Your Astrological Guide to Uranus In Your Birth Chart
Credit to Author: Ashley Otero| Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 17:30:41 +0000
You may know your “big three” signs, but getting to know the roles of all the planets in your birth chart can grant you a much deeper understanding of astrology….and yourself! In this series, the team at VICE's Astro Guide explain each planet, and how it correlates to your natal chart.
There’s no planet in our solar system as quirky and eccentric as Uranus. Not only is the planet’s axis at a near 90 degree angle—causing it to orbit the sun in a sideways motion—but it also rotates in a retrograde motion opposite the sun and the rest of the planets (except for Venus). As the first planet to be discovered in modern history, Uranus has also become an astrological symbol of progress, science, and disruption of the status quo. While Mercury is traditionally associated with technology, Uranus is often referred to as the “higher octave” in some schools of astrology, leading it to be a symbol of electricity and the internet.
Before the discovery of Uranus, the sun and moon governed one sign each, and the planets each ruled two signs, reflecting a symmetrical relationship between the planets and the zodiac. After the outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (we still call Pluto a planet in astrology) were discovered, they each became a modern ruler of Aquarius, Pisces, and Scorpio, respectively. Unlike the rest of the planets, however, Uranus is the only one named after a Greek sky deity—Ouranos, the father of mythological Saturn—instead of a Roman one.
Uranus is also the coldest planet in our solar system, so it makes sense that it’s the modern ruler of Aquarius, the sign occupying mid-winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Astrologically, Uranus is associated with extremes, breakthroughs and breakdowns, limitlessness, and being an outsider. While Saturn is the planet of limitations, Uranus is the planet that seeks to push past them—it’s the inventor or “mad scientist” of the solar system. Saturn is about preserving tradition while Uranus is about bulldozing old structures to create a new paradigm. Uranus is anything but conventional. In your chart, the planet reflects your sense of uniqueness, and which relationships or areas of life you’ll experience chaos, liberation, rebellion, and genius insights.
As an outer planet, Uranus takes a very long time to make a full orbit around the sun—about 84 Earth years— and spends approximately seven years in each sign. Astrologically, some of the most significant Uranus transits you’ll experience in your life occur between the ages 20-22, 27-29, 40-42, 55-57, and 63-65, when the planet of disruption makes a square (from 20-22 and 63-65), trine (from 27-29 and 55-57), and opposition (from 40-42) to your natal Uranus. These transits are times when we experience shocking changes or sometimes make wild and unexpected adaptations in our lives that surprise others. It’s no coincidence that the Uranus opposition and trine occur during phases of life often referred to as a mid-life crisis. To live in synchronicity with Uranus is to live authentically and to make changes that reflect who you are as you evolve, even if that means shaking up the status quo.
That said, Uranus can be anywhere in relation to your sun sign, making it important to check your chart to know where it was located when you were born. To find your Uranus sign, plug in your birth date, time, and location to your preferred birth chart generator and find the symbol that looks like a crossed H perched on top of a circle. (The planet’s original name was “Herschel” after the astronomer who discovered it, which is the reason for the H glyph.) The European Uranus glyph looks like a Mars glyph (a circle with a pointed arrow attached) with a dot in the center. Because Uranus changes signs every 7 years, you will likely have this sign in common with people in your age range, give or take.
Once you’ve figured it out, read what our team of astrologers at Astro Guide have to say about your Uranus sign!
Aries Uranus
Years present: 2010 to 2018
Having natal Uranus in Mars-ruled Aries hints that when you make major changes to your life, they happen swiftly and abruptly. Aries is a sign infamous for impulsivity, but with natal Uranus placed here, you’re ready to make brilliant ideas come to life as quickly as they strike. In this fiery, cardinal sign, Uranus symbolizes a sense of urgency to move and to invent. You might be impulsive, but there are many times when this go-getter attitude puts you ahead of everyone else. In true Aries fashion, you are a pioneer! Coupled with patience—something you could use more of—your bold, inventive ideas could lead to major advancements in technology and the science of medicine. Aries is a spirited sign ruled by Mars, and with the progressive planet here, you’ll have your fair share of rivals. The thrill of rebellious acts fuels your sense of self, and you love showing off your originality. Because Uranus is associated with the unexpected and Aries corresponds to the head, you’d be smart to wear helmets and protect your head in sports or while you’re doing anything risky, since this part of the body could be more accident prone for you.
