The Millennials - Uranus-Neptune cycle (part 2/7)

It was no coincidence I've picked Strauss Howe's generations theory to present. According to it, the Millennial Generation consists of the people born between 1982-2004. This time frame encouraged me to look for a specific planetary placement that could (even roughly) correspond to those years, or perhaps to find a completely different timeframe and its corresponding planetary cycle.

Cycles in general are the foundation of how the nature functions. One of the most meaningful cycles for us is the 24-hour cycle associated with the Earth rotating around its own axis, in relation to the Sun. In astrology alone, cycles are present on every step, practically in every technique.

But getting back to my findings; the first thing that brought my attention was the cycle of Uranus and Neptune that were in the same zodiac sign - Sagittarius - in 1981. By the astrological cycle of Uranus and Neptune I mean their mutual relation to each other. Such a cycle enters many phases that astrology describes as aspects.

(this symbols indicate the parts in which I'll be using a technical astro language. You can skip those fragments with no fear :-) )

Some technical information. The mutual presence of Uranus and Neptune in one sign started at the end of November 1981 when Uranus entered for good into Sagittarius, joining Neptune that was already transiting that sign. Through many years these planets were closer or further away from each other, sometimes even in the neighbouring signs thanks to the phenomenon called retrogradation. Only in December 1988 Uranus entered for good into Capricorn. Uranus and Neptune stayed there together (even forming a conjunction - an aspect indicating a climax phase of their cycle) until February 1996, when Uranus entered Aquarius for good.

After that there was a "short break" as Uranus and Neptune were in the neighbouring signs, but that was only temporary. In 1998 Neptune entered Aquarius, finally rejoining Uranus (although never to make a conjunction again). So the real mutual presence of Uranus and Neptune in the same sign ends in January 2004 when Uranus entered Pisces for good; by the time Neptune entered Pisces, Uranus had long been into Aries.

To sum it up, Uranus and Neptune were together in three signs: Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius. Therefore, the cycle of Uranus-Neptune (in one sign) lasted from 1981 to 2003.

Can you see the similarity with Strauss Howe's conclusions? I do not know where this "coincidence" comes from, but in my opinion the Millennial Generation is strongly associated with the Uranus-Neptune cycle.

What is Uranus-Neptune connection about?

Uranus and Neptune belong to the group of transpersonal planets that symbolize the processes in which we (as individual beings) can shift our consciousness from the personal level to the one related to the collective - humankind. The position of these two planets show the most natural ways for us to transform in order to experience the transcendental dimension in daily life. 

We can observe the Uranus' impact on the development of our personality when starting to feel the need to make radical changes or wish to feel excited about life and all of the diverse possibilities it can offer. This is about a non-inhibited expression of one's individuality, as that means freedom that later translated into invention and sense of originality. Thanks to this planetary energy the most unconventional ideas are born within us, each capable of igniting even the longest lasting burn-outs.

We can observe the Neptune's impact on the development of our personality when starting to feel the need to unite with the world. At some point we start to realize we want to connect with a certain person (even ourselves) or ideals. Sometimes we even have this flash of awareness that everyone is one, and life is all about reuniting and experiencing the state of unity. 

Neptune is also about experiencing anything deeper than the hollow reality. Often with this type of revelations there is a sense of longing and spiritual sorrow, which could lead us to various spiritual pursuits/studies and ultimately even finding the meaning of existence itself. There is a greater picture and we're a part of it.

Uranus and Neptune are the gateway leading to deeper and broader life; towards a world where there is "something more" than what society typically can offer with its codes of conduct or rules of "what ought to be and what ought not". There is something extreme in this planetary connection, because the stronger one senses the existence of a broader vision, the more this tangible reality becomes apathetic. And when life becomes unbearable, there is nothing else than asking oneself: Am I going through the gateway or staying put?

One thing for sure - when taking the challenges symbolized by Uranus and Neptune one cannot sit idle,  as the inner pressure for surrendering to self-transformation is just too big. The intensive feeling of pressure is a result of blending together two intense and distinctive meanings that both of these planets represent. It is like having to deal with a hurricane and an earth-quake at the same time, even though each of these cataclysms are individually hard to survive through.

