Saturn & Uranus Square In The Zodiac - 2021
From an astrological perspective, at the end of 2020, Saturn moved into the sign of Aquarius where he will hang out for the next 2 plus years. Aquarius is independent, unique and idealistic. Saturn is not. Saturn encourages conformity, but most importantly mature structures for life that are made real in the world.
The result of this transit
is a natural tension between
conformity (Saturn) &
the freedom to individuate (Aquarius).
For nearly all of the Saturn’s first year in Aquarius, transiting Uranus in Taurus will be square to Saturn. Uranus is the natural ruler of Aquarius so Saturn is trespassing on Uranus’ turf while transiting Aquarius. Saturn is essentially taunting Uranus by sitting in his yard holding a sign that says ‘conform dude’. Plus, the ‘dude’ Uranus just happens to be Saturn’s father (naturally, there is long mythic story there). Through this relationship (father and son), we also encounter a family, parental dynamic.
If you have Saturn impacting any planet in your birth chart this year, this battle between conformity and freedom is taking place in your birth chart or you might say right in your front yard. Saturn is holding one sign that says “conform” and Uranus is holding another that says “be authentic” and they trespassing on your space staging a protest just for you!
These two planets are in a strong aspect to one another via a square. Squares, which are made of right angles, are strong and also rigid. This is what makes squares so challenging and they always represent a time of tension and testing.
Saturn is transiting the fixed sign of Aquarius and 90 degrees away Uranus is transiting the fixed sign of Taurus. The fixed nature of Taurus and Aquarius make this transit more difficult because the tension of the square wants to release into understanding or learning, but the fixed tension of rigid and strong positions resist our efforts to relax the tension.
The struggle we feel inside between two strong opposing forces is the taunting nature of this transit. The push-me pull-me aspect of the tension is demonstrated in the contrasts between Uranus and Saturn:
Uranus is authenticity - Saturn is conformity
Uranus is change - Saturn is stability
Uranus is growth - Saturn is harvesting maturity
Uranus is idealism - Saturn is practical structures
Uranus is rebellion - Saturn is arbitrary authority
Uranus is breaking the rules - Saturn is making the rules
Uranus is kindred spirits (or feeling like a tribe of 1 until you find them) - Saturn is family and society (or feeling like a tribe of 1 if you are different from family)
Maybe you sense the pull of
this tug-of-war in your life right now.
What Are Uranus & Saturn Demanding?
Since transiting Saturn and Uranus are square in the sky, if you have transiting Saturn making an important transit in your chart right now, then Uranus is also impacting the same point.
When your chart is being impacted by Saturn alone that is enough of a test for anyone. But, when you add Uranus into the mix the intensity is naturally ramped up.
If we struggle against the messages of this transit, we will feel the pressure and discomfort. When we are under pressure, being our authentic self as demanded by Uranus is even harder.
In your body, Saturn is heaviness and Uranus is electricity and that does not feel so good. The antidote is applying some somatic attention to find a calm place inside and focus your energies within in order to claim a position of safety and authority from which you can consider what is taking place in your world.
If your chart is being impacted, this time might feel like the world is working against you. But, naturally, that is the delusion of maya as the transit is actually working to your support your unfolding journey and will not present a situation that you are not able to handle.
The unified message of both planets is to stop struggling so you can release the external pressure and, from the calm place within (that place that never abandons you), claim your authority and take one additional step along the path to make your authenticity (Uranus) real in the world (Saturn).
This is naturally a complex balancing act and we may need to experiment a bit to find the balance that is right for us. If you are OK living in a conversion van, you can live life with great freedom and authenticity as the Saturnian demands of this lifestyle are lower. If this is not OK with you, you need to conform in certain aspects of life to form the mature structures to bring the stability you want to your world.
The key is to find the balance
between that two that is right for you.
What is the right balance and what aspects of life are impacted? In our case, we have found ourselves asking how life would have been different if we would had made different decisions at various junctures in life. One such question was ‘what if we would have stayed in the 375K home in Los Angeles in 1994 and not moved around experiencing the world and becoming self-employed?’ On one hand, that 375K home is now worth 2.5 million. On the other hand, what is the value of the memories we have created living a freer life.
This is an example of the type of questions that may arise as you practically dissect this transit. If materialism is not in question for you, maybe simply exploring the limiting beliefs that have prevented individuation over conformity. Or, as is usually the case, some combination of all of the above that are present in this gloriously complex universe.
Take a deep look at the role of conformity and mature structures in your world:
What are the benefits of conformity?
What are the costs of conformity?
Do you feel contraction or relaxation in the body when you consider the role of conformity in your world?
Do you feel understood in the world or do you feel alone?
When you conform to the expectations of family or society, what type of feedback do you receive? How does that feedback feel?
Does meeting life’s obligations mean that you have to sacrifice authenticity?
Have you met your obligations maturely in life?
Have you created a stable foundation?
Is a stable foundation important to you?
Are any adjustments necessary to bring greater balance between authenticity (ideals, freedom, unique expression) and mature structures (retirement, savings, home, etc.)?
Take a deep look at the role of authenticity in your world:
When you consider taking authentic action in the world, does your body feel free or constricted?
What role do limiting beliefs play in the fostering (or not) of your authenticity?
When you go against the tide, what type of feedback do you receive?
Is feeling a sense of belonging more important than expressing your authenticity?
Is stability more important than idealism?
What role models and support systems do you have to help you individuate?
Does it feel safe within your family of origin to individuate?
Do you have a vision of being authentic that is over-idealised? Meaning, have you made the concept of your authentic self too big or more unique than it actually wants to be?
What is the next step to making your authenticity real in the world day to day?
Has too much focus on authenticity impacted your ability to meet the demands of day to day life or your future needs (career, income, etc.)?
During this transit, we can’t conform a
t the price of denying our authenticity.
Rather, we need to make what
is authentic inside us real in the world.
These competing forces of authenticity and mature structures are always present in life, but magnified during this transit. When we come to terms with both Saturn and Uranus and find the balance that is right for us, we can shake some the heavy, fatigue we carry for battling between these forces for one or more lifetimes.
There is no better time than right now to look at all the ways you hold yourself back whether that be limiting beliefs you acquired in childhood or dreaming of a utopia that has no potential to become real or attempting to over-control life.
As you explore the themes of this transit, take stock on many levels. Observe your thoughts, your feelings and the quality of energy that is flowing through your body. As you experiment with how you can honor your authenticity in practical ways, you may find your thoughts, feelings and body feel both less stress and more invigorated. While this transit brings tension, resolving that tension can lead to a more authentic and rewarding life and that is what Saturn and Uranus are hoping you will find.