite a very big flame, but the conditions must be right for the flame to ignite, and this is what is happening here.

The protests in Wisconsin arose after Republican governor Scott Walker proposed a bill that would remove most collective bargaining rights for state workers.  Astrologically, social justice and equality are the province of Uranus, and Uranus moving into Aries will be more aggressive in demanding individual rights as well as the right to collectively seek these rights.  Pluto’s trip through Capricorn, which began in 2008 and preciptated the economic (Capricorn) crisis (Pluto), is also having the effect of consolidating power (Pluto) in corporations and government entities (Capricorn).  You can see how the goals of Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn are at odds with each other, and where this will lead to trouble.

An article in the New York Times (thanks Jill for the link)  reports that one of the groups encouraging Governor Walker to shut down the unions is the conservative lobbying group Americans for Prosperity, a nonprofit group that was created and largely financed by the Koch brothers, the billionaire brothers who own Koch Industries, an energy conglomerate.  The Koch brothers have become a major player in the American political field, with secret (Pluto) tentacles of support behind a wide variety of tea party and other grassroots organizations that appear to be fighting for liberty and freedom (Uranus) for all Americans.  These are buzzwords that appeal to the American pursuit of happiness and all that, but are actually geared towards consolidating power (Pluto) and money (Capricorn) into the hands of a monied few.

Using these effective buzzwords, Americans allow themselves to be convinced to vote against their economic self interest over and over again. The consolidation of money and the power that comes with it is expected under Pluto in Capricorn, but Pluto can destroy as well as consolidate.  The square from Uranus which will be affecting us over the next three years has the potential to wake up she sheeple to fight (Aries) for their individual rights (Uranus).  But as with everything else in life, we have the choice to wake up when the alarm sounds, or to remain asleep. (Click the link below to view the entire image.)

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“Day of Rage” across the middle east

astrology of protestsAs I wrote a few weeks ago, Jupiter re-entering Aries in January set off a firestorm of anger across the middle east and north Africa.  At the time I wrote:

I can’t help but think this is a good thing, even though like all difficult planetary cycles it won’t be comfortable and is certain to be accompanied by bloodshed.  But balance must be achieved, and it’s the job of Uranus (and Jupiter, to a lesser extent) to emancipate the oppressed and when in a square to Pluto in Capricorn, to destroy (Pluto)  the old structures (Capricorn) that are already rotted and decayed.

Uranus enters Aries in the later part of March, but Jupiter will move ever close to a square to Pluto that culminates in mid-February.  Jupiter brings confidence and demands to be heard – Jupiter after all was the King of all of the gods on Mt. Olympus.  Jupiter refuses to take a back seat to the Lord of the Underworld, no matter how much destruction will ensue.

Today Jupiter is two degrees away from that challenging square to Pluto, and sure enough, unrest is spreading like wildfire as protesters take to the streets all over the world.

  • In Libya, protesters have encountered resistance against their “Day of Rage” against the Qaddafi regime which has left at least four dead.
  • In Iraq, blood has flowed in anti-government protests in southern Iraq and in Kurdistan.
  • In Yemen, protests continued for a seventh day and become more violent.
  • At least three protesters in Bahrain have been killed and at least 60 are missing in anti-discrimination demonstrations there.

This fever is likely to continue as long as Jupiter (in fiery Aries) is in a challenging square to Pluto in Capricorn, representing the power (Pluto) of government, (Capricorn), an aspect that won’t culminate until February 24th.  At that point Mars will have moved into Pisces and tempers will cool for a few weeks, giving us a respite before Uranus enters Aries.

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More musings on the Egyptian revolution

Egypt astrologyI was listening to the BBC news coverage of the momentous events in Egypt, and one of the journalists remarked that the protesters in Egypt no longer have any fear of the oppressive government.  His point was that once the inhibitions of fear have been broken there is no turning back, that any attempt to reassert control will just inflame the situation.

This comment, and the events unfolding in Egypt, perfectly mirror the astrological symbolism at work here.  Jupiter, bringing an expansive confidence and urge for a life with more meaning, is in Aries which is all about bursting through one’s fear and finding the courage deep within to fight for that which is most important.

An Egyptian American expressed it here:

As the people of my homeland, Egypt, stage a popular uprising against the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, the White Stripes keep singing in my head: “I’m gonna fight ‘em off /A seven-nation army couldn’t hold me back!”

I don’t know if Jack and Meg of the White Stripes are watching the breathtaking developments taking place in my country. However, their thumping, pumping “Seven Nation Army” is a perfect anthem for the defiance and adrenaline-fueled determination that must be propelling the tens of thousands of courageous, protesting Egyptians.

