Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction
We are experiencing one of the most important astrological alignments of the year as Jupiter and Uranus make their conjunction in Taurus (22˚) over the weekend of 21-22 April 2024. This happens every 14 years, and coincides with accelerated leaps of consciousness, revolution, technological advance and innovation. You might imagine what it's like when far seeing Jupiter, the light bringer and god of thunder meets Uranus, the radical iconoclast and innovator who shatters the old order with the intensity of a lightining strike! Both these planets have their eye on the future, and see beyond constraints and limitations. Their conjunction represents a paradigm shift of vision and ideas. I am born with this conjunction in Libra in 1969, the year of the moon landing. "One giant leap for mankind..." and all that.
The Jupiter-Uranus cycle of conjunctions and oppositions seem to bring accelerated leaps of poltical, socio-cultural and technological 'progress', where things we might have previously though impossible suddenly launch themselves into reality. The first commercially available mobile phone was produced on the Jupiter-Uranus in Sagittarius of 1984. Interestingly that this is also the year that George Orwell chose for his dystopian novel, set in a new world technocracy. In 1997, when the two planets were conjunct in politically progressive Aquarius, we have Tony Blair coming to power, with “New Labour”, which was definitely more ‘new’ than it was Labour, and represented a complete overthrow / betrayal of traditional labour / left-leaning values. The first internet blogging site was also set up during this year.
The conjunction in January 2011 in Aries, brought the Arab Spring and the overthrow of governments in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere, from an uprising of the people, generated by viral internet campaigning. It was also the year of the first internet live stream. The Jupiter-Uranus opposition of late 2016 saw the almost unthinkable election of Donald Trump to the US presidency, on the back of an unprecedented social media campaign which targeted voters in a way that had never been done before.
So what are we with now, as Jupiter and Uranus align in the sign of Taurus? Well, we might expect it to coincide with radical innovation, the acceleration of new thinking around Taurean themes, such money and resources, food and the soil, the way we nourish ourselves and feel secure in our bodies. And also the way we experience pleasure and sensuality - this is a Venus-ruled sign, after all!
This could feel unsettling for many of us, of course, as much as it might feel exciting for others. It is certainly likely to bring forward progressive ideas in these areas, however we might interpret that these days! What will is happening / will happen to our money, will cash disappear completely? And what about crypto currencies? Could it boom or bust for these? Will grass roots local currencies start springing up as a counter measure? One might certainly anticipate a radical shift in the way the role that new forms of currency play in society.
What about our relationship to sex and sensuality? And what about augmented reality, and the integration of technology and the human body - will this also be accelerated over the period of this conjunction? - it seems to be going that way. Taurus rules the soil and farming - so we might expect further radical changes in the way food is grown, both in terms of technological advance, but also perhaps a rising up of people within their communities to grow their own food and initiate projects and local initiatives - this now seems the most radical direction to counter the trend of the all-out technological assault.
I’d love to hear your ideas and responses to this - and what you feel this conjunction might be bringing out in the world and in your own life.