The Saturn-Uranus Opposition

By Eileen McCabe

Astrologers have always argued over whether it’s fate or free will. Do the transits happen to us or are they a reflection of what is occurring within our own psyches? Will the transits define the outcome or is it about how we psychologically respond to a particular planetary archetype? As Carl Jung once said “when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside as fate. Which brings us to the Saturn/Uranus opposition of 2008-9.

It’s obvious that the two nominees now running for President of the United States symbolically reflect what is taking place within the collective unconscious. Do people choose tradition, convention, and experience or do they choose new ideas, change and uncharted territory? The same could obviously be said for our own personal lives. Since any opposition is a relational aspect, we usually identify with one planet over the other and then project the other onto someone or something outside of ourselves. The problem with that though is that we wind up in a very polarized situation where there is tension and little compromise.

While we may be more identified with Saturn or Uranus based on our own horoscope configurations, we are all conservative and status quo where we have Saturn and seek creative change and freedom where we have Uranus. We experience Saturn as oppressive external authority until we take responsibility for our own lives. We complain about the unpredictability or instability of other people until we own our own need to overthrow the limitations and constrictions that block our creativity. If the goal of psychological health is the integration of the many different aspects of who we are as human beings then the upcoming Saturn/Uranus opposition becomes an extreme manifestation of what individuals and society are dealing with on a regular basis.

We need structure and stability in our lives but not at the expense of our uniqueness and individuality. Is the structure of your life stifling the parts of yourself that are left unrealized and frustrated? Or, is the structure of your life providing a container from within which you can be a creative force of change in your own life and in society? Do the cultural norms and values of society reflect the individual needs of all its citizens or not? These are some of the questions that we may have to ask ourselves as individuals and as a society during this time.

Saturn and Uranus are antithetical to each other and that makes this opposition even more dramatic. If you remember 1965-66, or if you were born during that time, then you will have no problem understanding the intensity of what this opposition holds in store for all of us during 2008-9. The 60’s were an explosion of creativity, social upheaval and change but it could not have come into existence if there wasn’t a counterforce resisting that change to the status quo. While the Saturn/Uranus opposition of the 1960’s was a chaotic and explosive time, real change was then integrated into the very fabric of our society. It is hard for us today to even imagine that African-American citizens were actually told to move to the back of the bus. It will be equally unthinkable in many years from now to think that gay people didn’t have the right to legal marriages.

This is not to present an idealistic or rosy picture of this configuration. I can’t think of two more opposing and antithetical energies working at the same time in our lives and in society. We can all feel the rumblings of inevitable change and yet we have no real clue as to what this really means or how it will actually manifest both individually and societal. We may all feel restless for a revolution in our lives but not at the expense of losing a foundation. We need structure but not at the expense of our individuality.

Where you have Saturn-in-Virgo transiting in your horoscope right now, you need to be responsible, patient, and mature and answer to the demands of your life. You are also seeking a grasp on the details of your life, a need for clarity and a sense of perfectionism. Where you have Uranus-in-Pisces transiting, the waters are rising and you may feel flooded with a deep need and desire to somehow radically change and alter the preexisting patterns of your life. One planetary energy represents a sense of order and cohesion while the other symbolizes the watery depths of the unconscious that is beckoning you to sever and overthrow whatever is limiting your spiritual and creative yearnings.

Whether it is actual flooding in various parts of the country and/or a tsunami stirring in your own psyche, even the rings of Saturn cannot prevent the archetypal power of an outer planet transit. Whatever is repressed either personally or in society eventually finds its way into consciousness no matter what the cost. Accidents, shocking news, sudden reversals, the unpredictable forces of nature and/or a conscious decision to alter the course of one’s life; Uranus is the great messenger of divine discontent compelling us to free ourselves of outmoded karma.

Saturn is the builder and the voice of time and authority. Saturn says we need to move slowly and to make changes in increments so as not to cause damage to pre-existing structures. The Saturn type personality values tradition, continuity and a sense of stability. Saturn is also the great teacher, the toll we must pay before we can develop ourselves on higher levels. Uranus is the complete opposite in that it is without sentimentality and a loyalty to tradition because its only goal is to express and fulfill the individuated needs of the soul. While Saturn is wisdom and experience, Uranus is a cosmic intelligence and brilliance that brings novelty, unconventionality and a new vision.

It is inevitable with this configuration that there will be moments of extremism. If there is too much chaos and revolution, Saturn will enter to bring back a semblance of order and normalcy. If there is a clamping down on the rights and freedom of any group of individuals, the more there will be a need for social and political activism. With an opposition, you can’t have one without the other. Who or what will be the force of tradition in your life, and who and what will symbolize an unbridled creative force that can’t be stifled? Let’s not forget that Uranus is not just about personal individuation but the realization of one’s unique contribution to the evolvement of consciousness. If Uranus is a cosmic messenger, how will your particular genius express itself in the world? On a societal level, how do you see your cosmic destiny, your contribution to the scheme of things? With Uranus, we awaken to the truth of ourselves and finally live out who we really are without making any apologies.

As we know, there will be three different oppositions at different degrees of mutability. The first will be on November 4, 2008 at 18 degrees Virgo/Pisces and then on February 5, 2009 at 20 degrees and then on September 15, 2009 at 24 degrees. On a personal level, if you have planets or angles at these degrees, it is safe to say that you will experience great intensity and change in relation to those areas of your life. In many ways, the destiny of your personal life right now may mirror the forces of change in the collective unconscious. While transits come and go throughout our lives, there are times when a force greater than ourselves moves us forward to new horizons. I think this will be one such moment for all of us.

Eileen McCabe, LMSW is a clinical social worker and an astrological teacher and counselor with a private practice in New York City. She presently serves as President of the New York Chapter of NCGR and may be contacted at EILEENMCCABE@msn.com