Outer Planets - Uranus
Uranus is an Outer Planet, the first beyond Saturn. It is the seventh planet from the sun, the third-largest planet by radius and the fourth-largest planet by mass. Unlike Saturn and Jupiter, which are 'gas giants', Uranus is considered an 'ice giant'. The composition of Uranus is very similar to that of Saturn and Jupiter, predominantly hydrogen and helium, but contains more ices such as water, methane and ammonia. Uranus is the coldest planet in our solar system. Uranus has a complex system of rings and multiple moons. The most unusual aspect of Uranus is that its rotational axis is tilted onto its side, so that its poles, rather than being "north" and "south' as in the other planets, are at the relative position of the earth's equator.
While we consider Uranus one of the planets beyond Saturn, and so invisible to the human eye, it is actually visible at times, but was only recognized to be a planet by William Herschel on 13 March, 1781. The visibility of Uranus is right at the limits of human visibility and is dependent on the eccentric orbit of the planet. At times, when the planet is at its closest approach to the sun it is visible to human eyes from earth, while at its most distant point in the cycle it is not visible to the human eye from earth. The planet was named for the Greek god Uranus (Roman Caelus), who was the father of the Greek God Cronus (Roman Saturn).
The cycle of Uranus takes approximately 84 years to complete one circuit around the sun and transit through the constellations. Uranus has returned to its discovery-point twice since 1781. The first time was in 1862 and the second in 1943. It arrives one day later each time as the precessional cycle has shifted it 1 degree west every 72 years. The next return of Uranus to its discovery point will be 2030-31.
Uranus is approximately 2 billion miles from the sun, and its orbit is the most eccentric of any of the planets other than pluto. Because of the axial tilt of the planet, Uranus has an unusual light and darkness cycle where each pole gets about 42 years of sunlight, while the other pole is in total darkness for that time. While the individual day of Uranus is about 17 hours, the cycle of the rotation around the sun and its subsequent solstices and equinoxes operate on this much longer cycle split between total light and total darkness. It is only near the two equinox points in the cycle, about every 21 years, that there is anything resembling the day and night cycle as seen on the rest of the planets. There are many other eccentricities about Uranus not seen in the other planets of our solar system. You might say Uranus exemplifies and expresses Creativity, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent...
The planet Uranus is about 14 times the size of earth, but is smaller than both Saturn and Jupiter. As of this writing, Uranus has 27 known satellites, with the five most prominent having been named for Shakespearean characters; Titania, Oberon, Miranda, Ariel and Umbriel. All of the Uranian satellites are small in comparison to those of the other giant planets. Titania is the largest of the Uranian satellites, less than half the size of the Earth's moon. Uranus is a ringed planet, with thirteen known rings at the time of writing. Most of these rings are extremely narrow, only a few kilometers wide. There is some thought that the rings of Uranus are quite young in comparison to the planet, and may be the debris of a destroyed moon or moons. The rings of Uranus are very faint and not easily seen.
Above: Uranus and Gaia, Roman mosaic from 200 to 250 b.c.e. Uranus was associated with the sky and Gaia with the earth. Note that in this image Uranus stands in the band of the zodiac, the representation of the sky, while Gaia reclines upon the earth.
In Greek mythology, Uranus is the god of the sky and is one of the original, primal gods. He was the father of the Titans, with Gaia as their mother. The Titans were the second generation of gods, which included Saturn, who were replaced by their own children, the Olympian gods. Thus Uranus and Gaia are the grandparents of the Olympian gods. From earliest times, Uranus was associated with the sky, and thus with the constellations of the zodiac, though astrologers of the Greek and Roman world credited Saturn with rulership of astrology.
