One of the major astrological events of 2022 will occur in a just a couple weeks: the conjunction of Mars, Uranus and the North Node in Taurus.
Mars entered Taurus on July 5. The warrior planet is uncomfortable in Taurus and tends to act inappropriate and belligerent during his time here. The last time Mars entered Taurus was on January 6, 2021 – and he made a rather spectacular show of it:
Back in January 2021, Mars was exiting Aries after spending several months there due to his 2020 retrograde in the ram’s sign, so he was particularly surly about leaving his home sign after such an extended vacation there. This time, Mars’ entry into Taurus brought less immediate fireworks, but things are going to noticeably intensify as the month goes on.
The peak of the Mars-Uranus-North Node conjunction will start on July 31, 2022, when Mars reaches 18 degrees of Taurus; Mars reaches the exact conjunction with Uranus the next day on August 1.
So the peak effects will be at the very end of July and beginning of August, but it will be noticeable for a couple weeks before and after. You might start noticing increasing pressure starting around mid-July which will increase as the month proceeds.
This conjunction is a continuation of the story of Uranus’ transit through Taurus. Uranus, the disruptive planet of chaos and rebellion, has been shaking up the earthy fixed energies of Taurus since 2018 and will continue to do so until he leaves in 2025.
This ramped up late in 2020, when Saturn entered Aquarius and therefore moved into a square relationship with Uranus in Taurus. That gave added pressure where Saturn attempted to exert order and control over unruly Uranus, and Uranus rebuffed every attempt in due course. It was that constant sense of: “Here are the rules, deal with them,” followed quickly by: “fuck you and fuck your rules!”
This dynamic, the push-pull of attempts to exert control and subsequent revolt against that control, heightened even further in 2022 with the eclipse cycle shifting to the Taurus-Scorpio axis. The North Node in Taurus has an increasing effect on the Uranian energy here, so the net result is even more of a sense of rejection of order and a need for liberation.
We have seen this play out as a complete disruption and loss of order and control over all the things in our lives that are supposed to be stable, fixed and secure – housing, food, fuel. The chaos related to these areas has ramped up considerably in 2022, as we’ve seen continued labour disputes, protests and riots related to food, like the latest round of Dutch farmer protests. We’ve seen shortages of essential foods and household goods, most recently the US baby food shortage. We’ve seen surging inflation resulting in sky-high fuel costs, and massive price hikes of goods across the board.
Governments and fiscal policy makers are attempting to rein things in through policy and legislation, the very embodiment of Saturn in Aquarius, but they aren’t having much success. Indeed, they often seem to be making the chaos worse. Uranus clearly has the upper hand here, and as a result governments are literally crumbling as we speak. Sri Lanka is in crisis as protestors demand the president’s resignation, and UK prime minister Boris Johnson just stepped down after a wave of mass resignations of his cabinet ministers.
Mars’ presence in Taurus will exacerbate all of this even further. Mars provides heat, fire, action and impulse. He’s quite literally lighting Molotov cocktails and handing them over to Uranus. As their conjunction on the North Node gets closer to perfecting, all of these energies are going to increase.
One of my keywords for this conjunction is “explosive liberation.” That impulse is going to be on fully display throughout July and August.
We can expect more civil unrest and outbreaks of protests, rioting, mass strikes and other labour conflicts. Mars-Uranus also suggests the image of a soldier-for-hire, and so I wonder if we’ll see some sort of mercenary influence in the Russo-Ukraine conflict, or perhaps something similar closer to home.
There will be more unexpected shortages of key resources. If you haven’t started stocking your pantry with some extra essentials, do it now. The stock market will continue to behave erratically with wild price fluctuations.
There may even be actual explosions, whether man made or natural. Mars-Uranus is a volcanic eruption, and we may see that happen quite literally.
The Mars-Uranus-North Node conjunction is a rare event that only occurs every few hundred years. I looked up the last few times it occurred in Taurus and here’s what I found – a lot of very literal manifestations!
May 1855
This was the height of the Crimean War. Just a week after the exact conjunction, the Sea of Azov naval campaign occurred. This is also known as the Siege of Taganrog, in which Anglo-French warships destroyed Russia’s naval power and cut off the export of Russian grain, timber and other supplies. Much of those stockpiles were burned.
At this time there was a huge stellium in Taurus that included Pluto, Mercury and the Sun in addition to Mars, Uranus and the North Node. So, there was a hell of a lot of energy there, but it’s still fascinating to see how very similar themes are playing out now, right down to the same area of the world that’s at the centre of much of it.
March 1688
The Great Fire of Bungay occurred on March 1, 1688, just three days before the exact conjunction. This fire destroyed almost the entire English town of Bungay. This is a very literal manifestation of the Mars-Uranus combination resulting in actual fire.