Now Uranus and Neptune both ultimately want the same thing – to help one realize that the human (the "I"), living on this important planet (Earth) with his/her unique talents and contribution to the world, is actually a part of a greater Existence, like a group of souls of Earth or even the whole galaxy. But this duo differs greatly when it comes to the ways they "encourage" one to change. For example, Uranus encourages one to reach freedom and to be of service to people, but also values its own freedom and liberty, being very focused on itself and its development. Uranus is of a "scientific" nature and is not afraid to get rid of its own emotions to become objective (for the greater good) and capable of making proper observations that will help people notice Uranus' grand ideals. Now Neptune also wants to contribute to the world, although it encourages self-sacrifice and being of service that is connected with discarding one's individuality in order to become a part of the community that humankind is. Neptune highly values the emotions.

As the people with Uranus-Neptune connections (or aspects, as I'll call it from now on) attempt to serve and contribute to the society, they will face a dilemma - how much can I sacrifice my own goals (Neptune) in order not to simultaneously lose a part of myself (Uranus)? Can one discard one's individuality and still stay unique? If someone is capable of answering these questions, it will surely be people with Uranus-Neptune aspects.

To sum it up, Uranus and Neptune indicate a battle between the material world (seen as a closed box) and the inner world presenting the infinite potential of the Soul. Both planets indicate an inner battle of our consciousness speak of a big and deep self-analysis that almost always ends up with bitter conclusions about oneself, the world and the capacity to achieve the ideal. These feelings will be particularly present in people with Uranus and Neptune aspecting the major elements of the natal chart i.e. Ascendant, Sun, Moon or Medium Coeli.

And when we talk about such grand and transcendental goals, the struggle itself (the willingness to go through the process) is more important than the result. 

Regardless of the difficulties, Uranus-Neptune show the victory of the Soul and the focus on the higher ideals. This victory can be manifested on different ways - from the unorthodox scientist to a madman, from an alcoholic to a spiritual guru or self-proclaimed world saviours. In case of these two planets the border between e.g. stupidity and genius is very thin, and every brave adventurer of the inner world will have to learn how to keep the balance. Every attempt to consciously use the potential of these planets can end in total paralysis in life when one doesn't (even for a moment) come out of his/her own private world onto the society.

The Millennials and the inescapable web of mutual connections

Uranus and Neptune symbolize an openness to life and the ability to perceive (in two different ways) the broader perspective e.g. realizing we're ultimately not living for ourselves, but for something greater like the whole humankind. We're all one, humans. This is a very spiritual conclusion.

Previously, I've mentioned how technology made it possible for the great world to permeate into our small world and vice versa. The cycle of Uranus-Neptune is also strongly associated with the entrance of mass-technology into our daily life.

Technology changed everything. Cell phones made is possible to destroy the barriers of communication - nowadays distance means nothing, as we can talk to everyone regardless of the place we're currently at. We have the computer and the internet that go even further with dissolving the barriers between humans (Neptune). Let's look at the knowledge and information that in the past was a very exclusive resource, reserved only to those initiated. Thanks to the Internet, we can have a wide access and more - we can share it with anyone (Uranus).

Thanks to Uranus and Neptune we, as humankind, entered a new stage of understanding the human and its role in the society ... although not in the same way. The older generations, previously not familiar with the technology's impact, were learning 'on the spot' how to find themselves in the new reality. For them, the Uranus-Neptune cycle was a matter of time - a period of change, uncertainties that lasted and had ended with acceptance (or least with the recognition that things should be accepted). For others, the openness for human diversity was and still is not acceptable. 

Now the Millennials were born and grew up in this atmosphere of technocracy, thus being around technology is as natural for them, as is swimming for fish. For the Millennials, the challenges of these mere moments are stretched for their whole lives! So you can imagine how potentially difficult it is to carry the energy (prejudices) of those years and purifying it.

In my opinion it is not accurate to speak of the Millennials as of the technological generation. From my observations, the Millennial Generation is characterized by mostly the sensitivity associated with the intuitive understanding that "there's something more (to life, to everything)" and a human belongs to a bigger group. Thanks to the technology people suddenly could tangibly discover how it is like to "connect with others", experience different cultures and points of view, thus it became easier to look at the things from a broader perspective. The web is also a place of social meetings and a scene for the expression of one's creativity. The virtual reality for the Millennials is only virtual from the name, as it is more friendly (and authentic) than the real world - it brings people closer and eliminates differences (Neptune).

Unfortunately, the technology has its own limitations and a dark side. Because of that, many Millennials have already discovered and are yet to discover a certain artificiality related to "connecting" in general and with artificial people. Neptune is a symbol of illusions and idealization, thus it is easy to fall into the technological pitfall that effectively narrows down their area of sight instead of giving space for showing their true selves. Nowadays many people, including young ones, abandon a TV set that used to be called a "window for the world".

