AUSTRALIA & SA/UR

Sue Tompkins is one of those astrologers who I really 'connect' with. I love her writing style, greatly admire her astrological knowledge and insight and, therefore, take special note when she ascribes a new correspondence to a planet or sign. In this instance, I recently read one of her observations that had me slapping my forehead and exclaiming 'Duh, why hadn't I noticed that before!'. Sue recognised that the country of Australia (and maybe New Zealand) must be Uranian and here she explains why:

"Situations where individuals en masse are literally ostracized from society are very Uranian, as are situations where individuals voluntarily decide to emigrate....Not long after Uranus was discovered, Britain and Ireland sent about 165,000 of its citizens to the then unknown land (to Europeans) that we now call Australia. In my view Australia resonates strongly to Uranian vibes not only because its early white settlers had been rejected by the land of their birth ( as they in turn rejected Aborigines), but because of there being so much sky (UR) and the population tends to live on the perimeters of the continent.... The land mass itself pretty much stands apart from the other great continents. It also has possibly the largest reserves of Uranium on the planet"

Sue goes on to write:

" In my experience, Europeans when visiting Australia tend to do so when under the influence of major Uranian transits"

Now, that really made me sit up and think. I know a number of people who have emigrated to Australia, and either they are very Uranian in nature, or they were, indeed, undergoing transits relating to Uranus when they moved.

So then I got to thinking about how, at this precise time, Saturn is opposing Uranus (Sue's designated ruler of Oz) in the sky and wondering if we would hear any particular news from the continent at this juncture. No sooner had I thought this than a Qantas airliner almost dropped out of the sky after severe turbulence, thought to have been caused by electronic equipment (ruled by Uranus) failure - which may have come about as the result of interference from computers or devices (Ur) being used by passengers (SA in Virgo).

I then decided to have a look back in history to see what happened at the previous Saturn/Uranus opposition in 1965/1966 in Australia, and at the start of the SA/UR cycles (0 degrees) which occurred in 1942 and 1988.

1942 was certainly a critical year in the history of the country. It was the year that the Japanese Navy and Army Air Force carried out 97 air raids, In the first — and deadliest — attacks, 242 planes hit Darwin on the morning of 19 February 1942. At the time of the exact start of the Saturn/Uranus cycle The Battle of the Coral Seas began and a few weeks later Sydney Harbour and Newcastle were attacked.

Also in 1942 The UK Statute of Westminster was formally adopted by Australia. The Statute formally granted Australia (along with New Zealand, South Africa, and the Irish Free State) the right to pass laws that conflict with UK laws.

In 1988 Parliament House opened in Canberra. The Olympic Dam opened, 550 km NNW of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is the site of an extremely large deposit of copper, uranium, gold and silver.

So, what can we expect from the Saturn/Uranus opposition, which lasts through to 2010, for Australia? Well chances are that it's going to be related to the economy and their resources (gold, silver, uranium) especially as the current opposition involves the Australian natal Moon at 20 degrees Virgo in the 2nd house (finances) of the Jan 26, 1788 Chart ( 05.30). The 1966 opposition was when decimalisation occurred and the Australian currency was changed to dollars and cents, with the Australian dollar replacing the Australian pound.

In the news today we read

'Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's currency plunged this week by the most since it began trading freely in December 1983 as stocks slumped worldwide, prompting investors to cut holdings of higher-yielding assets funded with loans in Japan.

However here is a link to more events in 1966 and the only thing I would say is watch the news headlines and keep the following in mind. Saturn/Uranus oppositions stir up energies that result in pulls between the following forces/ideas:

Saturn
Tradition
Government(s)
Authority
Business
Older Males
Governors
Statesmen
Orthodoxy
Uniformity
Summits or tall places
Right wing movements
Repression and Recession
Buildings ( esp those to do with Government or business)
Statues
Minerals

Stability
Resistance

whilst Uranus relates to

Change
Modernisation
Shocks
Independence
Revolution
Instability
Group endeavour
Anarchy or Overthrows
Radicalism
Rejection
Removal
Sudden or surprise actions
Electronics
Aircraft
Exceptional circumstances
Liberty and freedom

Join the two ideas any way you like to get a feel of the overall energy. For example;

Tradition fights with Modernisation

Resistance to change

Stability vs Instability

Freedom from repression

Revolution in the mineral industry or

Strikes in the mineral industry

and I guess we can add

Shocking (speedy) recession

Also as Saturn in Virgo relates to games played with small balls like golf, cricket

Changes or surprises in Australian golf and or cricket games

Let's see what Sue Tompkins says about Saturn/Uranus

Cautious reform

Fear of change

Breaks with authority

Rebels in control

She ascribes it to politicians who have to resist mutiny in the ranks (!) and points out that it is a useful combination for anyone who has to push through major reform. She warns however that it can render a person unable to bend or shift (Sa) to needed change(Ur) hence fate seems to ensure the most dramatic kind so of breaks (i.e., break from job etc., or even breakage of bones).

Finally in evolutionary terms I would add that Saturn Uranus cycles at the opposition phases prompt us to release or reject our reliance on the purely material planes of manifestation and to embrace our connection to the collective i.e to our essential unity.

Sue Tompkins Aspects in Astrology

Sue Tompkins The Contemporary Astrologer's Handbook

Update: The Film 'Australia was released in December 2008.

Oz Minerals Ltd., the world's second-largest zinc producer, has sold its gold and silver project in Indonesia to China Sci-Tech Holdings Ltd.

Australia pulls out of Davis Cup ( Tennis - usage of a small ball, so should have been in the list above with Cricket and Golf)

After 200 years of use ( SA) New Zealand has announced that it will likely rename (UR) the North Island and South Islands.