Lightning strikes the bull

Taurus 2018

It’s another of those times when astrologers are really beside themselves about the heavens. The seven year astrology itch you might say. Many of us have been waxing lyrical about the fact that Uranus is about to enter a new sign. So not to be left out, here’s my take on it too. Uranus stays in each sign for around seven years, and is now finishing up his tour of Aries to enter our sign of the month on 15 May. So instead of dressing in a Sir Lancelot costume and wielding a sword, he will don a more restful and sensual Taurean outfit – probably a green one. He will revert back later this year (between 6 November 2018 and 6 March 2019), just to make sure his sword-wielding days are truly over and will then settle into earthdom until July 2025.

So what does that all mean?

If you read my posts regularly, you will know that I would probably say ‘That’s the wrong question!’ This seven year period offers opportunities for those willing to align with the zeitgeist with conscious awareness. But yes, even if you do that, there might be some surprises – Uranus likes to shock after all. But better to expect the unexpected than to be unaware that change is afoot. Uranus is lightning and Taurus is, of course, a bull, hence my title. I was amused when googling it to find I was not the first to use it!

This is indeed a strange match. Uranus likes to wake us up and move us along, and Taurus likes to be a couch potato. To give you a bit more of the flavour, I love the fitting imagery used by two of my well-known friends and colleagues. Sue Tompkins, in an article on the subject in the Astrological Journal, uses ‘The irresistible force meets the immovable object’. And Lynn Bell, who will give a workshop at the huge astrology conference in Chicago, (where I am also giving two lectures – exciting!) has a workshop called ‘Singing the Body Electric’. That should be fascinating.

Interesting bed-fellows

Uranus is not really at home in Taurus. But he has a job to do. His vocation is to awaken, to get to the truth, to rebel, to shock, to enlighten. As lightning, as well as representing electricity, he has a lot to do with light. In the myth, as the sky, he mated with Gaia, the earth, causing time to begin. But that didn’t end well, as Gaia, after giving birth to twelve beautiful children, was again impregnated by Uranus and had two sets of very ugly triplets. Uranus hated them. He couldn’t believe he had fathered such creations and pushed them back into Gaia’s womb, causing her much pain. So she took her revenge and eventually Uranus was castrated by his son Kronos (Saturn), but that’s another story. So the mix of Uranus and Gaia is not a happy one and as Taurus is strongly associated with Gaia, we are in for an interesting time again. Uranus wants to create and in doing so shocks the earth. He might have his work cut out in stubborn Taurus, as the story of Sparky testifies (link below).

Who needs waking up?

Well, apart from all Taureans –  and hopefully neither you nor any bulls will need to be struck by lightning – anything that is associated with this sign is up for innovation. Most astrologers are writing on the financial systems of the world, and this is indeed a major Taurean area. Goodness knows, we need a fundamental rethink for banks and financial institutions, as many people in the know have been saying for ages. The financial systems of the world are no longer fit for purpose. They are making the difference between poor and rich worse than ever and creating more disparity each day. And one thing Uranus really doesn’t like is inequality. He is a major supporter of displaced and ‘different’ groups. One wonders if the world will heed the call and take advantage of this period to embrace innovative systems. Cryptocurrencies are causing a stir already, not least because of the decentralised control. But I fear with the level of consciousness of those in power, leaders will have to go down kicking and screaming. Governments will probably do more propping up of currencies, thereby exacerbating differences between the haves and the have-nots. We will have to see what unfolds, but Uranus in Taurus is unlikely to give up wanting change.

The rest of Taurus 

Taurus has many more areas in its domain and these should also expect a shake up. The police are associated with Taurus and, as this sign rules the throat in the body, singers and anything associated with the voice are also in the firing line for change. In many countries the police need to upgrade and get abreast of new types of technological crimes. There are cries for new and fairer policing in many countries, so woe betide any forces that resist change.

I wonder what kind of innovation might be possible with the voice. Stephen Hawking comes to mind – perhaps his death will spark more innovation in technology being used to give more people a voice. This can be symbolic too – now is the time to get our revolutionary voices really heard! And if you are a singer – expressing true authenticity of your own voice could be rewarded in this period.

Sensuality and resources

Taurus is a sign of the senses – especially touch. Anything concrete that we can touch and that holds value may be subject to a shock. This could be anything from earth resources, such as gold, diamonds and minerals, to your house. I think what we are supposed to be considering is the concept of ownership. Should we be able to own land? Should countries have fixed borders? Should we be plundering the earth? This is the challenge. Taurus is functional – to be in tune with the zeitgeist of the coming years we have to be honest about whether we need to keep all our possessions. Good questions for these times are: Are we conscious enough about what makes us feel safe? Will we stay in fear and hoard? Or let go of what we don’t need? It’s a wake-up call against rampant consumerism.