Disappointment and emptiness will prompt the Millennials to seek for the true feeling of unity. However, the technology will favour them as long as they use it as a tool, not seeking recognition and unity in technology itself. Of course, there will also be a group of Millennials completely satisfied with the vision conveyed by technology.

In its worst, Uranus and Neptune symbolize a detachment from reality, which in the context of the Millennials indicates a generation of people not accepting (or discarding) the world that forces them to learn practical skills - Uranus and Neptune are too high above those secondary things. The main issue is that these people have mistaken "the broader vision" with the virtual reality. Instead of giving the material world the higher vision and awareness, the Millennials will give to the world ... the vision of the virtual reality, effectively revolutionizing the world, but by making it shallow. These people will actually replace the material world with the virtual one, and the major consequence of doing so are e.g. relations deprived of emotions (Uranus) or forming relations on the internet without actually seeing the other in person (Neptune), thus experiencing another human being not by who he is, but by the vision of that human formed inside the Millennials' heads.

Unfortunately, only a handful of people are capable of accurately sensing the other person - for more information please read my series about Neptune and illusions.

Incredible talents

Just like each generation has its own unique abilities, there are special talents in the Millennials too. The Millennials, as a generation, has many gifted children, showing:

- spectacular glimmers of intuition, both emotional and intellectual one, although very selectively (concentration of Uranus-Neptun in one astrological house)

- a strong connection to the bank of the collective knowledge; the awareness that answers for one's life questions are at the grasp of the hand, although sometimes one lacks the password giving the access to the information

- the abilities to create and find oneself in original concepts

- focused awareness and the ability to see "there's something more to life"

- an ease with indirect communication (using i.e. technology), very often being able to feel a person even from a distance!

- how freely they can move around in the digitalized world

From an astrological point of view, every person has Uranus and Neptune in his/her natal chart, that's why everyone will have unique talents in certain life domains, but the Millennials' uniqueness lies in their condensed potential (the presence of two planets at one place). Millennials' talents (in comparison to previous generations) have more drive and power to be activated in this particular life domain. And where's the will to act, chances for self-expression appear. With Uranus and Neptune being in different cycle relation to each other (like let's say, making an aspect of a trine), the energy is more likely to stay dormant, being diluted between many spheres of life.

Writing all of this reminded me of a quote from the movie "Spiderman", "With great power, comes great responsibility". In the Millennials' case, one could say that with extraordinary talents there comes an equally extraordinary difficulties.

Extraordinary difficulties

Even the biggest talents may stay unnoticed, especially when one needs to adapt to the world's shape. Many Millennials carry a certain disappointment/grudge from their childhood or teenage years that was formed because of their difficulty in finding themselves in the world. What did those grudges regard to could be seen by analyzing the natal house where Neptune and Uranus are placed. Often the "mainstream" did not promote values they already had in them, even if only at the fetus stage.

It's been over 30 years now that the Millennials were born, and history shows that most of the society was not ready for them. The Millennials were to bring a new type of awareness and revolutionize the society with their sensitivity/perception, but had not enough support. The Millennials had to be resilient and adapt to a healthy form in the foreign and outdated world. Perhaps even the Millennials themselves have not matured enough yet to be the agents of change, capable of doing what they were meant to do.

Many Millennials feel attracted to the tradition, but on the other hand sense that taking that particular route will lower (below a certain standard) their freedom and limit their imagination, forcing them to abandon their ideals. The energy of Uranus-Neptune can be so intense that almost blinding the unaware Millennials. Often times in order to be in touch with oneself and one's potential, one has to be confronted with equally strong energy that will act as a spring board for the development. And tradition is a perfect counterpart for the progressive and subtle meaning of Uranus-Neptune.

The Millennials search for outer structures that will allow them to express their potential, that's why many of them will be fans of e.g. Law of Attraction or New Age movements, but even this could be insufficient to change their lives to the point their expectations are met. The role of Uranus and Neptune is awakening, making revolution and leaving behind the old way of functioning - many Millennials can't seem to turn-around their lives, because they are playing by the system's rules, the very system they should reform! And the system doesn't like changes.

