In the year 2021, the Saturn Uranus square provides the energetic backdrop for the world at large, and many of us personally. Three times this year, Saturn and Uranus will be exactly ninety degrees apart in the zodiacal wheel:
- February 17th, at 7 degrees Aquarius and Taurus
- June 14th, at 13 degrees Aquarius and Taurus
- December 24th, at 11 degrees Aquarius and Taurus
If you have planets that fall at 7*, 11*, or 13* in a fixed sign, then this alignment has medicine for you.
So, let's talk about each planet's base signatures, and how Saturn and Uranus interact when in square.
Modus Operandi: Saturn
One's true character can be determined by observing their reactions to an array of situations or stimuli. So let's apply this to the planets.
If we sat Saturn down at a table with a cell phone showing multiple notifications, a shard of limestone, and a basket of delicious fruit, then told Saturn that he must choose the one which is most valuable to him, he would choose the limestone shard.
Principally, Saturn is only delighted by that which lasts the test of time. All that breaks, rots, or is deemed inconsequential is discarded. Saturn shows its best self in destiny, in oaths of duty and devotion, in organizations/structures/institutions built tried-and-true, and in the prevailing conditions of life (for example, death).
These days, that which lasts is not always good for us, Earth, or our fellow Earth dwellers. [I've written at length around the modern pollution of Saturn and the divine masculine.] As a result, we often see only the symptoms of polluted Saturn. And that is why I prefer to distill Saturn--and all our planets--to its basic principle: here, honoring that which outlasts us.
Modus Operandi: Uranus
They say Uranus is unpredictable. But, you can be certain that when presented the same situation as Saturn at the table--even if Uranus is starving and Vitamin C-deprived--Uranus chooses the cell phone. After all, the phone can be used to order a fruit basket, or better yet, some Vitamin C tablets. And there are those notifications that must be looked into.
The basic principle of Uranus is immediacy. Uranus is concerned with the Now. And so astrologers tie Uranus to surprises, epiphanies, and unpredictable events (which bring us into the Now); to revolutions and revolutionaries (which demand change Now); to modern technology (which needs our attention Now); to individuation/individualism (as the presence of the other(s) can over-contextualize the Now); and in Medical astrology, to the lightning-fast nervous system (an empowered Uranus = quick reflexes, a weakened Uranus = hyperactive nervous system).
Uranus wants us to be in the moment, and not concern ourselves with how we got here or what's to follow.
Saturn and Uranus in Synergy
Just as with the other outer planets, a healthy mixture of Saturn can bring great spiritual potency to Uranus, delivering meaning to the moment as with Zen Buddhism or lyric poetry. Likewise, often an infusion of Uranus energy can aid Saturn's process of revealing and shedding deficiencies and untruths within a system, object, or life form.
Working in unison, Saturn and Uranus are an unlikely duo revealing resounding truths and making moments meaningful. In 2021, however, the two planets are moving in and out of square with one another, and so the result is less flowing, and more calling for adjustment.
Saturn & Uranus: Incompatible Set Designers of the 2021 World Stage
If all the world's a stage, the planets, Sun, and Moon are something like the set crew, at least energetically. And we humans work with what we're given. In 2020, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto were our set designers. In 2021, it's the Saturn Uranus square.
As of late February, we have already witnessed some tone-setting scenes, such as the storming of the US capitol, the military coup in Myanmar, the unfathomable and indecent disaster capitalism following the winter storms in Texas, and the far-reaching overstory of information integrity. I will break down something a bit lighter as an example: Reddit vs. Wall Street.
Uranian Reddit users revealed a glaring defect and imbalance in the stock market by embarrassing short-selling Wall Street parasites and driving up GameStop stocks exponentially. The chasms in the Wall Street pavement were obvious for all to see. The systemic structure is anything but sound, is clearly a wildly inaccurate indicator of an economy's health, and requires major adjustment in order to survive the age (if it should survive, of course).
You can see the immediate incompatibility of Saturn and Uranus (like oil in water, seriously) in the greater narrative. The Uranian action of the Redditors was embedded in the Now, and not conscientious of the consequences. In the aftermath, if Wall Street has its way, the stranglehold on wealth will only tighten as financiers have been made to look petty by those they consider average people. (We have seen what sort of action those in power feel entitled to take when they feel threatened. ) The outlook for immediate healthy adjustments isn't good.
A Chance for Lasting Change
That's the thing about Saturn and Uranus. They aren't a natural duo, and so the conflicts they stir up take a very long time to settle. Sometimes, they never do. But lasting, large-scale change takes time to develop. And we need a long-term, Saturnian view of the problems that Uranus reveals.
From a cosmic perspective, all of the seeming disorder presents great chances for positive change, systemically and personally. Perhaps the greatest changes of all are the ones that take more than a lifetime to occur, and by taking strong personal stances--not just in words, but in how we choose to live our lives--we can foster the growth of better, life-feeding cultures for future generations. If you had any questions entering 2021 about what needs to change, just pay attention. And if you wish to make your moments meaningful, prepare to chart a new course accordingly.
w/ Love
Phil
