The Nature of Crisis: An Interview to Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, otherwise known as the outer planets, have been described as “Gods of Change” by an enlightened astrologer – how did they get this honor? The most obvious explanation is that when they activate a person’s chart by transit (or progression of any kind), more often than not great changes take place within that person’s psyche, which lead to changes in their outer life as well. Does it mean that these planets CAUSE changes? Do they simply reflect what’s going on inside? Do they represent appointments with Fate? Let’s see if we can find an answer to these difficult questions.
It is my belief that our growth and psychological development are guided by a divine force within us generally referred to as Higher Self. It seems that this wise guidance within, which is in constant contact with us via our intuition, monitors and encourages our growth and, provided we take care of our more spiritual needs, as well as the more practical ones, in a conscious way, our growth processes are definitely made smoother and easier. On the contrary, years of observation and experience have taught me that if we resist, the lessons and times of crisis presented to us tend to be much more traumatic in order to attract our attention and stimulate our growth.
Psychology teaches us that we all have many sub-personalities, and the gift of astrology is that it helps us shed light on our unconscious and learn more about them. Metaphysics, instead, teaches us that the various situations and people that “happen” in our lives are certainly not coincidences, but they all have something important to teach us – often they reflect our own unconscious traits and/or phase of development. It follows then that learning to become more observant of ourselves and our lives and listening to (and following!) the voice of our intuition could lead to an increase in awareness and a better quality of life.
Going back to the outer planets, what is their purpose? Can we predict what will happen when they activate our charts? What we certainly CAN predict is the kind of energy that will be felt and what area of our life is being activated (career, relationships, home, etc.). The final outcome depends, of course, on many factors, not the least of which our free will.
One thing is certain: increased awareness brings about more choices. By this I mean that if we decide to ignore the need to make necessary changes in our lives, during and after the transits of Uranus, Neptune or Pluto, we often find ourselves in painful and difficult situations, at times apparently caused by other people, which may leave us very little choice and force us to grow. It appears that change is the only constant in life but we, being human and creatures of habit, tend to accept change only on our own terms.
Unfortunately, life does not work like that and, if we think about it, if the ultimate control were in the hands of our conscious everyday self, with all its fears, uncertainties and security needs, all too often we would certainly reach stalemate and block our development and growth. Which is why our Higher Self “runs the show” and periodically seems to manifest what we call crisis.
I remember reading somewhere that in the ancient Chinese language the word crisis was formed by two words: “wei-chi”. These words have very interesting meanings: wei means danger and chi means opportunity. This means that a crisis can be perceived in two different ways – as a catastrophe to avoid at all costs or as a turning point, an important phase of our development and a chance to transform our lives.
Ultimately, I think we all agree that it is only human to reject painful situations brought about by a crisis and to wish that things could go back to the way they were before. In fact, some people take this tendency to the extreme and actually do all they can to go back to the old path. As we all know, this is futile, but it doesn’t stop some people from trying – in this way only postponing and precipitating a worse crisis as a result.
If instead we consciously decide to use these periods as an opportunity to review our lives and have a close look at ourselves, we will be able to make space for something new (and necessary) to take shape and to enrich our existence. After all, “if you don’t risk, you don’t gain” either! The question in a crisis, therefore, should not revolve around avoiding changes, which are unavoidable anyway.
Perhaps we would be wiser if we could ask ourselves how we can understand and use these periods in our lives in the most constructive and even creative way. If we accept this challenge, we will be able to live life fully, accepting light and darkness, joy and pain as a necessary part of our existence. Why necessary? – you may ask. Because apparently, at least in this phase of our evolution, we human beings still tend to learn and open our heart through painful situations.
Unfortunately, we have not yet learned to grow with joy and ecstasy, but I like to think that slowly we will get to that point as we learn to embrace our emotions more and courageously face our fears. Nevertheless, it seems to me that until we do get there, crisis and so-called Fate will still guide our steps and have the upper hand.
Back to our outer planets, it is certainly interesting to note that these periods of crisis almost always coincide with the transits and progressions of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto to our charts. It is almost as if these planets act as Cosmic Clocks activating the parts of our psyche most ready to be brought to light and grow. Whoever gave us the gift of astrology way back in the ancient past was certainly generous and wise – by providing us with a cosmic mirror for our psychological development, they have enabled us to understand and co-operate with the will of our Higher Self (or the will of God) and therefore to make a conscious contribution to our own growth, too.
