Uranus Square Pluto
From 2012 to 2016 the world will experience the effects of Uranus square Pluto, that is to say that these two slow-moving outer planets will be at a 90° angle triggering radical changes and upsets.
The concept of cyclic relationships between planets, synodic cycles, is a key element in astrology. The most familiar example of this is the Sun-Moon cycle of the lunar month. At the new moon the Sun and Moon are conjunct, at the same degree. At the first quarter they are 90° apart. The full moon has them opposing each other, 180° apart, and at the third quarter they’re back at 90° before returning to the next new moon. The conjunction (new moon) represents a new start. The first quarter or “opening square”, establishment of foundation. The opposition (full moon) is a peak of activity and encountering opposition which leads to the third quarter or “closing square”: culmination, greatest achievement or failure; maturation of the cycle. Lessons and fall-out get sorted out in the final quarter leading to the next conjunction.
Especially in geo-political astrology we look at the synodic cycles of outer planets. For thousands of years the outermost known planets were Jupiter and Saturn and the star-gazers paid special attention to the 20 year cycles between their conjunctions as the shapers of history. Since the discovery of more planets beyond Saturn we have longer, more complex synodic cycles to watch.
With the Uranus-Pluto opening square of 2012-2016 the cycle of those planets is especially important now. This represents a turning point based on the previous conjunction in the mid-1960’s. Uranus is about uprisings and innovation, Pluto is about revolutions, coercion, sexuality/reproduction, and other people’s money: (neo-)colonialism, taxes, insurance, gangsters and banksters. When you understand the meaning of Uranus and Pluto the mass uprisings and liberation movements of the 60’s fit right in. Since the beginning of the 19th century every conjunction, square, and opposition of Uranus and Pluto has been a time for mass uprisings, labor strikes in response to economic crises, and development of socialist theory and/or practice. The last conjunction previous to the 1960’s was in 1850-51, a time of revolutions sweeping across Europe.
The nature of these planets is not necessarily violent, but they are very provocative of all kinds of uprisings and where there is already violence they will be inflammatory. Poverty and bigotry are also forms of violence and where we see those expect the oppressed and aggrieved to stand up for their rights.
With Uranus in Aries (redefining issues of personal responsibility) and Pluto in Capricorn (destruction/transformation of hierarchies and power structures) we should especially expect a rise of revolutionary movements everywhere. In the US, the Tea Party and Occupation movements are both manifestations of this energy. So are the popular uprisings in Greece and the Arab world. At this writing (December 2011) Pluto and Uranus have come close to the square and backed away. We’ve only had a hint. As the outer planets retrograde every year, they pass back and forth, in this case making the exact square 7 times over 4 years before they move away from each other.
What all this actually means – beyond the obvious global implications of uprisings and struggles, huge changes hard wrought – will vary from one country to another and will be a frequent topic in my geo-political astrology blog.
Star Currents: Astro-Analysis of the News