In his Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Marc Edmund Jones’ classification of the planetary pair, Uranus and Neptune, as the “planets of Significance” emphasizes their role in shaping deeper, longer-term developments in an individual’s life. Since these outer planets move slowly across the zodiac, they symbolize more profound, far-reaching influences compared to the faster-moving inner planets, that set off the bigger cycles of the outer planets or are often linked to day-to-day experiences and more immediate concerns. These outer planets are one of the four pairings determined by the advanced technique of Self-Determination. The other pairs are the Sun and Moon, Mars and Venus, and Jupiter and Saturn.

The connection between Timothy Leary and Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert), marked astrologically by the opposition of Leary’s Uranus to Dass’ Neptune, perfectly aligns with the transformative dynamic between these two influential figures in the 1960s counterculture and spiritual movements. Uranus symbolizes innovation, rebellion, and radical shifts in consciousness, while Neptune represents spirituality, mysticism, and the dissolution of boundaries between the material and the divine. The opposition aspect between these two planets in the charts of these men highlights a dynamic tension that can lead to their mutual interest in revolutionary awakenings and the disruption of outworn paradigms.

Leary’s Uranus proved experimental, and his rebellious nature pushed the boundaries of conventional science and society, especially through his research into psychedelic substances. His work with psychotropic plants and LSD was pioneering, as he broke from academic norms and took on the radical exploration of human consciousness.

The cross-tie from one chart to the other resonates with the real-life interactions between Leary and Dass, as he was known in his Harvard years. Leary’s explorations obviously stimulated Alpert’s Neptune, as it encouraged the latter to embark on a deeper, spiritual journey. The influence of Neptune can be seen in Alpert’s transformation into Ram Dass, a figure embodying the spiritual yearning of the 1960s. Through his eventual embrace of Eastern mysticism and his devotion to his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, Dass symbolized the merging of Western intellect and Eastern spirituality.

Uranus certainly plays a fascinating role in both Timothy Leary and Ram Dass’s charts, reflecting their unconventional paths and contributions to the counterculture. Leary’s close conjunction of Uranus with his Moon highlights his emotional drive for radical change and exploration, making him a catalyst for societal shifts. For Ram Dass, Uranus conjunct his Sun signifies a deeply ingrained urge for innovation and transformation in his identity and purpose. This alignment suggests that his spiritual journey and teachings were not just personal but also revolutionary, urging others to rethink their approach to life and spirituality. Together, their Uranian influences embody the spirit of experimentation and the quest for liberation from societal constraints.

The configuration of Ram Dass’s chart indeed highlights a remarkable astrological narrative. The ultra-tight conjunction of his Sun and Uranus—barely within the Cazimi range—suggests an intense fusion of personal identity and revolutionary energy. This aspect supercharges Uranus’s influence, making his nonconformity and iconoclastic nature even more pronounced. The Cazimi aspect implies that instead of diluting Uranus’s potency, it amplifies it, allowing Dass to embody the spirit of radical change and spiritual awakening. His life and teachings reflect a deep commitment to challenging conventional wisdom, aligning perfectly with the revolutionary ethos that Uranus embodies. This astrological insight adds another layer of understanding to his profound impact on spirituality and counterculture.

The bonding of the Sun and Uranus is also exceptional because these planets are elevated and conjunct the Midheaven. They are also conjunct with the North Node, which points to the native’s need to assume authority and a position of leadership. Another indicator of the strength of these tightly placed conjunctions is that they are also the Point Focus of a T-Cross. The Sun and Uranus are at a 90-degree angle to the foundational opposition of a High Focus Pluto conjunct the ascendant, opposing Saturn from the 1st to 7th houses. These houses, including the 1oth house where the tension of the energies created by the opposition find their release are all in cardinal signs and placed in cardinal houses. Cardinal signs are immediate and concerned with the here and now, with Mutable signs indicators of the past and Fixed signs anticipating future possibilities. Be Here Now is a riveting result of Dass’ powerful Cardinal Cross in Cardinal houses. In addition to the great emphasis and intensity of self-expression brought on by this dynamic configuration is the placement of the Sun and Uranus in the zodiacal degree, Brownies Dancing in the setting sun. This degree is one of a very special set of Sabian symbols, known as the Elfin or Fairy degrees. There are just a handful of them, but having a planet in one of these degrees allows the native to experience the subtleties of spirituality when others may be more earthbound in consciousness.

