You're in the Spotlight, Generation X!
Note: This article is from August 2001. Dates without years (mmm/dd only) are for that year.
EVERYBODY gets their turn, and Gen-Xers, this is yours! I have heard many definitions of when Generation X starts and ends, but for astrologers, it's those people born in the 1960s (1962-69). They are "Xers" because they defy description--they are in a world all their own.
If You're a Gen-Xer...
I'm sure that you've noticed that you're different from the rest of the human race. The reason you're different (astrologically speaking) is that there was a conjunction of two planets during the '60s that occurs only once every 110 or so years. The last time it occurred was in 1851, so you're the only bunch of people on the planet right now with this configuration.
Other people are born at different times with other planetary patterns that stand out. For instance, from 1946-48, a planetary conjunction occurred which confers leadership qualities. Little surprise, then, that Our last President, Vice President, and their wives have this configuration in their charts!
No matter what, people who are born under such a planetary pattern (yours or theirs) have a special destiny to fulfill. The primary one is generational--that is, every person born during this time participates in social movements and ideologies that only a group can fulfill. But there is also individual destiny, because each of you has to develop your own unique relationship with these planets and find out what they mean for you and how you can use them.
Your Configuration is Special.
Your configuration is special, because the planets that come together are particularly challenging. If you know anything about world history during the 1960s, you know that there was a lot of civil unrest, strong idealism, and personal anguish about creating freedom and equality, especially in the U.S. There were powerful events involving the deaths of great leaders, from John F. Kennedy to Martin Luther King. There were movements toward freedom of thought and expression, from Flower Power and the hippies to the civil rights movement to women's rights. The ecology movement started during this time as well. Many other movements toward freedom, equality, and preservation of the planet have been spawned out of the awarenesses that arose during this time.If you look at the general qualities of these events, they can be uniquely characterized as challenging, freedom-seeking, revolutionary, even explosive. Anyone who doesn't understand astrology would be mystified as to why these energy rose and fell as they did. But for astrologers, it's quite evident: Technically, we talking about the conjunction (coming together) of Uranus and Pluto.
If you were born during this time, you carry the seed of these energies in the imprint you received at birth. Somehow, your soul remembers these energies and carries their impression throughout life. So if you feel "challenging, freedom-seeking, revolutionary, or explosive," you are feeling the energies of these planets in combination.
Pluto and Uranus
You've heard of Pluto and Uranus--they're two of the planets near the outer edge of the solar system. One thing they share is that they're invisible to the naked eye (some people can see Uranus). Another thing they share is explosiveness. They are both planets of change: Uranus tends to be experienced as sudden and unexpected, like a car accident or winning the lottery. Pluto tends to be deep and revolutionary, building up over time and transforming completely before it's over; it's usually not a surprise. Put the two together, and you get "super-transformation." What's more, when two similar planets come together, their energy is amplified, so the effect is even stronger. A lot of things got shaken loose in the 60s, and we're still enjoying the benefits of it.
Uranus and Pluto Inside Us
In our own nature, Uranus and Pluto can seem difficult. Basically, humans relate very cautiously to change, often resisting it. If you were born in the 60s, change is your very essence. You can't help it. Everywhere you go, the world changes around you. You could call Uranus-Pluto in your chart your very own, personal rocketship.
As you sit on your rocket, you may be an instrument of change, or you may just be there for the ride. If you find yourself an instrument, bringing change about, people may find that you are strong medicine. They may react to you. You may feel that you push people away.
When we have those feelings, it's hard not to want to hide that part of ourselves; but when we do, it just comes out in other, often less pleasant, ways. We may sabotage ourselves so that we're free of the circumstances we use to confine our spirit.
The Purpose of Being Born in Generation X
It helps to know that, if you were born a Gen-Xer, your purpose is to bring about change. Without you, the world would not be as alive or vital. You're here to rejuvenate our social, governmental, political, and spiritual systems. You're here to bring these institutions back to life.