In modern astrology Uranus has been given rulership of the sign Aquarius, which was one of the two signs ruled by Saturn in older astrological systems. I have to say though, that I find the assignment of sign rulership to any of the outer planets to be questionable. While they might show more or less affinity to any of the signs, I believe that the energies of the Outer Planets make it impossible for them to have sole rulership over any of the signs. I have discussed the reasons already here (click to read Introduction to the Outer Planets), and so I won't go over that material again, except to repeat that the energies of the Outer Planets are beyond form, and so have to channel through the Inner Planets to manifest in the physical here on earth.
So what does Uranus represent, and what does it do and cause, here on earth? To begin with, and most importantly, Uranus represents shock and surprise. It is the force of the unknown as it reveals itself. It is the unexpected. It represents electrifying events that come out of nowhere and take the world by surprise. It is neither malefic or benefic, can manifest as either or both, and can be very difficult to manage in an orderly fashion, as it likes to smash orderly routines.
One major problem in attempting to describe Uranus is that it has become interchangeable with the meanings and symbols of the sign Aquarius, yet it is not a synonym of that sign. It has its own unique meaning and effects, and while Uranus certainly can work through Aquarius, it is not one-and-the-same with that sign. Many of the things called "Uranian", after all, the attributes of Aquarius, were "Saturnian" just a century or so ago... A blink of an eye in astronomical time.
One major problem in attempting to describe Uranus is that it has become interchangeable with the meanings and symbols of the sign Aquarius, yet it is not a synonym of that sign. It has its own unique meaning and effects, and while Uranus certainly can work through Aquarius, it is not one-and-the-same with that sign. Many of the things called "Uranian", after all, the attributes of Aquarius, were "Saturnian" just a century or so ago... A blink of an eye in astronomical time.
As I have stated previously, Uranus manifests its effects on earth through the Inner Planets, and in my opinion, the two it uses most often, and has the strongest affinity to, are Mercury and Mars. Venus has been a source of many Uranian shocks and surprises over the last century, as well. Saturn is another planet with many connections to Uranus, which frequently brings manifestations of Uranian energies into form, but all the planets can at times channel and manifest Uranus.
We often associate Uranus with 'genius', and this seems to be true. I would say that this is Uranus manifesting through Mercury. As well, the association of Uranus with invention, technological advancement, electronics, computers, the internet, new discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, and progressive and revolutionary thought all illustrate the action of Uranus as expressed through Mercury. Modern astrology considers Uranus to be a higher octave of Mercury, and I think this is astute and accurate. The association of Uranus with astrology is another area where the planet is channeling through Mercury and Saturn. Saturn was the ancient ruler of astrology. We see Saturn in these Uranus/Mercury themes, as Saturn rules hidden knowledge, so Saturn becomes the bridge that carries the Uranian energy to Mercury to reveal knowledge, the hidden and surprising, to the conscious mind, and so on to the culture at large.
In associating Uranus with revolution, we verge into the expression of Uranus through Mars. The ideas that underly revolutionary thought is Uranus and Mercury, but the energy to actually implement revolutionary action is far too often an expression of Uranus through Mars. Just think of the French Revolution, if you can't understand what I am saying: Mars, lover of violence and blood, combined with shock and surprises... This Martial expression of Uranus takes form in revolutions, revolutionaries, the drive for 'freedom' at all costs, overthrowing entrenched systems, 'social justice warriors', radical ideas and figures, and all that which seeks to upturn established convention, whether the established conventions are useful or not. I have noticed that a major aspect of Uranus as expressed through Mars is self-righteous anger, those who want to 'burn-it-all-down' but have nothing to replace current systems with, the rebel-for-rebellion's-sake, difficult and disagreeable people, critics who themselves don't create anything, vacuous intelligentsia (of every political persuasion), dilettantes and conspiracy theorists. Uranus as expressed through Mars is also often the more unpleasant type of Uranian shock and surprise. Events such as earthquakes, wildfires and violent earth and weather events also show Uranus expressed through Mars. Saturn is often strongly at work in all of these events and archetypes, as well, either as a formative element, or serving as a shadow projection to allow the Uranian energy to manifest.
