Uranus Retrograde Will Urge You to Rebel Against the Status Quo
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With summer at its peak and fall right around the corner, possibilities abound — and you might even be feeling optimistic about what the next season may bring. So hearing that another planet is about to go retrograde is probably the last you want to hear. But that's why it's so crucial to remember that not every planet's backward turn is chaos-inducing. In the case of this year's Uranus retrograde, change can actually be a beautiful thing.
Uranus, the planet of rebellion, revolution, electrifying change, and innovation, goes retrograde annually, serving up a chance to step up your self-reflection in an effort to change your narrative, mindset, and path from the inside out. This is a period that lends itself to pretty wild breakthroughs and potentially striking out against convention and boundaries that have been holding you back.
Beginning on August 24 and lasting until January 22, 2023, Uranus' retrograde in Taurus, the earth sign ruled by Venus and associated with the second house of income, could give way to major lightbulb moments — particularly related to relationships, values, and money.
Here, all the details on Uranus, what its retrograde means, and what everyone — and four signs in particular — need to know to make the most of the next five months.
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How Uranus Functions in Your Chart
Overseeing rebellion against the status quo, revolution, progressive thought and action, electrifying realizations, individuality, and ingenuity, Uranus is often painted as fairly intimidating. The "game-changer" planet, it tends to bring twists and turns you never saw coming. And because, on the whole, we tend to think of change as terrifying, so is Uranus. But those wake-up calls and shake-ups we fear can actually be exactly what we need to head down a happier path, and in that way, Uranus can be super-helpful.
By understanding where it's located in your natal chart — the sign it's in, house, and aspects its making to other placements — can help you understand more about what makes you unique.
Just as your moon sign characterizes how you nurture — and want to be nurtured — and your Mars shows how you takes action, your natal Uranus characterizes what makes you an original and allows you to rebel, stand out, and make your mark. And while your natal Uranus may or may not be affected during a Uranus retrograde, you'll want to consider its themes, purpose, and also your relationship to the planet when it comes to any Uranian moment in the sky.
You can find Uranus in your natal chart or via CafeAstrology's Uranus table.
What It Means When Uranus Is Retrograde
A transpersonal outer planet that moves slowly and is linked to social patterns and trends, Uranus spends approximately seven years in a sign. And right now, it's moving through the fixed earth sign Taurus. It first entered the sign of the Bull in May 15, 2018 and will remain there until April 27, 2026. Annually, it appears to move backward from our vantage point on Earth for about five months.
At times when Uranus is direct — aka moving forward — in Taurus, it's been pushing for eye-opening shakeups, change, and reform to territory associated with the second sign of the zodiac. Because it is in an earth sign, it's shedding light on the way we're tackling climate change and spurring more extreme weather events. Given Taurus' association with the second house of income and values, our relationship to money is evolving and changing dramatically (hey, crypto). And ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty, we're redefining dating and relationships.
While Uranus' effect is most often seen on this large-scale, societal level, it can certainly affect you on a personal level (especially when you're going through your Uranus opposition in your late 30s and early 40s!). It can inspire you to break free of mundane routines, patterns, or narratives that simply aren't serving you anymore.
And when Uranus is retrograde — as is the case when any planet appears to move backward from our view on Earth — you'll feel its power in a more internal way. Until January 22, you may be inspired to reframe how you're thinking about that job you've been intent on leaving (quiet quitting, anyone?) or how you've been thinking about your relationship status (maybe you're flirting with non-monogamy — or you've been open and want to commit). Basically, this is a period in which you can do a whole lot of productive inner work stemming from external changes in your life or that could lead to external changes.
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Who Will Feel Uranus Retrograde the Most In 2022
With Uranus moving through Taurus since 2018, the signs most affected by anything this harbinger of radical change does are the fixed ones. So that's Taurus, obviously, but also fixed fire sign Leo, fixed water sign Scorpio, and fixed air sign Aquarius. You'll be especially influenced by this backward turn if you happen to have fixed sign placements — meaning not just your sun, but perhaps your moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, or rising sign — around 14-18 degrees.
In that case, Uranus retrograde could be pushing you to make major internal changes you've, thus far, been resistant to. To know exactly what that change might be in regard to, you'll want to look at the planet that Uranus is connecting (or getting combative) with — as well as the houses (aka the areas of life) they're in.
Say your assertive Mars is sitting at 15 degrees of Leo. Uranus squared it back in May 2022, and now, will do so again in early January and around Valentine's Day. A square-off between these two planets could indicate a need to rebel against authority, to assert your desires. But by owning that need, this fiery planetary clash can produce positive results in the form of a creative or empowering breakthrough.
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When You'll Feel Saturn Retrograde the Most In 2022
Like other retrogrades, the day you'll feel the retrograde the most is the day on which Uranus stations (meaning actually goes) retrograde and direct — aka August 24 and January 22. But it'll also be felt more when activated by meet-ups with other planets. A few examples:
August 27: Venus in Leo squares off against Uranus, bringing unexpected twists and turns to the areas of life that Venus oversees: money, love, and beauty.
September 11: The sun, moving through Virgo, will form a sweet trine to Uranus, which could marry confidence with innovation.
November 5-9: Venus, Mercury, and then the sun in Scorpio will all oppose Uranus in Taurus in the lead up to the lunar eclipse and full moon in Taurus, ratcheting up drama in relationships.
How to Make the Most of This Uranus Retrograde
Let's be clear: Learning Uranian lessons — particularly repeatedly, if the slow-moving planet has been trouncing over the same spot in your chart off and on again — isn't exactly the most centering experience. And if you happen to have fixed placements that are being lit up by Uranus' trip through Taurus, you're probably not the biggest fan of change. But when Uranus is retrograde, you have the opportunity to overhaul whatever's not working for you in a powerfully self-reflective way. By tuning into your intuition and trusting your inner voice, you can pivot away — or in some cases, outright rebel against — the past and move in a slow, steady, self-assured way toward the future of your dreams.
