Working with Uranus: Is it Time for Change?
My job as an astrologer is to let you know what the future has in store, but also to help you navigate the energies coming into your life.
Uranus is all about change, freedom, and the unexpected. The energy it brings can be invigorating and magnetic, but it can also be unstable and chaotic.
When transiting Uranus makes a big connection with the planets in your natal chart, you can expect an eventful year! And even when it doesn't make any aspects to your natal planets, the House (area of life) it goes through can undergo impactful changes.
Most times, transiting Uranus will touch your natal chart 3 times, within about a year. The first time, the issue is brought into your awareness. The second time (during its retrograde motion), Uranus will trace over the same degree of the Zodiac and reactivate the issue, giving you a chance to adjust and decide on the best course of action. It’s time to do some serious soul-searching, and to adjust OR figure out what kind of changes are needed.
And, when Uranus turns direct, goes over the same sensitive spot in your natal chart again and makes its third and final connection, the issue will become more pressing. You will need to resolve it – because if you don’t, other people or circumstances can do that for you instead!
What Kind of Changes?
Well, it depends on the House (area of life) Uranus is moving through in your chart. Is it visiting your 7th House of Relationships, and you happen to be happily married? Start thinking of a new adventure that your spouse and you can embark on together, to bring some fresh air into your marriage. Or….your marriage could go through some changes you may or may not want.
I have seen separations – but also unexpected marriage proposals! – happening when Uranus goes through the 7th House. I've also seen other types of changes in a relationship, such as one spouse retiring, with the rhythm of the relationship changing as a result.
Is Uranus about to move into your 6th House of Work and Health? Introduce some healthy lifestyle changes, shake up your routine at work a bit - but also, expect some surprises.
Uranus moved into my 6th House while I was on a maternity leave. When I came back, I couldn’t recognize my job! I had a new boss who introduced so many changes, and who had such a different style, that it became a wild ride.
These are just some of the examples. Uranus can bring disruptions and experiences that feel electrifying and chaotic at the same time. It’s like life is filled with nervous, jittery energy all of a sudden. Life under a Uranus transit is not boring, that’s for sure!
But...Are These Changes Good or Bad?
The Uranus energy is neutral. It’s the energy of change, meant to keep us evolving and moving forward. It’s called the Great Awakener for a reason: if something in your life has become too stale or too stifling, it will prompt you to address that.
The changes it brings might be just what your soul craves. Or, you might throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak, and don’t realize it until it’s too late.
To quote Steven James: “Change is not always a good thing. What I need is not change from one thing to another but transformation from who I am into who I was meant to become”.
So here are some tips and common scenarios I’ve seen over the years.
Don’t Just Look to “Fix the Gap”
OK so you feel like something is not working in your life, and you're frustrated and ready to change things up. Don't look to just fix "the gap". Look at the entirety of your needs in that area.
This will be especially important if you’re going through a Uranus Half-Return (we all experience it between the ages of 41-44).
I often see clients going for what they are MISSING in their life ("the gap"), without looking at the other side of the ledger – what would they be LOSING? There may be some very good things in your current situation, that you’re taking for granted (we all do – such is human nature. We get used to good things very quickly).
Figure out what you need to keep. How easily could you do without it?
Maybe your big job has become too demanding. Too much stress. Too many people to keep happy. Too many sleepless nights. You give it up and go to work for a non-profit (as one of my clients did).
Yes, the pressures of that big job are now gone. But so is the big paycheck.
Or, you're frustrated and angry at your jerk of a boss. You resign with a flourish (and burn some bridges along the way). And then you get yourself a new job. Hoorah!
Your new boss in your new job lavishes praise and appreciation on you. What a wonderful change from that grouchy jerk at the job you resigned from. Oh wait! But…Ms. Nice is not half as competent as Ms. Jerk in your old job. No one to go to for advice. You’re on your own resolving issues, while all Ms. Nice can do for you is cheer you on.