And against what odds!

In addition to Jupiter entering Aries, the Sun and Mars have been within a few degrees of a conjunction in Aquarius over the past week, a conjunction which doesn’t culminate until February 4th.  Since the Sun and Mars began to align we have seen protests spread like wildfire throughout North Africa and the middle east.  Mars is the ruler of Aries, the sign that Jupiter is in right now, and the fire of the Sun is inflaming the Martian principles of righteous warfare just as Jupiter is expanding the courageous and primal urge to defend oneself and break through to a new reality.

In Aquarius, the Sun and Mars are fighting for social justice and personal liberty.  Aquarius doesn’t care much about personal lives – the individual must be sacrificed for the greater good if necessary, and the old structures must be destroyed so that a new Utopian reality can take its place.

It’s not insignificant that transiting Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius and the instigator of revolution and the destruction of the old and decaying order, is in the final phase of a square formation to the Sun in the chart of modern Egypt right now.

On Friday President Hosni Mubarak responded to the protests by firing his whole cabinet, honoring the Aquarian pressure to destroy the government and recreate a new one, attempting to save his own position in the name of increasing democracy in the country. This is not likely to quell the rage of demonstrators however; as the Egyptian quoted above writes:

They will not sacrifice their freedom and dignity so Western allies can feel better about Egypt — which means a future government must reflect all those Egyptians out there, day after day.

Future leaders be warned: a seven-nation army won’t hold them back.

This feels very much like the coming square of Uranus (freedom) to Pluto (oppression) over the next few years.  I’ll be writing more about the dance of Uranus and Pluto, so stay tuned.

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And the revolution begins.

astrology of Egypt protestsJupiter entered Aries last week for the first time since leaving that fiery sign of war last fall and retreating back into Pisces. You may remember that Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct in Aries back in late May and the summer of 2010, coinciding with the rise of revolutionary fervor in Thailand, Krygystan,  Israel.  This was also the time of the first big Wikileaks.

Aries is all about self-preservation and self-initiation, and Jupiter’s entry into Aries means that it is getting closer to a challenging face-off against Pluto in Capricorn, where power (Pluto) is compressed and channeled through governments and corporations (Capricorn).  The writing is on the wall, and when Uranus joins Jupiter in Aries this fever of revolution and surge of protests against the establishment (Capricorn) in a call for liberation (Uranus) will continue to escalate.

Last week it was Sudan, Jordan and Tunisia, and now it is Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen whose people are rising against the oppressive government in that country.  This puts the United States in a difficult position – on the one hand, we supposedly stand for freedom and personal liberty, yet the regimes that we support in the middle east are repressive and corrupt.  Still, those regimes provide some stability in a region that has the ability to erupt like a powderkeg in the upcoming Uranus/Pluto square.

I can’t help but think this is a good thing, even though like all difficult planetary cycles it won’t be comfortable and is certain to be accompanied by bloodshed.  But balance must be achieved, and it’s the job of Uranus (and Jupiter, to a lesser extent) to emancipate the oppressed and when in a square to Pluto in Capricorn, to destroy (Pluto)  the old structures (Capricorn) that are already rotted and decayed.

Uranus enters Aries in the later part of March, but Jupiter will move ever close to a square to Pluto that culminates in mid-February.  Jupiter brings confidence and demands to be heard – Jupiter after all was the King of all of the gods on Mt. Olympus.  Jupiter refuses to take a back seat to the Lord of the Underworld, no matter how much destruction will ensue.

So fasten your seatbelts folks, it’s going to be a bumpy ride for the next few months.

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Saturn retrograde, January 2011

Saturn retrogradeThe other day I wrote about the expansive energy of Jupiter moving into Aries, but we are also dealing with a more contracting influence at the same time: the retrograde turn of Saturn.

(Astrology lesson: Because of the way we view the motion of the planets from earth, they sometimes appear to move backward and we call that retrograde.  When a planet is appearing to change direction, its motion slows down and we call that “stationary.”  At that time its influence is often particularly powerful.)

Saturn governs hard work, discipline, responsibility.  In his guise as Kronos in ancient Greece, he was the God of Time – the one that reminds us “Tempus Fugit!” (Time is passing!)  We don’t have forever, so if our lives are not as we want them to be we’d better get to work and get serious about things.