After this introduction, I would like to understand together with you, the reader, in which way these cosmic energies symbolize our development. What is the ultimate message of these Gods of Change? Can we get to see and understand their energies more closely? I thought I might try to get some answers by imagining to interview these “celebrities” and I would like to share with you what my intuition and imagination have enabled me to discover.
You will notice that the tone will change according to which planet is being “interviewed” – Uranus’ is impatient and quick to the point, Neptune’s is full of Universal Love and Pluto’s is predictably intense, but also full of Love. Perhaps by listening to and analyzing their message and by co-operating with the inevitable, we will learn to attract and manifest change in our lives with little trauma and perhaps even with joy, why not?
Translating what follows into words was a very interesting exercise for me and certainly a fascinating process. Having the outer planets strongly emphasized in my natal chart, I hope I have been a worthy spokesperson… I have certainly done my best. May the “Gods” bring inspiration, abundance and growth to all of us humans, who endeavor to become more aware and enlightened in our search for ourselves and for the truth.
URANUS
URANUS – I understand you are trying to comprehend our energies and life in general through the study of astrology, among other things.
ME – Well, at least I am trying…
URANUS – You do know that astrology is a science under my rulership, as are computers, gadgets and anything that is futuristic and innovative.
ME – Yes, I am aware of that.
URANUS – I am given to understand that you’d like information on the essence of what I am trying to teach.
ME – I’d be most grateful indeed if you could help us understand the energy you represent and what your deeper message is for us humans…
URANUS – You humans are far too attached to false security and you’ve lost your sense of fun and adventure. After the Middle Ages and the increasing loss of credibility and spiritual guidance on the part of religions, you have placed a lot of faith in scientific research to provide answers. This tendency, however positive, has led you to believe that you can control and manipulate Earth’s resources indefinitely. You have developed considerable technology which helps you, among other things, to live in some ways more comfortably on your beautiful planet. The problem is that you got obsessed with the need to control for the wrong reason – FEAR!! Fears and uncertainties dominate your life and they encourage you to slow down and, at times, even crystallize your growth. You have forgotten that you are souls who temporarily inhabit a human body to take part in the adventure called life and to co-create in unison with the Divine Intelligence, of which you are part…
ME – Yes, I understand your point of view, but there ARE practical problems to face in everyday life. Often life seems very fragile and we do need to create a few certainties for ourselves, after all!
URANUS – Yes, yes – I hear what you are saying. You just don’t seem to understand that in creating what you call “security”, you do not leave enough space for personal growth and change! You have lost your sense of adventure, do you hear? Inside each of you there is an urge towards constant progress and, as a consequence, your needs shift continuously. Consider this: how easily does the average human change his/her personal circumstances to accommodate psychological growth and changing needs? What stops you from growing and going with the flow? Isn’t fear the operative word?
ME – Actually, to be honest, sometimes we do tend to wait till we’re pushed with our backs against the wall before we act on the need for changes. It isn’t that easy…
URANUS – The truth is that globally you fear scarcity – that’s why you do not share your resources on the planet and many still starve. You fear failure – that’s why you don’t even try. You fear loneliness, which is why you stay stuck in relationships and situations that diminish you and leave you unhappy and empty! Well, I have news for you. If you loved yourselves more and learned to depend on Cosmic energy for your emotional nourishment first of all, everything else would be much easier. This Divine Energy is limitless and you can never lose it. Have the courage to get out of your ruts and embrace real progress! You are basing your existence on false morality and obsolete principles that deny your spiritual growth, which should really be your main goal, considering it’s the very reason why you incarnated on Earth in the first place.
ME – It seems to me you do have a point. Would you now kindly summarize your message for us earthlings, please?
URANUS – I bring AWAKENING and COURAGE. I slowly build people up to such a level of exasperation and impatience towards their current circumstances which block their progress, that they are pushed to ACT or to react! However stressful this is, I often also need to add a dose of INTOLERANCE and INDIVIDUALITY to the energy I “bring” to really encourage an individual to rebel and materialize changes that are badly needed and often long overdue. I represent PROGRESS, especially of the human potential. I have no time for hypocrisy and so-called morality.
