The 'Quiet Revolutionaries'

11.16.04


Why the 'quiet revolutionaries' might not remain quiet much longer…

Last week, I hailed the generation born under the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo, those children of the mid-1960s imprinted with the radical resistance associated with the decade of their birth. As I mentioned, these folks contain a smoldering rebelliousness and refusal to respect the impure, demoralizing, systematic control exercised by the power elite. This week, I'd like to examine how the ongoing movement of the planets is currently activating the latent intensity in this group, perhaps explaining why so many Uranus-Pluto types have recently sought counsel from me.

This generation's disenchantment first made a big public splash around 1991-92, when Jupiter passed through Virgo and amplified the Uranus-Pluto energy in these individuals' charts. Around this time, author Douglas Coupland published his novel Generation X, which dealt explicitly with the aimlessness, particularly professionally, of this discontented group (and made irony trendy)—and the book's title stuck as a popular label for the whole generation.

The 'grunge' movement, with the anti-corporate tone of its music and fashions, also rose at this time. (Its suicide-martyr Kurt Cobain, notably, had the Uranus-Pluto conjunction straddling his Virgo rising.) But soon enough, as the tides turned (and the corporate industrial complex swallowed enough of the jagged little pill of cultural disaffection to inoculate itself against infection), the public airing of this disillusionment dissipated and gave was to Internet-era optimism… and the Uranus-Pluto babies retreated into acceptance of their fate as the rare American generation to face a harder economic reality than their predecessors.

Over this past year, though, Jupiter again journeyed across the sacred Virgo plain, once more expanding the simmering need of Uranus-Pluto folks to liberate themselves from the powers that be. From Aug 03 through Sep 04, Jupiter in Virgo revitalized the open intensity of their reformist criticisms—only this time, the members of Gen X were no longer tender-footed twentysomethings, but full-fledged adults in their 30s and early 40s. Nowadays, they're in a better position to do something about their misgivings with the present state of work and duty than merely complain from an apathetic 'slacker' stance.

As I mentioned back in August, one visible mark of this recent Jupiter transit was a proliferation of whistle-blowing documentaries and grassroots weblog journalism ('blogging') that unmasked the undue influence of global-scale corporate interests in our daily rituals. In areas like business accounting, health care, mass food production, and the media's ideological 'spinning' of news messages, unfair and unhealthy practices continue to be laid bare, thanks to Jupiter in Virgo's lasting impact—only instilling further embitterment in those stuck under the thumbs of the big boys.

Though Jupiter departed Virgoland over a month ago, the longer-term effects of this transit on the Uranus-Pluto crop are still settling themselves into consciousness. The positive growth afforded by Jupiter doesn't always show its true colors from the start, and during this time, many Uranus-Pluto-ers may have hit their heads a bit harder against those prevailing power-players who inhibit their capacity to labor in purest service to their ideals. But, as conventional wisdom teaches us, when the universe slams a door in your face, it yanks some other window wide open… and through that gaping portal of opportunity, the courageous climb right out into freedom. Jupiter, after all, is the kindest among the major transiting planetary influences, even if we don't see it at the time.

But the Uranus-Pluto generation was already being forced to confront more difficult planetary transits as early as 1999, when its elder members began to find transiting Pluto in Sagittarius making a harsh painful square (the challenging 90º angle) to its natal position in Virgo. The Pluto square is one of the quintessential 'mid-life crisis' transits, during which we face an ugly resurfacing of the most raw and pernicious 'primal wounds' from our past. We discover that underneath our well-behaving sweetness seethes venomous rage and/or vindictiveness. Where our lives have become lifeless, passions start coursing anew, with the likelihood that what has already begun to decay will get killed off for good. Through the unearthed secrets and butted heads, the nasty words and interpersonal embroilments of Pluto square, catharsis occurs—the past is rooted out and destroyed, allowing the future to be built upon its ruins.

Of course, for the Uranus-Pluto-ers, this transit is doubly intense. Think about it… since Uranus is conjoined with Pluto in the natal chart, when transiting Pluto squares natal Pluto, it also squares natal Uranus. To augment the interpretation already offered, add 'abrupt' and 'chaotic' and 'radically detaching' to the mix. Another interesting feature of this mid-'60s group: Due to Pluto's irregular orbit, this generation is passing through their Pluto square earlier in their lives than many others. Uranus-Pluto folks hit Pluto square by their mid-to-late 30s (and reap its psychologically deepening rewards), whereas those born only a generation before didn't get there until their early 40s.

And I haven't even mentioned Saturn yet, another planetary zinger that also happened to oppose the Uranus-Pluto conjunction during 1965-1967, a historical period of international tensions, escalations, riots and coups. For the subgroup born during Saturn's opposition to Uranus and Pluto, throw in a heightened edge to the deep dark antagonism against power structures—these folks battle against a more firmly entrenched authority, as the struggle is also a fiercely personal one against the internalized traditionalists within themselves.

Most recently, Saturn opposed Pluto during 2001-2002 and was widely considered by astrologers to be the shadowy energy associated with the events of 9/11. The savage, destructive 'ugly truth' vibrations permeating the ethers in the wake of 9/11 stem from the same astrological source as the '65-'67 violent uprisings. That '65-'67 subgroup of individuals endured an especially tumultuous and intensely personal reaction to the difficult events of '01-'02, resulting from the transiting Saturn-Pluto opposition (in Gemini-Sagittarius) triggering their natal Saturn-(Uranus-)Pluto opposition (in Pisces-Virgo).

And now, as Pluto continues on its current path through Sagittarius and finally greets the younger Uranus-Pluto crowd with its Pluto square, transiting Uranus (currently in Pisces) will soon begin opposing the same Uranus-Pluto point for the older group. To clarify: Yes, another major mid-life transit—the Uranus opposition—will start picking up steam for this group next year and continue through the remainder of the decade. Uranus opposition is the definitive 'I can't take it anymore' breaking-free, a liberating leap away from restriction and toward rabid individuality.

At Uranus opposition time, we hit the jolting recognition that time is ticking away… and if we're not going to bust out and live the unfettered creative existence we yearn for now, then when? As a result of Uranus's voyage through Pisces over these coming years, previously quiet Uranus-Pluto revolutionaries will likely become louder and more pronounced as progressive innovators on the public stage—just in time for an astrologically extreme 2009-2012, when we'll all need their leadership most… but I'll return to these issues at a later time.

Members of the Uranus-Pluto club: The best way to understand how this energy functions in your own life is to find out which natal house contains your Uranus-Pluto conjunction, and which houses are being triggered by the ongoing transits of Uranus and Pluto. To find out more, consider getting an astrology reading…