November 26, 2019 900 PM
First, a reminder – he’s not a real astrologer, he just plays one for this column. That said, we’re here to discuss the seven year transit of zany Uranus through the earthy sign of Taurus. Let’s put on our gardening gloves and dig right in. We’re already in the current phase of this transit, which spans March 6, 2019 through July 7, 2025. That’s a long stretch, so we’d better get it right.
The planet Uranus is a maverick. It’s the only planet in our solar system with a 180 degree axis, spinning on its side like an egg. Its magnetic poles flip erratically and unpredictably. As a symbol of human qualities and behaviors, terms like independence, innovation, disruption, rebellion, freedom-seeking, and risk-taking come to mind. This description is fine if you live your life as a dictionary or an algorithm, so allow me to bring this colorful actor to life.
Doug Coffin is a buddy of mine. He’s a Potowatomi/Creek painter and sculptor with a sense of black humor to match his name. Twenty-five years ago he had a bumper sticker that proclaimed,”This planet’s history, let’s party”. Picture a man with a mop of crazy curls, a handlebar moustache, and a glint of mischievous mirth in his eyes.
One windy New Mexico afternoon, he was hauling a ten-foot painted steel totem pole in the back of his pickup. Suddenly, no warning, the sculpture tumbled off the back of the truck onto the highway. The driver behind him swerved off the road, partly for self-preservation and partly to offer assistance. The sturdy totem was badly scuffed up, but its beauty remained intact. The guy asked if the piece was for sale, bought it on the spot, and Doug was ten thousand dollars richer. That’s Uranus at work.
Now that you have a feel for Uranus, let’s talk about its passage through the sign of Taurus.
Taurus is an Earth sign (which is why I suggested we put on gardening gloves – heaven knows what you were thinking). Taurus loves security, stability, predictability. Odd bedfellows indeed, when you pair chaos-loving Uranus with patient, practical Taurus. So what gives?
In his book “Forecast 2019”, financial astrologer Ray Merriman describes historical patterns of boom-and-bust. Turns out Uranus is the instigator. For example, from 1995-2003, Uranus transited Aquarius, which rules technology. We all remember the NASDAQ dot.com bubble. Tech stocks made a six fold increase by the year 2000, and then lost 78% of their value by the end of that transit. When Uranus entered the sign of Pisces (which rules crude oil) in 2003, the price of crude was $29.66 per barrel. By July 2008, oil peaked at an all-time high of $147.27, before crashing to $32.48 by the end of that year. Again, a 78% decline.
So what sectors of the economy does Taurus govern? Banks (currencies), cattle (Taurus is a bull), and agriculture. I present these correlations not to make economic forecasts – leave that to the pros like Ray Merriman – but simply to tickle your frontal cortex. Maybe disruptive Uranus takes bitcoin on another roller-coaster ride. Closer to our non-digital Marfa Plateau, perhaps beef and agriculture successfully merge, and the hybrid burger becomes the new fave at DQ. Feel free to be skeptical, and if you’re thinking “Uranus my ass,” suit yourself. Just remember, if you’re wrong, you’ll be stepping in it till 2025.
