What does Saturn square Uranus mean?
Saturn square Uranus is a 90° angle between the planets Saturn and Uranus, viewed from Earth. It is a temporary planetary contact that repeats three times in 2021. It reflects the societal and personal change, instability, and even violence that we’re seeing at the beginning of 2021. Astrology also gives us a timeframe: the scenarios forming now will intensify through the Summer months and play out at the end of the year.
The planet Mars activated the Saturn-Uranus square in January 2021, around the time of the Capitol insurrection and the inauguration of President Biden. Mars will move through this volatile space again in early July, and again in November.

What can we expect in 2021 when Saturn squares Uranus?
- Continued political and personal unrest
- Political and domestic violence
- New and different ideas becoming reality– and all the work and effort that entails
- Updating the rules to match new realities and modern truths
- Change and excitement collide with societal rules and traditions
- Testing the limits of freedom
- Young vs. old – for example, the Robinhood/Gamestop story, Super Bowl 2021
- Progressive vs. conservative
- New ideas vs. the old way of doing things
- Pressure to change vs. resistance to the new and unfamiliar
- Earth changes, climate change– especially earthquakes, mudslides, erosion
- Volatility in financial markets
- Cyber security may become a front burner issue
- Technology glitches, network disruption, electrical grid (Texas)
Does this Saturn/Uranus profile sound like anyone you know?
“…Experiences oneself as unfairly gagged or limits oneself in order to outrageously kick over the traditions in other places. Then lives one’s freedom in such a compulsive manner that it becomes an unfreedom as a result.” –Banzhaf & Haebler, Key Words for Astrology
The authors are referring to an individual birth chart, whereas I am discussing the astrological “weather” for 2021– but can you see how this describes some of the personalities in the news lately? (No-maskers, domestic terror groups, a certain former president I won’t name.)
How will Saturn square Uranus impact your personal life?
The Saturn-Uranus square shows tension between the changes that need to happen and the obstacles, roadblocks, and resistance to that change. It can bring hidden truths to life, let the light in, and clear the cobwebs from your window so you can see what’s really going on.
Saturn says “You must” do whatever the squared planet represents– in this case, you must wake up, face the truth, address the breakdown, break away from a bad situation, or fix what isn’t working.
I have followed an account for several years that posts screenshots from young women of messages they get from guys on dating apps. There’s a pattern so predictable that it is boring, even in its shockingness. Here’s how it goes.
- Boy hits on girl.
- Girl declines.
- Boy calls girl an ugly bitch.
Maybe there’s a little banter before the turn-down. Sometimes it’s spiced up with other unpleasant surprises, like the famous unsolicited junk shot. But those three steps form the basic recipe.
There’s a similar recipe that applies to close relationships. Let’s say you have decided to draw the line with a verbal, emotional, or physical abuser. Or anyone who feels entitled to treat you a certain way. You make it clear you won’t put up with their shit anymore. This is where you need to be ready to meet the mythical Furies.
In his book The Gods of Change, Howard Sasportas likens the transits of Uranus to the myth of the Furies. These beings would appear whenever Uranus visited his wife Gaia (Saturn’s mother). They were so terrifying and unpleasant that ancient people referred to them as the “gracious ones” to avoid pissing them off.
In modern psychological terms, the Furies represent “change back” maneuvers. People turn to these countermoves when someone they are close to stops playing their game. The abuser liked you better when you were younger and less certain of your boundaries. If you don’t play along anymore, they have to adapt to your new truth to continue the relationship. If they feel threatened by it, they make you a bad guy. They react out of apparent hatefulness, revenge, rejection. You’re rejecting me? I never loved your broken ass anyway.
“Put simply, the challenge of change requires us to anticipate resistance from within and without-and to manage our own anxiety so that we can be our best self when the other person, out of their anxiety, acts like a big jerk.” [source: Dr. Harriet Lerner]
If Saturn and Uranus make close contact with planets in your birth chart, a change or separation involving a “change back” reaction may be part of your process.
What are the health implications of Saturn square Uranus?
- Be careful: there’s increased danger of accidents, tears, breaks affecting bones, skin, teeth– especially the jaw, neck, and lower leg (knee to ankle)
- Slowed or unstable autonomic rhythms (breathing, heart rate, etc.)
- Nervous energy
- Symptoms that are weird or unusual for you (See your acupuncturist about blockages or disturbances in your qi)
- Emergency -ectomies, transplantation
Pay close attention to these possibilities if Saturn and Uranus make close contact with the Sun, Moon, Mars, or Saturn in your birth chart.
Key Saturn square Uranus dates in 2021
- Saturn entered Aquarius – December 2020
- Mars square Saturn – January 13
- Mars conjunct Uranus – January 20
- Saturn square Uranus – February 17
- Saturn turns retrograde – May 23
- Saturn (retrograde) square Uranus – June 14
- Mars opposite Saturn – July 1
- Mars square Uranus – July 3
- Saturn turns direct – October 10
- Mars square Saturn – November 10
- Mars opposite Uranus – November 17
- Saturn square Uranus – December 24
- via Molly’s Astrology Calendar
21 Responses
You have a great blog. Thank you for posting. When dealing with ancestors, don’t be too hard on them. Your healing work heals them.
