10 Things You May not Know about Uranus

  ©2009 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 In 40 years of observing life through the lens of astrology, I’ve learned many valuable things about human beings. Some of what I’ve learned is shared in my ebooks (available at Moon Maven Publications), and to give you a taste of the new insights, here are a few brief excerpts focused on the planet Uranus and what it means in the birth chart.

 From An Astrological Guide to Self-Awareness, a thoroughly updated 2004 Edition of my classic text, now in ebook form:

How dull our lives would be without Uranus! It is the planetary force in our horoscopes that blasts us out of a rut when we’re too apathe­tic or fearful to make a needed change. Astrologers say about Uranus transits that you should “expect the unexpected,” for you can almost count on unusual and unforeseen events. It is also the planet of individuality, the force that keeps us from being monoto­nous clones of one another.

….Like Saturn and Mars, Uranus has the reputation of being a malefic; no doubt because it’s human to fear change and to suspect those who are different.  As we will discover, however, Uranus is the much-needed urge within the human soul to keep moving forward to new and ever-higher levels of consciousness, rather than to stagnate.  It is the planet of scientific discovery and of inventions. Without that part of our psyches, humanity would have remained in the Stone Age!

 Individuation is the process of be­coming progressively an individual in our own right. It’s inevitable to some degree in every life, how­ever involuntary it may be. Many of us are afraid to leave our personal wombs—including the safe but confining family circle, the secure but boring job, or the familiar but limited patterns of thought. Uranian people (and people under Uranus transits) have little choice but to strike out on their own—they are impelled to action by restlessness, a creative itch, and a discomfort with the status quo.

….They are pushed to greater and greater individuation, through increasingly ethereal but no less difficult birth canals.  The greater the degree of individuation, however, the more starkly such people stand out against the con­forming masses, and the more vulnerable they become to society’s fear of people who are different. It is an achingly lonely position. Fromm says that the higher the pinnacle of individuation we reach, the greater the corresponding urge to blend back into the safe and comforting crowd.

 From Astrological Analysis: Selected Topics in Chart Interpretation

 In the house where Uranus is located, people show their unconventional side by frequently doing things that fly in the face of convention in matters related to that house. With Uranus in the 3^rd house, for instance, such people often embrace — and speak or write about — unconventional, modern, or even radical points of view, though their viewpoint would tend to shift dramatically from time to time. With Uranus in the 11^th, they would have friendships with unusual, eccentric, or even rebellious types, with new people coming and going frequently.  

…. People with Venus–Uranus aspects usually have a unique sense of style, to put it mildly. They are in no sense part of the mainstream, though the mainstream often winds up following their trend-setting creations.  Examples include Richard Simmons, Carrot Top, Elton John, Princess Diana, Queen Latifah, and Michael Jackson. (Astrological Analysis: Selected Topics in Chart Interpretation)

 From The Outer Planets as Vocational Indicators—The Outer Planets and Inner Life, v.1

 The career track would seldom be traditional when the 10^th house features Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto or the signs those planets rule—Aquarius, Pisces, or Scorpio. Typically, it takes people with these chart placements longer to find their true vocation, since they are challenged to integrate the energy of that outer planet into the workplace, merging the transpersonal with the vocational. For instance, people with Uranus near the Midheaven might gain recognition by shocking us and shaking up the status quo. People with Neptune near the Midheaven—say within 10° of it, might yearn for a career that is artistic and creative.

…. Uranians’ resumes tend to be full of mysterious gaps that give job interviewers the willies, and their references tend to be friends or colleagues rather than past employers. They tend to change jobs frequently and suddenly, particularly when bosses clamp down on them. Transiting Uranus is often the impetus for their vocational shifts, for it increases the restlessness and the need to adhere to their own authority rather than rather than former supervisors. However, they’re seldom jobless for long unless they want to be, because they’re usually so bright at what they do that they dazzle potential employers into ignoring the personnel officer’s “red flags” of warning. (They’re also inventive enough to come up with plausible reasons for their spotty job history.)

 Over time, they tend to change careers as well, when they no longer find their old field challenging enough or when technology evolves in interesting new directions. They get bored with what they’re doing and move on. Alternately, the trend changes and their fifteen minutes of fame are up, and they’re back on the path of exploration and experimentation that characterizes their work life.

 From Outer Planet Aspects to Venus and Mars—The Outer Planets and Inner Life, v.2:

Uranian types are often gifted with flair and popular appeal. They tend to be unusual, unpredictable, unconventional, inventive, avant-garde, and even brilliant. You may wonder what Mars adds to the picture. When a Mars-Uranus aspect is in high focus, the native would work to blend Mars issues into the mix — such as energy, drive, leadership, initiative, competitiveness, sexuality, interpersonal conflict, and anger. 

….Gifted Uranians are ahead of their times in their work, beliefs, and visions, but Mars–Uranus types are more driven to convert others to their point of view or way of doing things or to do battle with those who disagree. Venus–Uranus individuals like Princess Diana, Angelina Jolie, and Susan Sarandon can win converts through exceptional charm and unusual, luminous beauty, but Mars–Uranus individuals like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Jesse Ventura are more likely to flex their (literal or figurative) muscles and growl.

 From Aspects between the Outer Planets—The Outer Planets and Inner Life, v.3:

In trying to understand the charts of young people born between 1988-98 with Uranus and Neptune conjunct, it helps to take a longer view of their potential. The same aspects that are problematic in the life of a child often wind up being exactly what they’ll need as adults—Uranian traits like independence and thinking outside the box, or Neptunian traits like empathy and imagination. In particular, the Capricorn phase of the Uranus-Neptune conjunction seems to give them an adult awareness of our severe global problems, coupled with feeling overwhelmed and powerless to take action. As adults, they’ll have the skills to make a difference.

  Though brief, I hope these excerpts have given you some new insights. To order any of these ebooks, visit Moon Maven Publications.  Skywriter Subscribers are eligible for a $5 discount on one $15 ebook this month. Choose a book, then forward the latest post and the name of your selection to me at moonmave@spiritone.com. (Don’t use the shopping cart, as this option doesn’t register there. When you write, I’ll give you directions.)  Not a subscriber?  Sign up for free at the link on the top right hand side of the blog. 

 More Posts about Uranus on this Blog:

• Uranian Ideas—Exceptional Thoughts about an Exceptional Planet
• Uranus In The Career Houses—“You’re Not The Boss Of Me!”
• Vocational Angst for the Pluto-Uranus in Virgo Generation
• Venus-Uranus Aspects among the Glitterati
• Venus-Uranus Aspects: Two-Minute Friends and other Modern Relationships
• Some Life Patterns of People with Uranus-Saturn Aspects in the Birth Chart
• Neptune & Uranus in Mutual Reception
• The Transiting Mars-Uranus Conjunction, Last of 4 

More Posts in the “Things You May not Know” Series:

• 6 Things You May Not Know about Pluto
• 7 Secrets You May not Know about the 12th House
• 12 Famous People with 12th House Suns

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