Often people of Generation X feel that they don't fit in, because there is an unstructured and anarchistic energy to their Pluto-Uranus energy. Systems and structures are not made for them. They have various responses to that--trying to fit in anyway, finding a way to work with the system without being part of the system, creating something entirely new.
So, you may feel like you're on a quest, a search for something you can't quite put your finger on. You may be nomadic, moving from experience to experience (job to job, relationship to relationship), trying to find the right mix for you. You may find that you process information and experiences much faster than other people, that you're done with things way before others are. (This in itself can create misunderstanding and resentment.) If your personal planets are involved, you may find that you have an extremely fast reaction time, that you are capable of fast, often nervous, movement, and that you have a "hair-trigger" response when your sensitivities are activated. You may even be addicted to stimulation--whether you call it drama, action, sex, drugs, television, music, etc.
Gen-Xers Are Coming of Age.
Everyone has to deal with Uranus and Pluto in their nature, but no one knows how to handle these planets until we reach our late thirties-early forties. That's when Uranus and Pluto contact our charts in a powerful way (no matter what generation you belong to). Because Uranus and Pluto are so important to knowing who you are if you're born in Generation X, you won't really completely understand yourself until you reach 36-42, and that's coming up now!
But, what makes this time special is that, not only are you getting the "age-related" (late 30s) planetary events, but there are also other transiting (current) planets that are concentrating even more energy into this area of your chart. This concentration of energy begins September 1st and will last for the next three years. So, even if you're not yet 36, you'll be getting a taste of the big changes ahead of you--or upon you--by mid-2003.
How Will This Work For Me?
This means that you will be uncovering some things about yourself that you knew before vaguely, but you'll see them in a new way. Even more than that, you will come to understand their purpose. In seeing their purpose, you'll understand your own individual purpose better. In understanding yourself better, you'll learn how to use the energies in a way that is more beneficial to yourself and probably easier for others to deal with. How it works for you will be unique to you, but generally, we know that people deal with change more easily if they don't feel threatened by it. Therefore, you will most likely find that softening the expression of the energies (not changing their essence) will produce the best result.
If you were born before 1965, you have already reached the late-thirties milestone, and you're making big changes in how you live, still discovering how to be your True Self in a world that fears the truth. It may not seem like you can take anymore, because there's so much going on inside you, and it's oozing out of your pores onto everything in your life.
However, there's a big OOMPH to the process starting September 1, and it will feel like your rocket ship is propelling you along your path rather than you having to do it all yourself. Some of the places you go won't exactly have been in your plans, but you'll find them acceptable, even exciting. In the end, it's going to make the changes that you thought were so hard easier to bring about.
If you were born after 1964, you're still waiting to be awakened, and the planetary pattern of this fall will jump-start that awakening and prepare you for what's to come. It will give you vital clues to what issues you are going to face, if you can look at the theme of what is happening, not just the surface events. By the middle of 2003, if you were born before 1968, you will be experiencing the late-30s Uranus-Pluto milestone. If you were born in 1968 or 1969, your time will come over the next four years (through the end of 2007).
During this time, you'll see more and more people of your generation stepping into the limelight. You'll notice more have found their heart's path, their niche in life, and it is likely to be unusual, even earth-shattering, so hold onto your hats! It's about time for our world institutions and treasured principles to get a good going over, and that's what you're here for, so more power to you!
How Can I Cope?!
Sometimes just knowing what's going on and when it's going to start and end is enough to calm a lot of the anxiety and feel a sense of purpose in what we're experiencing. We can get a lot more out of it then. Other times, it helps us to recognize that we need support, whether it's the support of our friends, our friendly neighborhood astrologer, a therapist, or a rehab clinic.
Remember that there aren't any rules about how to proceed. This is especially important for you as a Gen-Xer to know, because you need to set aside the rules to figure yourself out. Think out of the box; question authority; challenge the old, defended mores that you borrowed from your upbringing. These will all work out for your benefit, as long as you remember to add a large dose of compassion, respect for yourself and others, and common sense.
Good luck on fulfilling yourself during this time in the spotlight!
