Showing posts with label astrology and uranus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label astrology and uranus. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Radical Reposts: The Planets -- Uranus




© 2015 by Joyce Mason



Have you ever asked people who speak astrology to guess the main features of your chart, just from observing you, before you tell them the facts? This can be very revealing! For example, people usually think I have an emphasis of planets in Aquarius and Sag. They say I’m fiery, when Fire is actually my weakest element. What they’re sensing is my Sun square to Uranus and my overemphasized Jupiter. (Being overemphasis itself, a strong Jupiter is always obvious.) My Astro-guessers are usually shocked to find out that I’m a Triple Earth. The sense of fire comes from those Uranian lightning bolts, not to mention a strong Pluto—which, after all, has a close relationship to the Hot Place.


As we delve deeper into the PUNCs (Pluto, Uranus, Neptune and Chiron), you might experiment with this exercise. Ask don’t tell. See what your Astro-colleagues guess about your chart. It’ll tell you a lot about your planetary emphasis.



This illustration is meant to point out that the outer planets color our charts not a little but a lot. From my perspective with Pluto squaring ASC, Neptune squaring Moon and Uranus squaring Sun, I am channeling the outer planets in a grounded way through all that Earth. I always thank God/dess for it, because I would probably burn up without the substance of Virgo Sun, Cap Moon and Taurus Rising to hold me together.

If I had asked this question in my younger years when Plutonian high-drama and Neptunian illusions ruled my life—especially my love life—I have a hunch the guesses would have run more along the lines of Scorpio and Pisces. That’s another important point. No matter how PUNC we are, which planet is up to bat changes over time with the game of living.

Finally, I have to add that I think Uranus is a very pivotal planet because it’s really our connection to the cosmic. It’s what allows us to grok that we are part of the universe and the universe is part of us. When we understand our mission as Uranians, it’s easy to accept both the pluses and pain the other PUNCs sometimes carry with them. After all, we’re Ambassadors to Outer Space.

I hope these reposts help you carry on!


Explore and Navigate Your Uranus

Uranus is cosmic coffee—an awakener and jump-starter whose influence spans from the unexpected (and often unwelcome) to things we all crave like independence and freedom.


I chose the photo for this Uranus Thrival Kit because it reminds me of Michelangelo's painting in the Sistine Chapel, the Creation of Adam. The fresco illustrates the story in Genesis where God breathes life into the first man. [1].

The Pluto-Uranus Square

For the past three years, we have had the unique opportunity of experiencing two of the PUNCs in close relationship. In one of my articles, I joked that there are two ways of looking at U and P. They can spell UP or PU (it stinks).  One thing’s for sure, they herald shake-up on Planet Earth. The last time this pair tangoed was in the ‘60s, a conjunction in Virgo. This era was more than protest signs, flower children and mood rings. It changed the course of society forever as we questioned our previous assumptions and relationships to each other. There we began cleaning up and seeking a more holistic way of living on the planet. We might still be too close to the U-P Square to understand fully its greater meaning, but nearly everyone I know is going through transformation through unexpected upsets, like it or not. Rescrambling the pieces is a prerequisite to forming a new picture in the puzzle of living a fulfilled life.

One of my colleagues says her most important take-away from the last United Astrology Conference (UAC) was from a talk by Serbian astrologer Aleksandar Imsiragic. Aleks said that the seven exact hits of Uranus square Pluto, the first on June 24, correspond to realignment of our seven chakras. I deeply resonate to this idea, and it seems too important a concept not to share.

Update: Since writing this article in 2012, I took a workshop with Aleks and his wife Lea and learned that they do not associate the planets with the same chakras shown in the illustration of this article. They are very original thinkers, and their take on the chakras links in order is:

1.   Mars
2.   Venus
3.   Sun
4.   Moon
5.   Mercury
6.   Jupiter
7.   North Node/Saturn

Embrace Uranus-Pluto (25-Jun 25-12)
A poem for the times that starts:
Personal Power taut with Inspiration
Transforms every part of me the two touch …


~~~

 Photo Credit: © Nomad_Soul – Fotolia.com

Monday, May 18, 2015

Radical Reposts: The Planets -- The Bridge to the Outers (Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto)





Because it orbits beyond Saturnian, I consider Chiron both the bridge to the outer planets and an outer planet itself. In the last post on Chiron, I re-presented most of the major articles on Chiron on this blog with an exception. There are two Chiron articles in the Outerplanetary (Extraordinary) People series of five articles. The OPP series has been one of my most popular sets of articles, printed and reprinted on paper and online in various places for over 20 years. While the set contains insights on all of the outers or PUNCs as I call them for Plutonian, Uranian, Neptunian and Chironic: The OPP articles have material on aspects of Chiron I haven’t shared in other places. So before we continue with the rest of the individual PUNCs, here’s an instant replay of the quintet “outers” articles. I hope you enjoy or re-enjoy them!


Living with the Outer Planets Prominent, Starting with Chiron. This is an update of a five-part series originally published in the 1990s in Mark Lerner's astrology magazine, Welcome to Planet Earth. The Outerplanetary People (OPP) series has been a timeless favorite shared even farther and wider on the Australian website, A Place in Space, before coming home to roost here on The Radical Virgo.

Uranians Spread Stolen Fire with Their Fingers. In Part 1, we explored the unique role of evolutionary pioneers—people who have the outer planets prominent. Of all the outer-to-inner planetary contacts that make  a person astrologically unusual, those to  Uranus often keep an individual the most committed to the process of inner growth and spreading their enlightenment outward to the world.  (If the end result were not freedom and heaven on earth—two of the choicest gifts of Uranus—why bother?)


Neptunian Survival Tricks and the Magic of Dis-Illusionment. If Outerplanetary People are groomed to lead others into a better future, we have to become masters of dis-illusionment, especially with ourselves. (What's so hot about illusions?) Before I can speak to the most positive potentials of the Otherworldly Planet, I really have to get my five least favorite negative Neptunian archetypes out of the way.

Outerplanetary (Extraordinary) People Part 4 of 5  (12-Nov-10)
Pluto: The Reason for Suffering and How to Put Passion to Work. Plutonians have a different mission—to be passionately attached, yet as willing to trust that God knows what s/he's doing when it's over, whatever it is—to trust that love, home, job, and family will come again, bigger and better than ever before, no matter how long it takes.  This, indeed, is a tall order from a tiny planet with the force of an atomic bomb and the same root word as plutonium.


(Extraordinary) People, Part 5 of 5  (23-Nov-10)
Chiron and Life’s Purpose—Spirited Living. The importance of Chiron to outerplanetary people can hardly be overstated. Chiron is the thread that weaves together the tapestry of the outer planets as a living aggregate in our charts. Chiron is the glue that makes outerplanetary people solid and capable of handling the strong energies that they are asked to bring down to Earth day by day—first for ourselves, then for others.


~~~

Photo Credits: PUNC person, © Pop Art Diva; Bridge, © cidepix – Fotolia.com



Want the most updated version of these articles in a format that’s easy to access, store, print and even highlight for your own use? To purchase the PDF eBook, CLICK HERE or click on the cover pic. Easy to load and use on electronic devices, too.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Thrival Kits for the PUNC Planets: Uranus



  Article © 2014 by Joyce Mason



Author’s Note: See the introductory post, Thrival Kits for the PUNC Planets, for background on this four-part series.


I chose the photo for this Uranus Thrival Kit because it reminds me of Michelangelo’s painting in the Sistine Chapel, the Creation of Adam. The fresco illustrates the story in Genesis where God breathes life into the first man. [1]

Uranus is the God-spark, transmitted to human beings, zapping them with divine electricity or electric divinity. It is the spark of life.





Uranian people and transits are transmission lines for the Divine Juice. Uranus drafts you as a grid for distributing light. It takes some shoring up for most human nervous systems to handle the high voltage. But make no mistake—transmissions are involved and jolts that sometimes shock us into new realities.

If you’re like me, Uranian by birth (Uranus square Sun in my case), you have an addiction to excitement and probably to caffeine. These things are Uranian, along with low boredom threshold. If these characteristics “aren’t you,” you might develop them during these transits. Another thing to be aware of so the change doesn’t alarm you: Uranus transits can lead to insomnia because of the excitement factor. You might have to negotiate with your nervous system about exchanging some of your caffeine for zzz’s.


