Freedom falling, Freedom rising

Posted on 29 Dec 2016 by admin

29 December 2016

For some of us, this year has been quite a ride, full of surprises, and many a shock to our complacency. This is the domain of the planet Uranus, which today starts moving forward again after months of seemingly traveling in reverse as seen against the starry backdrop of sky. Uranus is that part of our psyche (personal and collective) which seeks authenticity – and the freedom within which to express it. Wherever Uranus travels in our personal horoscopes, in that area of our lives we are encouraged to be ourselves.

This is not always easy to do. Humans are inherently social – arguably, our species’ ‘genius’ is our ability to cooperate; which generally necessitates rules about how to do so. From these arise what’s taboo, what’s allowed, what’s required : cultural conditioning we generally absorb before we even have the idea of questioning what we ‘know’ is right – because we’ve been taught appropriate behaviors since before our first words.

This questioning of the rules is the work of Uranus. In it’s quest to teach us our freedom, Uranus asks : Where have you compromised your authentic self to fit in with the rules of society ? How have you settled for a safe, predictable, socially approved life, and what has it cost you to do so ? Have you failed to adapt to new conditions – in short, where are you stuck ? And, where do you need a bit of a kick to get unstuck ?

The method of Uranus are therefore often ungentle. Some years ago, I was working in a safe , predictable job. I’d been there for years, and really needed to move on, and focus on developing a new career. I didn’t. Uranus came to that part of my birth chart associated with career (my tenth house cusp). About a week later – I didn’t work there anymore. Uranian ‘teachings’ often have a quality of shock, of suddenness – the unforeseen occurrence, the unexpected insight, the unusual. “Whatever you think will happen (in Uranian times), it’s something else.”. I didn’t expect a sudden career change – and, while I didn’t enjoy what happened at the time, the jolt shook me out of my rut and precipitated many wonderful changes. If I’d had myself as an astrological client at that time, I’d have been talking to myself about leaving my safe, boring job for one that might allow me to be happier, more alive, more authentic.

Something like that is wanting to happen for you. While I don’t know where in your life this questioning is happening, I do know a bit about when, which brings me to the topic of retrogrades : when a planet appears to go backwards for a while. Generally, when a planet is retrograde it means that it’s time to review an area of life, and go deeper.. On 29 July 2016, Uranus appeared to stop moving forward, and head backwards for a while. It was in the 24’th degree of Aries when this happened, and from the end of July through today (29 December 2016, Uranus at 20 degrees of Aries), the inquiry of ‘where do I need to create more freedom to be authentic’ has been heading deeper, seeking complex and sophisticated answers about where you need to be more brave. It’s a bit like doing research into a new area, or exploring unfamiliar parts of a city : first you explore, not understanding what you find. You then return with new perspectives gleaned from what you’ve found, that change what was familiar into something fresh.

Today, the rising, returning journey begins. It will last until 15 April 2016, when Uranus returns to where the deep dive began, at the end of July. From now until then there are habits to shed, insights to integrate, and strange new behaviors to practice. Where is it you need to be free ? Where might you say “Yes” ? And where must your love and respect for your self require that you say “No” ? Answers are rising from your inner depths…

Because I don’t have your birth chart, I can’t personalize this to you, dear reader – with an exception or two: For anyone born between April 10 and 14 (of any year), this exploration of authenticity has to do with changes to your identity. The transiting Uranus has been conjunct your natal Sun. This is a Big Deal, and if you’ve lost anything significant, consider whether what you’ve lost is actually ‘you’ – or what you have been taught to believe is you. Either way, you are being challenged to integrate your insights into who you truly are, and are becoming,  right around April 15, 2017. And yes, there may be a test.