Mars opposite Uranus, Volatile Breakthroughs
On November 11, Mars, the god of war, aggression, and assertive desire opposes Uranus, the planet of unexpected events that strike like lightning and demand that we wake up, break free of old patterns, and step more fully into our authentic selves. The Sun is conjunct Mars on this date as well.
Mars and Sun opposite Uranus is a volatile aspect that can bring sudden changes around our sense of identity (Sun) and outbursts of anger or aggression (Mars). When I think of this aspect, I’m reminded of the movie “Network” where a news anchor hears his show is about to be canceled for low ratings and launches into a long rant about the state of the nation and the “bullshit” of modern American life. He ends the rant by encouraging folks to throw open their windows and yell “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.”
This scene shows the way a Mars-Uranus opposition can unleash frustration that has been building inside us over a long period. We reach the boiling point and our desire for freedom from old patterns outweighs our fear of violating social convention.
Mars also has an impulsive energy that when combined with Uranus can bring the possibility of sudden accidents and physical danger. I’m reminded of Frida Kahlo’s birth chart which has a Mars-Uranus aspect that was triggered by a Mars-Uranus transit on the day she had the accident that changed the course of her life.
A word of caution about this story, try not to step into the trap that can happen when you first discover astrology—where you see a difficult transit and imagine the worst. We cannot predict future events with astrology, only what archetypal energies may be present. That being said, it makes sense to be aware of the potential for angry outbursts or impulsive actions this weekend and imagine how we might hold these opposing energies if they arise for us and attempt to understand how they might be playing out internally rather than acting them out in the world.