From Sabian Symbols in Astrology:

ARIES 16 Brownies dancing in the setting sun This is a symbol of the essentially friendly relationships which exist between man as a person and the totally impersonal forces of nature. The cosmic integrity demands a continual reversion to pure source in the case of each segment of reality, and the universal activity provides a continual sorting and sifting of all things into convenience and order. Implicit here is the dance of life as an unending rehearsal and exhibition of every special capacity of selfhood. The keyword is INVIGORATION. When positive, the degree is simple good fortune together with unlimited opportunity as the direct fruitage of effort, and when negative, delusions of adequacy with a complete inability to act in real self-interest.

In the 2018 documentary, Ram Dass, Going Home, Dass remarks, “My life has been a dance between power and love.” This comment uncannily relates to his Sabian symbol. Dass’ natal Sun is interestingly reflected in the Sabian symbol when it references a setting Sun. The Brownies represent other-worldly creatures who feel free to come out of hiding and rejoice in all the splendor inherent in the oncoming night when dreams take hold of consciousness from the unconscious. This relates to the lifestyle example Baba Ram Dass offered to others as a spiritual mentor for all who resonated with his message.

Timothy Leary also has a planet in one of the few Elfin degrees. His Mercury is in the degree of A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy.

From Sabian Symbols in Astrology:

SCORPIO 23 A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy This is a symbol of the inner or creative values of everyday living, and of the personal or more dynamic meanings with which man may endow the least of the things around him. Implicit in the symbolism is the kaleidoscopic capacity of his imagination, or the extent to which he may mold and remold the everyday reality with which he deals. Here is poetry of soul as it mirrors each person’s ongoing achievement in character and skills. The keyword is TRANSITION When positive, the degree is the thorough self-conquest by which an individual subordinates his naïve and animal impulses to his ideals and aspirations, and when negative, undisciplined escapism and complete distortion of attitude.

Mercury’s prominent role in Timothy Leary’s chart, especially as the Point Focus of a T Cross that is founded by the opposition of Neptune and the Moon, highlights his extraordinary capacity for communication and connection. This potential was revealed dramatically at the start of his cultural influence with his now legendary message, “Tune on, Turn in, and Drop out.” The opposition between Neptune and the Moon creates a tension that drives home the themes of intuition and emotional resonance, while Mercury’s positioning channels these energies into articulate messaging. During the transformative 1960s, Leary’s ability to convey profound ideas about consciousness and psychedelics resonated deeply with a generation eager for change.

The emphasis on Elfin of Fairy degrees, as described by Marc Edmund Jones, underscores the idea that individuals like Leary and Dass are often seen as vessels for larger truths and movements. Their life and work epitomized this, as they served not just their own interests but those of a wider cultural shift towards exploration and liberation. Both Timothy Leary and Ram Dass embraced this role, embodying a collective ethos that transcended their personal experiences. Their lives were not just about personal transformation but also about guiding others toward a broader understanding of existence and spirituality, demonstrating how individual journeys can indeed represent something far greater.

 

On July 21, 2024, Joe Biden withdrew from his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his place. Throughout much of 2024, transit Uranus was lingering opposite Biden’s natal Sun and was slowing to station exactly opposite his Sun on September 2, 2024. True to Uranus’ nature of sudden and unexpected shifts, this transit coincided with a wave of opposition from Democrats after Biden’s erratic performance during the Biden-Trump debate on June 27.

Meanwhile, transit Saturn was nearing the cusp of Biden’s 4th house, which governs home and foundational matters, signaling that the time had come for him to contemplate stepping down or moving on from his current role and abode. Additionally, transit Mars was opposite his natal Venus and approaching a conjunction with natal Uranus, highlighting the internal opposition and demand for change Biden faced from within his party.

Joe Biden’s natal Sun played a key role in both his presidency and his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. His Sun’s Sabian symbol degree, King of the fairies approaching his domain, reflects Biden’s long journey toward the presidency. For decades, he had been “approaching” this position, and in 2020, he finally achieved his lifetime goal. After his inauguration, Biden even remarked to a journalist while walking up Pennsylvania Avenue that he felt as though he was “on his way home.”

However, by 2024, transit Uranus had come into opposition with his natal Sun, signaling a time of upheaval and change. This astrological transit marked a turning point, urging Biden to shift his focus from Washington D.C. back to Delaware. The symbolism of his Sun suggested that while he had once approached the height of his political career, it was now time to retreat from his role as president and return to a more personal domain.

