Every 84 to 85 years, the planet Uranus returns to the same position or sign of the zodiac. Uranus entered tropical Pisces on March 10, 2003, and then returned to Aquarius, very briefly, and again on December 30, 2003 finally returns permanently to the sign of Pisces until 2010. This article attempts to explore what this cycle heralds for trends over the course of that seven years and the confusion that prevails as we make the transition from the one constellation to the next. This walk across this tenuous bridge initially seems confusing and perhaps even hopeless, but anytime a major transition is finishing and another hasn’t begun yet, then, of course we experience the doubts. The economy and the markets are definitely reflecting this shift and it is important to know and understand this to be able to look for signals and forks in the road of change.



Let's first explore the nature of Uranus and its history of discovery and the subsequent cosmic implications of this profound discovery. Uranus is a fairly new planet because it was discovered by William Herschel in 1781. Prior to this, telescopes were not strong enough to see the vast universe before them. Its discovery shifted the reality structures of the civilization that had been set into place forever. From early ancient times, the last planet that people could and still see with the human eye is Saturn. For this reason, in the classic sense of astrological interpretation, Saturn was the ruler of Aquarius, but once Uranus was discovered, it became the ruler of the sign of tropical Aquarius in the Modern astrology system, which began early in the twentieth century.

There are a couple of myths that illustrate the characteristics of Uranus and these are important to review to understand the nature of this planet and its influence on trends of the future and collective thinking. In western myth, there are two primary stories, one being the story of Uranus, the sky god, and the other, the story of Prometheus who brought the fire to the people. Uranus, the god of chaos, originates the universe and out of Uranus comes the billions and billions of stars that Carl Sagan often spoke about.

Uranus, the Creation God, is alone in the world, but is drawn to Gaia, also known as Mother Earth. In order to bear the loneliness, Uranus merges with Gaia and fathers many children to which he has no connection. After a while, when things get to be a little too close, Uranus suddenly separates to be alone again so he can continue creating the universe. In a sense, this story tells of the innovative and creative nature of Uranus. It also suggests that the energy of this planet is an on again off again energy, much like a light switch, which surges when the power is accessed and then just as quickly shuts down and remains cold and separate.

The other myth is the story of Prometheus, whose name means ‘he who has foresight’. Prometheus felt that the people of the earth needed fire and though the gods were against this idea, he did it anyway. He was probably one of the first rebels in literature who broke the rules and the laws in order to bring opportunity to the collective. In many ways the planet Uranus has a rebellious and extremist nature and is often found to be prominent in the charts of revolutionaries, entrepreneurs (modern day rebels) and any products or systems or structures that do not ally themselves to convention. The opposite of conventional is unconventional.

As Uranus cycles the sky in its 84-year turn and spends approximately 7 years in each constellation, it springs forward with all kinds of new inventions and ideas that are associated with the sign in which Uranus is traveling over the course of 7 years. Since Uranus is tilted almost horizontally on its axis, its physical nature is very different as well. In fact, before its discovery, scientists knew there was something out there, because when planets reached a certain place in the sky, their orbits were disturbed.

These comments serve as an introduction to the possibilities promised by the ingress (entry) of Uranus into Pisces in January 2004. Uranus began its last cycle in April 1995. Since that time Uranus has been traveling through its own sign of Aquarius, which rules such things as the Internet, e-mail, virtual offices and companies, the .dot com rise and fall, and the availability of the personal computer to the masses has created a revolution in communication forcing barriers down and shortening the time it takes to communicate, market, analyze, process, express, sell, and research and convey information. Even the United States Post Office keeps raising their prices to beat the increased use of e-mail which is faster, more efficient, and much more affordable.

Usually when a planet is completing its run in a sign, political matters escalate, a bubble of some sort pops concerning the industry it rules, conditions end and time spins faster and faster and we feel we are going nowhere. We have come to the edge of all we know – or so we think. We yearn for new beginnings, but they remain inaccessible until the one cycle ends and the new one begins. As Uranus completes its transit through Aquarius, we see universal consciousness and goals changing, personal associations changing, and financial conditions dissolving and dissipating.

The last three times that Uranus entered Pisces were in 1752, 1835 to 1836, and then in 1919 and 1920. Each cycle lasted for seven years. Events, inventions and discoveries such electrical power like Benjamin Franklin’s lightning conductor, the first efforts to propel railroad vehicles by electric batteries, the electric telegraph (similar to the modern day computer), cell growth theory (again, a very big topic) by Theodor Schwann, the first traveling post office (e-mail like?), Samuel Cunard, the founder of the Cunard line, joined up with his partners to form the intercontinental cruise line, and so on (Group collaboration on contemporary travel means).

Since Uranus is a planet that rules groups, innovative organizations and groups and mass consciousness, whatever sign the planet is transiting is an indicator of upcoming trends. Since Pisces is the sign in which Uranus will be for seven years, it is important to briefly review some of the situations and industries that Pisces rules. It is these industries that may rise to new heights of innovation and industry and break through already fixed structures, particularly in the area of medicine, healing, the visual arts, low cost housing, recycled goods, products and designs, the wine industry, the arts, as well as products of the sea and land as minerals, fish, petroleum, tin and definitely water and its transportation and supply capacities.

Some of the new inventions that may emerge as the result of Uranus transiting Pisces may be new ways of supplying water across the country, or, even new plants that produce water chemically, if, in fact, with all the development and growing population needs we reach a water crisis, much like the power crisis of electricity and gas in the last couple of years. Unfortunately, as is usually the way of Uranus, these innovations may be triggered by a sudden realization that there is a water crisis and that the present structures upon which we depend to transport water are old, broken down, and do not suffice for our growing needs.

Unfortunately, one of the ways in which Uranus breaks out and inspires inventions acting as a catalyst along the way is when crisis results from large numbers of people not addressing the issues. This is particularly true of governments who realize that changes need to be made, but do nothing about it until the crisis surfaces. What then usually happens are major disasters call forth either a national or international support system to heal and solve the problem, or, the exact opposite this which are confrontations to take over resources from other places? And, so, crisis emerges in the form of wars, cultural clashes and crisis in the flow of currency and the markets. For example, the airline industry was in dire need of better security measures over the course of the last few years, but not until a national tragedy occurred did it gear up to change things. It has also gotten very fat in the sense that many airlines were flying here and there and offering an overabundance of flights that continued to burn gas, fuel, and money. The airline industry was in dire need of an economic bailout when the security measures were threatened. The security crisis was good for the airline industries in that the government bailed them out and they are still at a place where they may still have major economic problems even with the bailout.

On to Part 2