Rupert Murdoch is close to his Uranus return. Uranus has an 84-year cycle and is returning to the sign and degree of where it was when Murdoch was born.

Since not everyone lives to 84, this is not an aspect discussed much. I consulted Robert Hand’s “Planets in Transit” and found the description wanting of anything but “hope you had a nice life.”

Astrologers talk a lot about the Saturn return, which occurs around the age of 29 because that age is when people “settle down.” We crystalize into our earthly patterns.

Uranus opposing its natal position, which occurs about the age of 42, is also written about extensively. It is the old “mid-life crisis.”

Uranus transits through each sign of its 84-year cycle in seven years – the old “seven year itch.”

So Uranus is an itch and a crisis. What is Uranus at 84?

Enlightenment, hopefully. Uranus is ultimately about enlightenment. The itches and crises (and anxiety) move us there.

While Murdoch is in the press (his very domain) for being a nosey scoundrel, his inner psyche may be going through some very, very intense experiences.

Neptune has just entered Pisces, the sign of Murdoch’s natal sun. Transiting Neptune will take years to conjunct Murdoch’s natal sun (around 2019). However, transiting Neptune is currently opposing his natal Neptune in Virgo.

Let’s start with the Uranus transit. Murdoch’s natal Uranus is in Aries, the sign of self. Remember, outer planets are generations. At age 80, many of your generation are no longer walking the earth so the issues that drove you as a youth are irrelevant to today’s youth. Until, of course, you are old enough to see those issues (like clothing) cycle back around.

Murdoch’s crisis of today is one that probably existed very strongly in his youth. In 1931, newspapers were the only source of timely information.

In 1931, William Randolph Hearst was the newspaper magnate. The movie Citizen Kane is based on his life. This year was just two years after the Wall Street Crash of 1929. In Europe and old war finished and a new war was on the horizon. In the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire had just fallen. Asian was in the midst of defining itself.

Murdoch grew up in times of uncertainty so he can deal with unusual circumstances. His sun is in Pisces and his moon in Sagittarius, so he’s flexible and adaptable to the point of being irresponsible. Change he can deal with.

Uranus in Aries back in 1931 drove nations to define themselves differently. Uranus in Aries today may do the same. Aries is the headstrong self, the “me first” attitude.

While individual self-determination was needed back in 1931, in today’s global economy that same self-determination creates ripple effects across the planet that it might not have back in the early 20^th century.

Back then I built a factory on Lake Erie and polluted the folks in Northern Ohio. Today I build an oil rig in the Gulf and pollute even larger regions and ecosystems.

Murdoch is learning about self-determination. He’s learning about the effects of his Arian drive on others.

The crisis is “But this is who I am!”

On to Neptune. Neptune in Pisces means we’re going to be feeling each other’s pain a little more. Lynn Hayes in her Astrological Musings talks about the times as having the potential for “tremendous spiritual transformation” or “mass delusion.” Or both, I assume.

Neptune has the ability to spiritualize or delude in the sign in which it’s placed. In Murdoch’s early years, Neptune spiritualized and deluded ideas of work and health. This Neptune opposition is telling him that maybe those weren’t the correct values. Or maybe they were. Neptune is undifferentiated and confusing.

Today Neptune will spiritualize and delude about spirituality itself. Murdoch might be thinking, “People don’t work hard today like they used to.” In his early years, factory life was the life. Today it still is in some parts of the world (like China) but a service industry is taking over some parts of the world (US, India).

Neptune in Pisces focuses on spirituality and the needs of the whole without regard to the contribution (work) provided. Last time Neptune was in Pisces, astrologer Hayes points out, the Communist Manifesto was written.

In one’s 80s, it appears, there is a lot of psychological transformation. In American culture, we don’t focus much on this in our movies and books. It must feel lonely to go through these transformations that are part of your generation when much of your generation isn’t around to share it.

Murdoch’s sun in Pisces and moon in Sagittarius is a drifter, both physically and emotionally. I can see why he would love gossip – Pisces loves secrets. I’m sure Murdoch has many secrets of his own. The current transformations he is experiencing are probably enjoyable to him, as Sagittarius loves risk and excitement.

Because so many of Murdoch’s transits relate to the year he was born, today’s events may reflect a return to a time he enjoyed.

These are “interesting times” for Murdoch. Maybe instead of snooping into other’s unimportant gossip, he could share a little of what’s going on in his own emotional and spiritual world.

That would be interesting.