Astrological Jupiter and Saturn are not naturally compatible.  Where Saturn tells us where we’re not good enough and that we have to do more, always more, Jupiter has faith that everything will turn out just fine.  Jupiter wants to be optimistic and trust that good things are possible, and Saturn won’t let us relax because even if everything is going well, disaster could be right around the corner.

All of the planets serve an invaluable purpose, and no planet is better than the other.  We need Jupiter’s faith to keep us going, even when the light appears to have dimmed.  We need Saturn’s perseverance and retreat into isolation so that we may emerge with our skills enhanced and our resolve strengthened.

Over the next few months Jupiter and Uranus in Aries will fill us with more energy than we know what to do with, making the Saturn retrograde turn just a blip on the radar.  So for the next few days see if you can transmute every negative thought (Saturn) into a plan to achieve something greater in your life, and allow the enthusiasm of Jupiter in Aries to propel you into action to make that happen.

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Jupiter in Aries 2011

Jupiter in AriesJupiter first moved into Aries last spring with the first phase of the  conjunction of Jupiter to Uranus.  This meeting of the two planets of liberation in the sign of initiation was the instigator for the alignments in cardinal planets that I called the Cardinal Drama.  With up to seven planets and luminaries interacting in the early degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn) last summer, it was a powerful force for change.  Jupiter and Uranus then retrograded back into Pisces where they completed the second two phases of their conjunction.  With Jupiter now back in Aries, we begin to move forward to complete the work of last year’s planetary events.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac.  This is the beginning of new experiences – in Aries we tend to approach our lives from a place of innocence.  Jupiter in Aries is accurately depicted by the Fool card in the Tarot.  The Rider Waite fool depicts someone who approaches their life with complete trust and innocence.  It’s a beautiful day, the Sun is shining, and they’re about to walk off a cliff.  The little dog is barking in warning, but the Fool has complete trust that the Universe will take care of him and protect him.  Jupiter in Aries offers a fresh new beginning of faith and trust in the Universe and in our own ability to follow the path that our soul has set out for us.

Over the past few years Saturn and Uranus have been in opposition to each other, pitting the conservative thinking and desire to retreat to the past of Saturn against the tremendous force for change that Uranus inspires.  Uranus rebels against the past and wants to experience something new and fresh – Uranus wants a life that is better suited to a changing world.  We have seen this playing out in global politics, but also in our own lives.  The goal when two planets are in opposition is to integrate both polarities and find harmony in the balance. Until we do that we are pulled back and forth – pulled by Saturn back into the past, reflecting that which is safe, that which we’ve depended on, and then pulled by Uranus which wants to break free into something totally different and new.

When Jupiter conjoined Uranus, encouraging that urgency for change, Saturn became the weak point.  Regression into the past was no longer an option.  When Jupiter and Uranus retrograded back into Pisces they were not as active, and the pressure to create change in our lives lost some of the impetus of the beginning of the cycle.  At that point Saturn was interacting with Pluto and we were pulled for a bit into the darkness and may have had a re-emergence of some of the fear of change that Saturn can bring.

With Jupiter in Aries, there is a desire for constant growth.  Jupiter expands, and Aries is endless energy and initiation of new actions.  We don’t want to be still – we don’t want to submit to any rules.  There’s lots of enthusiasm and passionate and pure, unadulterated drive and this will be accelerated when Uranus enters Aries in March.  Jupiter will remain in Aries until June 5, at which point it will move into Taurus and have a grounding influence which will be very helpful as we move into some of the summer’s more challenging planetary cycles.

This kind of energy with Jupiter and Uranus in Aries is very exciting for people that have a lot of fire and air in their charts.  They love this opening door of freedom, and the feeling of change in the air.  Others of us that are more conservative or cautious by nature may find this big push of energy flying around somewhat frightening.  It’s important to remember that this is the time to break free of old patterns and beliefs that hold us back.  We can’t go back through the door – the old ways are gone.  Human consciousness is accelerating now and we have to break through the barriers that keep us stuck in a box.

Physical exercise will help us to release any energy that we cannot handle, and help to ground us so that we can better utilize the flow of electricity and magnetism that is affecting us right now.

The last conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus occurred in 1968 – in fact, the Apollo mission landed on the very day of the second phase of that conjunction.  At that time, the Uranus/Pluto conjunction of 1962-1968 occurred first, creating the breakdown of the old ways, and then the shift into consciousness occurred with Jupiter and Uranus (in Virgo at that time).  This time the shift in consciousness of the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction occurs first, and then when Pluto squares Uranus next year the changes in the outer world and global transformation occur in response to the alterations of the inner world.

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