When I'm 61: Astrology and Life Transitions (book excerpt)

Uranus Square Uranus

Shaking It Up Again, Age Sixty-one

"This transit occurs several years after the second Saturn return

and may come as a big surprise as it shakes things up again.

Uranus first appeared at the age of twenty when it squared itself

and provided the opportunity for the first taste of freedom, pushing

the young adult toward independence. But how does this look at the

age of sixty-one? Think retirement. Think travel. Think anything that

isn’t the status quo! Of course, this transit is experienced through

the eyes of a mature adult, so it isn’t likely to be quite as frisky as it

was during the first square. Still, it gives the now sixty-one-year-old

a chance to do some of those things, embark on some of those

adventures that had been set aside during the hardworking years

following the fourth transition. If the dynamic energy of this transit

is utilized to full advantage, then the life review may not be as

disappointing in that some things on the personal Bucket List may

have been checked off. Uranus always seeks change, and this can

happen at any time during life and when this transit comes along,

it may be where it was least expected.

There can be a new sense of personal freedom that allows for

a little risk taking as this transit can bring on retirement when the

daily grind is no longer tolerable. If not, it’s the perfect time for a

sabbatical or other “time out.” The old adage is that you work until

you’re sixty-five, retire with the company gold watch, and then start

playing a lot of golf and bridge. This approach may have worked for

our parents, but the baby boomers and their children are looking for

new ways to age without relying on their parents as role models. Of

course, some values of the previous generation are being passed

down; in many cases the housing boom of the 1950s and 1960s

allowed for great wealth to be amassed that is now bequeathed to

the boomer generation, providing them with the monetary basis to

think outside the box and try new things.

The expansive nature of the computer era that began approximately

forty years ago and has accelerated over the past ten is also providing

new opportunities for global communications that are right up the Uranian

Alley. Those experiencing their second (and first) squares of Uranus

have an added burst of electrical energy that is sending waves of instant

communication around the world. The evolution of the Internet and

wireless technology allows everyone, youth and elders alike, to create

new telecommuting work environments that are perfect for seniors who

want to change their daily work routines by trying something new."

c 2011 All rights reserved excerpt from Spiritual Turning Points