The Old and the New - Saturn and Uranus

by Nancy Massing

In the study of astrology, we inevitably have to learn how different planetary pairs will combine and interact. Whilst all the possible combinations are important, some produce particularly significant, complex and challenging results. The combining of grim old Saturn and radical Uranus, is one such a pair. I hope here to share with you some ideas and examples regarding the relationship between these two that I have found enlightening.

In traditional astrology Saturn, prior to the discovery of Uranus, was the most distant planet known in the solar system and as such represented the end and outer limits of the known universe. Cronus

Uranus on the other hand is the first of the modern transpersonal planets, discovered on 13 March 1781 by William Herschel. It was the first new planet to be discovered outside the traditional paradigm in centuries. Its discovery is associated with a period of technological advancement and a number of significant social and cultural developments also occurred around this time namely: the French and Industrial Revolutions, the American War of Independence (latter 1700s). Amongst Uranus’ many eccentricities is its unique axial rotation, as it orbits the Sun on its side or the ‘wrong’ axis (like a rolling ball versus a top). It was first named the Georgium Sidus (the Georgian Planet) in honour of King George III of England. In terms of the mythology associated with the planet Uranus, Ouranos was the sky god and this connotation links it with all things related to the sky such as astronomy, astrology and aviation. Several astrologers have proposed that Uranus is the embodiment of the archetype of Prometheus, the rebel who stole the illumining and liberating fire of the Gods to give it to humanity. In this, the ‘pioneering maverick’ and bold aspect of Uranus is depicted.

It is thus clear that there is a basic contrast between the nature of Saturn and Uranus: Saturn representing the limits of the known and Uranus boldly defying the confines of tradition. Robert Hand who himself was born with a Saturn-Uranus opposition in his chart, stated in Planets in Transit, “achieving a balance between the Saturn energy of order, discipline and predictability and the Uranus energy of change and original experience is one of the greatest challenges of life”. Change is inherent in everything and part of the evolutionary process where the old gives way to the new. The meeting of these two antagonists produces a tug of war and stress that challenges equilibrium and effects abrupt change and growth. It may not be a comfortable process, but a necessary one none the less.

Respective Cycles

There are some noteworthy associations between the respective cycles of Saturn and Uranus. Saturn takes 29 years to complete a cycle through the zodiac. It completes a quarter of this cycle in 7 years. Uranus takes 84 years to complete a round through the zodiac and 7 years to traverses a sign. A quarter Uranus cycle takes 21 years, which is three quarters of a Saturn cycle. This results in the context of individual life cycles, in certain important periods, when the cycles of both planets are at a critical point simultaneously. For example, at the age of 21; an age when individuals tend to gain freedom but also responsibilities, Saturn square Saturn (Saturn three quarter of the way to its return) and Uranus square Uranus (a quarter of its round). Between the age of 42 and 44 we experience a period generally known as ‘midlife crises’ with Uranus opposing natal Uranus and soon after a Saturn opposition to natal Saturn. That is, Uranus halfway to its first return and Saturn hallway to its second return. It has been widely observed even outside the astrological community that these are distinct and important milestones in our development.

We experience major change and reorientation during these cycles and periods in life; on the one hand through Saturnine limits, responsibilities and practical realities and on the other hand through Uranian life affirming freedom and visionary purpose.

Major aspects of Saturn Uranus 1897 - 2071 (Table 1)

Ray Grasse points out in his article Future Shock: Contemplating Uranus’s Next Return to Its Discovery Degree in the Mountain Astrologer (August/September 2017), that the discovery of Uranus coincided with a Saturn opposition. These cycles form the bedrock of this article. We are currently in a trine phase of Saturn and Uranus. Around the time of the first trine in December 2016, the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi instituted the controversial demonetisation policy (notebandi) of the Rs500 and Rs1000 Mahatma Gandhi series banknotes. Over the same period status quo was further overturned and the world needed to come to terms with Donald Trumps’ election. Time.com reported, “in one of the most shocking U.S. elections in modern political history, Donald Trump has defeated Hillary Clinton”. Trump’s election occurred over the build-up to, whilst his inauguration on 20 January 2017 transpired just after the first trine. During the second activation of the trine 84 of the Nigerian Chibok schoolgirls that were abducted by an extremist group in 2014 were released in exchange for Boko Haram suspects. We are yet to experience the last of the series in November 2017 and August 2018.