Please google Jodi Shaw. Read her letter to the president of Smith College.
The current administration supports critical race theory.
** Ok, EK **
I did as you suggested. First, I googled Critical Race Theory.
What is wrong about this theory?
As a white woman, I never once had to worry that a traffic stop or other encounter with police would result in me being shot. I have never had the cops called on me for having a picnic with my family or walking around in an upscale neighborhood.
I believe it’s my responsibility to help right the wrongs of my ancestors that got us here. To help fix the systems that disadvantage and devastate my Black & Brown friends and neighbors. So that every American can have the same advantages and feel safe in public.
I’m thrilled that the current administration embraces this goal. This is what we elected them for.
I googled Jodi Shaw too.
Wow, this was the first time that I landed on your page and I am thoroughly impressed and grateful! I just experienced drawing boundaries and met by the “Furies”. There wasn’t the B word, thank goodness, however there was this exact cycle. I don’t have the time or the space or the desire to play that game anymore, and the response was “You are the A-hole here”.
I am also a triple Aquarius so this all hit home.
I truly appreciate the perspective and reflection of this article and it couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. This allows me to sit back and be with my own energy prior to engaging again. Thank you so much for this!
Thank you, Shannon! Sorry you’re going through this, but I’m glad I could help put the experience into context.
I agree with Beth wholeheartedly. Great article, Molly!
Thank you Pat!
Well, Molly, you were spot-on about the electrical grid in Texas! This Arctic blast and TWO back-to-back winter storms have brought a lot of attention to infrastructure weaknesses that have been ignored in favor of putting profits in the pockets of the privileged. Thankfully we have power at our (modest) home right now, but large swaths of us here have no running water. This is due to either frozen/burst pipes or so many people running their water to avoid that, that the stored capacity available in the water systems has been all but used up. Saturn in Aquarius has stress-tested our municipal and private “water-bearers” here in Texas too.
Thanks so much! Full disclosure, I updated the post with that line about Texas today.. but I did call out electrical grid problems in my December post: Saturn in Aquarius. I feel for you so much right now. The cloud of uncertainty about basic needs, and the frustration & anger I imagine you must be feeling on top of that.
p.s. I never made the connection between water reservoirs and Aquarius. That’s brilliant as well as concerning.
This is such a great article and explanation of this Saturn/Uranus transit! The best I’ve read!! And I love your responses!!! Looks like you’re experiencing some “change back maneuvers “ right here in real time!! Lol
For realz! Thanks so much. 🙂
I was enjoying your blog until you decided to insert your political views into the Astrology. I am not saying you are wrong in your views. I just don’t see why you would choose to do that here. History will tell us who and/or which side “kicked and screamed so much” that they were left more enslaved then they were before they rebelled. Let’s stay open and see what will transpire given the energies at play. Again, I really enjoyed your work otherwise.
One very nice thing about being older, nearing 50, is that I am okay with not making everybody happy. I don’t feel the need to justify my choices. Thanks for commenting, and have a good day.
she’s stating examples that illustrate the energy of the transit and she is not wrong. She’s not a journalist and has no moral obligation to be unbiased. Although I see far more opinion-laden astrology than this. I can not understand these comments.
thou dost protest too much.
I appreciate your free service to the public regarding astrology. You’ve really done your research in that regard.
However, when you start misrepresenting and seemingly inciting violence against people with different perspectives, it makes me not want to take you seriously. Did you ever consider that perhaps there are people who financially benefit from the kind of divide and conquer that you are doing for them?
What ever happened to finding or creating common ground, valuing debate and honoring differences of opinion? It scares me that so many individuals want to curtail any open and real discussions. It also makes me very sad that you have chosen to misrepresent those you don’t agree with. Perhaps the fault is with me as I expected much better of you.
Wait, what? Where is this coming from? Where in this article do I incite violence? What am I misrepresenting? Whom would you have me find common ground with? People who won’t wear a mask during a pandemic? Men who harass women online? People who abuse others? Capitol rioters? What open and real discussions am I curtailing with this article? So many questions.
But let’s be clear, Ganinii– I have no interest in your expectations of me. This is my blog, not a public debate forum. I feel no obligation to present “both sides”– especially when one of those sides embraces Confederate and Nazi symbols and tries to violently overthrow the United States government.
Excellent article, thank you Molly. I’m always trying to make sense of the current climate and you always speak to right to what I’m trying to understand. Here, here to your above response and thank you endlessly for your astrological insights. You get right to the heart of the matter.
this article is fantastic. And like you, I’ve no idea WTF the other commenter is even referring to. *hard eyeroll* Thanks for your insight, keep on truckin!
I’ll chime in too, Molly. I have no idea what that comment was about. Your article is just straight to the point and as always, it keeps me sane when things start feeling like the twilight zone! Keep doing your thing, Molly. We appreciate it.
Thank you Sarah!!