Admetos:symbolizes the beginning and the end (the wheel of life), endurance,
depth, focus, specialization, the few, raw materials, real estate, standstill,
death, and blockages.
Vulcanus:represents great strength, power, mighty forces, fate, destiny, control
issues, and violent eruptions.
Poseidon:symbolizes enlightenment and wisdom, the life force, spirituality,
light, universality, mediumistic, visionary, and the intellectual.
All major astrological software programs contain Uranian astrology tools.
Based on the speculative orbits of the Uranian planets, the Solar Fire, Kepler, and
Win*Star programs will all locate these hypothetical planets in an astrological chart.—Madalyn Hillis-DineenSources:
Booher, Wayne, Gary Christen, and Arlene Nimark. Various articles. National Council for Geo-
cosmic Research Journal(Winter 1991–92).
Simms, Maria Kay. Dial Detective: Investigation with the 90 Degree Dial.San Diego: Astro Com-
puting Services, 1989.URANUS
Uranus is our solar system’s seventh planet, orbiting between Saturn and Neptune at
an average distance of about 1.75 billion miles from the Sun. Since it is 20 times fur-
ther away from the Sun than Earth, it takes Uranus 84 Earth years to travel around
the Sun. The blue-green planet also has a day of a little more than 17 hours, 7 hours
shorter than an Earth day. The way in which this planet travels is unusual and even
eccentric. Rather than rotating on an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of its
orbit, Uranus spins on its side with its south pole facing the sun. It also rotates from
east to west, the opposite direction of Earth and most other planets.
The third largest planet in our solar system, Uranus is about four times the size
of Earth. It is 30,000 miles in diameter, compared to Jupiter’s 85,000-mile diameter.
As with all gas planets, Uranus has very faint rings around it made up of large chunks
of rocky material. Since the rocks are dark in color, the rings cannot be viewed well
from Earth. Uranus also has more than 20 moons. The five largest were named for
characters in the plays of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope: Miranda, Ariel,
Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon.
Uranus was the first planet to be discovered by an astronomer. Earlier sightings
had been made—John Flamsteed first recorded it in 1690—but it had been cataloged
as a star. William Herschel spotted Uranus on March 13, 1781, and named the planet
Georgium Sidus for George III, the king of England at that time. Many simply called
the planet Herschel, after its discoverer. By the mid-1800s the agreed-upon name of
Uranus came into common usage, which Bode had proposed as more consistent with
the mythological names of the other planets.
The Greek god of the heavens, Uranus was an early supreme god who was the
son and mate of Gaia, the creation goddess. An unpredictable, creative, and tyranni-
cal god, he ate his children so they could not usurp his power in the future. He wasUranus
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