Jupiter square Uranus: Contrary for Contrary's Sake?

1.21.07


We purveyors of higher meaning (or is it 'pushers of preposterousness'?) are always yammering on about how change is a good thing.

But is it possible to overdose on change, inadvertently flushing several perfectly healthy babies down the drain, along with our not-so-dirty-after-all bathwater… unnecessarily wasting more promising chances to simply wait and see what happens?

That's a question to ask ourselves this week—and again throughout '07—as Jupiter and Uranus cross each other at a tense 90-degree angle (in astrology called a square).

Squares involving Jupiter are an odd type of challenge, for we usually (and perhaps a bit foolishly) think of this gassy planetary giant as a benevolent influence. And of course, he is. Jupiter makes it easier to expand in scope, grow beyond previous limits and generate more of whatever it's involved with. But include Jupiter in a square, and the 'more' it brings is liable to be more than we can healthily handle, creating excess or otherwise complicating matters.

As a societal value, excess is currently perceived almost universally as a positive. (Think, for instance, 'You can never been too rich or too thin.') But ask anyone who's ever consumed too much alcohol and faced the consequences in the morning… or the lothario who's forced to frantically run from one side of the club to the other, to keep his two dates from running into each other… or the entrepreneur who's created so much abundance in his business life, he has no time to enjoy the fruits of his labor… well, they'll tell you that there comes a point where 'all that' becomes too damn much.

Meanwhile, Uranus, as planetary lord of departures and disruptions and deportations and deconstructions, loves change. He loves it so much, in fact, that he'll opt for whatever overturns the status quo… whether it's immediately productive or not. Uranus bears no responsibility for the emotions he stirs, the circumstances he topples, and the stability he spoils in the process. He is an equal-opportunity shit disturber. His sole duty is to keep things fresh, electric and dynamic—not to worry about who's hurt along the way. That's why Uranus has a knack for making the erratic and unpredictable look so very appealing.

When Jupiter and Uranus square off as they do tomorrow (Mon Jan 22)—and again in May and October—the Uranian drive toward total, abrupt revolution blows up to epic proportions. The tension generated by the squaring planets amplifies our courageous desire to make big, sweeping changes. But it's also likely that, with its tempting concomitant offer of even greater personal freedom, we'll be moved to angle for unnecessarily rash, foolhardy changes… just to prove we can.

Are such uncompromisingly radical risks the only path to this beautiful freedom? Do we have to actually quit our job (and badmouth every last detail of the workplace), just to get our grievances heard? Must we move halfway across the world, in order to rid ourselves of a nasty neighbor or a pesky ex-boyfriend?

There's no right answer to any of these questions, of course… but under this influence, they're certainly worth asking ourselves. The bravado that accompanies Jupiter (especially now, when he's at his boldest in home-sign Sagittarius) can lead us to depart toward a lofty, future-minded vision—long before we've laid the necessary foundation to increase its chances of success.

While positive, passionate thinking is such an important cornerstone of creating the life we want, it alone won't cut the mustard. This Jupiter-Uranus square can inspire magical ideas… and inspire us to unhinge from the essential practicalities, just to whimsically follow it off the cliff. Yes, you've got to jump off the cliff if you ever want to fly. But wouldn't it be smarter to taking flying lessons first, or arrange a party of net-wielding safety officers in the rocky canyon below, to catch you if your first time isn't the charm?

To get a fuller sense of this transiting aspect's qualities, read what I wrote when Jupiter and Uranus last trined each other. (A trine is a less stressed, more supportively flowing aspect than a square.) Then, reinterpret the underlying tone of those words with a slightly less happy-go-lucky, but more potentially dangerous air. That'll give you an idea of how not to go overboard.

Jupiter squares Uranus, as I said, twice more in '07… making this one of the major astro-influences of the year. In other words, 2007 is such a fantastic year to do something differently, we might try to do too many things differently—and create headaches for ourselves and/or others. The most dire consequences could stem from conflating issues, falsely assuming that growth in one area will require massive chaos in another. (It doesn't.) If you want more detailed information about which specific areas are under this influence, look at your own chart (or have an astrologer help you out).