June 1520
Pope Leo X issued the papal bull Exsurge Domine on June 15, 1688, just two days before the exact conjunction. This threatened Martin Luther with excommunication if he didn’t recant his position on several doctrines. (Luther didn’t and was excommunicated the next year; this was one of the major steps towards the Protestant Reformation.) This act clearly shows that mix of the Uranian desire for liberation clashing with Mars anger and conflict.
La Noche Triste: on July 1, 1520, a couple weeks after the exact conjunction, Aztec forces from Tenochtitlan won a major victory against Hernán Cortés’ conquistadores. This is also pretty self-explanatory as a match against the Mars-Uranus combination – a sudden unexpected military victory that led to the (temporary) freedom of the Aztec people.
In Canada’s chart, this conjunction occurs in the second house, only three degrees away from natal Pluto, and less one degree away from an opposition to natal Saturn. I think this might translate to a major development related to Canada’s finances, banks and other national wealth topics.
In the US chart, this conjunction occurs in the sixth house, but doesn’t make any major aspects to natal planets. There might be some developments related to the military and the Russia-Ukraine war or other military conflicts, and a heightened chance for fires both at home and abroad. But the real spicy space weather will hit the US chart later this year with Mars’ ingress into Gemini and then his ensuing retrograde, which will hit the US Uranus, Mars and Descendant.
For more insight into Mars’ transits in 2022, check out the other posts I’ve written:
To recap, the Mars-Uranus-North Node conjunction is a peak period of instability in an already very unstable time. On an individual level, you might feel like things have totally gone off the rails in the area of life that Taurus occupies in your natal chart.
The best way to deal with these energies are to flow with them as best you can. Try not to fight them as much as possible, because actively trying to resist or combat the instability and chaos is just going to fuel further instability and chaos. Maintain the order in the ways that you can, and accept the things out of your control. You can take some reassurance in knowing that Mars will at least move fairly quickly through Taurus – he enters Gemini in mid-August, which will shift things significantly.
Here’s a quick guide for the areas of life where you are likely to experience this explosive instability, based on your rising sign:
Taurus Rising (1st House)
You might feel a bit of an identity crisis or otherwise like your sense of self is radically changing. Watch out for physical accidents and other bodily issues – this is not a good time to go sky diving.
Scorpio Rising (7th House)
This will be an excellent time to argue and fight with your partner, so conduct yourself accordingly. Channelling that feistiness into the bedroom would be an excellent remediation activity.
Aries Rising (2nd House)
Your finances and other resources might take a hit with unexpected expenses, but you might also find a way to earn some extra money at this time.
Libra Rising (8th House)
You might have some unexpected expenses or conflicts (or both) pop up with your partner’s finances at this time. It might also involve debts, loans, taxes, investments, inheritances and other forms of financial stuff outside your own personal finances. This is also a time where sudden deaths may occur – likely not yours, however, so don’t panic.
Pisces Rising (3rd House)
Watch your tongue – it’ll be easy for communications to go awry and for sudden flare-ups of temper as a result of miscommunications. Check your car and maybe get a tune up or at least make sure the oil is topped up, as you might experience some travel-related snafus. And if you have siblings, try not to fight with them.
Virgo Rising (9th House)
You might feel a sudden urge to pack up and move far away, or at least take a faraway trip. You might also be fired up to study something new, especially related to spirituality or higher education. Conversely, you might have some explosive problems pop up in this area – if you work in academia, religion or related fields, take note.
Aquarius Rising (4th House)
Now is the time to check that your house is in good repair, especially all the appliances and anything plugged in. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy. You might also experience some fairly intense conflicts with close family and parents at this time – if you’re predisposed to this, be extra vigilant for triggers.
Leo Rising (10th House)
Your workplace might be totally chaotic for a little while, and people will have short fuses. Best to keep your head down and try not to stir the pot or get into any direct confrontations with coworkers.
Capricorn Rising (5th House)
Your kids might drive you crazy or otherwise have some sudden problems crop up in their lives. Try to support them as best you can while acknowledging they might just be totally wild for a while. You might also feel a surge in creativity or other needs to express yourself creatively – go with it!
Cancer Rising (11th House)
There may be extra conflict or instability in your community and friend group. Try to keep a level head in group settings and don’t get baited into arguments. You might also want to ditch them all and start over – again, try not to do anything overly rash.
Sagittarius Rising (6th House)
Be extra careful with your health at this time, particularly any inflammatory conditions that you might suffer from – this time period could be brutal for flare-ups. Guard against injury and illness of all kinds – like the Taurus rising people, Sagittarians should avoid any daredevil activities in July and August. (And unlike the Taureans, you Sag folks are much more likely to actually go sky diving. Don’t!)
Gemini Rising (12th House)
This is another health house, so the same warnings for Taurus and Sagittarius risings apply to Gemini rising people too – take extra care of your health and guard against injury. You should also be on the lookout for sudden developments from hidden enemies – easier said than done of course, since this is all stuff that’s hidden from you. You might also feel like you just want to get away from everything and be a bit of a hermit – if it’s feasible, go for it.