These examples demonstrate that even trines between such contrasting planets can produce results in any possible direction through the pattern of great tension and sudden release. Unlike Saturn, Uranus is not formally classified as a malefic, but its disruptive nature gives it these credentials and not even a trine can turn that into consistent cupcakes and cuddles. The positive qualities of the trine such as practical innovation require a rigour and discipline that is not for the fainthearted or lazy.

People and Events

Mary Shelley, the author of the novel Frankenstein wrote: “nothing is so painful to the human mind as great and sudden change”. She captured the spirit and experience of the Saturn- Uranus complex. Frankenstein is a ‘horror’ story about the technological resurrection of the dead. The book was completed in 1817 (Saturn-Uranus square) and the movie was released in November 1931 during the following Saturn-Uranus square (Table1).

Financial markets

Quoting Warren Buffet,

“it takes twenty years to build a reputation and it takes five minutes to lose it”.

Sounds like a Saturn-Uranus plummet and shock? His statement followed the news of the Solomon Brothers’ scandal during the 19 October 1987 financial crash (Graph 1), known as Black Monday occurred over the 1987 Saturn-Uranus conjunction (Chart 1).

This was not a random Saturn-Uranus occurance, as they are known to bring about global financial watersheds.

The 2008 banking crises followed the bankrupsy of Lehman Brothers investment bank on 15 September. The event was brought into focus by the full moon on the day (Chart 2).

29 September 2008 saw the largest market point drop in any single day in history, when the Dow Jones fell by 777.68 points. The event sparked biggest recession since the Great Depression. 

The actual exact Saturn-Uranus opposition occurred a few weeks later, on Barack Obama’s presidential election (4 November 2008). His presidency was put under immediate pressure in dealing with the financial crises that was at hand. Also, in true Saturn-Uranus promise his election shattered American tradition as the first ever African American president.

Aviation Disasters

Amongst the many themes of the Saturn-Uranus expressions mentioned in Richard Tarnas’ article World Transits 2000-2020: An Overview in the Journal of Archetypal Cosmology is also that of aviation accidents. Approximately 40% of the 30 random aviation disaster searches that I conducted, occurred during a Saturn-Uranus connection. Kalpana Chawla was an Indian by origin American astronaut and one of seven crew members on the space shuttle Columbia. On 1 February 2003 after a sixteen-day mission the space shuttle disintegrated upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Air India Express Flight 812 is said to be India’s third worst aviation disaster to date (chart 3). On 22 May 2010 the aircraft overshot the runway in Bangalore on landing and after falling over a cliff, caught alight. I remember all too well, receiving the fatal news of colleagues and passengers on flight SA295 (28 Nov 1987), whilst working for South African Airways. The year was 1988 and the event occurred whilst Saturn and Uranus were within close degrees of the conjunction. A similar fate befell the following aircrafts and occupants: the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision (12 November 1996), Egypt Air Flight 990 (31 Oct 1999), Tenerife Airport disaster (27 March 1977), Iranian Airliner flight 655 (3 July 1988), Air New Zealand Flight 901 (28 November 1979), and Turkish Airline Flight 6491 (16 January 2017).

Cassini – Huygens Mission

The Cassini–Huygens probe was an unmanned robotic spacecraft that explored Saturn, its rings, natural satellites and moons. It was the first to ever enter Saturn’s orbit and captured phenomenal data and images of its subject. Cassini was launched over the Saturn Uranus sextile in 1997 and ended its successful thirteen-year mission with a grand finale by plummeting into Saturn’s orbit on 15 September 2017 during the current trine (Table1).

