Transiting Uranus Retrograde 2016

Uranus stations retrograde at 21:06 (UT time) on the 29th July 2016 at 24°Ar30′ and will remain retrograde until the 29th December 2016.

Uranus is the Awakener of the zodiac, a cosmic alarm clock who periodically jolts us out of our slumber. Unlike his solar system neighbour Saturn, he’s not interested in convention or keeping up with the Jones’s. His mission is to bring change when life has become a little too safe.

Change keeps us growing, developing and moving. Without change we become stuck in the same old routines, beliefs and habits. Life becomes stupefying, dull and monotonous. Under that kind of atmosphere, we humans tend to shut down, moving through the daily drill on robotic auto-pilot, disconnected and discontent yet falling under Saturn’s spell of ‘better the Devil you know‘.

And then Uranus leaps into the field dressed in a Mad Hatter’s costume and throws you a curve ball.

“CATCH!” he yells. His unfamiliar, devilish eyes glitter.

The ingress of Uranus into Aries was marked by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan that caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The chief element in nuclear power is Uranium which was named after Uranus. Uranus literally shook the ground to announce his intentions. Rebellion, uprisings and shocking change have been a reverberating theme of Uranus in Aries so far.

Aries is a fire sign ruled by Mars. It’s all about up-rushing energy and going after what you want. Uranus is an in your face energy that cannot be ignored and he’s saying I want (Aries) something different (Uranus)! He’s shaking us up in order to alter perspectives on how we handle our passion, anger, desire, competitiveness and motivation. Uranus in Aries wants to start something new. With Uranus being an electric energy, it’s like a spark…but it can be the spark that starts the forest fire as well as the spark the ignites a jaw-dropping firework show. Fire is unpredictable and so is Uranus so Uranus in Aries is a volatile mix. This unpredictability can be exciting but it can also spin out of control.

With Uranus retrograde we take all this energy inwards. If we’ve been sleep-walking through life under a safe spell of Saturn, Uranus has no reservations about waking us up with an abrupt bang. Uranus energy is often intensified by the retrograde period so sometimes it can correspond to a period of instability.

Often the effect of Uranus retrograde is felt as a growing discontent with the tried and tested, a desire to go off the beaten track and to stop following the rules. These may the rules created by others or the ‘rules’ you have created for yourself. There’s an impetus to be free to do as you want and go where you please. Sometimes, in the process of casting off the shackles, you may discover pieces of yourself that have long since been cast adrift.

Uranus retrograde helps us to reclaim what was once rejected as well as encouraging us to detach from what we no longer need. Depending upon the aspects Uranus makes to the natal or progressed chart, these stirrings may be felt inwardly or may occur due to experiences that seem to slam into your life as if from nowhere. Uranus doesn’t act out of spite however. If the world ‘out there’ is forcing you to change then there is a suggestion that Life has been asking you to shift your perspective for a while. Uranus often will leave us with no choice other than to pick up the pieces and create a new picture from the puzzle.

Uranus is high energy, communicative, inventive. In Aries he has a daring desire to get up and go. Both Uranus and the sign Aries are associated with independence, a willingness to go it alone. Work with Uranus and he’ll take you on an exciting and possibly life-changing journey. To take some of the heat out of this transit, it may be useful to start planning changes now whilst Uranus is retrograde, incorporating them little by little into your life. Whilst sweeping changes may be initially highly motivating, they can also be disruptive and simply result in chaos. Sometimes however, if things have been building up, the retrograde period is precisely the time when pure Uranus energy comes rushing forth.

Look to the house where Uranus is transiting to see which area of life requires an upgrade and where reform is needed and necessary. The Uranus retrograde period will most likely bring events or inner realisations that aid this process.

Be brave – be yourself.

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Uranus retrograde 2016 – Sabian Symbols

Uranus stations retrograde on the Sabian symbol :-

The Possibility For Man To Gain Experience At Two Levels Of Being

Changes, shocks and surprises occurring around this station urge you to explore the differences and similarities between your human experience and soul experience. It’s about seeing your life from a higher perspective, raising your frequency, rising above. Your higher mind may be aware of the wider context to your earthly experiences.

Uranus stations direct on the Sabian symbol :-

A Pugilist Enters The Ring

The ‘pugilist’ is another term for a boxer – one who fights with his fists! Certainly this is a strong Aries symbol. It suggests that what is awakened within during this retrograde cycle will ultimately give you the power to ‘come out fighting’. If you can roll with the punches during this period, courage and motivation are likely to be clarified and enhanced.

Uranus retrograde 2016 – Dates

29th July 2016 stations retrograde 24°Ar30′ R
25th December Saturn trine Uranus
26th December Jupiter opposite Uranus
29th December 2016 Stations Direct 20°Ar33′ D

Painting – ‘Punch and Judy Our Demons’ by Miriam Shapiro

Note this post has been updated from an article posted in 2011.