Newsletter - Uranus Retrograde and Afghanistan - 20 Aug 21

As of today, we have Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto all retrograde.

The 'big' Astronomical/Astrological dynamic of 2021 is the 'Square' (confrontation) taking place between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus all year.

These two planets are now getting ready to square each other for the third time this year.  And as they get ready, they are both retrograde - that is, moving slowly and confidently, going over ground that they have already covered, this time with a fine-tooth comb and making sure they have said and done everything they came here to do :)

What's super fascinating about these two planets is that they are in an exchange with each other.  Rebellious, unpredictable and innovative Uranus (the owner of Aquarius in modern Western Astrology) is in Taurus a fixed, earth, conservative sign.  And Saturn, the conservative, is in Uranus' innovative sign of Aquarius.

This 'Square' confrontation is about conservative versus innovative, structure versus rebellion.  But who will win and what does winning even look like?

I've noticed this energy in conflicting opposites seeming to suddenly make perfect sense - like servicemen/women and nurses (i.e. traditionally conservative vocations) being anti-vaxxers.  Or in far-right and far-left joining up in their distrust of government.  Or in people who are 'original-thinkers' not taking an ground-breaking vaccine and people who have a 'sheep-mentality' embracing new mRNA technology.

And I saw it this week in the transition of power in Afghanistan.  The U.S. 'world enforcer of law and order' stepping out of the country and side-stepping responsibility.  The Afghan army / government stepping aside - to issue in new innovation? or reinstate conservative values?  The U.S. President going from good-guy-global-citizen to not-my-problem.  Which of these is innovative and which is conservative?  So much Saturn perseverance was invested in 21 years of skirmishes, battles, deaths and hard work.  And all of that structure dissolved in a matter of days. 

It's been a hard week for many - hang in there, breathe, transformation is all around us and sometimes it takes us by surprise.  Astrology can give us some Jupiterian perspective and context for understanding all this transformation.