Aquarius is ruled by the planet Uranus, known as the Great Awakener. It is the first of the transpersonal planets in our solar system, those which lie beyond the orbit of Saturn and are not visible to the naked eye. As a transpersonal planet, Uranus compels us to move beyond our ego identification and connect with the universe on a soul level. It propels us to new levels of consciousness and being.
Uranus was discovered in 1781 by telescope maker William Herschel. Uranus is unique having the coldest planetary atmosphere in our solar system. It is also unique because its axis of rotation is tilted sideways. Its north and south poles lie where most other planets have their equators.
The discovery of Uranus coincided with political and social movements towards liberty around the world, including the American and French revolutions. Uranus is associated with the urge toward freedom, independence, originality and individuation. It is the breaker of traditions and established order. Its urge is progressive and futuristic. A lightening rod to the masses, Uranus rules group experiences. It represents the principle of evolutionary change, both for the individual and the collective.
The force of Uranus destroys the old to make room for the new. Uranus shakes loose the constricting influence and crystallizations of Saturn. It displaces and overthrows established attitudes and structures that have outlived their usefulness. It is the unpredictable hurricane-like force destroying that which no longer serves us, or limits our freedom to grow. Uranus bestows “divine discontent,” an inner urge that propels us towards our next growth opportunity, or towards greater personal freedom. It pushes us to create change and excitement in our life.
The influence of Uranus is often unpredictable. It rules sudden, unexpected changes of a radical and shocking nature that shake our foundations. It stops our world as if to say, “Things have to change!” The force of Uranus rushing through our lives and disrupting our routines can feel disquieting, unsettling, even traumatizing. Its purpose is to take down whatever structures have outlived their usefulness. It liberates us from the confines of convention and urges us to create anew. Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters are ruled by Uranus.
In astrology Mercury rules the lower mind’s cognitive processes, while Uranus rules the higher mind: intuition, innovation, and creative genius. Uranus governs the part of our intellect that enables us to make connections and associations between pieces of information, and recognize patterns and gain insights. Uranus as the “voice of God” symbolizes intuition in the form of lightening fast insights, bright ideas, and eureka moments. The medium for Uranian creative intelligence is electromagnetic energy. It is etheric and electric in nature. When we tap into Uranus we receive flashes of insight and spontaneous downloads of understanding. By tuning into Uranian energy you can develop your latent creative abilities.
On March 13, 2011 the planet Uranus began its seven year journey through the first sign of the zodiac, Aries. It will complete its transit of Aries this coming May. This has been a cosmic new beginning, ushering us into the 2000 year Age of Aquarius. In the sign of Aries, Uranus encourages and inspires us to become more confident, self-aware, self-contained, and action oriented. It urges us to embrace our independent, pioneering, assertive energy and take risks in life. It fills us with new energy, vitality, courage and creativity as we embark upon the New Age of Aquarius. We are only at the beginning of this exciting phase of human evolution. We will have centuries to explore and deepen our understanding of Aquarius through our collective experience.
“True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.”
– Edith Wharton