When Uranus is expressed through Venus, we find both feminism and sexual minorities, all fringe sexual practices and non-procreative sex, fetishes and gender non-conformity, as well as "cyber-sex", 'hook-up apps' and such practices as "sexting". We also find unusual art forms, shocking and often unexpected beauty trends, and socially unaccepted and shunned forms of art and fashion. All of these themes were traditionally the domain of Saturn, through his Aquarian rulership of fringe and marginalized groups and "criminals", as many of these expressions were not simply taboo in the past, but legislated against. I could go on and on, but I think what I have presented here is enough to give you a good idea of my view on the planet Uranus and its expressions through the Inner Planets.
While Uranus rules surprises and shocking events and expressions, it is important to remember that Uranian surprises don't remain shocking long. Once the initial surprise has worn off, everything eventually becomes normalized. That which is extreme, unacceptable and suppressed by one generation is the accepted and conventional for the next generation, and this again brings us back to Saturn and it relationship to Uranus. This is where the real relationship of Saturn, and Aquarius, to Uranus can be revealed. When we look at Aquarian people, they may well have all kinds of odd and interesting ideas (Mercury/Uranus) and ideologies (Jupiter/Uranus), but they, themselves, are not really very flexible people. Aquarius is a fixed sign and as progressive as Aquarians often see themselves, they are extremely Saturnian, once you get to know them. And so it is that Uranus is where the shockingly new goes to be integrated into culture and eventually sublimated into the accepted hierarchy as a part of the status quo.
As Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, as the shockingly new ideas are accepted and held onto by Aquarian peoples and institutions, they become integrated into the society and culture, thereby becoming a part of Saturn's structure. Eventually, all fringe ideas filter into the society at large. As this happens, these ideas shift from Aquarian Saturn to Capricorn Saturn and become part of the status quo. History is replete with examples. A really good one is the rise of early Christianity, a suppressed religion of outcasts and slaves, which then went on to become the accepted state religion, and then spent a millennia or so as THE suppressive force of all change and advancement in the Western world. And in giving this example, I can't stress enough how shocking, revolutionary and unexpected early Christianity was to the world of its time.
The purest energy of Uranus is really about events, and not about people or objects. A surprise or shock is an event, not an object or person, specifically. That which is surprising won't remain that way, and surprises and shocks don't last. They are discreet events in time and place. The unexpected can't remain unexpected, once it has occurred!
So in reading the chart, I use Uranus and find it very valuable, not as a 'sign ruler' or 'house ruler', but as the force of subversion, change, surprises and the unexpected. People with Uranus prominent in their natal charts will experience these energies more strongly than others. The planets that Uranus is in strong relationship to, through aspects, sign, etc., will color the expressions of Uranus in the chart. I find Uranus can be an important planet in revealing whether the native can access the higher mind, and what they can do with whatever it might reveal, should they be able to access it at all. Transits of Uranus indicate times when its themes may play an important role, for good or ill, in the native's life.
We often associate Uranus with 'genius', and this seems to be true. I would say that this is Uranus manifesting through Mercury. As well, the association of Uranus with invention, technological advancement, electronics, computers, the internet, new discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, and progressive and revolutionary thought all illustrate the action of Uranus as expressed through Mercury. Modern astrology considers Uranus to be a higher octave of Mercury, and I think this is astute and accurate. The association of Uranus with astrology is another area where the planet is channeling through Mercury and Saturn. Saturn was the ancient ruler of astrology. We see Saturn in these Uranus/Mercury themes, as Saturn rules hidden knowledge, so Saturn becomes the bridge that carries the Uranian energy to Mercury to reveal knowledge, the hidden and surprising, to the conscious mind, and so on to the culture at large.
