Mars Conjunct Uranus 2021: Total War

Mars conjunct Uranus 2021 is a conjunction we’re all going to notice. It takes place on January 20th – which, I’m sure many of you won’t need reminding is Inauguration Day in the US. So, it’s an auspicious conjunction and, given the nature of the planets involved, this is potentially for all the wrong reasons. Mars hitting Uranus is a planetary combination where you kind of know what’s coming – largely because we’ve seen it all before. This is the classic combination for starting a war.

So, before you head for the bunker, let’s set out a few astrological basics to remind you how we got here. As you know, Uranus in Taurus has been shaking things up in this world for quite some time now. If you follow the link above you can read my earlier article on that one – but basically, Uranus in Taurus functions to upset our values and with Mars conjunct Uranus 2021 in Taurus it’s those questions around values that are going to get explosive.

Mars: Pulling the Trigger

Mars entered Taurus on January 6th after an extended stay in Aries and, as you may recall, it was a day that did not pass by without incident. While I’m not about to blame the storming of the Capitol on Mars alone, it certainly bears all the hallmarks of the kind of incident we could expect with Mars conjunct Uranus 2021. However, the Mars Uranus conjunction does not become exact until the 20th January so, was 6th January’s insurrection (classic Mars and Uranus in action) a case of astrologers – and a few others – jumping the gun?

Actually, ‘jumping the gun’ is classic Mars and Uranus too. Mars is a ‘trigger’ planet and is often used to time events. However, the general rule for Uranus is to show up early. So, Mars conjunct Uranus 2021 was never going to hang around waiting to take effect. Once Mars crossed into Taurus, things were always going to get lively one way or another – and very rapidly too. Mars conjunct Uranus 2021 marks a time for tempers to fray, the temperature to rise (even in January), things to reach fever pitch (literally in my case – thank you Covid-19) and so on.

Uranus in Taurus: Revolutionary Conservatism?

So, now we’ve realised we’re in the middle of this Mars conjunct Uranus 2021 meltdown – what do we need to be conscious of as January 20th approaches? To answer this I’m going to remind you of the key things we associate with both planets and how these things can manifest in Taurus – and I’m going to deal with Taurus first.

Taurus represents all that is solid and stable in this world. It is conservative – with both a large and a small ‘C’, and as we know, the word ‘Conservative’ seems to have been open to interpretation of late – no doubt to the presence of Uranus in that sign. ‘Old fashioned’ values of steadfastness and reliability seem to have been supplanted by a more chaotic brand of individual freedom. That may be shocking – yet it’s not surprising. Uranus is the planet of revolution, liberty (or libertarianism) and extremes.

What has been notable with Uranus in Taurus is that the revolutions (of all kinds) that we have seen occur have been rooted in forms of conservatism. We have all seen what happens when the revolution is a ‘politically conservative’ one – we can often wonder what it is that is being ‘conserved’ as it seems so destructive to the interests of so many people – and even the planet itself (conservatism often does not sit well with conservation). This is classic Uranus once more – the thrust is towards dynamic, radical change – detailed planning and considered appraisals are not Uranus’s thing.

So, why are we shocked when something like the Capitol Insurrection happens in the US, or, in the UK, for example, Brexit has turned out not to be the ‘easiest deal in history’ as this month’s chaos at our ports has shown? Did you not see this coming? Were you not paying enough attention? Again pure Uranus. Uranus is contrary. Sooner or later the idealism underpinning Uranus’s revolutionary zeal hits reality. And that’s the real surprise for many. Uranus promises change and revolution – not whether you’re going to like it when it comes.

Mars Conjunct Uranus: The Flashpoint

Add Mars to this combination and it really is like lighting the blue touch paper. Mars can be rash, selfish and violent. Self-interested aggression, immediate gratification and ‘might makes right’ are the signature themes of Mars. So, this January 20th, with Mars conjunct Uranus 2021, can we expect flash-points and battles everywhere on that day? Well, it’s wise to prepare for them just in case, though bear in mind that, with Uranus, you always need to expect the unexpected too.

Mars and Uranus together mean that things can flare up without warning. So, even if you know there is a risk of confrontation or protest getting out of hand – and you have prepared as well as you feel you can do – there is still the risk of being blindsided. There is the risk of something so absurd happening that you couldn’t risk assess it if you tried. Aliens (Uranus) land on the White House Lawn (Taurus) during the Inauguration? I’m joking by the way – but you get the idea. Mars conjunct Uranus is violent and shocking configuration. We should be grateful that it will pass over quickly.

Mars Conjunct Uranus: The Turning Point

Though Mars conjunct Uranus 2021 lasts for a short period of time, it’s the things it sets in motion that we probably need to concern ourselves with over the longer term. Mars conjunct Uranus is about motion. It’s dynamic – even in a sign like Taurus. So, what happens next? As in all things, nothing happens in astrology in isolation. The keen-eyed among you will already know we are living in the most ‘Aquarian’ of times. This conjunction – Uranus rules Aquarius – really emphasises that, regardless of what may (or may not) happen on January 20th.

Mars conjunct Uranus 2021 is simply one of a number of celestial indicators ramming that message home as we enter 2021. The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, followed by both of those planets parting company to travel through Aquarius at their own speed (I’ve written about Jupiter in Aquarius here), remind us that we need to get used to the idea that things will not be the same again. We have crossed a dividing line, and it’s time to formulate new responses to old problems. That sounds great but – and I’ll return to what I said at the top of this post – it boils down to the things represented by Taurus. Values. But whose values?

This heated (Mars) debate (Uranus) will occupy the floor for some time to come. How can we be sure of that? The answer to that seems more straightforward. The signs are this is going to be a conflicted year. Later this month we will will be dealing with the long term fall out from Mars conjunct Uranus 2021. That will manifest through the approaching square between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus. Once more we see the potential conflict in that aspect between earthy structure and stability – and radical change. We will live in interesting times.

I’m not going to discuss that aspect between Saturn and Uranus in detail here because that’s the stuff of a separate post – it’s going to be this years big celestial theme after all – and I’ll update this post with the link when it’s published. Meanwhile, on January 20th? Stay safe. And if you see fireworks? Let’s hope they are the celebratory kind.

© Sara Shipman, January 2021

Picture credit: Image by Comfreak from Pixabay 

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