The Millennials like to create around themselves a space free of labels, although doing so in practice seems to be problematic. If Uranus and Neptune are highly emphasized in the chart, these types of people will actively and directly want to express their individuality. Unfortunately the lack of feedback from the environment makes their talents (that were meant to be the symbols of uniqueness) become a source of a deep loneliness on a soul level. The Millennials most prone to this type of behaviour usually have squares/opposition aspects to their Uranus-Neptune, which make them see their intuition and sensitive perception as something destructive. 

When one's unique personality traits cannot be freely expressed, the internal conflicts externalize on the social level. Many Millennials are not looking for solutions to their problems in the society, they do quite the opposite - sever most contacts just not to feel anything. One of the ways Uranus-Neptune can be manifested is feeling so special and unique that one cannot imagine other people (especially peers) to be equally gifted and perceptive. 

Often times they ask themselves "Why is this happening? What is the purpose? Is it curse? Is it God?" 

There are many people in this world ...

However, not every "ordinary" person will be interested in the potential offered by Uranus and Neptune. Regardless of the spiritual potential of this planetary placement, people will focus on what they see and what they can touch. For this particular group the terms: transcendental, the role of humanity in the universe, will seem too abstract; merely thinking in these terms will cause headaches that do not solve the material problems. Some people will be happy just to have a window to the world in the form of a TV or the Internet and ... that's good. The Millennials value freedom of choice and learn to respect those who have chosen a different path.

Even the busiest Millennials will still feel the need for "something more", although they will experience this on a different level i.e. dedicating more time towards the development (Uranus) of their passions and hobbies instead of grabbing every chance possible to earn at the expense of health. In such situations "something greater in life" indicates the need for a human to just exist, being able to enjoy life and not identifying oneself with something outer, like a job (Neptune).

There's a simple conclusion to all of this: among the Millennials we will find people extremely oriented towards the development of their own individuality and the uniqueness of others, people with other life priorities and people with less complicated needs (just like it is in every generation). In order to identify which type of the Millennial we're dealing with, one would need to gauge the awareness level of every individual. Unfortunately astrology cannot show the awareness, as the natal chart is only a map of one's potentials and how one uses the potential is a matter of the personal will.

But astrology can show something else!

The Millennials and power

One of the foundation of the astrological system are planets, the energy source for the whole human nature. Just like one needs fuel to start a car, so for functioning humans require  the needs and active desires pushing one to self-expression - the energy of the desires is symbolized by the planets. For example, the planet Sun (astronomically a star) indicates e.g. the need for externalizing one's personality, especially in a creative manner, now Mercury is the need for communication and learning new stuff. The 12 signs of the zodiac show the 12 ways of expressing those needs.

Astrology helps to realize that each person is composed of different energy patterns, thus a human being is actually a composite of various energy centers symbolized by the mixture of planets (in signs) and their relation to each other. Just like physics divides energy to forms (electrical, mechanical energy etc.), so astrology has its own idea for describing the energy of the planets.

Personally I like to gauge the power of a planet, that is measuring the capability and energy of the desire that prompts the individual to satisfy those needs. The biggest power will often be present in the Millennials with their Sun, Moon or the ruler of Ascendant forming an aspect (connection) to the Uranus-Neptune. A similar situation is with these two planets being in the cardinal houses (1st, 10th, 7th and 4th) or in aspect to the Ascendant/Medium Coeli. 

These are the big Millennials.

A very important matter in the life of these people is the energy balance. Such a highly concentrated power in one place (zodiac sign, house) or to one element (Uranus-Neptune) indicates a compulsion to express a part of one's personality. This type of the Millennial realizes he/she is dedicating a lot of energy and time towards one specific field of life, thus not having the time to satisfy the other needs (symbolized by other planets). This can be a tremendous asset, as more power means more inner motivation and that means more chances for success of achieving something meaningful. The drawback of huge power is pushing other needs down one's priority list ("I won't rest until I do this/that") - needs that the Millennials might deeply care about.

The source of Millennials' problems and inner conflicts may lie not in the way they express their individuality, but how they express their other needs while simultaneously respecting one's individuality (Uranus-Neptune)! One of the hardest situations is when one has troubles expressing the individuality (meeting only with the resistance of the environment), while not being able to focus on others needs. And these "other needs" could be the source of incredible strength and motivation that many Millennials won't even know about. 