In associating Uranus with revolution, we verge into the expression of Uranus through Mars. The ideas that underly revolutionary thought is Uranus and Mercury, but the energy to actually implement revolutionary action is far too often an expression of Uranus through Mars. Just think of the French Revolution, if you can't understand what I am saying: Mars, lover of violence and blood, combined with shock and surprises... This Martial expression of Uranus takes form in revolutions, revolutionaries, the drive for 'freedom' at all costs, overthrowing entrenched systems, 'social justice warriors', radical ideas and figures, and all that which seeks to upturn established convention, whether the established conventions are useful or not. I have noticed that a major aspect of Uranus as expressed through Mars is self-righteous anger, those who want to 'burn-it-all-down' but have nothing to replace current systems with, the rebel-for-rebellion's-sake, difficult and disagreeable people, critics who themselves don't create anything, vacuous intelligentsia (of every political persuasion), dilettantes and conspiracy theorists. Uranus as expressed through Mars is also often the more unpleasant type of Uranian shock and surprise. Events such as earthquakes, wildfires and violent earth and weather events also show Uranus expressed through Mars. Saturn is often strongly at work in all of these events and archetypes, as well, either as a formative element, or serving as a shadow projection to allow the Uranian energy to manifest.
When Uranus is expressed through Venus, we find both feminism and sexual minorities, all fringe sexual practices and non-procreative sex, fetishes and gender non-conformity, as well as "cyber-sex", 'hook-up apps' and such practices as "sexting". We also find unusual art forms, shocking and often unexpected beauty trends, and socially unaccepted and shunned forms of art and fashion. All of these themes were traditionally the domain of Saturn, through his Aquarian rulership of fringe and marginalized groups and "criminals", as many of these expressions were not simply taboo in the past, but legislated against. I could go on and on, but I think what I have presented here is enough to give you a good idea of my view on the planet Uranus and its expressions through the Inner Planets.
While Uranus rules surprises and shocking events and expressions, it is important to remember that Uranian surprises don't remain shocking long. Once the initial surprise has worn off, everything eventually becomes normalized. That which is extreme, unacceptable and suppressed by one generation is the accepted and conventional for the next generation, and this again brings us back to Saturn and it relationship to Uranus. This is where the real relationship of Saturn, and Aquarius, to Uranus can be revealed. When we look at Aquarian people, they may well have all kinds of odd and interesting ideas (Mercury/Uranus) and ideologies (Jupiter/Uranus), but they, themselves, are not really very flexible people. Aquarius is a fixed sign and as progressive as Aquarians often see themselves, they are extremely Saturnian, once you get to know them. And so it is that Uranus is where the shockingly new goes to be integrated into culture and eventually sublimated into the accepted hierarchy as a part of the status quo.
As Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, as the shockingly new ideas are accepted and held onto by Aquarian peoples and institutions, they become integrated into the society and culture, thereby becoming a part of Saturn's structure. Eventually, all fringe ideas filter into the society at large. As this happens, these ideas shift from Aquarian Saturn to Capricorn Saturn and become part of the status quo. History is replete with examples. A really good one is the rise of early Christianity, a suppressed religion of outcasts and slaves, which then went on to become the accepted state religion, and then spent a millennia or so as THE suppressive force of all change and advancement in the Western world. And in giving this example, I can't stress enough how shocking, revolutionary and unexpected early Christianity was to the world of its time.
The purest energy of Uranus is really about events, and not about people or objects. A surprise or shock is an event, not an object or person, specifically. That which is surprising won't remain that way, and surprises and shocks don't last. They are discreet events in time and place. The unexpected can't remain unexpected, once it has occurred!
So in reading the chart, I use Uranus and find it very valuable, not as a 'sign ruler' or 'house ruler', but as the force of subversion, change, surprises and the unexpected. People with Uranus prominent in their natal charts will experience these energies more strongly than others. The planets that Uranus is in strong relationship to, through aspects, sign, etc., will color the expressions of Uranus in the chart. I find Uranus can be an important planet in revealing whether the native can access the higher mind, and what they can do with whatever it might reveal, should they be able to access it at all. Transits of Uranus indicate times when its themes may play an important role, for good or ill, in the native's life.
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