Osho

Osho (Rajneesh) was born Chandra Mohan Jain, on 11 December 1931 (inner wheel Chart 4). He was an Indian cult leader of the Rajneesh movement, controversial mystic, guru, and spiritual teacher. He was a vocal and public advocate of capitalism, critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy during his travels through India. He was also labelled as ‘the sex guru’ in Indian and international press for his ‘unconventional’ and open approach towards human sexuality. Love him or hate him, as the expression goes, Osho was born with natal Saturn trine Uranus.

May 1971, during his midlife years (Uranus opposition to natal Uranus and Saturn square natal Saturn) Osho changed his name from Acharya Shree Rajneesh to Bhagwan (blessed one) Shree Rajneesh. He announced publicly for the first time his enlightenment which, he stated was attained in 1953 (transiting Saturn square natal Saturn and transiting Uranus opposite natal Saturn) [middle wheel Chart 4]. Osho died on 19 January 1990 during his Saturn return and transiting Saturn square natal Uranus (outer wheel Chart 4). The official (questioned by his followers) statement was that he died of congested heart failure.

Sir Winston Churchill

To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.
(Sir Winston Churchill)

Are we surprised to witness a Saturn-Uranus complex in Churchill’s birth chart? Born 30 November 1874 (inner wheel Chart 5), Winston Churchill was a provocative British statesman, army officer and writer. He had one foot in tradition and one foot in the future and at times tripping over each other.

He is this incredibly complex, contradictory and larger-than-life human being and he wrestled with these contradictions during his lifetime.
(Allen Packwood: director of the Churchill Archives Centre).

During Churchill’s transiting Saturn square natal Saturn and natal Uranus in 1925 he announced on 23 April, the reintroduction of the gold standard (middle wheel Chart 5). The consequences led to the British pound being too strong for effective exporting and resulted in strikes in 1926.

Churchill was “on the far right of British politics over India” and his views on India and Mahatma Gandhi, was “abhorrent” (Charmley). The activation of his parliamentarian opposition was during his Saturn return and Saturn opposing Uranus in 1933 (outer wheel Chart 5). There was great controversy over the India Bill as he was accused of attempting to disrupt government. At this juncture Churchill made a sharp and decisive break, away from Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin over India’s Independence.

Conclusion

Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy.
(Franz Kafka)

This sentiment of every new ultimately becoming the old and the cycle repeating itself over time is echoed in Frank Clifford’s article Uranus: A Community’s Compilation (Mountain Astrologer, August/September 2017). This evolutionary cycle of change is imbedded in the Saturn-Uranus promise. Continually re-inventing the wheel and assuring that nothing becomes too stale.

Image sources:
Charts and graphs: provided by the author

Published in: ivcconference.com/constellation-news/, 2018.

Author:
Nancy Massing has a Bachelor of Arts and Honours degree in Psychology, 2 year Diploma in Counselling and 3-year Diploma in astrological studies from the esteemed Rod Suskin School of Astrology.  Her career experience is diverse ranging from entrepreneurial enterprise, travelling the world extensively and award winning business woman in real estate. However, with a Mercury/ Uranus/Pluto stellium on her ascendant and Mercury lord of the ascendant and midheaven, she believes she has stepped into her true vocation and passion as a full-time Western Astrologer. Nancy is based in Cape Town but has a global client base – serving both local and international clients.  She also teaches a Beginners Foundation Course in western astrology and presents Advanced Predictive Techniques workshops to trainee astrologers. She is integrally involved in the Cape Astrology Association as the Chairperson, speaker and has been elected as the association’s chairperson from May 2017.
Website: www.nancymassing.com

© 2018 - Nancy Massing - Constellation News

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