Uranus Turns Retrograde: Think Before You Act

Uranus, the planet of rebellion, turns retrograde on July 5.

Uranus is the oddball of the solar system. For starters, it rolls along its side -- on its equator -- instead of spinning upright in its orbit the way planets typically do. Uranus is also in retrograde for more than half of the year. This means it is only direct for two weeks, and is retrograde for about five months out of every Earth year.

Astrologically, Uranus liberates you from the shackles of convention and applies pressure to change whatever is stagnant in your life. Uranus rules electromagnetic energy and is like a lightning storm that creates chaos as it cleans the air, revealing a fresh new world once the storm has cleared.

This year, Uranus goes retrograde in Aries, and heads back into Pisces in August in its retrograde motion. Uranus can be reckless, especially in fiery Aries and can be too aloof and impervious and inconsiderate about other people's opinions and needs. There is always a risk with Uranus that you can turn everything upside down and then throw the baby out with the bathwater. So be careful and think before you speak or act. In addition, be prepared for your forward movement to suddenly stop or be put on hold for a little while.

Do not despair! Sometimes it is better to take a step back and really think about what your next steps ought to be. Take the chance to review and refine your plans with a more detached outlook. This is your opportunity to go inwards, ask your unconscious or your creative muse for guidance. You may lose some of that rebellious spirit which surfaced in late May. But now you have a chance to put more strategy in place. By next March, when Uranus moves firmly into Aries to stay for seven years, you'll be prepared to really follow your passion and not be deflected.

To know exactly what to expect, review the placement of Uranus in your birth chart. If Uranus is direct in a chart, intuitive and inventive impulses flow on a regular basis. However, when Uranus is retrograde in a birth chart, rebellious urges tend to bottle up and then burst forth, seemingly out of nowhere. A retrograde period seems to reawaken freedom urges within individuals, causing them to suddenly and unconsciously rebel against any ruts or confinement in life. Is Uranus retrograde in your birth chart? Should you be on guard against your own rebellious tendencies in the following months to come?