Casualties of the Uranus-Pluto Square

On September 19, Uranus and Pluto, planets of chaos and crisis, will form an exact square, and in predictive astrology it’s an established principle that by the time an aspect becomes exact the related events have already occurred.

When the assaults that resulted in the murders of four U.S. citizens including its Ambassador to Libya began on September 11, Uranus and Pluto were well within orb of their upcoming square. The purported reason for the deadly (Pluto) protests is the offensive nature of an Internet Video (Uranus).

As Uranus and Pluto moved forward on their path towards an exact square, the daily headlines reported that an “anti-American fury” was spreading throughout the Middle East, and once transiting Mars (anger/initiation/violence) began applying a quincunx (awkward/adjustment) to transiting Jupiter (expansion/global/media), the protests escalated as a U.S. school in Tunis was ransacked and burned, protesters gathered outside the US Embassy in London, both  German and American embassies were compromised in Sudan and demonstrators took to the streets in Australia.

And this is only the second of seven battles between Uranus and Pluto.

Their first clash occurred in June 2012 coincided with the Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld the Affordable Health Care Act, which will fundamentally transform (Pluto) the USA’S health care system into a national social-welfare program Uranus). Although the Uranus-Pluto square will continue to exert its influence on this matter in the coming years as certain lawmakers attempt to repeal the law and/or certain public factors rebel against its implementation, any aggression connected to it is likely to continue to be verbal rather than physical.

The same cannot be said for the current situation.

Sadly, this is not a drill. This is a preview.

Like the 1930’s and 1960’s, changes are coming and they’re more likely to resemble the ‘30’s rather than the 60’s.

Astrologically speaking, back in the 60’s, the Uranus-Pluto aspect was a mutable (creative/flexible) conjunction in Virgo. Conjunctions represent blended energies and are associated with birth and beginnings that involve gestation (conception and development), labor (efforts to implement it) and delivery (achievement).

In contrast, the current aspect is a cardinal (initiating/driven) square, a highly stressful aspect that creates tension that motivates, stimulates and precipitates actions. Like the 1930’s, the current square involves Uranus in Aries but this time it is in conflict with Pluto in Capricorn (ambitious) rather than Pluto in Cancer (protective).

Historically speaking,  conditions in the USA as well as across the globe  were volatile and punctuated with violence during the “radical ’60’s.” However, during those years the USA enjoyed an undisputed position of strength and authority after emerging from World War II as a global superpower.  The nation’s economy was sound as it experienced a lengthy period of economic expansion where big businesses prospered,  incomes rose and the unemployment rate fell as low as 3.8%, the latter largely occurring due to the demands of the military draft in response to the escalating Vietnam war.

In sharp contrast, back in the 1930’s the USA, along with much of Europe, was struggling to stay afloat in the midst of widespread poverty that came to be known as the Great Depression.  In the years following  the stock market crash, the U.S. witnessed the failure of thousands of its banks and businesses.  As the unemployment rate exceeded 20%, millions of people found themselves homeless.

Planetary cycles and history repeat themselves.

The current Uranus-Pluto square is again accompanied by an economic crisis of global proportions. Throughout the USA, credit cards and the ability to make one monthly payment is all that stands between families and hunger, and as it persists on a downward spiral, its position in the world continues to be challenged.

Make no mistake about it. From now until March 2015, these planetary Goliaths are playing for all of the marbles.

So what does that mean for us?

Collectively, it means that like the 1930’s, for the next few years many will experience hardship and deprivation while others enjoy abundance and good fortune.

While many of my clients feel their lives and dreams are being crushed as Uranus and Pluto create hard aspects to their charts, others who previously encountered emotional and financial defeat are beginning to experience success as they enjoy a positive flow of transformative energy from Uranus and Pluto.

However, it is important to remember that just as important as the influences upon our respective birth charts, and actually even more so, is our free will.

The stars may impel us, but our individual outcome is ultimately rooted in our past decisions and future choices.

As I contemplate the tumultuous road ahead, I am reminded of the words of one of the most influential men in history, Charles Darwin, who said:

It is not the strongest of the species that survives,
nor the most intelligent that survives.
It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. 

In the years to come, we will do well to heed his words.