Vice President Kamala Harris takes Center Stage

The astrological indicators involved at the time Kamala Harris was passed the torch are unusual and not easy to find. One has to examine the chart of the United States to see a very poignant progression about to take place and make aspects to Harris’ chart at the same time. The United States (US) is in the throes of a significant cyclical completion called the Progressed New Moon. This is where the progressed Moon in any chart, be it personal or national comes to the place of the progressed Sun. This occurs approximately every 30 years. A new direction of experience is expected although the transition from past to future may take up to three years on either side of the exact conjunction of the progressed Lights. However, it is important not to ignore the events taking place close to the exact aspect. In this case, the US Progressed New Moon is exact within days of the US 2024 presidential elections. Surely the country will take on a new direction since Biden dropped out, however, there should be an even stronger indication of change afoot, since the tension between political parties appears to be at its maximum.

Not every astrological event in the US chart is relevant in the lives of any particular citizen of the country. However, when someone plays a major role in the dramatic events of the country it is pertinent and noteworthy. This is true for Kamala Harris. The US progressed Moon is within close opposition to Harris’ natal Pluto and Venus. In fact, four years ago the US progressed Sun was activating, by opposition aspect, to Harris’ Pluto, the planet associated with political power, when she took office as the Vice President of the United States. On July 21, Harris realized her chance to reach the pinnacle of power when the US progressed Moon opposed her natal Pluto within a mere 38 minutes of arc.

The US Progressed New Moon is exact on November 10, 2024 at 19 Pisces 26. Its proximity to Harris’s planets in Virgo and the closeness in time to the actual elections is uncanny. This timing, so close to the elections is further emphasized by corresponding within less than a month to the last of the several stations of transit Pluto* in its epic 248-year cycle of return to its natal place in the US chart. The Pluto Return as it is called, will finally be over. A new cycle of experience will start with great emphasis in the form of the US Progressed New Moon so shortly after.

Transit Jupiter Conjunct Trump’s Natal Sun

When comparing the horoscopes of the 2024 presidential candidates, both show signs of potential success. Transit Jupiter, often associated with good fortune and positive outcomes, plays a key role when it becomes prominent during significant events such as national elections. Its activation suggests the likelihood of gratification or a favorable turn of events around the election period. Given Jupiter’s influence so close to November 5, if Donald Trump loses the election, there may still be a reason for celebration or satisfaction, even if he doesn’t immediately contest the result as he did in the past.

Although Kamala Harris appears to have significant momentum that could be intimidating for anyone running against her, Donald Trump has a multitude of aspects that indicate an advantage over his opponent. Harris is in sync with the U.S. progressed Moon, a powerful influence not to be underestimated, however, it is questionable whether she can win over the aspects Trump is enjoying at the time of the election that are listed here.

Progressed Uranus conjunct natal Sun; Transit Uranus conjunct the Midheaven; Transit Jupiter conjunct natal Sun; and Progressed Mercury conjunct natal Mars. There is also a powerful progressed Moon square to natal Pluto, showing enormous tension building for change in his life at the the time of the election.

These are indicators of great astrological advantage lining up for Trump to be catapulted into the White House once again.

 

*October 12, 2024 at 29 Capricorn 39

Read about Biden and his candidacy for president in 2020: King or President? Candidate Joe Biden

For more about the US Pluto Return see: Birth and Remaking of America

Both Trump and Harris have the ominous configuration called a Sharp Destiny.

Orbiting planets work in pairs of positive and negative expression. Astrologers often pair the planets but differ in their choice of couplings. Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 at 2:40 am in London, England. The planetary pairs used in the analysis of the Queen’s chart are those defined by Marc Edmund Jones. The pairs are the Sun and Moon, the planets of Vitality; Mars and Venus the planets of Efficiency; Jupiter and Saturn, the planets of Motivation; and Uranus and Neptune, the planets of Significance. The planetary pairs are used to determine what Jones calls the Mode of Self-Integration.¹ The technique reveals the way in which an individual integrates their talents and abilities with the opportunities their environment offers.

The graph on page 154 of Jones’ Essentials of Astrological Analysis assists in determining which psychological approach an individual should adopt in the pursuit of their life objectives. The six possible modes of integration with the physical world are personal or impersonal circumstances determined by an emphasis of the houses, subjective or objective function defined by the signs and disjunctive or conjunctive activity defined by the planets. The planetary pairs are applied to the graph with the results offering the best means to accomplish one’s goals.