Taurus Uranus
Years present: 2018 to 2026
Uranus in earthy Taurus reflects your talent for tangible innovation. Ideas are the seed of change, but you take them a step further by embodying the unthinkable, challenging others to do more with the resources that they possess. In Venus-ruled Taurus, Uranus reflects your desire to inject more harmony, pleasure, beauty, and quality of life into the world. Taurus is a fixed sign which means that you’re not fond of change just for the sake of something different. You value creation, but you don’t like wasting your precious energy unless you know you’re contributing to a more comfortable and lasting endeavor. Considering that Venus-ruled Taurus is a symbol of money, luxury, beauty, and sharing, your natal Uranus suggests that your approach to currency, fashion, and self-care stands out from conventional ideas about wealth and beauty standards. Although you’re financially savvy, it’s likely due to a history of ups and downs that have taught you the importance of frugality and the value of perishable resources. Whether you witness a crisis of said resources or you go through hard times, having your physical world shaken up puts you in touch with your body as well as the fragility (and force) of the earth’s environment—some of the greatest motivators of change in your lifetime.
Gemini Uranus
Years present: 2026 to 2033
As a Gemini Uranus native, your mind is a palace of exhilarating evolution and humbling realizations. Mercury-ruled Gemini symbolizes communication, language, technology, learning, and travel, and with Uranus placed here, you seek to break up old ways of sharing information and piece together various knowledge to bring about something radically interesting and new. As a population, Uranus in Gemini is most likely to invent new languages and come up with unimaginable technologies—even if most of them don’t become a hit. Mythologically, Mercury is known as the trickster and as a Uranus in Gemini native, you aren’t against shaking things up just to see what happens! Gemini is a mutable sign that symbolizes transitions and having Uranus in the sign of the twins hints that you thrive on the chaos and movement of transformation. As a generation, Gemini Uranus opens up a whole new world of possibilities by finding, generating, and exchanging vast amounts of knowledge that gets passed down to future generations. If left unchecked, this could lead to a lot of misinformation—but there’s also an abundance of golden stories and myths to cherish from this Uranus sign. Your way of challenging the status quo is to stimulate creativity and encourage academic institutions to become more rigorous by teaching others to become critical thinkers.
Cancer Uranus
Years present: 1948 to 1956
Home and family come with radically different values and can look very different from society’s idealized traditions for people born with Uranus in Cancer. In Lunar-ruled Cancer, Uranus births a generation that seeks to create a home base and support system that feels wildly contrary to what others would call “normal.” Many from this generation experience a family structure that feels out of sync with what society assumes is the norm. Single-parent homes or parental roles that transcend the gender binary, as well as nomadic families, are a few examples of the way this generation finds its way through life. Uranus is the planet of new paradigms, so it’s no wonder that the year oral contraceptives were offered to the public was when the planet of invention was in Cancer. For this generation, family has less to do with bonds made by blood and more to do with a sense of belonging. Cancer Uranus natives often feel trapped by conventional ideas of family and their lifestyle choices reflect the need for convenience and freedom from overbearing authority figures. Many of the household appliances and inventions that bring such domestic privilege—such as the fridge, freezer, washing machine, microwave, and motorized vacuums—were invented or marketed to the public for home use during Uranus’s transit through Cancer, offering more leisure to householders to support their families in other ways.
Leo Uranus
Years present: 1955 to 1962
As a Leo Uranus native, you express your unique ideas and world views in sensational and creative ways. Yours is a generation that seeks to enlighten society through the medium of art and a culture that celebrates individualism. In solar-ruled Leo, Uranus bestows your generation with a bright and fiery character that refuses to be pushed around or made small. As a collective, people with Uranus in Leo can inspire their fellow citizens to see things in a different light—particularly through the means of self-expression. Authenticity is the key to freedom and society’s progress from a Uranus in Leo’s perspective. Unapologetic displays of the truest self through striking style choices, or through the synthesis of remarkable works of art, encourage others to challenge their sense of tradition. Leaders born out of your generation are known for their bold choices and brazen demeanor. Although many in the Leo Uranus generation might be fond of rebellion without a cause, the causes you do support make lasting impressions for years to come as your legacy lies in memorable artistry and the spirit of leadership.
Virgo Uranus
Years present: 1962 to 1969
The Virgo Uranus generation offers progressive ideas to the fields of technology, transportation, and medicine. Workplace conditions are also very important to you and the last time Uranus was in Virgo, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer gave her famous speech, “I’m Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired.” In Mercury-ruled Virgo, Uranus reflects big societal transitions made by small, methodical steps that value efficiency, versatility, and precision. This generation encourages shifts and advancements in the technological world that make transportation, medicine, and the workplace better every year. Uranus in Virgo natives seek convenience through order. Your genius ideas are aimed at giving you freedom and flexibility, but you value predictability. By dissecting your understanding of the world, you learn to predict the way it’s many working parts function. Having Uranus in the mutable sign of Virgo also makes you part of a generation that appreciates alternative solutions to common, everyday problems. When it comes to health, your generation manages to be ahead of the game by tapping into manual and holistic forms of healing (such as acupuncture, massage, and dietetics) that rely on calculated manipulations, sensitivity, and attention to detail. Discoveries and creations can often happen accidentally for you, but your capacity to learn processes of a highly complex nature is what makes your generation a hero to the advancements of technology. Tools, vehicles, and systems, such as: the computer mouse, DRAM (a type of memory in computers), the video game console, the mercury thermometer, the bicycle, and the first gasoline-powered automobile were all invented during a Uranus in Virgo transit.
