Astronomer John Flamsteed observed Uranus in 1690; however, he thought it to be Star 34 Tauri. Uranus was at 28° Taurus when Flamsteed’s observation was made on December 13, 1690. Uranus was conjunct Moon and multi-star system Algol, and opposite a Saturn, Mars, conjunction at that time. Fixed stars are normally given a small orb, however the Algol system is an exception. I am allowing an orb of 8° here. I feel the energy around the conjunction is exemplified by an incident that occurred on the North American continent on December 12, 1690. A failed attack on Quebec City by forces under the leadership of Governor William Phips of Britain’s Massachusetts Bay Colony resulted in devastation for the soldiers and hardship for the colony. This energy is evident in Herschel labeling the planet a star, missing an opportunity for career amplification.

Sir William Herschel is credited with finding Uranus in 1781, roughly 90 years later. Uranus was at 24° Gemini, conjunct star Betelgeuse and opposite a Mars, Saturn conjunction, again. I could not find a well-founded Astrological description for Betelgeuse, leading me to deduce its manifestation features from recorded events. I found two events, a skirmish and battle.

The American Revolution was in progress in 1781. On March 11 in New York City, a group of about 140 British Loyalist refugees marched from Bergen Point to launch a surprise attack on a Rebel blockhouse near Sneden’s Ferry. The mission was foiled when Rebel forces intercepted them before they reached their destination. Outnumbered and discovered, the Refugees retreated to their post, arriving the following day after a continuous skirmish.

Major General Nathaniel Greene was defeated by British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781; however, heavy losses by the British caused Cornwallis to abandon the Carolinas.

Summarizing the two incidents, one was a failed act of aggression with minor losses. The other was a successful act of aggression with significant losses. The incidents are indicative of Uranus opposite Mars/ Saturn conjunction aspects. The surprise element, usually attributed to Uranus, is not evident in the accounts of the aggressive acts.

In trying to separate the energies projected by Betelgeuse from Uranus, I have encountered some perplexity. Betelgeuse was conjunct Moon on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center was struck by airplanes in New York City. It was conjunct Neptune when La Soufriere and Mount Pelee erupted May 5 through 8 in 1902. The World Trade Center strike correlates with the 1781 incidents as a successful act of aggression causing signficant losses. Moon represents the vehicle of destruction, the plane. Again, Mars opposes Betelguese, the difference being, it is not conjunct Saturn. If Moon was the vehicle of destruction in the strike on the world trade building, then Uranus was the disrupter of tradition, tearing down old walls (Mars/Saturn).

Betelquese appears to serve as a charging station;fueling action and thought energies. Betelgeuse provided the rawpower necessary, for planets that are conjunct, to break through resistance. The fuel for a break through was not in place when Flamsteed observed Uranus as Star 34 Tauri.

Next post in this series: The discovery of Uranium