I told my cat Lacy that Anderson Cooper, TV journalist, came out of the closet and announced he’s gay. She had her usual response.

She yawned.

“Why don’t you care?” I asked. “Everyone else does.”

“People laugh at Freud’s idea that it’s all about sex. But for some reason we have to know everyone’s sexual orientation.”

Once again my kitty put me in a philosophical head lock.

“We were comfortable with Cooper before we knew he was gay. So why do we care he’s gay?”

I couldn’t answer and didn’t have the entire evening to argue about sexuality.

“People are nosy,” I said simply.

“Just like animals,” Lacy replied. “You have to sniff each other’s butts.”

Uranus transiting natal Saturn

That Cooper is gay isn’t interesting to me (see Homosexual Indicators in the Horoscope). What’s interesting to me is why he is coming out at this particular time.

Cooper has sun in Gemini and moon in Aries. Gemini is the quintessential journalist, gossip and social butterfly. Good job choice, Anderson.

Moon in Aries is self-centered, competitive, headstrong and impulsive. More points for an excellent career choice of journalism.

Gemini sun and Aries moon are air and fire, social and extroverted.

Cooper also has water in his chart (Mercury and Venus in Cancer, Neptune in Scorpio) and earth (Pluto and Uranus in Virgo).

Let’s see, what have I left out?

Saturn-Mars Opposition

Cooper has natal Saturn in Aries opposing natal Mars in Libra. There is a lot of transiting planet energy affecting this aspect.

First, what does the Saturn-Mars opposition mean?

Saturn is the planet of restriction, limitation or burden. It’s the weak link in the chain of our personality. Often as weak link it cries out or we unintentionally move toward it if not conscious.

Saturn in Aries is a constriction, limitation or burden around one’s sense of self. Aries is aggressive and Cooper’s moon in Aries enhances the aggression. But Saturn puts the brakes on planets it affects so the aggression can be trapped, probably because an external force (such as the father) said it was bad to get aggressive.

Aries is ruled by Mars which is opposite this Saturn in Aries placement. The aggressive Mars is in Libra, the opposite sign from Aries.

I don’t have Cooper’s time of birth, but I’m guessing he grew up in a household that had not only arguments, but possibly physical aggressiveness.

Mom and dad probably didn’t get along.

How did this affect Cooper and his current coming out of the closet?

Uranus, the planet of sudden change, is currently transiting Aries, conjunct that natal Saturn. According to astrologer Robert Hand is his book “Planets in Transit,” transiting Uranus conjunct natal Saturn represents great release of tension.

If Saturn is the prison, Uranus is the chainsaw that cuts a few bars away (suddenly). If you have built your house on stilts, Uranus is the strike of lightening to the posts or the termites that suddenly appear.

Release of tension via Saturn means release of the structures that hold things together. What’s trapped or contained within the structure is free to go.

While Uranus is making its sudden movements, Pluto in Capricorn is creating a square. And Saturn recently was conjunct that Mars adding additional tension to the T-square created by transiting Pluto.

I’m guessing Cooper didn’t come out earlier in life because it would have caused anger and possibly violence from his environment.

Uranus transiting that Saturn in Aries might have simply said, “I can’t take it any longer. I want to assert myself.”

Natal Saturn in Aries tells its natives that they aren’t deserving, that they will be the last person chosen for the baseball team if they don’t do something bold and heroic.

In response, Saturn in Aries might create ostentatious displays of super-hero behavior.

A public personality coming out of the closet is probably more heroic than saving puppies from burning buildings.

I’ve always seen Aries has being open. Aries does damage, often a lot, but with childlike self-centeredness and innocence.

Cooper’s moon in Aries has been asserting itself, but Saturn has been lingering saying, “You’re no good.”

Cooper’s Saturn in Aries may be causing him some trouble, some arguments with those around him. His coming out may be the result of forceful arguments with others.

Pluto transiting Capricorn creating a square suggests that power struggles are forcing Cooper to release the burden of Saturn in Aries.

Soon Mars will be in Libra creating a Mars return in Cooper’s chart. Natal Mars is opposite Saturn in Aries so we have more tension around this transit. I’m guessing transiting Mars in Libra opposing transiting Uranus in Aries will continue to knock around Cooper’s sense of self. His insecurities are being purged.

In the end this isn’t about Cooper’s sexuality – he’s the same person today he was yesterday. Uranus transiting Saturn is more than coming out of the closet with one’s sexuality. It is a coming out of the closet with one’s entire being.

Hopefully Uranus leaves that message after it unlocks the prison door.