Note: This article was originally written and posted on my old site on May 16, 2018. I have made a couple of updates for 2019.
On May 15, 2018, we experienced a major shift in the planetary energies as Uranus, the planet of shake-ups, surprises, innovations, and breakthroughs, enters the sign Taurus, which is typically associated with financial systems, values, and material possessions. This may seem a little scary, but honestly, it's nothing to fear but the unknown itself, for that is what Uranus represents - the unknown. Of course, it feels a little unsettling to have Uranus in a fixed earth sign - Taurus has some trouble adjusting to change (this Sun and Mercury in Taurus native can attest to that). Sometimes, however, change is necessary and good.
Take our financial systems, for example. Some are speculating that we're going to see a massive overhaul of the world economy, like we saw in the mid-to-late 1930s. Take FDR's New Deal, for example, a successful overhaul of the US economy in response to the Great Depression. This included massive job creation, financial safety nets such as Social Security, and labor laws that favored employees.
Does this mean that we're headed for collective financial ruin? I certainly hope not. History never repeats itself exactly, so it wouldn't be wise to expect a carbon copy of the events of the 1930s.
Here in the US, just how robust is our economy now? The statistics may seem favorable, with unemployment under 4% and lowering steadily since 2009. However, what is the quality of this employment? As of 2016, nearly half of American workers earn under $15 an hour, the figure considered to be the average living wage - despite the fact that the living wage is actually much higher than $15/hour these days.
I live in Los Angeles, California, a city that is seen as a sparkling jewel on the West Coast. In some ways, it is just that - unless you are one of the million or so Angelenos who don't earn a living wage despite working much harder than many people who do.
Housing costs are so high that many people have been displaced. Stories of working people who are living in tents are rapidly on the increase. This often happens on the edge of very well-to-do neighborhoods, adding to the dystopian feeling that one gets when truly observing the city.
Take a drive along many neighborhoods here, and you'll see tent cities sprouted along our rivers and under our freeways and overpasses. From 2011 to 2017, homelessness in the city has increased by 75%.
SEVENTY FIVE PER CENT!
IN SIX YEARS!
I'll stop cyber-yelling now, but I really want to emphasize what a ridiculous statistic that is. Are we not already living in highly stressed financial times? One could easily argue that we are. Our current situation is not sustainable.
My hope is that Uranus will improve the situation, not make it worse. However, we may need some shocks in order for us to get out of our collective comfort zones so that we can take positive action. Therefore, the economy may get worse before it gets better. In the long run, it *will* get better, but possibly not right away.
Another way that Uranus in Taurus could manifest is through technological advances (Uranus) in our money system (Taurus). The last time Uranus was in Taurus, the Charga-Plate, a predecessor to the credit card, was implemented and was very popular for the next fifteen years. This invention made it easier for companies to keep track of their customers' credit.
The most obvious thing I can think of for modern times is, of course, the controversial idea of cryptocurrency. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could prove to be a big part of the new wave of financial innovations. Uranus in Taurus provides the ideal astrological conditions for Bitcoin and its competitors to thrive. If the current push continues, I'd expect that this new form of currency will be here to stay - though whether or not it does so in its current incarnation remains to be seen.
The next few months should provide a preview of what to expect from 2019 through the first half of the 2020s, but major changes to the global economic structure are coming, whatever the details may be. Chances are, there are some brand new ideas due to come our way soon, and if used correctly, we could find ourselves feeling much more hopeful about the economy in several years' time.
Who knows? Maybe there will be a new, attainable "American Dream".
Update - January 21, 2019: We have a new Congress, and new representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is proposing a top income tax rate of 70% - and it's gaining ground. While we've had higher rates (up to 91% in the 1950s), and this is not new, it's certainly considered 'radical' by some, but once Uranus re-enters Taurus, I can see an increase in public support for higher income tax rates.
Update - February 17, 2019: The Green New Deal is gaining traction and public support, and when Uranus re-enters Taurus on March 6, the window opens for progress. However, it clearly won't be ratified immediately. This is a very Uranus in Taurus sort of occurrence, so the potential is high for this proposal to fully manifest by 2025 or 2026 at the latest. If I had to choose the most likely time for it to become a reality in some way, shape, or form, I'd guess it to be towards the end of Uranus' time in Taurus, when he will be receiving sextiles from Saturn and Neptune and in a loose, out-of-sign trine with Pluto. Perhaps it will be then when the establishment are ready to finally forge a sustainable plan for the 21st Century - one that benefits the entire population.
I can tell you this, though...Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has the chart of someone who's here to shake things up, and who has the staying power to see things through. More on that in a future article.
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