What makes me smile is that you astrologers claim that the changes I represent are “sudden” and unexpected. No way, babe. Forget it! Circumstances and events in a person’s life may well seem sudden on the outside, but the inner process that leads to the ‘sudden event’ always lasts a lot longer than it seems. The point is that you humans can be so thick that, without considerable psychological pressure and frustration, you just don’t seem to make a move. That’s why when you finally change it all seems so sudden – because you can’t stand any more pressure.
ME – Thanks a lot for this explanation. In conclusion, why do you think your energies are so important for us humans?
URANUS – Babe, I’ve told you! You need to modify your life structures and WAKE UP! There are so many horizons and alternative realities still unexplored…
NEPTUNE
NEPTUNE – Oh, how lovely! One of my beloved humans trying to make a connection…
ME – With all due respect, Mr. Neptune, I am aware that it might be hard to get clear and logical answers in this conversation with you. As you know, I am using intuition now, which is really your language. Could I please ask in exchange that you meet me halfway and try to provide answers that are as clear as possible in this interview?
NEPTUNE – I know that I am regarded as elusive and intangible, but I don’t think I’m being understood… I represent all that is intuitive and so-called irrational. I talk to you through dreams, premonitions and intuition…
ME – It is generally understood that you encourage escapism in people. Is it true? How do you perceive this?
NEPTUNE – I encourage people to value emotions, creativity and to seek union with the Infinite. In your world, logic and intellect reign supreme, to the detriment of all that is “yin”, feminine and creative. Logic without intuition makes you dry and incomplete. With your need to know and control, you have lost the sense of MYSTERY THAT PERMEATES LIFE and I am simply trying to give it back to you. After all, if so many people use alcohol and drugs to deaden their realities, it can only mean one thing – your Earth reality the way it currently is makes them feel empty and incomplete. I am an enigma and a challenge to science because I represent all that is MYSTICAL and SPIRITUAL. Do you have any idea how far you can go in life just by following your intuition?
ME – Well, apparently we still have a long way to go, but we are getting there, I feel. If I am not mistaken, there is also a connection between you and Beauty in all its forms.
NEPTUNE – You are not mistaken, my beloved child. By sensitizing you to the beauty that surrounds you, as well as that created by all the artists I constantly inspire, I help you to get back in touch with the energies that surround you, which one day you will all be able to see. Everything is energy in your physical world, and this energy is actually Cosmic Love. My purpose is to bring you in contact with LOVE and COMPASSION. If you open your heart and learn to feed on the Cosmic energy at your disposal, you will finally realize that you are connected to everything and vibrate with All-That-Is. Once you reach this understanding, you will see that everything in your Earth reality is made up of pure energy – your reality is much more flexible than it seems and it is shaped according to your way of thinking. This knowledge is not new…
ME – Why do you have the reputation of confusing people and often their personal circumstances?
NEPTUNE – Because there is an imbalance between logic and intuition on your planet. Often, it is only by confusing your sense of logic and your reality, thereby creating dissatisfaction, that I can push you to search for and integrate a more cosmic awareness into your lives. I represent, among other things, MEDITATION, and EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTIONS. I am the veil that separates many worlds and different realities which, globally, you have not yet learned to explore. One day you’ll get there.
ME – Any advice?
NEPTUNE – Learn to know within your hearts Unconditional Love. It is a gradual process which starts with the ability to appreciate inner and outer beauty. As a consequence, you will be encouraged to learn to love yourselves and to look for the union of opposites inside yourselves to begin with. Listen to your dreams, observe the so-called coincidences in your lives, as well as the messages that people you “coincidentally” meet have for you. It is your Higher Self speaking to you through them! Gradually, you will start feeling a strong connection to Cosmic Love that you’ll learn to feed on. These energies will bring you considerable psychic and psychological development. In time, when enough people engage in this spiritual way of life, there will be more compassion, universal brotherhood, co-operation and mystical union with All-That-Is.
ME – Thank you for being unusually clear! I know you rule clairvoyance among other things. I do hope this splendid vision for the future of humanity will come true before very long, even if I am aware that time is relative… Would you like to add anything else?