The simplest indication in a chart for integrating the self within society is when two of the planetary pairs form major aspects and two do not. This ideal balance in the psyche facilitates individuals with a clear, outward direction of intent. A mental imbalance can occur when three or all pairs are found in major aspect. It can cause a need for the native to take more time in the orientation of their approach in the process of accomplishing goals. The difficulty arises when a plethora of thoughts vie for attention within the mind, thus canceling out what would otherwise be simple decision-making under the ideal of only two of the four pairs in major aspect. When no pairs are in major aspect there is an under stimulation of initiative, with a resulting feeling of ineptitude and lack of direction in general. When no pairs are aspected, or when one, three or all pairs are in major aspect, a dominant two pairs can be identified through symmetry² within the overall planetary patterning.

The Queen’s Mode of Self-Integration

Queen Elizabeth’s chart shows the ideal situation with two pairs that are in major aspect and two that are not. The pairs in major aspect are Jupiter-Saturn and the Sun-Moon. This defines subjective function as the Queen’s Mode of Self-Integration. The Queen, although very young when first ascending the throne, became a monarch who rose to the occasion primarily with a reliance on subjective values with the desire to follow the dictates of her own mind and heart. She accepted her royal role with an ease of alignment of inner and outer rapport, and for the most part, kept her own council throughout her long reign. She most likely from early childhood, ruminated about the possibility of taking on grave responsibilities at some point in her life, and the inner poise with which she accepted her duties gives testimony to a well-balanced subjective functioning in consciousness.

The T Cross

The oppositions from the 1st to the 7th house of the chart are intercepted and allow the Queen to be discreet and avoid the public display of any conflicts between herself and others. The north and south nodes rest on the ascendant-descendant meridian. The north node in the 7th house points her attention toward the direct interaction with others and downplays any over-concern with personal needs that the 1st house represents.

Both opportunities and challenges are created by the polarization of planets from the 1st to 7th houses. The tension created by these multiple oppositions has its release through Saturn elevated at the Midheaven and in square aspect with the four planets forming the foundational opposition aspect to which Saturn becomes the outlet of energies.

King George VI died unexpectedly when the 25-year-old princess was in Kenya on a tour of the Commonwealth. When it came time for her to give up her personal involvements, she willingly and responsibly took on the role that was thrust upon her. Her father is symbolically reflected in the planet Saturn, which rules the paternal figure, and its placement in tight conjunction with the Midheaven shows the potential for worldly power. The planet is in High Focus when both conjunct the Midheaven and elevated but is also in Point Focus of the powerful T Cross. Undoubtedly, Saturn represents the signature mark of rulership shown in the chart. This powerful potential could have been recognized from birth by any knowledgeable astrologer. Saturn’s dominant position in the chart revealed a destiny to wield power and influence at some point in the Queen’s life.

The Sharp Destiny

When Jupiter and Saturn, the planetary pair of Motivation, form a conjunction, square or opposition aspect, they create what Jones calls a Sharp Destiny.³ A person with one of these three “hard” aspects in their chart is compelled, in three distinct ways, to live up to their highest potentials. In the case of the Queen, she rose to the occasion in royal fashion. In a speech three days after her death, King Charles said of his beloved mother, “Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well lived, a promise that destiny kept.”⁴ A Loose Destiny is found when the pair of Motivation is in sextile, trine, or not in major aspect. Life then is lived with less pressure to follow the standards imposed by others or by moral considerations from within.

The Queen’s dedication to her service as the monarch of not only her country but for the ages, was living under the influence of a powerful impulse to do the right thing under all conditions. Living under the influence of a Sharp Destiny is well-described by Jones in his Essentials:

Jupiter and Saturn in a Square aspect indicates an ordering of life’s fundamental motives, through which the native usually suffers very immediate consequences of the least neglect or abuse of his own potentials. He finds he must fight continually for the ideals in which he has come to take the most consistent interest, and also learns that his conscious well-being is wholly dependent on the moral struggles in which he becomes involved almost inevitably at every stage of his experience. If he does not relish the days in which he seems torn to pieces in self-uncertainty, he must discover ways to tear himself apart deliberately, and in equally painful fashion, on the behalf either of some cause of real significance or some conception that he can dramatize through his own being. Personal existence under this configuration can become either great opportunity, or else a gradual disintegration of the soul in the very core of itself.

