While the West coast was experiencing its slice of the radical Uranus-Pluto forces of change, the other side of the country was also deep in transition. In what became known as the Detroit Riots in 1967, African Americans staged demonstrations, fighting for equal rights, in which 159 were arrested in a 3 day period in July.   Newark, New Jersey, was also ripe with racial tension.  In the riot which took place there, also in July of 1967, there were over 20 deaths and hundreds were arrested.

Here we are entering the Summer of 2012.  Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, are once again dancing their dance of tension and unrest.  Most noticeable in the increased tension of late, in political activities in Egypt and Syria, and the unpredictability of the Euro, we are yet to see how this might unfold in the United States, en masse. Perhaps it will be tied in with the pending announcement of the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case.

There is no doubt in my mind that the disruptive and often eruptive energies asssociated with the Uranus-Pluto planetary combination,  places tremendous pressure and stress upon individuals and within societies.  When we look at how the phychological stress inherent in this placement, we  have only to remember that Uranus is connected with anger, while Pluto is connected with rage.  This can be measured by as an increase in domestic violence, child abuse, stress within relationships, esclating road rage, and not to mention the ugliness which can come about between political parties in an election year. 

Another big 'energy' present in both timeframes is Neptune, the planet which presides over utopian and idealistic visions, and which is attributed to masses of people gathering together to support and embrace their beliefs.  Neptunian influence is also expressed in the music and film scene of the times, and, also by an increase in drug use.  

In the Summer of 1967, Neptune was transiting through the emotionally oriented, water sign of Scorpio.  This placement can create a deep longing to lose oneself, to emotionally merge with that which offers a truly transcendent experience.  While drugs, sex and rockin' roll are also contenders here, the feeling of belonging, of fitting in, of being present and involved in the birth of something profound and extraordinary, were also in the mix, not to mention the possibility of having a hands-on, close up and personal experience of high spiritual states, even if induced a little  from the substances freely available in those times. 

It's no wonder that many felt compelled to roll up their sleeping bags and head off  to become part of a new and powerful movement, promoting radical, social change, and spiritual transformation. Haight Ashbury in San Francisco, was where it was at.  In June of that same summer,  Monterey hosted an International Pop Festival, where Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Ravi Shankar and Janis Joplin performed.

In the Summer of 2012,  Neptune is once again moving through a water sign, the idealistic and spiritually oriented sign of Pisces, which like its counterpart in 1967, creates a deep longing to belong, to find those signposts in life, which assure us we're on the right path, that someone is in charge and knows where the planet is headed.  The underbelly of this placement can create a feeling of being lost, adrift, without a rudder.  Youth are especially vulnerable to this experience, as they struggle to find their way and their purpose in life.  While we may be inclined to worry about younger people being pressured to experiment with drugs, let us not overlook the alarming increase of prescription drug use, and overuse, by all age groups, and especially with regard to medication, freely available for depression. 

The 'Occupy Wall Street' movement may not have reached the massive proportions of the counter culture demontrations staged in 1967, but one only has to tune in on the current music scene, to see how many of our youth show up at concerts given by Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber or Taylor Swift, to know that music is still quite the vehicle for gathering and influencing the masses. 

If we look at some of the intense aspects mentioned above through a microscopic lense, we may see only challenge, stress and strife coming our way.  If we look at this through a larger lense, we may recognize that friction and tension seems to have a place in the transformational process of the individual and of the collective. The alchemic process always carries some discomfort, for we often experience breakdowns, before we reach the breakthroughs.  

When we look back at turbulent times in history, the transformative agents of change, the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, are almost always found to be in flux, in challenging relationships to each other.  These planets signal that the time is upon us, as a society to find new ways, for a new chapter is being written, as we speak. 

We don't have to feel like we're in the dark.  Progressive thinkers, found in every generation and every society, are the first ones to give voice to the new paradigm, to identify what is going on, and to ultimately point the way forward.

It's really helpful to plan your birthday year, with the information available from your Solar Return chart. This particular chart is cast with the following in mind: