Astrology: Delightful Surprise!
By: Janette Dalgliesh – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.
We’re about to head into a period of Uranus Retrograde, and I’m excited!
Uranus is the leader of our own internal rebel alliance, a god of change and a potent force for shattering old, outmoded paradigms.
He’s the ruler of Aquarius, linked to our social interactions with groups of all kinds – our friends, colleagues, communities both online and local, networks of all kinds.
This is all about our own capacity and drive towards individuation, the sense of “I gotta be ME”; and also about how we share our own unique ideas, philosophies and knowledge with the collective.
As with any Retrograde, there’s an invitation here to review, reassess, reconsider, refresh.
And since it’s kick-down-the-fences Uranus, we can expect the unexpected both in our own relationships to the collective, and also in the social collective as a whole.
If you know that surprise is around the corner, you have two choices.
You can let your brain go into default “change is scary” mode and try to manage any anxiety fallout as best you can.
Or – and this is my preference! – you can set conscious intentions for “delightful surprises”, and get your own brain lined up with the possibilities of change for the better.
This works to relieve stress, which in turn opens up your own capacity for excellent creativity, problem-solving, lateral thinking and cognitive function, And it sends a powerful signal to the Universe that you are already aligned with great outcomes.
You can add refinements, or course – for example “delightful surprises in my business“ or “delightful surprises around romance”.
But let delightful surprise be your expectation, and embrace this window of opportunity for uplevelling your life and your world.
Uranus rebels against old paradigms that are inconsistent with your own most unique and potent self. In Rx mode, whatever is found to be out of date is likely to be the focus of his “time to burn that bridge” attitudes.
If you need to temper the urge to break down fences in order to manage any kind of transition, by all means bring that to the party.
For example, if Uranus Rx helps you get clear that it’s time to ditch the job from hell, but you don’t yet have clarity on what comes next – you get to manage that.
Satisfy both Uranus and good management, by making a solid commitment to leave, and start making a plan with timelines.
Just don’t try and ignore the must-leave-now nudges out of fear, or because you’re seeking to please someone else. Uranus doesn’t happily play that game!
And do relax into knowing that although you might experience radical new things, this is not an overnight phenomenon so there’s no rush.
Uranus turns Retrograde on 11 August, and stays Retrograde until 10 January next year (exact times below).
It would be smart to get thoroughly lined up with “delightful surprise“ on those two dates especially, since the change of direction can bring a little turbulence with it. But don’t feel it has to happen all at once – and don’t leave it all to the last minute!
It’s also worth noting that Uranus doesn’t exit the Retrograde shadow zone until early April 2020, so we have a few extra months of supportive wiggle room to do any last bits of mopping up.
General Uranus Rx activities
Uranus is literally the god of the sky – named for Ouranos, father of Saturn and grandfather of Jupiter, representing the core foundation of everything.
Activities which embrace change and acknowledge the link to sky and the element of Air are all good.
Try one or more of these in a mini-ritual to mark the beginning and end of the Uranus Rx period (exact times below). Or create a daily practice to use throughout the period. Or both.
If you like, shape these according to your Sun and/or Rising sign, below.
- practice rituals involving words which focus on your own sense of autonomy and coming home to yourself – poetry, prayers, spells, incantations, blessings, mantras and affirmations all fit here
- use incense or smudging or smoking to connect with the Uranian element of Air (and please use ingredients local to you, if possible)
- change some teeny, tiny daily habits to help you and your brain get used to the feeling of “new and different” – put your socks on starting with the “wrong” foot; switch from morning to evening shower (or vice versa); change toothpaste to a new brand; find a new commute.
Aries / Aries Rising
Check in with your core values. Reassess how you manage all your own resources. Could you get a better deal on your utilities, or better interest on your savings? Could you redesign your systems to make resource-management easier or more resonant with you? Exercise due diligence (duh) and research possibilities you’ve not considered before.
Taurus / Taurus Rising
Is there anything in your look which could use an overhaul? It might be that long-ignored urge to wear kimonos all day long. Or that radical hair colour (as I type this, I’m literally in the chair at the salon while my new colour takes!). Or finally investing in false eyelashes, or deciding to ditch false eyelashes cuz you’re so over them. How do you REALLY want to show up in the world?
