If you’ve been keeping up on your astrological news these past couple years, you’re well aware of the friction between ruler of the skies Uranus and ruler of the underworld Pluto.

Astrological Uranus transiting cardinal fire sign Aries has been squaring Pluto transiting cardinal earth sign Capricorn. These two planets are far-out in space so have spent a long time already in this duel.

Uranus is lightening which brings sudden, intense but fleeting illumination. In the sign of Aries the lightening is not only pointing you to that which is in the dark, but is setting it on fire. If you don’t notice the fire in the corner, there’s not much else Uranus can do for you.

Pluto is an earthquake which shakes your foundations. This is the scariest of the shifts in consciousness because when the ground moves, there is nowhere to run. In the sign of Capricorn the earthquake is tumbling structures such as banking, politics, education and anything corporate (which in the US is just about everything).

Aries energy is about personal self and Capricorn energy is about social self. These are two sides of the cardinal square. The other two sides are Cancer which is family and belonging and Libra which is about partnership and balance.

Guess what?

Every so often in this five-year friction between Uranus and Pluto (which is sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker), other planets decide to get involved.

Today the expansive Jupiter and aggressive Mars are involved. For the next five months, Jupiter is transiting Cancer and Mars is transiting Libra.

In July, those two planets will change signs. In July, today will feel eons away.

Jupiter is expansive which is good in your wallet but not in your waistline. You wallet and waistline are in close proximity and that is the challenge Jupiter brings. In Cancer, Jupiter brings family and a sense of belonging in tight emotional groups. Cancer is a water sign so we are also seeing lots of rain and possibly tears although this can’t be confirmed. (Jupiter is also part of a grand water trine with Saturn and Neptune – Jupiter is clearly busy).

Mars is the warrior. Does this very common movie, book and video game theme need any more explanation? Mars is assertion of self. Hey, I’m here. Hey it’s me. In Libra, this self-focused energy is directed toward partnerships and, as the scales would suggest, balance and fairness. That confuses Mars which is struggling for territory and can make that energy tied up inside as it tries to be nice and fair. Mars isn’t mean, it simply must move forward and, sorry, if that is your territory.

This grand square of Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars is creating a wee bit of social uprising across the world and a few men at the top can explain to you better what a grand cross feels like. Those men are Ukraine’s Viktor Yanukovych, Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi and Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro.

Viktor Yanukovych

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is currently deposed, having been impeached yesterday.

How does Yanukovych’s horoscope (using the Astrotheme horoscope) fit into the grand square?

Yanukovych has three planets in Cancer (Uranus, Mercury and sun) and two in Libra (Mars and Neptune).

Yanukovych has moon in Taurus square Pluto in Leo. Moon/Pluto aspects are the mark of a politician for me, indicating a compulsive need to control the environment as a result of early psychic or physical assault.

Taurus, like Libra, is ruled by Venus which rules pleasure. Taurus is the more physical, sensual aspect while Libra focuses on others and romance.

In November 2013, when the trouble began for Yanukovych, Jupiter had passed his sun. It then went retrograde (apparent backward motion) and is now tucked between his Uranus and Mercury.

Mars is returning to its natal position next to Neptune which gives one a mystical and physical beauty that is appealing to others which also goes by the name charm.

Pluto, using the Astrotheme chart, is transiting the 4th house of family (which is what Cancer is about) and Uranus is transiting the 7th house (which is what Libra is about). Jupiter is transiting Yanukovych’s 10th house (which is what Capricorn is about).

In other words, the cardinal grand square is hitting Yanukovych’s natal cardinal planets and affecting the cardinal houses. Yanukovych has a square in his horoscope between Cancer and Libra. Transiting Pluto and Uranus are creating the grand square.

First, we know that protestors like to protest on public SQUARES (as opposed to parks or baseball diamonds) so the tension built into the square is physically manifested both for Yanukovych and his environment.

Yanukovych’s personal earthquake is in the house of personal emotions. Don’t think he’s not ready to crumble both materially and emotionally. His personal enlightenment is from the house of partnerships so a fire is being lit not only on his public relationships but on his personal relationships.

The water and tears are coming from his career, as we’re well aware. Yanukovych is crying for Ukraine.

And lastly, Yanukovych’s aggressive Mars is directed, again, toward partnerships. The anger which Mars in Libra doesn’t express well is going toward those Yanukovych loves most. Natal Neptune in Libra conjunct Mars denies that his expression toward family and partners is anything but nice. Also, Mars and Neptune in the 1st house indicate extreme suggestibility by those he is attracted to.

On the personal level, the grand cross is telling Yanukovych to act with courage. His chart is not courageous – it’s too geared toward comfort – even though political position can suggest to the world that you have cajones.

Jupiter in Cancer, however, may provide Yanukovych a place he can call home where he feels more connection. Those he previously called family are not coming, but in the end, that may be what Yanukovych’s personal horoscope is suggesting is best.

Mohamed Morsi

Egypt’s former president Mohamed Morsi, like Yanukovych, is currently deposed and in prison standing trial for espionage.

