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Uranus
Tarot Card: Major Arcana Number: Sephirah: Sephirah Number:
The Star 17 None None iiiiiii
Uranus, the ruling planet of Aquarius, indicates the area of a chart where one has future hopes and wishes, where one looks toward the future and finds optimism, and where one may find individualism and idiosyncrasies which are to be embraced. It may also show the nature of friends and acquaintances, those one gravitates toward the most within the world, and even beyond it. Uranus is a planet of the "odd" and the idiosyncratic, the eccentric and the unexpected. Its placement can indicate where sudden changes may occur, which can sometimes be quite drastic. Being such a planet and archetype, it represents new and unforeseen opportunities, fresh ideas, new directions, new approaches and new interests. Uranus is a bit like the window through which new and different experiences may enter. Sometimes the light coming through may seem strange and unfamiliar, but this is to be embraced and developed, adding to one's sense of freedom and unique contribution while in the world.
Uranus itself is quite an odd planet. Its axis of rotation is tilted so far to the side that its north and south poles are where most other planet's equators are found. So, one could say that Uranus, as a planet, is saying "I'm free to do what I want. I'm rebellious. I don't like 'normal.' The rules can be bent. See?" Likewise, the rings of Uranus encircle it a bit like an archery target as seen from Earth. This planet definitely symbolizes one's need to aim for a new future that is unlike the past and that is filled with true freedom and expressions of individuality. This very future oriented aspect of Uranus invariably connects it to the reality of technology and technological advancement and the different freedoms and global awareness this has given rise to. But given that Uranus represents newness in every way, one's definition of freedom itself may need to change and grow in order to accommodate a new and greater reality based on a new and different set of circumstances.
A great book on this Uranian subject is Arno Gruen's book The Insanity of Normality. Many of the things Arno discusses in the book may be summed up by looking at the placement of Uranus in one's birth chart. The Rebel Uranus needs real freedom and authentic expression rather than the ready made pseudo-rebellions and pseudo-freedoms given as social options where an individual can safely unplug and be "different" while simply becoming the same all over again. This raises the important questions; what does it truly mean to be an individual, and what does it truly mean to be free?
Uranus itself is quite an odd planet. Its axis of rotation is tilted so far to the side that its north and south poles are where most other planet's equators are found. So, one could say that Uranus, as a planet, is saying "I'm free to do what I want. I'm rebellious. I don't like 'normal.' The rules can be bent. See?" Likewise, the rings of Uranus encircle it a bit like an archery target as seen from Earth. This planet definitely symbolizes one's need to aim for a new future that is unlike the past and that is filled with true freedom and expressions of individuality. This very future oriented aspect of Uranus invariably connects it to the reality of technology and technological advancement and the different freedoms and global awareness this has given rise to. But given that Uranus represents newness in every way, one's definition of freedom itself may need to change and grow in order to accommodate a new and greater reality based on a new and different set of circumstances.
A great book on this Uranian subject is Arno Gruen's book The Insanity of Normality. Many of the things Arno discusses in the book may be summed up by looking at the placement of Uranus in one's birth chart. The Rebel Uranus needs real freedom and authentic expression rather than the ready made pseudo-rebellions and pseudo-freedoms given as social options where an individual can safely unplug and be "different" while simply becoming the same all over again. This raises the important questions; what does it truly mean to be an individual, and what does it truly mean to be free?
The Discovery of Uranus
Uranus was discovered in 1781 near the start of the Industrial Revolution that began two decades earlier in 1760. The world was becoming interconnected in ways never seen before, and new technologies were beginning to change the way human beings interacted, worked, travelled and thought. How people even conceived of the world and the universe began to change dramatically, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. But this is a necessary progression and transition, one that we are still seriously grappling with over 200 years later. The opportunities of such a transition become tremendous, many of which we have not yet fully entered, though the dangers and hazards are also very real and ever looming. The dangers and hazards themselves are often the catalysts for greater opportunity and innovation that will tip the scale toward more beneficial rather than detrimental use of technology and the freedoms it can provide. But this is where the definition of freedom may shift quite drastically from how it was conceived of in the past.
What is freedom? Is it the freedom to move around unimpeded? Yes that could be one definition of it. Is it the freedom to associate with whomever you please, to think and conceive of things however you please, and to create things and indulge in things in whatever way you please so long as you do not harm another? Yes, these are all essential aspects of freedom, but there is something missing from them, and that is the element of responsibility and purpose. Without responsibility and purpose, freedom is merely chaotic, destructive and wasteful. In other words, it is unconscious.
This great trial and error learning process has been unfolding in myriad ways since 1781 with the discovery of different chemicals, different elements and different physics principles, all stemming from and also leading to experiments that have been both incredibly helpful incredibly destructive to both humanity and the planet itself. Exactly which discoveries are helpful and which are harmful is heavily debated in philosophical, environmental and scientific circles. The shocking nature of Uranus has certainly shown itself in grand fashion over the past two centuries, and there is still yet more to come. These times bring up very fundamental questions about existence. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to balance true spirituality with this exponential spike in technological advancement? How can a deeper spiritual awareness help temper and limit the misuse of technology? It may seem counterintuitive, but these challenging developments will indeed awaken a deeper conscience and awareness within the human heart that is beyond anything humanity has yet carried in the world.
What is freedom? Is it the freedom to move around unimpeded? Yes that could be one definition of it. Is it the freedom to associate with whomever you please, to think and conceive of things however you please, and to create things and indulge in things in whatever way you please so long as you do not harm another? Yes, these are all essential aspects of freedom, but there is something missing from them, and that is the element of responsibility and purpose. Without responsibility and purpose, freedom is merely chaotic, destructive and wasteful. In other words, it is unconscious.
This great trial and error learning process has been unfolding in myriad ways since 1781 with the discovery of different chemicals, different elements and different physics principles, all stemming from and also leading to experiments that have been both incredibly helpful incredibly destructive to both humanity and the planet itself. Exactly which discoveries are helpful and which are harmful is heavily debated in philosophical, environmental and scientific circles. The shocking nature of Uranus has certainly shown itself in grand fashion over the past two centuries, and there is still yet more to come. These times bring up very fundamental questions about existence. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to balance true spirituality with this exponential spike in technological advancement? How can a deeper spiritual awareness help temper and limit the misuse of technology? It may seem counterintuitive, but these challenging developments will indeed awaken a deeper conscience and awareness within the human heart that is beyond anything humanity has yet carried in the world.