Uranus is turning retrograde!
On Thursday, August 19, Uranus joins four other planets (and Chiron) already retrograding through the solar system. So what does it mean when the planet of revolution (among other things) goes maverick?
It helps to first understand Uranus’ basic nature and general astrological symbolism and then to make sense of what it represents—and what promise it holds—in your individual chart.
Officially dubbed a planet in 1781, Uranus has come to represent everything modern and that goes against the status quo. Hence Uranus is associated with disruption, innovation, technology, revolution, liberation and anything unconventional. It was given the shared rulership of Aquarius, which the Greeks had originally ascribed to Saturn.
Uranus and Saturn have an interesting back story, at least in Greek mythology. Uranus, or Father Sky, was the Grand Poobah back in the day, and as those wacky gods often were, he was both the son and husband of Gaia, the primordial Earth Mother. Together they conceived a dozen Titans, the progenitors of most of the Greek gods we’re familiar with today.
The leader of the first generation of Titans was Chronos, aka Saturn, who coveted Dad’s job description (I mean seriously: Ruler of the Universe?!) and castrated him. The blood and other detritus birthed the Furies, the Giants and debatably Aphrodite. So for Saturn and Uranus to share anything is kind of remarkable. (Save that thought.)
Uranus turns retrograde at 9:40pm EDT
Depending on how you feel about the status quo and conventions, you either strongly relate to Uranus or you try to suppress its expression in your chart. Ah, but you will only be successful for so long. One day, by transit or progression, the wild-child planet will make its presence known!
Uranus takes 84 years to orbit the Sun (i.e., return to its natal position in your chart), which it does spinning on its side because of its extreme axial tilt. It spends seven years in each sign, and five months of each year are spent in retrograde, or apparent backward motion. That means that statistically 40 percent of us are born with Uranus retrograde.
In a general sense, retrograde planets don’t have full or direct access to expressing their inherent natures, perhaps because they were misused or not fulfilled in a previous lifetime. So this time, like it or not, you’re going to pay more attention!
Every year when Uranus retrogrades (August to January), our ability to bring about radical change is challenged. Bold initiatives stall, or we may be obliged to “tone it down” in some way. For all of us, Uranus is the “enlightening bolt,” the great awakener, but often that comes at a price (stability! Predictability!).
For you specifically, the areas of life associated with the house that Aquarius rules in your chart will also be affected—probably limited or delayed in some way. Additionally, wherever 14-15º of Taurus falls in your chart will likely be getting activated by this disruptive energy.
Provocateur Uranus isn’t at its most comfortable in the sign of the steadfast Bull, but hey, if Houdini could get out of a straitjacket, Uranus will find ways to upset the apple cart.
Part of what we get to experience every year during this reversal is how to sit with change, even when—especially when—we’re not fond of what’s shifting. There’s a comfort in predictability, of knowing what to expect even if it’s not our be-all-and-end-all. “The devil you know” kind of thing.
Between now and January 18, when Uranus resumes forward motion, take some time to reflect on where you accept convention (willingly, unwittingly or otherwise) and where you tend to be disruptive. How do both of these M.O.s serve you—or hold you back? What would you like to do more of and less of, and in what circumstances?
Your own chart will provide more clues, of course, but this is a good starting point. Sometimes, in a less evolved state, Uranus will simply rebel out of sheer frustration or a need to stand out from the pack. Think teenagers or people from very repressed or oppressed backgrounds.
But its highest intention is to awaken us from our slumber (the “life is but a dream” state) and help us discover our unique truth by stripping away all that is delusional (or mindlessly “acquired”), leaving us alone with our raw, naked, unadulterated true essence, which some spiritual disciplines might call the ultimate liberation.
Uranus raises the million-dollar question: What in you is trying to wake up...but you keep hitting the snooze button?
So depending on whether that prospect is scary or exhilarating will define how you move ahead in the next five months. Uranus will also make its third and final square to Saturn (remember Chronos the Castrator?) on December 24, which should make for some interesting conversation around the Christmas tree.
Are you ready to wake up to your ultimate truth? This might be the perfect time to gift yourself a reading and see what Uranus, Saturn and the rest of the cosmic crew are cooking up for you! Click here to book your first-time or follow-up session!