The Queen offset any struggle between self-gratification shown by Jupiter in the first house and the need to sacrifice her personal wishes in the fulfillment of the greater good shown by Saturn in both High and Point Focus by viewing the limitations of her fate as a great opportunity rather than as a frustrating sacrifice.

Jupiter is intercepted and therefore only the strait-laced and no-nonsense Saturnian dignity is shown to the public. Only occasionally did the matters of real life’s challenges and frustrations emerge into the light of day for all to witness. The Queen unexpectedly revealed that 1992 was a particularly difficult year with three divorces and the palace literally on fire. The Queen called the year “annus horribilis,” saying, “. . .1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.”⁵ It is the square of the planets of Motivation that dominated the chart at the time and brought the pressure of difficult circumstances to a point too intense to conceal. In 1992, Pluto was directly conjunct the Queen’s progressed Saturn, and transit Saturn was opposite her natal Moon for a good part of the year. Both transits involved Saturn activating the Sharp Destiny at every turn.

The Outgoing and Incoming Monarchs’ Simultaneous Mercury Progressed Stations

In 2022 the death of the Queen instantly meant that after 73 years Prince Charles would finally be King of England. Although the event of a death cannot be changed, it can be anticipated. With a long history of astrology practiced in the United Kingdom, it is odd that the important coronation was scheduled for May 6, 2023, during transit Mercury’s retrograde period.

Progressed Mercury, stationary retrograde, was an interesting dynamic⁶ aspect active for King Charles at the time of his mother’s death. Even more fascinating is the fact that at the same time the Queen’s progressed Mercury was also stationing to go retrograde (see ephemeris graphs). Any astrologer looking for a sign of great change in the lives of these two royals would have happily stumbled across this astrological omen pointing to what Marc Edmund Jones explains in his Scope of Astrological Prediction:

Planetary Stations are established when a planet in secondary progression appears to come to a rest in the zodiac and begins to move retrograde instead of direct or vice versa. If the change is to retrograde the indication is more personal or intimate and if to direct it is more impersonal.

The phenomenon in progressions always identifies a subtle or psychological shift in the fundamental course of life such as requires a critical regrasp of experience and often proves to be an adjustment over an appreciable span of time whether marked by some single sharp event of easy identification or by a complex syndrome of changes of less obvious interrelation.⁷

The obvious events corresponding to the Royals’ duel stationary retrograde Mercuries are for the Queen, an expected withdrawal from public service, and for the incoming King, a time for a critical adjustment to newly imposed responsibilities.

Not only were the Royals experiencing mutually progressed Mercury stations, but they were also in opposite signs within one degree. The Queen’s station of Mercury was 21 Leo 15, while the King’s station was at 20 Aquarius 13. Adding even more emphasis to that unusual configuration between their progressed Mercuries is the transit of Saturn exactly conjunct the King’s station and opposing the Queen’s on the day of her death. Once again, Saturn appears in a timely manner to figure into her very Sharp Destiny. For the Queen, this dynamic station was the marker indicating the turning point and possible departure from the throne of influence, and for King Charles, it literally forced him into the role for which he was preparing for most of his life.

There has always been a close tie between mother and son, seen in the mutual placement of her natal Sun conjunct his natal Moon in his 10th house at 1 degree Taurus. The 10th house represents the parent, either mother or father, who introduces the offspring to the world. For Charles, the Moon in the 10th house identifies his nurturing mother as the parent responsible for that task. To intensify the match made at their midheavens is the close conjunction of the King’s Sun degree at 22 Scorpio 24 with the Queen’s elevated Saturn at 24 Scorpio 27. It was the Queen’s responsibility to strictly, yet sensitively (Saturn), prepare her son for the role (Sun) he was inevitably primed to embrace.

 

1. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. Chapter 2, Self-Ordering.
2. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. 1970, pg.186, symmetry
3. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. 1970 pgs.342-343, Sharp Destiny
4. King Charles speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9EUPrd_oJw 0:32
5. https://www.history.com/news/annus-horribilis-queen-elizabeth-royal-scandal-windsor-castle-fire.
6. Dynamic aspect refers to progression or transits i.e., moving planets, not static as in a birth chart.
7. Scope of Astrological Prediction, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. 1969, pg. 49, progressed stations

How King George VI, the Father of Queen Elizabeth II, Prepared His Daughter for the Throne