THE 2010-2011 JUPITER-URANUS CONJUNCTIONS
& THE JUPITER-URANUS CYCLE

About every 13-14 years, faster moving Jupiter catches up with slower moving Uranus.  The Jupiter-Uranus cycle begins with their conjunction, which advances two signs in the zodiac from one conjunction to the next, because it takes Uranus fourteen years to traverse two signs.  When a cycle is initiated by a series of three conjunctions within a year instead of only one, they are almost invariably in the same sign of the zodiac.  The Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions at the onset of the cycle that began in April 2010 are very different from previous conjunctions for several reasons:  (1) this is the first series of three conjunctions that changes signs (all three are not in the same sign) in 1,201 years, (2) the first of the three conjunctions that begin this cycle (on June 8, 2010) is in the first (zero) degree of Aries, a cardinal sign (more about this later), (3) the June 8 Jupiter-Uranus conjunction is followed by a tumultuous T-square in July and August involving Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, and Pluto and similar, difficult aspects between these planets have happened only twice in the last 110 years – in 1931 and in 1965-1966 (more about the significance of these years in my next article), and (4) the last two of the three Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions (on September 19, 2010 and January 4, 2011) are the first conjunctions in Pisces since 1334 A.D., about the time that the European Renaissance began.  What’s the significance of these rare phenomena?  They speak to the highly unusual nature and intensity of 2010 in the span of future history.

Already this year, we have seen huge, devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Chili, and China; flooding in Tennessee; deadly tornado outbreaks in the U.S.; the eruption of a volcano in Iceland that continues to disrupt European air travel; the growing, catastrophic oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico; a skyrocketing increase in homeowner and commercial defaults, with the latest trend being “strategic defaults” (people walking away from their homes when they can afford to make payments) on “underwater” mortgages that are much larger than the current value of the property; violent protests in Greece and Thailand; and the beginning of another stock market collapse.  Although some of these events or the onset of these trends transpired during the Saturn-Pluto square or the Saturn-Uranus opposition and were prior to the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, they are certainly indicative of the tumultuous nature of this year and they presage what is to come.

The themes of freedom and independence are especially prominent during Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions.  These conjunctions portend discovery, invention, and innovation (Uranus) combined with expansion, experimentation, and exploration (Jupiter).  The force of change (Uranus) is very strong (Jupiter) when these planets congress, which can lead to protests and political change.  This is why so many congressional incumbents will lose or not run in the 2010 U.S. election.  Since Uranus symbolizes catastrophes, the conjunction with Jupiter makes them bigger.  These conjunctions are also about the striving for equality of rights by the disenfranchised.

The events during the three conjunctions of Jupiter and Uranus in 1968-1969 are prime examples of what the onset of the Jupiter-Uranus cycle heralds.  During this time, the Vietnam War escalated (525,000 U.S. troops were in Vietnam by 1968), sparking massive protests all over the country against that unjust war; the gay (Uranus) rights movement (Jupiter) began; and the Internet was launched (Uranus and Jupiter).  But the most amazing synchronicity was July 20, 1969, the date of an exact Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and the day that the first men walked on the Moon!  How appropriate, since Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions signify the culture making big (Jupiter), innovative leaps (Uranus) and the Apollo program was the fountainhead of many advances (Jupiter) in technology (Uranus) that were quickly adopted universally (Uranus) by the mainstream American culture (Jupiter).  Also during these conjunctions, the Woodstock Festival symbolized the rebellion (Uranus) of the younger generation (Jupiter) against existing social norms.  The last of the three conjunctions (July 20, 1969) was in the first or zero degree of Libra, a cardinal sign, and opposite the first of the 2010-2011 conjunctions at the zero degree of Aries.  The zero degrees of these two signs are the equinoctial points in the zodiac because the equinoxes occur when the Sun enters these degrees.  In traditional astrology, the equinoctial and solstitial degrees (the first degree of each cardinal sign) are considered pivotal and extremely important points, so any major alignment (such as a conjunction between the superior planets or a solar eclipse) in these degrees portend major events and changes in the world.

Another series of Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions, which serve to enlighten us about what we may expect during the 2010-2011 conjunctions, are those of 1927-1928.  Charles Lindbergh was the first to successfully fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean (air travel is ruled by Uranus and, secondarily, Jupiter); the first commercial oil reserve in an Arab nation (Iraq) was discovered; Clarence Birdseye patented a method of quickly freezing fish, meat and vegetables (Uranus); the first TV image (Uranus) was transmitted (Jupiter); color TV was first demonstrated; 450 people died when a dam collapsed in Santa Paula, California; an earthquake in China killed 200,000 people; and Augusto Sandino began a 5-year war of independence against U.S. occupation of Nicaragua.