Libra Uranus
Years present: 1968 to 1975
The Libra Uranus generation brings radically fresh perspectives to the domain of partnerships, love, money, beauty, and art. In Venus-ruled Libra, Uranus reflects a breaking away from conventional relationship dynamics. Monogamy, as well as society's traditions involving marriage, often lack some appeal for you. Life has shown this generation a more modern take on relationships and reciprocity—one in which the laws and social norms that dictate commitment to a certain person or persons, for a given time, feel restricting to your modern world views. Many from this group are among society's first to witness their parents go through divorce or separation before it became such a common phenomenon. This is the generation whose parents helped change the landscape and possibilities by modeling a more liberal take on future relationships.
Beauty and art are also facets of life that this Uranus sign plays a big role in shaping. The freedom to express one's ideas of beauty and fashion is also something you highly value, and movements that recognized the symbolic nature of clothing materialized through magazines like COWRIE Lesbian/Feminist during the Libra Uranus transit of the early 70’s. Libra is a sign highly concerned with the notion of fairness and justice. As a generation, you demonstrate a leaning toward feminism, and a desire for equality between the sexes. It should be no surprise that the planet of the future’s transit through Libra coincides with the birth of the slogan, “The Future is Feminine.” Second wave feminism was going strong the last time Uranus was in Libra and Women’s Equality Day became a commemorative day after the Women’s Strike for Equality happened the year before. Money is another significant topic that your generation has influenced over time, and your Uranus sign saw the end of gendered employment listings in newspapers, marking yet another major starting point of future opportunities.
Scorpio Uranus
Years present: 1975 to 1981
In the psychic watery sign of Scorpio, Uranus emphasizes taboo topics and matters of psychology, sex, death, and rebirth. Following the focus of equality and relationship dynamics that Uranus in Libra emphasized, the Uranus in Scorpio generation dedicates much of its energy to reading between the lines of human behavior.
As a Scorpio Uranus native, you feel a strong attraction to forbidden knowledge and obscured information. You’re prone to dig for truths and from your generation’s perspective; knowledge is power. As a Mars-ruled sign, Scorpio symbolizes volatile reactions and the expiration of things. In fact, the world was in a Uranus in Scorpio transit when the mechanisms of oxidative damage (caused by free radicals) in living cells was discovered. Traditionally, Scorpio is a Mars-ruled sign, and with natal Uranus here, the discovery of secrets arms you with options. Knowledge can be a weapon and you use it when you need to—especially when pushing to make radical or revolutionary changes happen! The element of surprise is a tool you yield masterfully and knowing that there’s always more than meets the eye keeps you vigilant, ready to adapt to life’s curveballs. Perceptivity is one of your greatest strengths and it was during a Uranus in Scorpio transit that the X-ray was discovered. Through methods of therapy and deep self-analysis, you learn to pick out patterns and empathize with others. Understanding why others do what they do is important to you. While teachings of various schools of psychology play a role in the way you relate to or participate with the rest of society, you also find enlightenment through sexual encounters and the circle of life. Yours is a generation that dissects taboos and eats them for breakfast! Uranus is the planet of change and in the sign of Scorpio—which is all about metamorphosis—you possess the courage to go through life’s many life-altering transformations, head first.
Sagittarius Uranus
Years present: 1981 to 1988
Deconstructing and reshaping society’s understanding of spiritual truths and world views is one of the things Uranus in Sagittarius natives do best. In Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius, Uranus reflects conflict with rigid religious views and unjust politics. You welcome the sense of freedom and authenticity that long-distance travel and cultural exploration bestows you, making your generation an archetype of free and easy wanderers. Whether you’re fond of long journeys or find adventure and novelty through metaphysical or academic conquests, yours is a generation that finds meaning by looking up and out. Rebellious in your spiritual beliefs, you often question the ways in which people organize themselves religiously. You have an attraction to free thinking and will rebel against anything that seems to put limits on people’s ability to reach your own conclusions and form your own opinions. Sagittarius Uranus is attracted to alternative spirituality, and coming up with their own systems. People in this generation often have an “agnostic” or “questioning” period where they come to terms with their own spin on their worldview. Soaking in foreign ideas and becoming students of whatever feels universal lends you a broad view of the world and it’s this view that you make a point to share with others. Being an outsider doesn’t bother you much, so long as you know you’re not going to be stuck living someone else’s truth.
