It was last in the water sign from April 1, 1919 to April 1, 1927. That period featured rapid readjustment in the Middle East following the first ever World War. The kingdoms of Egypt and Iraq were created, plus the reorganisation of Saudi Arabia, and the birth of the modern state of Turkey.

From March 11 2003, Uranus returns to its birthplace in these national charts, so expect sudden changes at the top, and erratic twists of fate to affect these lands.

Pisces represents the universal matrix that joins us all together. The sensitive Piscean detects the undercurrents below a scene better than anyone. Unconcerned with power or position, Pisces contemplates the totality of life from the spiritual perspective. The principle is that the greatest among us is the greatest servant. Perennially, a part of the Piscean understanding is that to have a winner you must have a loser.

In the physical sense Pisces is connected to recuperative retreats and religion.

Expressively its recluse is the world of art and imagination where reality can be bent to suit.

Negatively it can portray destructive escapism through the world of mind-bending drugs.

The apparent lack of direction of Pisces is symbolised by two fish swimming in opposite directions. Like Gemini and Libra this dual sign can be vacillating and is subject more to environmental influences than most.

Uranus strikes like a lightning bolt out of the blue accelerating our development through what appears to be random chaos. Enlightenment arrives like an unwelcome stranger. Picture the Tarot Tower Struck by Lightning. The fallen structure shows a limited perspective of natural law. The highest object attracts the lightning bolt. But power must be channelled for empowerment. Uranus channels that genius via a different perspective, or radical new approach.

When Uranus enters Pisces, it oversees sudden technological innovations and original ideas in the areas of welfare and health care. Renewed interest in parapsychology, dream states, and the uncharted areas of consciousness should feature. The difference between the haves and have-nots of the world will be addressed, and the plight of the suffering more evident. The international refugee problem is one such area of concern but this will extend to increased interest in issues like animal welfare.

Breakthroughs will occur in drug therapies, as well as some original and possibly not too well received solutions to the overall drug problem.

The Piscean water connection could see breakthroughs in oceanography and the use of hydropower.

Christianity is frequently connected to Pisces and Uranus here will break up conditions of established orthodoxy in the church.

Aries
Uranus is highlighting the area of your life concerned with seclusion, secrets, and what might loosely be termed karma. We are all linked to the whole and a large part of this association is subliminal or operating out of conscious threshold. Events that seem to haphazardly happen in our lives, chance encounters, recurring dreams, assumingly all hold a direct connection to this whole. For you this is important. Keep a diary to see the underlying patterns of your life. In exploring the certainty behind chance you will uncover your hidden potential and unveil your failure scripts. And just when you thought you had it all under control along comes a 'jack in the box' to remind you that the answer is in constantly reformulating the question.

Taurus
Uranus representing the principle of freedom and revolution, is residing in the area of your hopes and dreams, and that can make you a lot more idealistic about life than the traditionally staid Taurean. Friends and associations will tend to mirror the independence you seek and also reflect some of your own personal idiosyncrasies. Old ideals you once clung to have been superseded in light of today's world and your own changing circumstance. As a result you can find yourself mixing with a whole new group of people who tend to modernise your outlook.

Gemini
Uranus excites your public persona – the mask you wear that says status or career. Where do you feel responsible to the world and what are the changes you are making here? They're coming thick and fast. Doing something different, original, and immediate, is what Uranus is all about. Remember Uranus spends around seven years in this zone and the first affected are those born early into the sign. But by 2010, it will be the Cancer cuspers who are making the rapid career adjustments. Uranus states technology but it also sings freedom and movement. You'll need flexibility as well as the awareness of where your genius actually lies. On the reverse side of this career coin are expeditious changes of home and environment.

Cancer
Often you can be found with your head retracted in the shell, resisting the winds of change, as if there was a virtue in preserving memory cells. But life either travels through you or it doesn't, and if you react fast when opportunity knocks, it can set your sails toward a better world. You're practically guaranteed not to fall of the end of the earth. Uranus is in your temple of distant lands and unfulfilled potential. In the physical realm this is occurring in areas of higher learning, travel, and cultural assimilation. Things you knew you were not very good at but actually wanted to master have now become available. You'll grow through exploring difference and distance in your life. Get that passport happening.

