Uranus Square Pluto: Clash of the Titans

At 4:14 AM EDT today, Uranus and Pluto formed an exact square, an aspect they will engage in six more times between now and March 2015.

Known as the Great Awakener, Uranus enlightens and liberates whatever it touches, but as a planet of extremes, the road to illumination is often paved with chaos and littered with casualties.

Meanwhile, Pluto transforms whatever it touches, and if the original form must be destroyed in the process, so be it. The Lord of the Underworld shows no mercy.

The last time Uranus and Pluto confronted each other in this manner was during the 1930’s when Uranus was once again in Aries and Pluto was in Cancer.

Like today, during those years, the world witnessed great technological advances, and also like today, Europe and the USA were in the throes of a widespread economic downfall.

Throughout Europe as hunger spread and hope faded, dictators rose to power on the backs of their demoralized citizens who were desperate, and distracted by the immediate need to feed their hungry children, and in the USA, thousands of banks failed, over a million families lost their farms and tens of thousands were evicted.

At this very moment, we are witnessing a global economic crisis, and here in the USA, morale is plummeting as our rights are diminishing, unemployment is rising and foreclosures have become an epidemic.  If not for credit cards and the ability to make one monthly payment, many more families would be hungry and homeless.

Although they do not follow the same exact course, planetary cycles and history do repeat themselves, and it would be wise to consider that despite the New Deal, this nation did not recover from the Great Depression until after it went to war.

One of the benefits of studying history is to learn from our mistakes, and one of the benefits of astrology is that it can give us a heads up about potential challenges and the opportunity to prepare for, or ideally avert, them.

As shown in the accompanying chart (click to enlarge), when Uranus and Pluto meet for the last time in March 17, 2015, Pluto will be applying a conjunction to the USA’s second house, Uranus will be squaring the second and eighth house cusps (the axis of money).

In mundane astrology, the second house represents the nation’s wealth and assets, its purchasing power, stock exchanges, banks and all places and activities connected to national wealth, and the eighth house represents the its income from exports to foreign nations, interest rates, tax rates, mortality rates, insurance companies and the National debt.

With Mars simultaneously applying a conjunction to the nation’s Chiron in its fourth house, which represents the nation’s housing conditions as well as its patriotism, it is likely that the public will not only be hurting but rebelling. Mars is a key player at this time because just days earlier it will trigger a cardinal cross involving transiting Uranus and Pluto and the USA’s natal Sun and Saturn.  When one considers the positions and rulerships of all the players, the interpretive scope of this cardinal cross falls just short of the entire chart.

By the time Pluto officially crosses into the nation’s second house (wealth) on January 1, 2016, Uranus will be approaching its last opposition to the USA’s Saturn, which rules its second house and is located in its tenth house (world standing, Chief Executive/ruling power), as well as its last square to the nation’s axis of money and final conjunction to the nation’s fourth house Chiron.

In an individual’s chart, such transits warn of the potential for a complete and utter breakdown financially, professionally and personally, and in the nation’s chart, the warning is no less dire. From now until then there are several significant transits, notably April 2014 when a powerful T-Square will be created as Pluto opposes the nation’s Sun while Uranus squares them both. In mundane astrology, the Sun represents the Head of State, which clearly suggests that  2014 will be an extremely challenging year no matter who occupies the White House.

However, by being forewarned of this potential, we have the opportunity to influence the outcome, and this first square is bringing us to the fork in the road.

From my perspective, it is no coincidence that this aspect is coinciding with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Health Care Act.  At issue is whether the Federal government has the right to issue a mandate requiring the public to purchase health insurance or be threatened with punishment. In the USA’s chart, Uranus rules the third house, which in mundane astrology represents all forms of communications, and Pluto rules the twelfth, which among other things presides over any type of involuntary services or acts imposed upon the public.

Although not yet released to the public, this ruling was decided before the aspect became exact, and it will play a pivotal role in the path of this nation.  If the Court fails to strike down the mandate, the Federal government will have unprecedented power to control the public through commercial measures they contend are in our best interest.  To what extent it would be exercised would remain to be seen, but given the dictatorial nature of Pluto in Capricorn and the continuing erosion of  personal rights, there is a legitimate concern for abuse.

During the next several years, the world will experience varying degrees of social, political and economic upheaval on a collective level.

However, the influence of this lengthy series of Uranus-Pluto squares on a personal level will depend upon the individual’s horoscope.  For many, it will coincide with a time of crisis, while for others it will correspond with growth and success.

Like all cycles, this too shall pass, and as we face the challenges ahead we should remember that an overwhelming number of those who came of age during the Uranus-Pluto squares of the 30’s not only survived, but thrived, and are now considered by many to be “the greatest generation.”

In our own peaceful way, may we too earn that distinction.