The discovery of Uranus in 1781 rocked both the astronomical and astrological community. ‘For thousands of years,’ Steven Forrest says, ‘Astrology had been a closed system. There were seven planets, counting the sun and the moon. Seven had been taken as a magic number. Rainbows had seven hues. Octaves had seven notes. Weeks had seven days. Seven kept appearing in mystical traditions: the seven chakras or energy centres of the physical body, the seven churches of the Book of Revelations. There was something right and comforting about having seven planets in the sky. For millennia that simple observation had served as quick “proof” of astrology’s validity.’
The instant the eighth planet, Uranus, was discovered, the ‘neat, tight system crumbled.’ Astrologers were at a loss. The system of seven planets had so eloquently represented the circle of life, from the Sun (vitality) through to Saturn (death and finality). How did this new planet fit in? And what did it mean?
It took a while to figure it out. In the meantime two more flies in the ointment emerged: Neptune and Pluto.
Today we understand Uranus to speak of individuality and freedom. ‘Nothing is more delightful to it than the prospect of mutiny, ‘ says Forrest. ‘It is independent, rebellious, headstrong, colorful… No planet is more unpredictable.’
Where Uranus lies in our chart, we see the ‘high drama of rebellion’ crackling in our mental circuitry. ‘It symbolises an area in which our essence makes war on the constraints imposed on us by our culture’, Forrest explains. ‘To be true to ourselves, we must break the rules. And in breaking them, we get into trouble. We are forced to develop and defend our individuality.’
Some quick facts: Ruler of Aquarius, Uranus orbits 2′870′990′000 km from the Sun. Its orbit lasts 84 years.
For more on Uranus: see Forrest’s book The Inner Sky, and the articles at http://www.astro.com/.
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