NEPTUNE – Yes. You live with the illusion that you can and need to control the world with logic and technology, but you do this without love. You feel dry and empty inside, but I hear your souls crying. Please be kind and loving to yourselves and listen to your intuition. Follow the voice of your Higher Self! In this way, you will finally “go back home” because you will be part of the natural flow of evolution, of which Love is an integral part…
PLUTO
PLUTO – Welcome to my world that is so unpopular and my compliments for your courage! I am aware that I don’t enjoy such a good reputation and that too often my destructive side is highly emphasized, to the detriment of the REBIRTH that actually follows.
ME – Speaking of which, why do people feel so much pain during their “plutonian times”?
PLUTO – Simply because “what you resist, persists”! Because you humans tend to hold on to your unhealthy behavior even when it causes you repeated disappointments and hurts. What I am trying to do is expose and transform this behavior. Often, the attitudes and defenses you adopt as children for survival reasons are carried on into your adult lives in situations that call for more openness to be productive. I expose your unconscious DEFENSE MECHANISMS and POWER GAMES. All this must be brought to the light of consciousness to teach you to live in a healthier way and to become better human beings.
I BRING LIGHT to the dark corridors of your unconscious because I stand for TRANSFORMATION. Together with my brother Neptune, I endeavor to put you in touch with Divine energies. I do that by teaching you that your power, without spiritual awareness, is limited and often elusive. Real power is in the hands of your Higher Self. If you learn to listen to its loving guidance, you will find that the need to compete, manipulate and control others to feed off their energies will gradually diminish. Cosmic energy exists in abundance – you must learn to tap it! I make you aware of your insecurities and possessiveness – the more you insist on controlling and manipulating other people, the more you alienate them, and, as a consequence, they abandon you (the worst of your nightmares!).
ME – All this is pretty intense. That must be the reason why Plutonian Transformations are lengthy and so often painful. Would you like to pass on any more advice?
PLUTO – Gladly! Learn to look inside and expose your unconscious and destructive mechanisms. Get rid of fears and complexes you accumulated in childhood. FORGIVE yourselves and those who hurt you, especially authority figures (even if you don’t think they deserve it!!). Please learn to forgive – if you think about it, it is the ultimate act of hedonism because what the process really does is make YOU feel better.
Observe your life and that of the people around you. You will often see in them what you least like about yourselves and that you often criticize. Honestly expose your unconscious behavior that blocks your own growth, not to mention the growth of other people… PURIFY yourselves with courage and LOVE YOURSELVES! This is the only way to love others, form healthy relationships and promote everybody’s development. Above all, try not to be possessive – remember that if you really love someone, you can only want the best for them, even if it means setting them free to go their own way. Please also remember that revenge is futile – leave justice in the hands of the Gods, who are wiser and more powerful and compassionate than you are!
ME – Is it true that you also bring into consciousness pain and trauma buried from the distant past? Why is that?
PLUTO – Because the key word is PURIFICATION and, to do that, you need to re-live old traumas and resentments, stored-up anger and pain, which you humans like to repress. Your technological progress has taken place at the expense of your emotional growth – nobody has really taken care of your emotional education. On the contrary! You are so logical and civilized that you are terrified of anger and rage and any other strong emotions that you constantly repress. You are scared of LONELINESS and particularly of therapeutic isolation, in your distant past encouraged and understood. It is in loneliness that your soul communicates the most clearly and gives you nourishment and guidance! You have been taught that repression is a sign of strength and courage. Nothing could be further from the truth. Real COURAGE entails looking inside, getting to know yourselves, healing your wounds and LOVING YOURSELVES.
ME – Yes, I’d say all this makes sense. You look like you have something else to say.
PLUTO – Yes, if I may. I would like to offer you a prayer to ponder on, the Serenity Prayer:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can and
the wisdom to know the difference”.
Children of Light, have faith in a higher guidance, which is much wiser than you can imagine. Please remember that all that happens in life has the purpose to lead you closer to the Divine Source of Light, of which you are part. May “The Force” be with you!
Patrizia Trotta has been a student of astrology for almost 20 years and qualified in England and the States. She now lives in Italy, works as a free lance teacher and writes regularly for astrology magazines. Her training includes counselling and several holistic therapies, soon to be integrated by a degree in psychology.
Last updated on November 22, 2014 at 9:32 pm. Word Count: 3834
