For the past few weeks we’ve been under an extraordinary alignment featuring Mercury, the planet that rules the way we think and communicate, in a long-term conjunction to Uranus in Aries, the planet that often brings significant change. Furthermore, Mercury and Uranus are in a trine to Saturn in Sagittarius, which represents “stay the course” energy. Uranus and Saturn are two planets that are often quite different in their archetypal missions. From a traditional astrological perspective, Saturn is interpreted as a constricting and limiting force that can bring about roadblocks from those with a more conservative point of view. Uranus on the other hand can drop bombshells and disrupt widely followed rule sets. Uranus might not break rules just for the sake of it, though it does do that sometimes, but it does refuse to hold to them just for the sake of it. Uranus is capable of breaking apart what Saturn steadily built, but only if the old structures have become outdated. Sometimes we need a new and open perspective.
From a transcendent perspective, the Saturn/Uranus planetary pair represents a process of constructive change. Saturn grounds us in reality as Uranus takes us to the outposts of thought. The greater the stability Saturn provides, the greater the disruption Uranus can evoke without dislocating us from experiencing essential traction on the spiraled trajectory of steady growth. Having the wider cosmic perspective helps us understand that Uranus and Saturn represent chaos and order united in the purpose of transfiguration. The story of the Wizard of Oz is a good metaphorical example where a girl who could not accept her circumstances experienced a shocking (Uranus) event that disengaged her mind from her fear (Saturn) of languishing where she was. The Uranian tornado literally broke her house (standing in for her mind) from its Saturnian foundation. Once she was free from her limited way of thinking she became open to a whole new world of wonders only to discover “there’s no place like home.” She learned acceptance opens her to love.
The trine between Saturn and Uranus creates a willingness to open up to new ways of thinking and helps us discover what we want and how we can accomplish it. Saturn represents the hard work that is needed, which might reward us in the future for work well done. For example, a group focused on a Uranian purpose of personal transformation recently coalesced and began a social media marketing campaign to more publically get the word out about their work, marking a significant departure from their past methods. Another person, a prominent attorney looking at post-retirement opportunities to keep her hand in the game, had one seemingly great part-time position lined up but it suddenly collapsed and forced her to re-think how and where she wanted to spend her time. Once she adjusted how she was thinking, a different position just as suddenly appeared for her that in the end was a much better fit for her needs.
When Mercury changes signs on May 15th, it energetically shifts from the fire sign of Aries representing inspiration, creativity and risk taking, to Taurus, an earth sign representing practicality, reliability and sensuality. Our mental processing may slow down as Mercury pulls away from the Saturn/Uranus alignment as it settles into Taurus, but it is a natural progressive hand off from generating new ideas to implementing them. Joining the Sun in the fixed sign of the Bull, Mercury here may correlate to a tenacious approach to getting things done or more thorough thought processes that ensure all angles are covered in depth. The Mercury in Taurus archetype favors well established practices and resists adopting new ideas. Under this influence, therefore, we will need to make the extra effort to remain receptive (Mercury) to new ideas that have value (Taurus). With the Saturn/Uranus trine in effect throughout Mercury’s three-week transit of peaceful Taurus, our mental edges may be softened but we can still apply constructive change to anything that needs to be handled.
On May 19th, Venus in Aries pulls into its annual opposition to Jupiter in Libra, the sign Venus rules. This “full moon” culmination phase of their cycle correlates to an expansion (Jupiter) of the Venusian principles of love, beauty and social graces with an emphasis on generosity with self and others. We may focus on connecting in a harmonious way with significant people in our lives. Being in social situations take on new meaning as if we could feel the energetic threads that net us together as one. In Aries, the Venus principle is likely to manifest as recognition of the uniqueness of each individual. In Libra, Jupiter represents a movement towards social justice as society’s reigning philosophy and is the primary motivator behind the making of its laws. With the opposition especially, the tendency to be blind to our limitations can be high. We may be prone to over indulgence in anything that pleases the senses or is perceived as valuable simply because we can’t see when enough is enough – a prominent Jupiter seems to always correlate to a big appetite for whatever we’ve set our eyes on, be it love, food, money, etc. The Venus/Jupiter opposition could also correlate to taking on more responsibility than we can handle. If we can manage to stay aware enough to reign in classic Jupiterian excesses, we may find great value in all the forms beauty takes. Elegant solutions as well as exquisite art and natural wonders are a physical manifestation of cosmic love.
Here’s the data (using Pacific Time and planetary positions rounded to the nearest whole degree, unless otherwise noted):
May 15 – Mercury at 0° Taurus at 9:07 p.m.
May 18 – Saturn trine Uranus at 26° Sagittarius/Aries at 11:19 p.m.
May 19 – Venus opposite Jupiter at 14° Aries/Libra at 7:12 a.m.
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