Leo
Death and breakdown are necessary components of evolution. This process has accelerated for you as old situations, persons, and attitudes depart from your world. Is this personal rebirth a mad scramble to correct the scales on a life that's been too focussed on your own values? Or is it you who's too accommodating? Something needs balancing – that's the reason for the current revolving door. Ask yourself does everything have to be so seriously considered in such a light? Or can you simply note the difference in another's values? For this reason alone, it may not be the best idea to rely on other people materially. Financial independence is the way to go and fate will suddenly encourage this.

Virgo
Uranus is adding its independence and rebellion to your relationship life. You might not go from a lonely lighthouse keeper to a media celebrity overnight, but you will fundamentally change the way you relate to your world. It starts with the partnership life and your close companions. People near to you, the conditions of your marriage or your work associations, are changing fast. Sameness and stagnation are quickly disappearing from relationship areas and more spontaneity is encouraged. This makes co-dependence difficult as partners are constantly being reminded of their uniquely individual needs.

Libra
We all have routine obligations, areas where we feel duty bound, be it our work or even our health. For some people, eating the wrong bread can trigger instant allergies. It pays to stick conscientiously to guidelines. But we can also become a slave to our routines; we can live by habit more than spontaneously. It's in this area that Uranus, known as the 'great awakener' will have its profound effect. You might expect sudden re-arrangements of the schedule. Your work priorities could change. You could look for a new job, go into business by yourself, or change your habits somehow. A more adventurous approach to performance and health is on the cards. Developing a new and radical health consciousness is part of the model.

Scorpio
Unlocking the creative process and developing new and exciting ways of expressing yourself would be extremely rewarding. Is there a singer, actor, dancer, or musician in you? Are you going to write the next classic or open your first exhibition? If these are things you normally do, then you're in for a bumper harvest of creativity. If you've long harboured a desire to develop along more artistic lines, now is the time. There is probably only one proviso – you must be real. No good impersonating Elvis... it's got to come from the heart. You're expressing yourself, not meeting someone else's expectations. Recreation and enjoyment are as necessary as application and determination for a balanced perspective on life. You are searching for new and unique ways to play with life. Uranus is working for you and may also bring new playmates to share your playhouse.

Sagittarius
Home, family, security, are all areas of our life that we work toward solidarity in. We rely on the roots of the tree to ground it. Of course it doesn't always work that way, as families – like living conditions – are subject to change. The changes remind us that, rather than a material investment, home is really where the heart is. Maintaining family relations depends on flexibility – the bamboo that bends in the breeze, survives the storm. Uranus intimates that you need a certain amount of freedom around the home. Becoming too tied down by domestic conditions will bring out the rebel in you. There may also be a rapid realignment of family conditions, people moving in or out. Difference, for you, is closer to home.

Capricorn
The way you communicate is open to fundamental change. You will undertake new courses or fresh information will come your way that tends to break up any patterns of stagnation that you were falling into. If you've avoided locking into the computer age, chances are you will now. There's bound to be more than a nodding acquaintance with the technology of communication. Flashes of insight will come suddenly, unveiling new approaches to old problems. Your interests are found on the road less travelled and in out-of-the-ordinary conversations. The inventive genius of Einstein or Disney may have been born from Uranus in their communication house. It urges you toward openness to original ideas and ways of expressing them.

Aquarius
That you are different to other signs, has long been known. And you're famous for that difference. Originality is a very real thing for you. You defend it in yourself and respect it in others. Unique Uranus, your ruling planet, is influencing your possessions – the material reflections of your self worth. You may surround yourself with symbols of your independence. You'll rebel at being a slave to Mammon. Binding your spirit for security’s sake is not an option. The old justification, 'yes but think of the money' will hold little worth. Feast or famine financial conditions will be a timely reminder of this truth. Look at new and uncommon ways to supplement your income.

Pisces
When Uranus is in your home sign, you change yourself at the most basic levels of appearance and environment. This is your ‘seven-year itch’! You'll be seeing the world through different eyes. The new filter will be one of individuality; of being yourself in the face of stifling sameness; showing true colours instead of waving the white flag. People might wonder what in the world has come over you. They could assume that you're acting out of character. The real truth is that you've cut down on the acting and discovered that true character is defined by sticking to your guns. Uranus is making you the wild card in the pack. So let the rebel out, because it has something important to say. If you were born in the latter half of the sign, 2009/10 may mean some stiff opposition from the establishment to your radical ways.

© Ed Tamplin - March 2003