Textiles and other materials fall under our sign of the month. This combination suggests that getting back to more natural fibres and materials is the way to go. The rise against plastic and the pollution of mother earth that it causes is definitely on the agenda. Companies who are heading towards looking after the earth and who stop messing with nature will probably be rewarded. As I write, synchronicity has struck. There is an interview on BBC world about getting crowd-funding for all natural material for coffee cups and water bottles. Yes – that’s the way to go!

Looking at it from another point of view could mean that electricity (Uranus) will become an even more valued resource (Taurus). Going towards natural sources of energy is in tune with the current (!) vibe. In fact, anything Uranian, such as alternative healing, unorthodox methods, and dare I say, astrology, could become more valuable.

The body

Our main ‘possession’ is probably our physical body. We need to look after the body of the earth but also, on a personal level, our own bodies. And we need food to survive – unless you happen to be a breatharian. Uranus needs to enter the body – so here consciousness is the key. What are we eating? Is it really nurturing? This is a wake-up call against junk food. Obesity and diabetics are at epic levels. Uranus now wants us to change this! It is a chain reaction – the more we are aware of what we eat, and are in touch with our own individual needs, the better it will be for the planet. The agricultural sector is due for a major overhaul. It’s time to grow our own food, to support sustainable food, and to eat less meat, especially ‘bulls’. Many people I know are eating far less meat, especially beef. This is a trend that will be supported by the cosmos in the coming years. Or maybe cattle themselves will revolt!

As Uranus enters the physical realm we might see more 3d-printed body parts and technology being used within the body. The bionic woman is a possibility. Not to mention the new sex dolls! And of course even more smart-wear. Uranus in Taurus can work positively or negatively. We might produce even more technology that is unnatural, or we might wake up to the fact that we can produce good things from waste products like plastic and move towards products attuned with nature. And nature itself can get a Uranian innovative boost in the form of evolution to deal with us! Already we are seeing bacteria that can digest plastic.

I hope our global ‘Aha’ Uranus moment might be that we get it into our heads that nature is always cleverer than we are. That we drop the arrogant stance that we know better than Gaia does and start working with her. This period offers a huge wake-up call for how heavily toxins are affecting our planet and our health. Hopefully steps will be taken to address this problem too in the coming years or I fear Gaia might act.

Science

For a long time, materialistic science has reigned supreme. Proof-based and replicable experiments are seen as key. But Uranus in Taurus is literally ground-breaking. Earth shattering. I think we should see more truth in science. No fudged statistics, and more openness to new ideas. Uranus wants to break through the stubbornness of old materialistic world views. Slowly but surely, new science is breaking through barriers of old beliefs which are no longer sustainable. So this period gives hope, I think, for those wanting to progress in scientific areas.

Enlightenment

Recently I have listened to several videos and podcasts on ascension. I must admit to being slightly irritated by the terms enlightenment and ascension. They somehow always give the idea that enlightened and ascended beings are somehow better than the normal woman in the street! I found myself thinking ‘get over yourself’ about anyone who described themselves as enlightened, particularly as many so-called ‘gurus’ have been brought to justice for myriad reasons.

However, many of the very interesting people I listened to described ascension very differently. They suggest that the term is used only because we don’t have a good word for what is meant, which they describe as consciousness or frequency development. Getting in tune with other energies, in particular for finding your true path and for healing.

Many suggest that the earth has already increased in frequency – i.e. since 2012 the earth has ‘ascended’. And we are now in the process of catching up and tuning in to new frequencies. This idea fits with Uranus in Taurus. Many of these teachers and channellers on the videos suggest that to help in the ascension process we imagine each of our cells being filled with light – that’s back to lightning! En-light-enment (Uranus) entering our bodies and the body of Gaia (Taurus). I have often heard it said that we need to do this to survive. To get out of heavy physical energies and become lighter in both senses of the word. We live in interesting times!

Natural Cycles

Astrologers use the cycles of time as a guide for looking to the future. The idea that history repeats, not literally but symbolically, is inherent in an astrological world view. So, many astrologers have referred back to what happened when Uranus was in Taurus previously. And it is not a pretty picture. The dates for the last two periods with some back and forths are:

• July 1850 – March 1859
• June 1934- May 1942

Of course, the last one was the run up to and part of WWII which had a lot to do with land ‘ownership’. This was also the case in the earlier cycle when we had the Crimean War where Russia lost to an alliance of the Ottoman empire, Britain, France and Sardinia. Interesting then that relations between Britain and France with Russia are in trouble again – and where Crimea is again a factor. In line with this post –  a part of this war was the Charge of the Light Brigade!

