Art by Alex Grey

Much has been written about the positive aspects of the combination of Jupiter and Uranus in the chart, and there is no doubt that when these planets come together it is a rockin’ opportunity to open doorways, both in our life and in our own being, that have been stuck closed.  Jupiter is the planet of expansion and good fortune – it can bring pinnacle experiences and a sense of unlimited opportunity.  Uranus is known as the planet of change and sudden surprise, but it is also the instigator of experiences that serve to liberate us from anything that is holding us back – even if it is a prison of our own making.

The first conjunction (joining) of Jupiter and Uranus occured last week  in Aries, and the rest of the cycle takes place in Pisces.   Typically the first phase of a planetary cycle is most intense, because we encounter a new energy which has not yet become assimilated into our experience.  The initial conjunction took place at zero degree Aries, in an exact square to Mars in my own chart.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may remember that my Mars has been hit repeatedly over the past couple of years.  It all began when Pluto entered Capricorn and hit my Mars at zero degrees Cap.  Then last fall, when Saturn entered Libra, it began a series of squares to my Mars.  Now, with Jupiter and Uranus both at zero degrees Aries, they are having a field day with my Mars!

From the comments on the Astrodynamics Facebook page it appears that I’m not the only one having some trouble with the energy of this conjunction.  Planetary cycles affect us all differently, and this one is no exception.  People who have a lot of fire and air in their charts – who embrace change and relish excitement – they will likely have an exhilarating process of release and enthusiasm under this planetary combination.  But for those of us for whom change is difficult, and whose charts contain lots of earth and water and are more security-oriented, this wild energy can be overwhelming and even frightening.

My own chart contains lots of fire and air, so I should really be in the first camp, but my chart is made up entirely of cardinal and fixed signs.  I am all action and stubbornness and have a lot of trouble relinquishing control.  This gives me a great deal of focus and an ability to work hard and accomplish a lot of things, but it also makes me somewhat inflexible (you wouldn’t know it to look at me though, because Gemini, the sign of adaptability, is rising in my chart).

I first noticed Jupiter approaching the square to my Mars because I became much more outspoken than I usually am.  In fact, I said just about everything that was on my mind, and it was fantastic.  With three planets in Libra and Saturn on the Sun, I am usually not that free and it felt very liberating.  Then one night, as the square culminated, I became terribly sick for about three hours in a huge release of energy that came through my body.  Afterwards I was fine – it was a purely energetic event that was really uncomfortable, but in the weeks since then I realize that something shifted within me that night and broke through my normal resistance.

However, the shift was evidently not complete because about two weeks later, when Uranus aligned in the exact square to my Mars, I experienced severe heart flutters when a huge force of energy became blocked at my solar plexus.  Mars is associated with the solar plexus, and astrologer Alan Oken says “The solar plexus is linked to self-preservation and the survival of the ego, the lower self. It is also the seat of the astral or desire energy field.”  Although this was a frightening event I wasn’t really afraid, because I knew that this was the very day that Uranus was aspecting my Mars and I was ready for something intense to happen.  Fortunately I work with a wonderful healer who helped to open up these blocks and release  some of the remnants of the difficult energies that still linger in my body and spirit.

For those of us on a healing journey, every challenging experience like this is an opportunity to clear some of the psychic and emotional debris of the past and emerge as a more whole and joyful human person.

If I can quote myself from the previous article on my Pluto story:

Someone asked me yesterday, “how do we know that we have worked through our issues so that we get to the higher manifestation of the planets?” Our personal issues and personality quirks create resistance within us to the unfolding progress of soul growth. As long as we identify with these issues and quirks and hold onto them instead of relaxing into the process of change, the difficult planetary transits create lessons and challenges for us in order to facilitate that process. Once we have stopped resisting and feel enough trust in the process so that we surrender each moment to the energies of the planetary gods as they work to deepen our evolutionary story.

I do have some tips for anyone going through intense energetic changes as a result of the current Jupiter/Uranus conjunction:

• Yoga is one of the best ways to balance your energy system and release stuck emotions.  We often hold these blockages in our body, and by releasing them through a hatha yoga practice we can realign our energy fields and improve our experience.
• Practicing mindful meditation.  Not a meditation that seeks to block thoughts and emotions, mindfulness is an awareness and a sense of being present in your experience.  Through a practice of mindful presence we awaken to the stirrings within the heart, and open the doors for blocked emotions and feelings to emerge and be welcomed and released with love.
• Seek the help of healing professionals.  Sometimes we need talk therapy to work through situational difficulties.  Sometimes we need astrologers to help to give shape and explain the underlying nature of what we are experiencing.  Sometimes we need practitioners in the energy fields to help restore balance to the psycho-energetic systems.

As we delve more deeply into the more subtle realms, our need for healing and guidance becomes more subtle as well.  But if we approach these experiences with the awe and wonder they deserve, instead of being challenging they become an exciting adventure that will bring greater liberation and joy.