Part III: The Opposition from Saturn to Uranus: 2008-2010

The first stage of the opposition is beginning to align at this moment, and in the US election we're seeing a vivid portrayal of the battle between the new America (Barack Obama) and the old America (John McCain).  Saturn represents the voice of the establishment, "the way it has always been done."  Uranus is the innovator - the unusual.  The One who does Not Belong.  

Over the past couple of years astrologers have looked to this major planetary cycle for clues as to who would win the election, with divided results.  Planets give us a weather map, but they do not reveal the future.  Who will prevail in this battle?  Just because Saturn won over Uranus in Greek mythology (see Part I) doesn't mean Saturn will always prevail.  After all, Uranus is the lanet with more astrological oomph.  In fact, the pull between Saturn and Uranus is a continuing process which begins with the radical urge of Uranus to bring change and new ideas puts pressure on Saturn to evolve and transform, resulting in tremendous resistance and fear and a longing for the past (Saturn).  When Saturn regains its foothold, the cycle begins again.

The current opposition cycle began with the conjunction of Saturn and Uranus in 1988-1989 which began in Sagittarius and moved into Capricorn.  This period witnessed the economic restructuring in the Soviet Union called perestroika which began the radical changes (Uranus) to the Soviet order (Saturn), and Soviet forces (Saturn) withdrew from Afghanistan under pressure from "freedom fighters" there (Uranus), setting the stage for the battle underway at the present time.  In Poland, the communist government (Saturn) legitimized the Solidarity trade union movement (Uranus).  Neptune became involved in that planetary system in February and March of 1989, resulting in the biggest oil (Neptune) spill in history, and a geomagnetic (Uranus) storm (Neptune) wiped out a huge power grid (Saturn), resulting in the loss of power to six million people.

The opening square occurred in 1999-2000 with Saturn in Taurus and Uranus in Aquarius.  At the time Enron traders of energy (Uranus) were circumventing established rules (Saturn) to create artificial energy shortages (Saturn again) and get rich.  The murder of young gay teen Matthew Shepard in late 1998 as the square began to form resulted in a battle in Congress over whether to include homosexuality (Uranus) in federal hate crime legislation (Saturn) which failed at that time, and Dr. Kervorkian pushed the legal envelope (Uranus) on physician assisted suicide and was found guilty (Saturn).  

Now we are in the opposition phase, where Saturn and Uranus are 180 degrees apart creating a tension that requires balance and assimilation.  The opposition will "perfect" in exact alignment on November 4, Election Day in the US.  It looks right now as if Barack Obama (Uranus) will be elected president, in which case the Saturn backlash that we're already seeing at McCain and Palin's campaign stops will continue to heat up.  Sarah Palin's "Joe Six Pack" and "Hockey Moms" are terrified of the change the Barack Obama represents.  He is like an alien to many who grew up in small towns with a homogeneous demographic, and for the Saturnian individual who cherishes stability and security above all else, the concept of Uranian liberation/chaos is horrifying.  On the other hand, for the Uranian individual, for whom personal liberty and social justice is paramount, the Saturnian need for control and pressure to confirm is similarly abhorrent.  This is the very battle which will take place over the next few years against the backdrop of Pluto's entry into Capricorn and the transformation (Pluto) of social and governmental structures (Capricorn).

As an American I am rather focused on the outcome of the US election, but this planetary cycle of course will affect the entire globe.  Every European country has experienced a wave of immigration that has been integrating the culture, and there will be a greater desire for human rights (Uranus) that shake the established order.  In Britain, there are rumors of a parliamentary coup against Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and I have long thought that Pluto in Capricorn would bring a rebellion that would topple (Pluto) the monarchy (Capricorn) once and for all.  

The second exact phase of the opposition cycle will occur on February 5 2009 but Saturn and Uranus will not be more than two degrees apart between November and February, so the effect will remain strong.  Events that are put into motion in early November under the first "hit" will continue to unfold over the next few months.  Most major planetary cycles have three hits, but this opposition cycle will have five phases, signaling its particular significance for permanent change.

The third phase occurs in September (15th) 2009, but a total eclipse of the Sun in August (22nd) conjunct Saturn will instigate the events of that phase of the cycle.  Retrograde Pluto will be stationary (moving very slowly)  in September and will change direction to turn direct just a few days before the exact opposition, so this period is likely to be rather intense.  Saturn and Uranus are in challenging 30 and 150 degree aspects to Neptune, which will erode any potential for understanding the nature of the events that occur at that time.  It will be important then (and don't worry, I'll remind you!) to remember that this is a natural evolutionary cycle that requires the letting go of the old in order to bring in something that is more true for us at that current time.  

The fourth phase takes place April 26, 2010, again in exact aspect to Neptune.  By that time we likely will have integrated the lessons of the Saturn/Uranus opposition and are better prepared to take the steps necessary to move forward.  Neptune demands that we become visionaries and transcend boundaries that limit ordinary mortals, and in doing so there is sometimes a dissolving of aspects of our life that limit us (Saturn).  Challenging Neptune times require that we pursue a disciplined (Saturn) spiritual practice (Neptune) that enables us to open up our eyes and our mind to a completely new way of being alive on the planet (Uranus).   This third and fourth phase will be extremely exciting for those who are able to let go and enjoy the roller coaster ride, and less comfortable for those of us with more fixed natures (like me) who have a high need for control and safety. 

The fifth phase on July 26, 2010 occurs at -0- degrees Aries and Libra, within range of a square to Pluto at 3 degrees Capricorn.  Normally the late stage of a multi-phase planetary cycle is less difficult than the earlier stages, because we have usually assimilated the necessary planetary energies by that time.  The addition of the square from Pluto will create greater urgency and pressure for conflict and war in order to achieve the goal of change and transformation (Pluto)  into a new way (Uranus)  of living as societies (Saturn) in the world. 

This fifth phase of the Saturn/Uranus cycle is actually the harbinger of two Pluto cycles: the square from Saturn to Pluto (visiting three times between November 2009 and August 2010) and the square from Uranus to Pluto which will come within winking distance in July 11 but not perfect until June 2012, continuing through 2015.  I'll cover these other major cycles in separate articles, but you can see that what happens during the Saturn/Uranus opposition will set the stage for the next eight years.

Knowing this information is not useful if we use it to scare ourselves to death.  It's important to view these cycles within a framework of faith and understanding so that we can use the information to our advantage and not become overwhelmed by it.  This is a time to examine our own lives and see where our life is not authentic, and where we are not being true to ourselves (Uranus) and where changes need to be made to the structure of our lives (Saturn) as a result.  This is the perfect time to cultivate faith in the natural flow of life and to increase our understanding that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.  It's a wonderful time to learn to let go when all of the doors to our desires are closing, but to remain strong in our intention to manifest a life of beauty and adventure that resonates with our deepest Self.  This after all is the ultimate challenge of any planetary cycle.