Uranus, the god of lightning, promoter of freedom, independence, revolutions, scientific inventions, as well as anarchic chaos. Wary of emotional intimacy, at a personal level it can seem cold, unco-operative, belligerent about compromise which Uranus equates with loss of individuality. Uranus was the sky god married to Gaia the earth mother. He was castrated by his son Saturn after expressing disgust about his earthy, ugly brood of children. Thus he is deemed to be against the biology – of the mind and not of the body.
Uranus fosters intellectual creativity, shines a light on hidden places, acts as a torchbearer into the unknown. But left to run amok can be destructive, collapsing old structures and lacking the inclination to reconstruct better on the far side.
Looking back over the past century plus of Uranus through the signs, which it changes every seven years: Every year it entered a new sign coincided with a tranche of firsts in technical and scientific advances which altered the face of our culture – television demonstrations and transmissions, airplane development from the first 40 minute flight to plane bombing, first parachute jumps, and first set-up of commercial airlines, then space travel. In more recent times the internet moved from early computing in the 1955/6 Uranus into Leo, further advances in 1962, Microsoft being founded in 1974 with Uranus just into Scorpio, first computer virus on the next in 1981 when moving into Sagittarius, then 1989 into Capricorn the first commercial internet providers and the WWW.
Delightfully Albert Einstein published his seminal papers which led to a century’s study of theoretical physics the year Uranus moved into Capricorn in 1902.
What is also noticeable skipping down events is how many iconic performers, novels, films emerged/exploded onto the scene in the year Uranus changed sign.
1949 into Cancer: Billy Graham.
1955/56 into Leo: Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Rogers and Hammerstein at their peak, Doris Day’s most famous hit. First Eurovision Song Contest.
1962 into Virgo: Johnny Carson debut, Rolling Stones debut, Beatles firsts, first ever Bond movie Dr No, Bob Dylan, David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia.
1974 into Scorpio: Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
1981 into Sagittarius: film ET
1989 into Capricorn: Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verse controversy.
1995 into Aquarius: Toy Story – first computer generated animated feature.
In the century before as Uranus moved into Gemini in 1859 Darwin published his Origin of the Species; and Big Ben chimed for the first time in London.
There are also intriguing repeats. Bill Gates was born on the 1955 with Uranus just into Leo and founded Microsoft two cycles later in 1974 as Uranus moved into Scorpio.
The Beatles burst onto the scene in 1962 as Uranus moved into Virgo and made their last public appearance next time round in 1968 when Uranus moved into Libra.
The Vietnam War started in 1955/56 in Leo and finished three Uranus cycles later as it moved into Scorpio in 1975.
The Guildford Four who were imprisoned in 1975 in the UK in a miscarriage of justice for alleged IRA bombings with Uranus just into Scorpio were freed fourteen years later as Uranus moved into Capricorn in 1989.
Revolutions are a key outcome of the Uranian push for freedom at all costs. The Eastern European uprisings of 1989 when the Berlin Wall was collapsed came with Uranus just moving into Capricorn. That year also apartheid in South Africa started to be dismantled. The Arab Spring coincided with Uranus moving into Aries in 2011. The 1968 Uranus into Libra brought the start of the Irish Troubles and the Stonewall riots fighting for gay rights.
The destructive side of Uranus comes out with brutal suppressions as in Tiananmen Square in 1989 (in Capricorn); the Holocaust in 1942/43 (in Gemini); Nazism on the rise and the Night of the Long Knives purge in Germany in 1934 with Uranus moving into Taurus. And the Titanic sank as Uranus moved into Aquarius in 1912.
Uranus moving through Gemini as will happen from 2025 to 2032 is likely to have a noticeable impact on the USA since previous occasions coincided with the American Civil War during the 1860s; and the American Revolution in 1775/76; and the previous one to this in 1942/43 came on the back of Pearl Harbour and the USA moving into World War 11.
To look on the bright side there will be technology advances of a dramatic variety as well as iconic books/films/music performers to keep us entertained.
For detail on URANUS IN TAURUS where we are now till 2025 see previous post MAY 13 2018.
It’s extraordinary how Uranus in Taurus is replicaing itself, in the 1940s it was coupons and shortages.
An interesting 6 years ahead!
