Astrology of Now: Bright Ideas

André Durand - Prometheus Stealing Fire*

A long time ago, Prometheus, one of the lesser immortals, stole fire from the great god Zeus and gave it to humans. That immortal flame set them free. Ironically, Prometheus himself was punished by being chained to a rock.

Prometheus was a trickster, like another god of the Greeks, Hermes, messenger and protector of thieves.

Prometheus is an avatar of Uranus* (in astrology not mythology). Hermes is another name for Mercury.



These two trickster thieves are about to get together in the sign of the first spark Aries. They have a lot in common, most notably intelligence. Uranus/Prometheus rules genius, flashes of insight, brainwaves. Mercury rules the intellect, thought, speed. We think faster than we act do we not? Astrologers say that Uranus is the "higher octave" of Mercury; the same but more impersonal.

So when Mercury transits Uranus (as he does every year) both planets are empowered. What's special  this year, Uranus is in early Aries, the sign of beginning, initiatives, the first of the three fire signs and the first sign of all in the Zodiac. Also because of his retrograde motion, this is Mercury's third pass over Uranus this year. (Today he is at zero Aries so he is creeping up on Uranus at 5°, so you have about 10 days).

What bright ideas have you been hatching? Have you been mulling, rejecting, mulling, accepting an idea that seemed at first to be too wild and free? Take a look at where this sparky encounter is taking place in your own chart and see if Mercury can bring you some of that Uranian genius.

*Andre Durand paints extraordinary works exploring myth and religion. Here is a link to his site.
* I was introduced to the idea of Uranus as Prometheus by this excellent book.