If you've known me for a while or have gotten a reading from me, it's likely you already know that I view astrology charts as applied maps rather than rigid life blueprints. Your chart is a personal guide that leads you toward optimal self-actualization. From my perspective, your chart shows areas where you have expertise and areas where you could gain expertise. They also tell you how.
It's likely you've already figured out a few things in life, and have integrated a number of your inner planets (in these instances, your chart would already reflect your life). For example, you probably know how to cheer yourself up (moon integration) or how best to communicate your frustrations (Mercury and Mars integration).
Yet, many of us continue to struggle with the big issues in life, and so we all could do with a little integration of our outer planets.
Outer planets are those planets outside the asteroid belt (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto), but in general, the futher a planet is from Earth, the more challenging it may be to integrate into your life, since these outer planets deal with conceptual issues rather than day-to-day experience.
A good time to examine your relationship with a planet is during the planet's transit from one sign into another.
Today I’m discussing Uranus, since it’s just entered Taurus, where it will stay for 7 years.
Many astrologers are interested in this transit since Uranus hasn’t entered Taurus since 1934. In general, Uranus is a planet that strikes change at lightning speeds while Taurus is a sign associated with the earth element, stability, money, and beauty. The last time Uranus transited Taurus the earth experienced a number of large scale social reforms as well as sudden economic depression.
These sorts of wide-breadth transits are interesting for those astrologers who track planetary movements (this time they’re expecting some sort of reform/events in planetary health, the treatment of animals, our financial structure, etc). However, I prefer to study how individuals can self actualize through these transits.
Essentially, Uranus is here to ask you a question: How do you feel about freedom?
Now, before we get carried away, this isn’t some patriotic guise. Freedom as I’m speaking about it refers to absolute, anything-can-happen, throw-it-to-the-wind, FREEDOM.
And chances are, you have mixed feelings about it. I know I do. Freedom sounds good at first to the ego… after all anything you want is possible. But then, upon reflection, most people will find that total freedom doesn’t sound so good because we also love boundaries. For example, we like our soul to be free...but for it to also adhere to the boundary of our bodies. And we’d like the flow of cash to be free… so long as some of it stays in our bank account.
Most astrologers write general horoscopes that will advise individuals to reexamine their relationships with possessions, art, finance, and the environment at this time. While this might be fine advice (why not?), it might not be the most applicable to your specific chart.
As Taurus transits Uranus, I suggest doing two things:
1. Yoga.
Surprise! I love yoga for handling transits. During this one, I suggest waking up the throat area and the throat chakra as these areas are ruled by Taurus. Start with a shoulder stand and a nice matsyasana (fish posture), and then move on to bigger and bigger throat openers. Make sure you protect the neck as you do this. If these poses are new to you, consult with a yoga teacher or experienced practitioner or check out my blog on activating the throat chakra.
2. Integrate, integrate, integrate your Taurus in your chart.
This one is more complicated, but you can totally do it! First, you’ll need your astrology chart (look yours up at astro.com if you don’t have it). Then locate where Taurus is in your chart. It’s the one that looks like a bull’s head, and it should be in one or more houses. (Hint, the houses are the segments that look like slices of pie).
Next, look up the house Taurus is in. Really look into what sorts of life activities that house rules and which ones are already a part of your life. From there, begin to bring some degree of sponteneity into your activities. For example, the 6th house rules career and day-to-day activities. If your Taurus is in the sixth house, can you bring any sponteneity or freedom to your job? Can you finally ask to work from home an extra day or take a personal day to really revamp your creativity?