Now Uranus and Neptune having less power (or the power is concentrated elsewhere in the chart) indicates a lesser need for extensive investment into the potential, or just not having energy to do, as other aspects of life demand attention. If you're not quite getting all this, later in the series I'll be showcasing this technique :-)

The past generation of the Uranus-Neptune cycle

The Millennial generation faces stressful challenges, often not knowing exactly how they are supposed to behave in order to live up to their broader vision of the world. There simply are no models or strong traditions that would prepare them for making a change.

The Millennials are not the only generation symbolized by the Uranus-Neptune cycle. Both planets meet together aprox. every 160-180 years, starting a brand new cycle and challenges. The last time this duo have met in the same signs was around 1814-1835. According to the Strauss-Howe generational theory, two types of generations existed in that window of time: the Transcendental and Gilded. According to Allan Metcalf's book "From Skedaddle to Selfie: Words of the Generations", these past generations:

- questioned the authorities and the knowledge given by them

- initiated communism

- wore strange, foreign clothes and believed in the basic good present in the Nature and people free from authorities' supremacy

Here's a list of notable individuals and the scale of their accomplishments (world-wide):

Carl Marx (born in 1818 r.) - German philosopher, sociologist, economist, historian, journalist and revolutionary activist whose worldview formed the basis of marxism. Together with Friedrich Engels (born in 1820), he created the concept of scientific socialism. He was an author of "The Manifesto of the Communist Party" or "Capitalism. Criticism of Political Economy". Marx had a Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Sagittarius in the 10th house, additionally square Saturn and Pluto in the 1st house, while Engels had the Uranus-Neptune-Mercury-Mars conjunction in the 5th house.

Alexandrina Victoria, Queen of England (born in 1819) - Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, leaving a legacy that is now the British monarchy. Under her rulership a strong industrial development took place, along with the imperial expansion on many outer territories; Queen Victoria's reign made England the richest nation in the world. Her relatives and descendants rule to this day e.g. in Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Spain. Queen Victoria has Uranus-Neptune conjunction in the 8th house, trine Mars and square Saturn and Pluto.

Louis Pasteur (born in 1822) – French chemist and precursor of microbiology, whose contribution has completely revolutionized the way the scientific methods of the XIX century were implemented. His research helped develop a method of food preservation via  thermal treatment, so called pasteurization; he also created and successfully used the first rabies vaccine to save a little boy's life. Pasteur was a strong advocate of creative freedom combined with rigorous experiments. He defended his ideas with bravely and confidence, often condemning anyone who opposed him. Pasteur has the Uranus, Neptune Sun, Mercury and Venus in Capricorn in the 3rd house, trine Saturn.

Clara Barton (born 1821) - founder of the American Red Cross, the first woman working in a US license office and a nurse helping the wounded during the Civil War. She had an unusual social awareness, which in her opinion was the source of her frequent sense of uselessness and helplessness. Barton was a very tense person, fond of controlling everything around her. She lived from one extreme to another - from moments of extraordinary productivity to nervous breakdowns. When it was necessary to help someone, she was unstoppable, even capable of manipulating others in order to achieve her goals. Barton has a Uranus-Neptune-Sun conjunction in Capricorn in the 10th house.

Some other notable people with Uranus-Neptune are: Charles Baudelaire (French poet and critic), Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Russian writer and philosopher), Louis Vuitton (French craftsman, founder of the Vuitton fashion house), Gustave Flaubert (French novelist, considered the first representative of naturalism in journalism, one of the masters of French literature).

Few of the important events of that time:

- war for independence of Greece, Peru and Brazil

- declarations of independence of many countries i.e. Mexico

- abolition of slavery in Chile

- inventing the electromagnet

- the development of rail transport and the steam engine powered trains

The previous generation of the Uranus-Neptune cycle in the same sign was strongly oriented towards the man, especially his life's role on the material and spiritual level. The last generation hadn't had to deal with the massive technological advancements that would unite the masses, although the studies of the history of that time shows numerous independence movements and countries that tried to break with imposed rules and traditions. The purpose of all these movements was the desire for freedom.

It's worth to mention that there is a great difference between the Uranus-Neptune from 1814-1835 and that of 1981-2003. In the XIX century, Uranus and Neptune were mostly in two signs - Sagittarius and Capricorn; their presence in Aquarius lasted about 12 months, while the millennial Uranus-Neptune has been in Aquarius for almost 5 years. From that perspective the millennial generation with be much more focused on every aspect associated with the Aquarius sign (freedom from limitations) than their predecessors from XIX century. As it turned out, bigger focus on Aquarius resulted in a more rapid technological progress.