Gemini / Gemini Rising
Throw yourself into the realms of dreams and the imagination. Write a novel, a play, a piece of erotica. Create mystical art with a medium you’ve never used. Sit in an art gallery or go to a concert and explore creative work that’s completely new to you. Consider a new meditation approach, or take up meditation if you’ve never done it before. Where could you surrender?
Cancer / Cancer Rising
It’s party time! Throw open the doors to some new-to-you social interactions, whether that’s hosting a themed dinner party, getting friends together for a beach barbecue, joining (or setting up) a special-interest group just to talk to like-minded people. If you’ve never done it before, chances are that’s your cue to exercise curiosity and dive in.
Leo / Leo Rising
What outmoded aspect of your work is ready for the old heave-ho? Reassess from the core outwards – this isn’t about merely tinkering at the edges with a change of email provider. Go to the heart. Are you still passionate about what you do? Awesome! If not, be open to new inspiration. Where are there pieces you’ve implemented simply because the experts told you to? That’s where to look, for ways to be more You.
Virgo / Virgo Rising
Time for some expansion, beyond the familiar. This could mean further study, exploration of the inner realms, foreign travel, or merely any new horizons you’ve not broached before. No need to stress about the details – start by imagining what it would feel like if it were possible, (whatever “it” is for you) and then listen for the ping of inspiration.
Libra / Libra Rising
Time for a radical overhaul of shared resources. Radical doesn’t mean panicked, instant decisions! Rather, it means being open to radical ideas around how shared resources are managed (who does the day to day, what systems exist?) and where they are “invested” (a house, a useful debt, the kids’ education?). Reassess with an eye to genuinely new possibilities.
Scorpio / Scorpio Rising
Check in with your significant one to one partnerships – business, community, romantic. Is there anything you’ve been tolerating that’s ready for change? Set the intention for “an outcome that I love“ rather than intending to win a battle or unilaterally rewrite the rules. Start there, then practice feeling how you want the relationship to feel: loving, honest, transparent, whatever.
Sagittarius / Sagittarius Rising
This is a fabulous opportunity to overhaul day-to-day routines and systems, so that they suit YOU. How will you know where to start? Spot the one habit in your everyday life that bugs you the most – how the dishwasher gets unloaded, how the laundry happens, how the kids (or the pets) get fed. What would you like instead? Tap into how it will feel once it’s done, then follow inspiration.
Capricorn / Capricorn Rising
Amp up creative expression across-the-board. Try a new medium, or a new discipline. Find ways to share it beyond your normal spheres. Paint, sculpt, bake, knit, do carpentry or welding, cast bronzes, sing, photograph. Go beyond your usual iPhone filters or musical habits and experiment! When you show up to your art – whatever form that takes – your Muse will show up, too. Invite a new Muse by exploring new art.
Aquarius / Aquarius Rising
If you’re at home right now, take a look around. Not with nasty, bullying, judgemental eyes, but with the eyes of one who’s ready to have her home be a powerful expression of Self. Whether you share or not, this whole Rx period is perfect for creating home-as-kingdom, with you as the monarch. Pick up Jacqueline Gates’s Intentional Nesting and get in her world, stat.
Pisces / Pisces Rising
Expect joyful floodgates of learning and teaching to open wide. Curiosity will be your companion through this journey, so get used to asking yourself “oooh, I wonder if…?“ Lean into your intellect here, too (not swirly emotional Pisces’ usual modus operandum). Your natural gift for connection is invaluable, and research, ideas and knowledge will bring in any missing pieces of the puzzle. Set intentions for effective and easy schooling, designed to amp up your sovereignty.
Exact times (US Eastern)
- Uranus Retrograde – 11 August 2019 at 10:27PM
- Uranus Direct – 10 January 2020 at 6:27PM
- Uranus leaves the Rx shadow – 26 April 2020 at 1:32PM
PS hat tip to Kim Falconer for the perfect Uranian phrase “delightful surprises”
Janette Dalgliesh has a simple mission in life – to wreak more joy in the world. A keen student of astrology, brain science and Law of Attraction, she serves her people through astrology consults, coaching, teaching and writing. You can find her via Facebook, or at her website. And if you’d like her to check out the impact of this Uranus Retrograde on your own natal chart, contact her via janette <@> resonantjoy <dot> com.
