Beginning on the US election day, Saturn and Uranus will begin a series of five oppositions, concluding the summer of 2010.  Astrologers have been speculating for the past year about what this could mean.  Saturn is the planet that rules over the status quo, governmental and societal structures that hold chaos at bay, the limitations that we place on our world.  Uranus is the planet that invites the chaos in to create radical changes in our world.  It seeks new ways of thinking and innovative discoveries – it presides over inventions and new technologies.  When these two planets oppose each other a tension is created between the old (Saturn) and the new (Uranus).

In the US this tension began back in March-April when transiting Uranus began a square to Mars (21 Gemini)  in the US chart.  This is when the fevered rhetoric for change swept over the presidential primaries, with even Mitt Romney and John McCain adopting the call for change that was so successful for Barack Obama.

It’s interesting and perhaps beyond coincidence that the second phase of the square of Uranus to the US Mars occurred at the end of August, just as Sarah Palin was chosen as the Change Candidate for the Republican ticket.   Palin, as we’ve seen in earlier articles, has a stellium of Aquarius (ruled by both Uranus and Saturn) planets in her chart and at the convention was acclaimed by the GOP as a reformer who can bring change (Uranus) to Washington while adhering to conservative “values” (Saturn). 

All of this talk of change can be frightening to many people in a time of crisis such as the one we find ourselves in at this moment.  When we are frightened we may tend to cling to that which is familiar (Saturn) rather than embrace something the unknown (Uranus).  This was particularly true this summer when transiting Saturn made a square to Uranus in the US chart, putting the Saturnian kibosh on all of this change rhetoric.  Now, however, transiting Neptune (spirituality, creativity) is making an exact trine to Mars in the US chart and will sit right on the degree of the US Mars as it stations direct through December.  Neptune is idealistic and full of hope, and able to envision the possibilities of a real change and this could bode well for Obama’s success on election day.