Uranus is our natal chart is a planet of inspiration but can also cause anxiety. It gives us a vision of what possibilities exist outside of what is considered normal, conventional, comfortable, and safe. Its electric energy can be exciting & motivating, but it can also manifest as disruption or instability that shakes our foundations and disrupts our security. If we work with the energy consciously, we can use it to undo the conditioning we have grown up with, think outside the box, and become a channel for creativity, innovation, and positive change.
We have a page about Uranus if you want to learn more. I also highly recommend Liz Greene’s book on Uranus, The Art of Stealing Fire.
Uranus in the 8th House in the Natal Chart
Overview
In water houses (4th, 8th, 12th) Uranus forces us to release emotional attachments in order to encourage relating to a broader principle of life. The 8th relates to our primal drives (survival, sex), and Uranus can exacerbate our fear of losing what we need and desire most.
Gifts
- deep insight into human nature & life’s deeper mysteries
- ability to objectively see underlying psychological dynamics in relationships
- resilience in the face of loss
Challenges
- disruptions in deep relationships
- traumatic experiences of sudden separation or death especially related to attachment figures
- the feeling that life is unpredictable on the most basic level
- fear of becoming attached due to a fear of loss
- guilt or shame about unconventional sexual desires or experiences
- fear of vulnerability or loss of control
- fear of what you might discover in the depths of the psyche
Lessons
- coming to terms with forces beyond your control and developing non-attachment
- a profound acceptance of loss & impermanence as part of the larger cycles of life & death
- balancing intimacy with a need for detachment or distance in relationships
- fully feeling the pain of loss without dissociating or denying your emotional needs
- exploring and integrating authentic sexual expression
Potential
- the ability to be deeply present without attachment
- a deep trust in all parts of the cycles of nature
The Uranus Growth Journey
The Uranus growth journey involves coming to terms with a degree of instability. This is going to be hardest for the Moon and its corresponding sign (Cancer) and house (4th), because the Moon is all about security and comfort.
The growth journey involves detachment, which sometimes is very difficult. Sometimes Uranus shows up in our lives through other people or outside events that rip away our security. Sometimes it is just an inner fear that we have to work through.
What Uranus wants from us is to lift our vision higher, to see the bigger picture, that is beyond our human life and the attachments we have. It wants us to rely on our connection to a higher truth or wider perspective. The price of Uranian inspiration is that it brings us to some extent away from ordinary human life. We might feel lonely or alienated as we come to realize what makes us different.
The other risk of Uranus is losing ourselves in its collective energy. To hold Uranian energy well, we must develop our Saturn discipline and Solar individuality. In other words, we must have a strong ego and clear personal goals we want to achieve. Otherwise, our individuality may get lost in the spirit of Uranus prompting us to enact its vision of a better world.
If we can manage to weather these challenges and develop oureselves to be able to handle Uranian energy in a sustainable way, the reward is genius and liberation.
