The Discovery of
the Outer Planets
by Jeff Jawer
First published in Astrology Now magazine, No.26, June-July 1979
New
discoveries enter consciousness when the moment is ripe. This is true for both individual
unfoldment and for collective experience. Until the latter part of the 18th century, our
solar system was bound by the ancient model of the seven: the Sun, the Moon and the five
planets. The inhabitants of earth viewed the sky as an unchanging family of these seven
angels of light. The outermost of these was Saturn whose pale color and stately march
through the heavens symbolized the limits of human experience. It was Saturn that was
blamed for loss of life, and it was to Saturn that we looked to measure the end of all
things. While the telescope was invented in 1608, it took almost two hundred years until
the discovery of Uranus smashed the barriers of space and mind. The moment was ripe.
The
discovery of Uranus, appropriately enough, was an accident. Sir William Herschel of
England did not use his telescope to record the positions of familiar bodies, but found
pleasure in searching the sky for new and unknown objects. It was on the evening of March
13, 1781 that his attention was caught by the new planet. At first he was unaware that he
had discovered the solar system's newest member. He did know, however, that this disk-like
body was not a star.
It
was not long before astronomers realized the magnitude of his discovery. Sir William chose
to call the new planet Georgium Sidus after King George III who granted him a stipend and
honored him with a title for his work. Not unexpectedly, the name drew little favor from
astronomers outside Britain. The German astronomer Johann Bode suggested the name Uranus
after the sky god Urania.
Period of Revolution
Herschel's
discovery did more than alter our concept of the solar system. It heralded a period of
revolution in politics and science that led to the birth of the United States and
democracy in France. The esotericist expects the events of daily life to synchronize with
the advances of science. In the discovery of Uranus, we have a perfect example of the
convergence of many ways, all leading to the same end: invention, revolution, and
transcendence.
The
year 1781 was the year of Cornwallis' surrender to the American forces and saw the
publication of Emmanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, a breakthrough in philosophical
thought. Only two years earlier the mechanization of spinning was completed with the
invention of the spinning mule. 1782 brought James Watt's steam engine, 1785 the power
driven loom, 1793 the cotton gin, and in 1796 the invention of lithography. This
remarkable burst of creative energy was matched on the political front as well with the
beginning of the French Revolution, close on the heels of the American experiment in
democracy. Mesmer brought hypnotism to light in 1778. The old barriers were down at last.
Thomas Jefferson, an Aries, perhaps expressed it best when he wrote in 1787, "I hold
it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the
political world as storms in the physical."
Uranus’ Discovery Chart
The
exact moment of Herschel's discovery is unknown. However, a horoscope drawn for the
evening of March 13,1781 works well to describe the birth of this momentous time in
history. The chart is characterized by a mutable T-square between Uranus, the Sun, and a
Mars-Saturn conjunction. The conjunction of Mars and Saturn is one of the most potent
indicators of physical manifestation. Its placement in Sagittarius is particularly
appropriate for the observation of distant objects through a telescope. The opposition to
Uranus both describes what is manifesting as well as showing the concretization of the
new, of invention and revolution. The Sun's position at the fulcrum serves to emphasize
the significance of the event, although its placement in Pisces might describe the
uncertainty of the meaning of the new object at that moment. The orbit of Uranus was very
difficult to plot and disturbances to it (perturbations) led to the search for, and
eventual the discovery of Neptune.
A
minor aspect that is often overlooked is the quintile angle of seventy-two degrees.
Quintiles serve as important significators of talent or perception. In the Uranus
discovery chart Mercury is in a close quintile to Uranus. The creative genius of Herschel
brings perception to a new discovery. The right of free speech might be seen here as well
as in the trine from Jupiter to the Sun. This trine is also a clear indication of
expansion, our awareness of a solar system expanded in size overnight.
The
Moon's position in Scorpio is another factor that demands attention, particularly since it
was also in that sign at the discovery of Neptune and Pluto. The image of the researcher
scraping away another level of life's mystery comes easily to mind. The Moon's discomfort
in this sign might be due to the necessity of transforming habits when old patterns are
broken. A contraparallel of Uranus and Pluto restates this theme of forced changes in
consciousness brought by the event. The square from Pluto to the Moon's Nodes may also
serve to remind us of the power of Uranus' discovery to undermine longheld connections
within groups. All of this was yet to be embraced, that is discovered, with Neptune and
Pluto still unknown in 1781.
The
use of midpoint pictures adds depth to any chart reading. The chart for the discovery of
Uranus shows Pluto conjunct the Sun-Saturn midpoint. We could call this
"transformation of conscious limits." The Sun at the midpoint of Mars-Uranus is
described as, "A sudden adjustment to new circumstances and conditions in life,
injury, accident, operation, birth," in Reinhold Ebertin's The Combination of Stellar
Influences. The Sun at the midpoint of Saturn and Uranus is described in the same book as,
"Physical exposure to severe tests of strength, the power of resistance, rebellion.
Inflexibility. Separation." If the time used in our discovery chart is close to
correct, we will also find that Sun-Uranus equals Moon-South Node. This is another
powerful picture of deep changes in daily lifestyle, public interactions and
consciousness.