What Uranus Asks of You

The opening pictures are so powerful because they represent what Uranus wants—to spark and inject you with light. Uranus wants your body. Your choice is to resist and have a very miserable experience—I hate to say it, but it would be akin to rape because it’s going to happen either way. Choice B: You can find the reasons to love this God of Life and to relish his overtures of intimacy. (Goddess, if you prefer her advances. Uranus is androgynous.) Those come-ons may be unpredictable, foreign, shocking and render you feeling so unique and isolated; you’re the cheese who stands alone in the nursery rhyme, The Farmer in the Dell. On the upside, they are exhilarating, stimulating and thrilling as you get major glimpses of the big picture of where you’re going and where humanity itself is heading. Hang onto your socks and decide to enjoy the ride.


Uranus asks you to take risks, to be willing to feel alone at times in your unique perspective on the leading edge. It also asks you to relish the role of catalyst and to know that long-term progress is worth some short-term discomfort.


What You May Be Resisting

Uranus is progress. It's Change with a Capital C. We all resist change. It’s only human to grip onto what’s normal, regular and routine, because all of life is change. What doesn’t change very much or very quickly is an oasis in this chronic, underlying shake-up.  Gripping the familiar is like using a hand rail on stairs, a seat belt in your car, or a net if you’re an aerial acrobat. Giving up these grounding rituals and the safety implied in them is difficult, especially during Big Change Times.

Like all the outer planets, Uranus tests our trust. For a while, we have to ride our bikes and let go of the handle bars. (“Look, Ma! No hands!”) As children, we relished these moments of pure freedom
that Uranus brings. As adults, we have slowly let more fear creep into our bodies and beings until we barely know how to mix in a little risk to have the thrill of the ride.

Sometimes we don’t want even a glimpse of what’s ahead. We have talked ourselves into thinking it’s too scary. I have had clients and friends who don’t want to look, and they are adamant about it. (Not even a peek.) I have always felt there is more power in knowing where I’m headed, even if I don’t know the details of the journey. Digging your heels into the present and/or past is, of course, your option. Unfortunately, the result is that Uranus will have to send more volts of shock and disruption to awaken you to the next steps on your path. To me, that’s much scarier.


The Shift Needed to Thrive

What we need to bring to Uranus transits is something we actually learn from Chiron, namely, that things don’t have to be either/or. They can be both/and. In other words, you won’t lose the best of the past or present. You can take it with you into the future.  Here's a great exercise to do during a Uranus transit:



Pack an imaginary suitcase of what you most love in your past and present and take it with you into the future. You will figure out, with the help of Uranus, how to update these treasures to fit into where your life is headed next. However, make it a small carry-on, not a trunk. If you can’t carry it easily, you can expect it to pop open and all that’s truly unnecessary will fall out. 

If taking the blessings of past love and learning into the future weren’t possible and, in fact, highly recommended, there would be no wisdom. We learn by experience. Uranus asks us to be open to new ones and to integrate these new experiences withwhat we already know.

To thrive: Be willing to see the big picture of your life and how life itself is directing you to your next chapters.


How to Dance with Uranus’s Change of Tune

This is a time where it’s not only OK; it’s advisable for you to be future-oriented, oddball, extra insightful, brilliant and to voice your personal genius and apply it to your own issues and to those in the communities you’re part of. The dance of Uranus is rock ‘n’ roll—sporadic, jerky, individualistic, and done with partners but while doing your own thing in tandem.

It’s probably easier for you to do the dance if you have a big dose of Uranus natally. If you don’t, consult your Uranian friends about feeling Uranian for a season and ask how they deal with some of these issues on an ongoing basis. They have had time to get used to channeling this wild and crazy energy. You are morphing, and PUNC people in general—those with plenty of outerplanetary energy in their natal charts—make good companions for finding your way and maximizing your experience. Not to mention PUNCs rock!

Take your cue from that Uranian music, rock ‘n’ roll: Do your own thing with others and see what kind of interesting Improv comes out of all that shaking and self-expression in close proximity to each other.