True. British government still managed to get everyone a gas mask then though, didn’t they? Can’t even get basic ones for frontline staff now
Thank you Majorie. I am looking forward to a brighter future and prepared to take the rough with the smooth. Then again I am old and do wonder if I will be around to see the wonderful inventions that are to come I wonder how quickly they will appear? hope so. J
And a couple of further thoughts: some astrologers like to call Uranus “Prometheus” – rebel Titan, stealer of fire for humanity’s benefit, gifted with forethought and inventiveness. Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus” (1818) has science and electricity as a central idea. She was partly inspired by Galvani and his nephew. Galvani’s work on animal electricity was first published on 27 March, 1791 with Uranus at 10 Leo, trine Saturn at 8 Aries. The Sun was at 6 Aries, Mars at 2 Aries. Pluto was in Aquarius. I think we could say Uranus can have a galvanising effect natally or by transit.
Thanks Marjorie for this.
I always think that Uranus is a planet that brings up uncomfortable truths which have been brushed under the carpet. In the case of the US independence because England was ignoring the problems of her colonies, in the US civil war because it was ignoring slavery and in the 1940’s because it was ignoring the rest of the world.
Uranus I think brings up the problems relating to the particular part of a chart that it is passing through. It is also associated with practical applications of science so there hope there.
One point:Einstein’s great year for publications was 1905 rather than 1903. – though 1903 was a good year as many great authors were born then including Evelyn Waugh George Orwell etc
I am really enjoying this series and the comments, Marjorie. Thank you.
It’s interesting that electricity is associated with Uranus and that the first use of the word was by the physician William Gilbert who used the latin form ‘electricus’ to describe the way in which by rubbing substances such as amber, an attractive force or static can be generated; ‘Elektron’ is the original Greek word for amber. Plus, Gilbert first used the word in 1600, the year in which Uranus entered Virgo and Saturn entered Aries.
The glyph very much reminds me of a TV ariel.
Another odd synchronicity is the invention of the electric lightbulb by Edison in 1879, just as Uranus had again entered Virgo.
And again, the launch of Telstar in 1962, Uranus in Virgo.
Thanks Marjorie, so interesting to see this long pattern. I was amused to see 1974’s Bohemian Rhapsody inclusion – with some of the lyrics refer to “thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening”, and Uranus being much associated with lightning. I also thought that NASA has been experimenting with growing vegetables and so on in space since about 2017. That seems very Uranus in Taurus. I think experimental farming of many kinds will take off during this time.
The face off between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus next year seems to have very mythic resonances. A struggle for Uranus? Perhaps Saturnian caution and the restrictions or limitations stemming from our current pandemic crisis will slow Uranian invention for a short time?
That is funny about the Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics, Jane, I will smile next time I hear that 🙂
Uranus is the spark of electricity that starts the motor. You hear a lot of people saying (and I know that we’ve discussed) whether things will be the same or revert back. Saturn is the engine that keeps the vehicle moving. If it was an opposition or conjunction, there might be stalling, but the square is a bit different, I think.
EDIT TO ADD:
If you look at a lot of the technology we’ve been relying on lately in this pandemic, they came into common use during the previous Saturn/Uranus square in 2008 – 2010 – smartphones, apps, streaming services; but also big breakthroughs during this period in quantum computing, of which there may be more next year.
“Uranus is the spark of electricity that starts the motor.” thanks, Tara. You prompted me to look at Michael Faraday’s inventions and discoveries, which seem to have a Uranian theme. The invention of the electric motor was in 1821. Uranus and Neptune both entered Capricorn in January 1821, with Saturn at 7 Aries then. Jupiter and Saturn were conjunct at 20 Aries that December.
Faraday’s electromagnetic induction discoveries announced in 1831 have Uranus in Aquarius (10), sextile Pluto in Aries, and conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius when he wrote about it in the autumn of that year. Uranus is still in the first decan of Aquarius, so I think this could be an example of Uranus entering a new sign. Faraday would have been working on this when Uranus was still in Capricorn.
The famous “Faraday effect”, and the work he described as “magnetising a ray of light” was announced in September 1845. Uranus was at 9 Aries, sextile Saturn at 13 Aquarius. Neptune is at 24 Aquarius sextile Pluto at 24 Aries. Mars is also in Aquarius. You can almost see the lights dancing here! Again, Uranus is in the first decan.
Faraday himself (22 September 1791) had Uranus in Leo, opposing Pluto in Aquarius, and trine Saturn in Aries. Sparky!
Wonderful synopsis, Marjorie.
“To look on the bright side there will be technology advances of a dramatic variety as well as iconic books/films/music performers to keep us entertained.” As well as politicians aplenty to keep us laughing and scratching our heads 😉