Degree Systems
The
discovery charts of the outer planets should work like any other natal charts. Examination
of the basic aspects and midpoints seem to bear this out. A further examination centering
on the specific discovery degree has proved fruitful in several ways. Reference to several
books on degree systems do a fairly good job characterizing the essence of the planet. To
begin, Uranus was discovered in the third decan of Gemini. This is the Aquarian
decanate,
quite appropriate for the planet now said to rule that sign. Reference to the 21/2 degree
system called the dwadashamsas (or dwads) shows the position of Uranus in Pisces in one
system and Capricorn in another. Beginning each sign with the first dwad of that sign
yields Pisces; beginning each sign with Aries gives us Capricorn. While a skilled
symbolist can find meaning here, I find it not obvious enough to make the effort. Perhaps
your intuition will tell you that something is intrinsically correct about one of these
dwad positions.
The
La Volasfera book of degree symbols describes the twenty-fifth degree of Gemini as,
"An old book lying open upon a table, and beside it a burning lamp." The
interpretation centers on the idea of a studious mind, mental powers. Kozminsky calls this
degree, "A hand issuing from the heavens holding a great scroll on which is a shining
pentagram." We again have a symbol of literacy or intelligence. John Sandbach calls
this degree, "the gardener of ideas." Jeryl Keane calls it studious, " ...
a person much given to serious study, usually of a scientific turn of mind." The
Sabian Symbol for this degree is, "Frost-covered trees against winter skies."
Rudhyar describes this as, "the revelation of archetypal form and essential rhythm of
existence." Rhythm is often associated with Uranus. Certainly all these references to
thought are appropriate to that which some consider the higher octave of Mercury
discovered through Uranus.
The
physical characteristics of Uranus also support the astrological interpretation. Uranus
rotates on its side, making it the most eccentric of planets. Its orbit, however, is
relatively circular. Perhaps we have here an ideal expression of individualism. Its
atmosphere is considered very clear due to methane gas. Sunlight penetrates deeply into it
before being reflected.
Herschel
is credited with discovering Uranus' moon Umbriel on April 17, 1801. The transiting Moon
was in Gemini then, perhaps conjunct Uranus' discovery degree. Lassell's discovery of two
more moons of Uranus on October 24, 1851 occurred when transiting Venus and Jupiter
contacted the lunar nodes of the original discovery chart. Then, on March 10, 1977 rings
were discovered around Uranus. The Sun at 20 degrees Pisces conjunct the Uranus discovery
Sun. The Moon at 29 Scorpio joined the discovery Jupiter. The chart for the discovery of
the rings shows a close parallel between Uranus and Mars. Perhaps, the most interesting
feature of that chart is the close conjunction of Uranus at 11 degrees thirty-one minutes
Scorpio to the Moon-North Node midpoint at 11 degrees fifty-two minutes. Ebertin calls
this combination, "Sudden experiences with others, suddenly entering into a union or
alliance." The surprising discovery of rings around Uranus certainly fits this
description well.
Chart Projections
If
the discovery degree of Uranus holds special significance we should find it meaningful
when related event charts. From August 26-28, 1883 the island of Krakatoa in the Dutch
Indies was an inferno of violence. Two-thirds of the island was destroyed in a great
volcanic explosion, perhaps the largest the world has known, that left an estimated 36,000
dead and produced giant sea waves as far away as Cape Horn. Transiting Uranus was at 22
degrees of Virgo, square its discovery point. Transiting Mercury at 25 degrees Virgo was
also squaring this point. A close square between transiting Sun and Pluto was another
factor in the event.
On
July 23, 1967 racial violence exploded in Detroit, New York City, Rochester, N.Y.,
Birmingham, Alabama, and New Britain, Connecticut. Uranus again was transiting square its
discovery point from 22 degrees Virgo. A total eclipse of the Sun on June 17, 1909
occurred at 26 degrees of Gemini. This eclipse was conjunct transiting Pluto at the time
and conjuncted the discovery degree of Uranus. The year 1909 was the year that explorers
first reached the North Pole. On June 19, 1936 another total solar eclipse contacted the
Uranus discovery point. The eclipse also squared transiting Saturn. 1936 was the year
Germany occupied Poland, Italy invaded Ethiopia, the year when the Spanish Civil War
began.
The
discovery degree of Uranus has been found to be primarily important in three categories of
individuals. The first is writers, particularly those who achieve wide recognition during
their lifetimes. The second is political reformers, and the third is astrologers. Ralph
Waldo Emerson was born with Mercury at 24 degrees Gemini. Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan
Doyle both had Jupiter at 26 Gemini and Aldous Huxley had his Jupiter at 25 Gemini, the
discovery degree of Uranus.
Franklin
D. Roosevelt had his Mars at 27 Gemini, Eleanor Roosevelt had her Saturn at 24. Adlai
Stevenson had his Neptune at 24. Marx and Engels were improperly radicals than liberals,
although both groups might be characterized as uranian. Marx's Neptune was at 25
Sagittarius opposing the discovery degree of Uranus, and his Pluto was square from 26
Pisces. Engels had his Venus at 25 Libra, the midpoint between the discovery degrees of
Uranus and Neptune.
The
discovery degree is found in the charts of many famous astrologers. Dane Rudhyar had
Jupiter at 28 Gemini (and his Moon at 24 Aquarius conjuncts Neptune’s discovery
degree.) Cyril Fagan had Mercury at 23 Gemini (tropical). Paul Clancy had Neptune and
Mercury at 21 Gemini. Rupert Gleadow had Pluto at 24 Gemini and Alice Bailey had her Sun
at 26 Gemini. Noel Tyl's nodal axis is 23 Gemini/Sagittarius, semisquare his Uranus and
sextile his Moon. Careful observation of this degree in natal charts and in transits will
prove valuable for future study.
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