When you're in a grip of a powerful Uranus transit, DO figure out what drives your need for change. Chances are, Uranus is highlighting the areas of your life that have become stale. The spark is lost. The doldrums have set in. Your soul is missing something.
But take some time carefully weighing through all the pros and cons.
Uranus energy visiting your natal chart doesn’t always mean the thing you’re dissatisfied with is not working. All it means is that YOU feel stifled, and something in the situation is no longer nourishes your soul.
Scan Your Life for the “Doldrums” on a Regular Basis
Make it an annual habit to scan your life for the “doldrums" during Aquarius Season. After all, Aquarius is ruled by Uranus. It's a great time of the year to make some small changes in your life.
Bring in some freshness. Some spark. Some excitement. Don't let your life become stale to the point you feel dissatisfied, resentful or angry. People around you will feel it.
"If she is so unhappy working for us, why don't I find someone who appreciates the job, instead?"
"If he is so unhappy being married to me, maybe I'll find someone who appreciates what I have to offer".
If you don't want other people to make decisions for you, listen to Uranus. It's trying to tell you that change is needed. Every Aquarius Season, ask yourself, “Where do I feel stifled? Where do I crave more spark and freedom?"
And then make this change on your own terms.
Make Changes On Your Own Terms
But, what if something is not working in your life, but change feels scary for you? Your marriage has become stale, and yet it provides the security you crave, and you're not ready to do anything about it.
Or, that boss is a jerk, but the paycheck (or the team) make it all worth it.
If Uranus is about to square a planet in your natal chart, especially your Sun (overall change) or your Venus (your love life), changes may be imposed on you. Your spouse leaves..."Wow, I thought I was the one unhappy in this marriage!", you silently cry to yourself.
You get fired...
You get the picture.
If you're not ready for a big shift in your life, introduce a small change. Sign up for a dancing class with your spouse. Or a paragliding class. Do something that brings some fresh air into your relationship.
Get yourself assigned to a project in another department.
Make one small change that takes the pressure off.
Go for a Transformational Change!
But - and this is important - don't ignore what Uranus is trying to tell you, either. There is spark missing in your life somewhere. If, after a careful consideration, you know in your heart of hearts that a big change is the way to go - then it's the way to go!
Just make sure it's not change for the sake of change. Make it a transformational change that is for your greatest good!
There may be times when you've contemplated a change for a loooong time. Gave it some serious thought. Weighted all pros and cons. And in fact, you might have been working on it with no good results. If Uranus TRINES your natal planets (especially on its third pass), then all of a sudden things might accelerate to a speedy and positive resolution.
OK, but What Does This Mean for Me? Read If You're a Taurus, Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio, Capricorn or Virgo!
Uranus turns retrograde on August 28 2023. It will first retrace the degrees of the Zodiac it touched since May 12 2023 (23-19° Taurus).
If your natal Sun, personal planets, or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, MC or IC) are between 19-23° Taurus, Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio, Capricorn or Virgo, something in your life may be up for re-evaluation.
And this "something" may touch on the Uranus themes of freedom, independence, energizing change, and breaking out of stale routines that no longer nourish your soul.
Uranus will turn direct again on Jan. 26 2024. Between Jan. 26 and May 13 2024, it will revisit the same degrees of the Zodiac - 19-23° Taurus - for the third and final time. That's when the chances that have been brewing for the signs mentioned in this post may come to fruition.
For Aquarius and Leo, it can feel like an unwelcome or stressful experience. So get ahead of this energy! What has become stagnant in your life? Where do you need a change? What have you been neglecting (Your spouse? Your health? Your finances? Something else?) Make the necessary changes now, so they are not out of your hands when the Universe “serves” them to you.
If you are a Scorpio, you may have a choice to deal with or a decision to make. The options will be staying with the status quo, or introducing a change into your life.
For Capricorn and Virgo, there may be an easy, speedy resolution to a pressing issue in your life in 2024. Or to an issue you didn't even know was pressing!
And if you're a Taurus born May 9-16, 2023-2024 may be one of the most eventful, once-in-a-lifetime periods for you!
If this is you, you might like this reading.