Capricorn Uranus
Years present: 1988 to 1996
As a generation, you’re unsatisfied with the notion of following tradition, especially if a perspective is dogmatic. As a Uranus in Capricorn native, you offer necessary, yet practical ideas to change the worlds of business, government, and other long-standing structures that pose as a source of authority. People with Uranus in Capricorn likely do not have traditional jobs. This is the generation that came of age as offices became open-plan. These aren’t people with your typical nine-to-five. They very well may prefer to be their own boss, make their own rules, or have an unconventional approach to business. This is a placement that takes their idiosyncrasies seriously, which can result in a dry sense of humor. This is also a generation dealing with a lot of student loan debt, and one that is wary of the ups and downs of the market, since their first Uranus opposition occurred during or just after the 2008 financial crisis. They understand that material structures can be unpredictable and wavering as nature runs its course. This can find the Capricorn Uranus native skeptical of things that seem traditional or set in stone, since they know that these things are all risky, even if they appear to be stable. They are all too aware that change is inevitable, and make it their business to help push whatever changes are necessary, regardless of how long something’s been done a certain way. Be it an institution, law, or strategic plan, if a structure’s foundation is built on weak grounds, you’re the generation to bulldoze it over so that something stronger, and more reliable, can be put in place.
Aquarius Uranus
Years present: 1912-1920, 1995-2003
Here is the most futuristic planet in the most future-thinking sign. Uranus is the modern planetary ruler of Aquarius. Groundbreaking discoveries that shape humanity as a whole are born under Uranus in Aquarius. Inventions and scientific breakthroughs such as electricity, the electric telegraph, and major discoveries in brain anatomy were revealed while Uranus was in Aquarius. This is a Uranus placement that is tapped into the collective unconscious. This quirky placement can find itself getting involved in a hive mind mentality. This placement can organize groups of people who can create social change on a massive scale. This is also the transit that saw the invention of communism, and in the next cycle, the rapid rise of the internet. Aquarius Uranus is concerned with how groups of people organize and think collectively. Aquarius Uranus is smart about the interests of the collective, with the future always in sight. Written works such as The Cluetrain Manifesto, which pointed out that the future of marketing was all on the internet, with the thesis, “Hyperlinks subvert hierarchy” were published. This generation works to bring more intelligence and critical thinkers into the world. Having natal Uranus in Aquarius means you place a lot of importance on independence and helping others become self-reliant. You advocate for people’s rights and rebel against systems that impede on them. The Uranus in Aquarius generation is determined to allow people to be themselves, and you often make it your mission to band groups of people together for like-minded causes.
Pisces Uranus
Years present: 2003 to 2010
In Jupiter-ruled Pisces, Uranus reflects an attraction to mysticism and an interest in the universe’s infinite expanse. The Big Bang theory, for example, was introduced during a Uranus in Pisces transit as was the definition of the term “infinitesimal.” Pisces is the sign of two fish that symbolizes beginnings and endings, and the expansive sign bequeaths Uranus with an endless ocean of fascinating discoveries. As a Uranus in Pisces native, you’re highly creative, but your well-being depends heavily on an outlet for your imagination. Uranus was in Pisces during prohibition which restricted alcohol consumption on a mass scale. Pisces is a religiously-oriented sign, and the combination of pietistic values and a fear of excess led to the dry crusade during the twentieth century Uranus in Pisces transit.
The Pisces Uranus generation has a way of shifting society’s perspectives and approach to spiritual and religious practices. Often Uranus in Pisces encourages people to look back to the past and connect with their ancestors. Pisces Uranus is interested in transcending form and law that concerns spirituality and religion. This generation seeks total freedom of religion and can create new relationships to the spiritual world. You’re inclined to think in abstract ways and yours is a generation that promotes surrealism, a movement that was also formed during a Uranus transit of the twentieth century. Science and artistry have a beautiful way of coming together under your generation’s influence. The first ever photograph of a human was taken while Uranus was transiting Pisces, and the image happens to be of a person having their shoes shined (Pisces rules the feet!). The tail-end of the most recent Pisces Uranus transit also happens to be the time when the image-inspired platform Instagram was born. Leave it to this generation to follow up with a new breakthrough in artistic imagery and story-telling in the next century.
Want horoscopes sent straight to your inbox? Click here to sign up for the newsletter.
This article originally appeared on VICE US.