When first looking at Morsi’s horoscope a couple years ago, I found an August 20 birthdate. Astrotheme’s horoscope has his birthday as August 8.

August puts sun in Leo. August 8 has moon in Libra while August 20 has moon in Aries. Jupiter is in Aries in both charts while Uranus is in Cancer. Mars would be in Cancer August 8 and in Leo August 20.

The mark of a politician is there with Pluto conjunct the sun in Leo.

Morsi is made of stronger stuff than Yanukovych with fire in the chart and Pluto involved. This deposed ruler is fighting for both his physical and political life as he’s in prison and on trial.

Remember that the Plutonian phoenix rises from the ashes and looking at Morsi’s chart(s) a couple years ago and now, I still feel he’s going to make it through this in some way. He may not be president, but he may remain walking the earth in some other role.

Morsi, like Yanukovych, has a few pieces of this grand square in his horoscope. He has the Cancer (Uranus and Mars), the Aries (Jupiter and maybe moon) and the Libra (Neptune and maybe moon).

Also like Yanukovych, transiting Pluto in Capricorn is a missing piece. But, hey, if you’re going to rule a country you’re going to meet the god of the underworld at some point.

Because it is transiting Capricorn, Pluto has arrived for all politicians.

None of the charts I found for Morsi, for either August 8 or August 20, have time of birth.

So we don’t know where in Morsi’s chart his personal earthquake is occurring. Since he sits in prison at this moment accused of espionage, we can hazard a guess at the 12th house which is the house of confinement.

Morsi’s expansion is coming to his natal Uranus while his natal Jupiter is getting a visit from Uranus. Morsi’s enlightenment regards family and how much they have helped/hurt him. Possibly there are feelings of betrayal from a family member.

The aggressive Mars is opposing aggressive Jupiter in Aries which enlarges the sense of self, especially as it trines the sun and Pluto. This transiting Mars is conjunct Neptune telling Morsi he’d better act nice, at least until July.

The moon is also involved in this whether in Aries or Libra.

Don’t think Morsi is moping in prison. Somehow he is being energized in his sense of mission. He’s got the Pluto self-control to reign in his fire energies.

In July when Jupiter moves into Leo and Mars into Virgo, Morsi may be back on the public stage. Mars will then be transiting his Mercury so expect to hear a lot at that time from (or about) Morsi.

Nicolas Maduro

Unlike Yanukovych and Morsi, at this moment Maduro is still President of Venezuela. Wait, let me Google it and double check. Ok, I think this is still true.

With Uranus involved, you never know.

Using the Astrotheme horoscope, Maduro has Mercury and sun in Sagittarius with moon in Libra. That moon in Libra is the only cardinal sign in his horoscope.

Natal Uranus and Pluto are in Virgo and Pluto makes a wide square to sun, the mark of a politician. But it’s not as strong as in Yanukovych’s or Morsi’s horoscope.

Natal Mars in Leo is too wide to trine the sun, but adds the strength of fire to Maduro’s chart. In my own study of Latin American leader charts, there’s a liking for fire in a president.

Where does revolution land in Maduro’s horoscope?

Using the Astrotheme chart, Maduro’s earthquake has just moved from the house of others’ money to the 9th house of long-distance travel. Maduro is trying to take a long plane trip to Washington DC but might find himself vacationing elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Maduro’s enlightenment has just moved from the house of groups into the 12th house of confinement and hidden enemies. Uranus opposes the moon in the 6th house of health and work, a placement that suggests mental instability (Neptune is also in the 6th but in Scorpio).

Mars is transiting that 6th house so personal self is dependent upon another, and another may also be in the form of substance. With moon and Neptune in the 6th, Maduro may be taking medicine for mental and/or emotional issues.

Maduro’s expansion is occurring in the 3rd house of siblings, neighbors and learning. This opposes the 9th house of travel and often when you travel, you have to learn a new language, understand the menu and tune into the vibes of the culture around you.

The 3rd/9th house axis involves perception, learning, travel, neighbors and siblings. Maduro is undergoing a transformation regarding his basic perception of the world.

Transiting Uranus also forms a wide fire trine in Maduro’s chart with sun in Sagittarius and Mars in Leo. In July when Jupiter enters Leo, the fire will increase.

Fire fights and like water knows no boundaries. I’m wondering if the fighting Maduro would turn aggression on himself in times of struggle or confinement. Like Morsi, Maduro won’t go down without a fight. But Maduro’s chart suggests no matter how bloody his face, he will continue to rise for the next punch even if self-destructive.

Transiting Saturn (in Scorpio) is in Maduro’s house of health and moving into the 7th. In a year it will be moving toward his natal Mercury and sun. Saturn contracts which Sagittarius dislikes intensely.

Fire must learn discipline to be effective and Maduro is getting a strong lesson in this. With moon and Neptune in the natal 6th, discipline may always seem like a bad traffic cop and Maduro may overreact by setting himself on fire.

Perceptual changes are the most difficult because it suggests that you may have been living in delusion or that everything you think and know must be discarded for a new way of thinking – much easier said than done.