I had been meaning to write about Uranus turning retrograde and then I read Beth Owl’s Daughter’s blog post from a couple of days ago:

I have been somewhat surprised to find that I am on becalmed waters.

Not because of a lack of things to do. On the contrary, I should be busy gearing up for the Fall launch of my next series of classes, both in-person and through teleconferencing. I have a deadline looming for my next article for The Meta Arts Magazine, preparations for my teaching session I’ll be leading with the Gaian Tarot Circle in a couple of weeks, and a myriad of other tasks and projects sitting on my desk. Some of them fairly urgent.

And yet…nothing seems to be happening. Is this the dreaded resistance? Self-defeating procrastination? Depression?

I told myself, okay.. Maybe I just needed to take a few days off around the Independence Day holiday. I did.

Then maybe I could do some long-term strategizing for the coming year or two, as I am very definitely feeling some fundamental shifting going on in my practice and how I intend to serve in these changing times in which we find ourselves.

And with the appearance of The Magician this week, I thought – okay! Here we go!

But instead, I still find myself on hold. I find myself dragging my feet, in maintenance mode only; not really wanting to start anything new. I sit down to my planning worksheets .. and I turn away. Instead, I feel a deep hush inside my spirit, as if waiting for something.

And what’s funny about this, is that during this same past week or so, my friends and my clients have been echoing the same theme:

Can’t seem to get the old engine to turn over… None of my customers seem to want to come back from out-on-holiday mode… Indecisiveness… Absent-mindedness… Seem to have lost my motivation and drive… Things feel flat… Stale… No one is returning my calls, and frankly, I am relieved…

How about you? Do you feel a sort of stasis right now? Is it just me and a dozen or so people who have confided in me, while everyone else is in high gear? Is it just lazy Summertime? Or something else?

Yes, dear Beth, it IS something else. It’s the change of direction of the planet Uranus!

Uranus has been stationing retrograde for a couple of weeks now, making it more difficult to begin those new projects. Uranus inspires change and the infusion of new energy, but when retrograde it’s harder to get those engines to turn over because we first must go back over old ground to see what can be preserved and can come along with us into the new energy, and what must be left behind.

As a planet prepares to change direction its motion slows down to a virtual standstill, and because Uranus has the effect of infusing us with a desire to create change we’re feeling the edges of that inspiration but not quite able to get things going. There is likely also a sense of being scattered and moving in many directions at once.

After Uranus picks up speed again those new ideas will begin taking root. Until then, keep the engine running and wait for the express train to pull in!