The first oil well was drilled during this early period, a sign of making money from earth’s resources, but perhaps now is time for a rethink on this. And we need to learn lessons on another of our themes from the Great Famine, also known as the Potato Famine in Ireland, which led to mass starvation amongst the poor. Although it started when Uranus was in Aries in 1845, it lasted until 1852 when Uranus was in Taurus. Themes of land, beef, and staple foods are relevant here. The poor had been forced off good beef growing land by the ruling British (for financial gain of course) and potatoes became a staple crop for the poor, since it was a crop that did better than grain on poorer soil. There is still debate about the cause of the famine, but one lesson stands out for me. The lack of biodiversity meant that all crops were devastated by blight. Had there been more diverse crops instead of one variety of potatoes, this would not have happened. This is a warning against the massive acreage of single crops. Bees and other insects have suffered from this too, but are we heeding the warning? The suffering caused by famine was fuel for Irish republicanism, so it is interesting too that Britain and Ireland have to solve problems again in the context of Brexit!

The last cycle brought other things, sometimes because of war and sometimes despite it. To give you a sense of what is on the agenda this time around, I offer a few examples that fitted symbolically with the zeitgeist previously …

in random order:

• Nylon was invented but is it time to go back to natural fibres?
• F.D. Roosevelt believed that trade could prevent war by creating prosperity – I wonder what will happen with the links between trade and war this time.
• Britain agreed to Hitler taking land – until 1939 when Poland was invaded – a line had been crossed!
• Roosevelt ordered the building of a gold vault at Fort Knox! Hoarding resources?
• Gold was shipped off to Canada from Europe for safe keeping. More hoarding.
• Monopoly the game was launched! The more properties and money the better.
• The first radioactive substance was produced synthetically, and the first radioactive isotope medicine was administered. And the uranium atom was split – are these examples of messing with nature coming back to haunt us?
• The first hydroponics operation was established and ridiculed. Is innovation with plants a theme?
• Following on from the last cycle, the Irish Free State adopted a constitution and became Eire. Breaking away from inauthentic landlords?
• An Anglo-American trade agreement went into effect, cutting tariffs in US, England, and Crown Colonies. Shades of things to come?
• … and of course during WWII there was food rationing in many countries. Food and water are major agenda points for the world now.

A final note on cycles

Taurus always follows Aries, which is the start of a 12-stage cycle. Uranus in Aries wakes us up to what we need to be angry about. We rebel in an initiatory way. We march, we pioneer new rebellions, we start movements. We fire up insurgency and uprisings. But in Aries that’s all we do and that’s enough. Aries energy is needed to get us off the couch and start protesting! Uranus has been doing this since 2011. But now in Taurus, he wants to ground that energy and make it practical. Now is the time to ‘put our money where our mouth is’ – a great Taurus saying! Stormy Daniels comes to mind. Instead of just agreeing with #metoo, she is actually taking Trump on, suing him for defamation and libel.

I don’t think the protesters about gun laws in the US will give up easily either now, especially with young people on the case.

So, as always, there is hope, but you need to get with the cosmic programme. Ask yourself what have you been angry about since 2011? The Arab Spring and the Occupy movements started then – it’s time to act on those themes too. But what are yours? And what can you do on a practical level to ground your anger and make it useful? Make the switch to using a sustainable bank! Get involved in movements delivering something. Eat organic. Wear natural fibres and use natural cosmetics. Do whatever fits your beliefs. And one for me personally – clean out your cupboards! It does make a difference- especially now. I could say don’t get mad, get even! But that’s not quite right – maybe don’t get mad, fix it! Result-oriented revolution!

Faye Blake

Websites of the month

An interesting if somewhat scary article on ‘How western civilisation could collapse‘.

The story of Sparky

Quote of the month

“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.” Ban Ki-moon

“Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.” Henry David Thoreau
Although this was a journal entry from 1861, just outside our Uranus in Taurus period, a lot of his writings about living in natural surroundings were done during our 1850-1859 period. I wonder what he would say now.

My new book

I am currently writing another book which I think is fitting for the times. I was hoping to have it ready for the conference in Chicago this month where I am speaking on two tracks. One is the health and healing track, on epigenetics – totally in line with going back to natural environments to assist healing. The other is on the business astrology track – which also fits these themes well, as Uranus covers astrology and Taurus is about money and business. That’s maybe why life got in the way, so the book would be finished in the appropriate period – well that’s my excuse!