Now for some resources:

  • Astrology readings – Any outerplanetary transit is a great time for a reading, but since many people consider Uranus the modern ruler of astrology, it seems especially apropos. Not only that, but astrologers are Uranian by nature and represent those high-voltage people who can relate to you in your quickened state. Your astrologer will probably have plenty of tools and clinical experience to supplement your understanding and toolkit for thriving during this transit. He or she may also be a vehicle for any Uranian flash insights that you need to hear.
  •  Energy work – Uranus transits ask you to amp up your capacity for receiving divine/cosmic transmissions. Thus, it’s a fantastic time to do bodywork that’s energy related. Here’s an article on Five Types of Energy Healing for Holistic Health, including Reiki, Polarity Therapy, Qigong, Shiatsu and Matrix Energetics. Explore more deeply what resonates, and if none do, let this lead you to other experiments with Dr. Google, Bing—or your favorite search engineer. “Experiment” is a Uranian word, and it’s a great time to try something that would normally seem offbeat to you.
  •  Structural bodywork – Back to the electrical grid analogy: the higher the voltage you are running in your system during Uranian events, the more you need to have your network in great working order to handle the load. The spine is central to our nervous system. It’s a good time to focus on this crucial structure. Consider chiropractic, especially chiropractic and other therapies that center on the neurological relationship to spinal alignment. And how hard would regular massage be to take during this transit? From an energetic standpoint, your physical vehicle is on overload. Pamper yourself as much as possible.
  • Medical and mental health issues – We are talking about a transit that affects your nervous system and a time when you could be more overactive in your neurological and mental faculties. Nervousness, hyper-excitement, and medical conditions related to these systems are possibilities—but note, not probabilities. If you have any symptoms along these lines, please follow-up with an appropriate practitioner, if you feel like something’s “off,” getting a bit out of control, or if those around you think so.

    The latter point is especially important. During a Uranus transit—and when we have a lot of Uranian energy natally—we are very independent and can’t imagine anyone else knows our unique selves better than we do. Guess again. Sometimes this is far from the truth, as we are off on our cloud anticipating and creating the future. We may not be well grounded in our bodies. Our closest intimates may see better than we do when we’re in danger of system overload.
  • Friendly herbs – A Uranus transit is a great time to consider help from an herbalist. According to The Mountain Rose Blog: “Nervines are herbs that specifically support the nervous system. Their effects range from tonics like Skullcap and Oat Tops, to mildly calming herbs like Catnip and Chamomile, to strongly sedative ones like Valerian and Hops.”  
  • Grounding – Big electrical loads require adequate grounding. Grounding activities are especially important during these transits or if you have a large natal load of Uranian energy. Examples: meditation, walking; walking barefoot, especially in dirt, sand or grass; spending time in nature and with the Earth element. Eating can be grounding, so eat heavier foods, if your Uranian buzz increases—meat, carbs and root vegetables. Get enough sleep. Don’t hang out just with other Uranian geniuses. (You are one, temporarily or permanently!) Be sure your most salt-of-the-earth friends are in the mix during this high resonating transit period. The most down-to-earth people who make you laugh and bring you from the future into the present moment are your best bet. Back to not either/or but both/and: Don’t throw out all your routines, only the ones that beg for change. A little ritual will help you cope with a lot of changes.

    Minimize things that are ungrounding by nature: flying (literally being up in the air), fasting (see above), and exposure to too much wind. These are overdoses of the air element. I love what my friends who have studied Ayurveda call this condition, vatta deranged. You can be prone to enough “derangement” when Uranus calls. Don’t add to the load by aggravating the air element in your life.
  •  Sexuality.  Sexuality may or may not qualify as a “resource,” but I can recommend a book about it that definitely does. It’s easy to argue that any outerplanetary transit can awaken sexuality, but if you’re persuaded by Barbara Hand Clow’s theory of the association between Uranus and rising Kundalini, it’s especially true during Uranian transits. See Liquid Light of Sex: Kundalini, Astrology, and the Key Life Transitions. This book offers insights into the “midlife crisis” transit, around age 40, when Uranus opposes its natal position. The increased Kundalini principle applies to any transit of Uranus. Sexuality can be either grounding or “deranging,” with the megavolt variety more prone to the latter. I think it’s important to be aware that hyper sexuality can be part of this transit and wisdom dictates remembering its acute context during transits. Since “experimental” is also a Uranian word, some people become more sexually adventurous.  It can either be fun while it lasts or open doors that lead to more permanent new ways of being in this area of your life.

