Stardust Motel
First, the astronomy, straight up, which is part of the problem, most of the solar system moves in an orderly fashion, there is sense and rank, a north pole and a south pole, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn.
Then comes Uranus. For the sake of illustration, just imagine that Uranus is 90 degrees off from everyone else. It’s as if the North Pole of Uranus was pointing at the Sun at all times. The few moons and thin belt of Uranus, they look like objects circling the planet. Strange visual. O.
The hard science is even weirder because, on a clear night with excellent viewing conditions, it is possible to detect Uranus with the naked eye. With a basically 84 year orbit, though, it was hard to figure out it was a planet. Early observers assumed the erratic behavior made it an asteroid. Although many names were bantered about, included the main astronomer, Herschel, the final convention agreed upon Uranus, father of Saturn, and Saturn was the father of Jupiter (Jove, Zeus).
In my modern astrology mythology, Uranus is the main planetary energy associated with Aquarius. The symbol for Aquarius is a frankly feminine form toting large jugs of water. One of the older Tarot decks I’ve used, there’s a card with female form pouring water from two vases; I always found that as an Aquarius symbol. She’s the Water-Bearer.
Aquarius is the water-bearer, not a water sign. It’s element is air. It’s also a fixed sign.
As a fixed sign, the Aquarius is perhaps the least stubborn of the Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio). Still, there is a resolute quality about the symbol.
Uranus is unconventional, at best, weird, off-beat, and oddly confrontational. Frequently my Aquarius friends are accused of being aloof. My pet theory about that is what is perceived as aloof is really mental processes assessing a situation for loss and gain.
Understanding the myth and science surrounding the planet gives a better chance at understanding both the sign of Aquarius, and the implications of the transits of Uranus.
Uranus is about sudden and unexpected, weird, and off-beat. After too much time in Austin, where weird is common place and expected, it’s successively harder to define “weird.”
It’s all about the the third option. There’s a right answer, a wrong answer, and then, someplace else, there’s a third answer. That’s what Uranus is about. It’s energy that shoots off in a new direction, unexpected, possibly unexplored.
There’s also a cerebral element, all that air, in what happens.
I’ve found that describing the Uranus energy in terms of that “90 degrees off from everything else in the solar system” phrase, that’s a quick and easy way to get the information across.
I kept thinking about a literary character who suffered with his “imp of the perverse.” There’s a right answer, a wrong way, and then, despite all clear choices, a strange leap into the unknown. Effective plot device, as it fit that character. I tend to regard Uranus as the Imp of the Perverse
Astrological energies aren’t bad or good.
The trick is to embrace what the energy represents. In all the forms.
Uranus, Uranian energies, they can be disruptive, unsettling, or enlightening. In natal charts, it can represent ruthless and unconventional, or, as I prefer, eclectic, eccentric, and most of all, electric. Heavy mental, dude.
Further reading and for more information:
https://astrofish.net/XShake/TandC/I.iii.htm#Uplanet
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