Music and Entertainment Tips

Anything futuristic or with themes of being misfit, before your time, a messenger from the future, or of someone shocked into new truths or realities are excellent choices during a Uranus transit. Since Uranus is experimental, try something new and even completely different from your normal fare.

Music.  Naturally, rock and experimental music are great during these transits. But Uranus would never want you to limit yourself. It’s always fun to listen to Holst’s The Planets to see what his interpretation of Uranus does for you. A wonderful tome I recommend is The Healing Energies of Music by Hal A. Lingerman. He has an entire section devoted to what astrological energies come through various classical composers. (What a find!) Given that genius is Uranian, it’s not surprising that Lingerman has found plenty Aquarian/Air, therefore Uranian pulses, among the greats: Mozart, Schubert, and Mendelssohn among them.

TV/Movies.  There’s more than one reason to watch E.T. again during a Uranus transit. First, you’ll feel like—a stranger in your own land, even skin. Second, coming full-circle to the beginning of this article, Elliott and ET touch fingers in strong resemblance to the fingers of God and Adam in Michelangelo’s Creation of Man. They exchange the spark of life and each other’s knowledge. Imagine you’re ET as you watch, and see what comes up for you in relation to your Uranus transit.

Wikipedia has quite a comprehensive list of Films Set in the Future that span from the 1950s to the present. Some of the diverse mentions include 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Planet of the Apes franchise, Dr. Who, Space Balls and Star Trek. In other words, everything from the sublime to the ridiculous and from the serious to the hilarious. I recommend watching these films to see what lights up about fears of the future and, at the other extreme, excitement about embracing it.

Moviecus, a movie search engine, lists 152 movies with themes about misfits. Here’s another opportunity to watch, be entertained and to explore the pains and triumphs of feeling like the odd (wo)man out.

During a Uranus transit, you might especially enjoy movies with a surprise ending or plot twist. Of course, you can only watch ones you haven’t already seen or have forgotten how they end.  Some ideas from Great Twists:

  • Clue (1985)
  • Color of Night (1994)
  •  The Conversation (1974)
  • The Crying Game (1992, UK)
  • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Invoking Uranus

I offer this adapted excerpt from my Blessing for an Astrology meeting:


Uranus, God of Change!

May you keep us excited, engaged, a-buzz and alive.




More Reading

The ultimate don’t-miss on the subject is Prometheus the Awakener: an Essay on the Archetypal Meaning of the Planet Uranus (Dunquin Series 21) by Richard Tarnas. I highly recommend this brilliant, game-changing read. Here’s a search string for books on Uranus from Amazon—too many great possibilities! Set aside some time to see which ones “resonate,” another key Uranian word and concept.

Comments

Thanks for sharing in the Comments any tools that have made your transits and natal experiences with Uranus easier.


Parting Quotes


From the sublime to the ridiculous:



I’m restless. Things are calling me away. My hair is being pulled by the stars again. ~ Anäis Nin


“Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.” ~ Mae West

~~~


Photo Credits
  •  Energy Transmission - © roadrunner – Fotolia.com
  • Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons
  • Look Ma, No Hands - © John Takai – Fotolia.com
  • Dancing Men Silhouettes - © Sylwia Nowik – Fotolia.com


NOTE

[1] Wikipedia, The Creation of Adam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_of_Adam


Disclaimer: This article does not mean to imply any recommendation or certification of any healing methods, individuals or companies mentioned. It is provided purely for informational purposes. Please make your own determination about the quality of the services and products discussed. This article and the others referenced are not meant to constitute advice, nor are they meant to replace medical or psychological treatment.  


Want my outlook for Autumn? Read Autumn 2014: The Heart of Beauty on the Harmonic Concordance Blog.