If you prefer the song of a flute to the ring of a cell phone, or a private conversation with an intimate friend to an extravagant party, then the return of Uranus to Pisces on December 30, 2003 should refresh your energy and restore your faith in humanity. After a cycle in Aquarius (focused on technological advances and a preoccupation with new toys), Uranus entered Pisces briefly in the spring, backtracked into Aquarius during a retrograde from June 7 to November 8, and softly shifted into the sign of imagination and compassion as 2003 drew to a close. Will e-mail make way for prayer flags? Can the programmer develop his inner artist? As Uranus in Pisces clears the way for advancement in the arts and new ways to help and heal, boundaries will be forced to stretch and science will need to embrace the inexplicable. We'll be challenged to restructure belief systems, redefine our personal spirituality, and become more caring.

Uranus in Pisces will give us the opportunity to truly tune in and feel the feelings of others, whether by virtual reality or conscious awareness. As a result, technology will take on a compassionate, creative personality. For example, important discoveries in medicine are likely to have a spiritual component. Music could take a strong step forward as a healing modality, while guided imagery, with the help of new technology, could speed the body's recovery process. Artists and inventors as astounding as Leonardo Da Vinci—who worked during a Uranus in Pisces period from 1500 to 1508—will emerge. Cultural revivals as stimulating as the Harlem Renaissance are likely to be duplicated. Fantasy books, films, and other media will further penetrate the mainstream during this cycle. These media will reach peaks in popularity, as human beings look beyond this world and seriously entertain the possibilities of life on other planets, the existence of other dimensions in space and time, and magick in all its varieties. Though Uranus sometimes causes chaos in his wake, we will experience artistic and spiritual progress like most of us have never seen in our lifetimes as the planet of awakenings makes his first pass through Pisces since 1919.

How will Uranus's sudden and often unexpected impact change your world? Use your Sun sign or ascendant and begin to predict:
Pisces: Uranus has a strong psychic effect on you from now through 2011. Your natural inclination to fantasize will lead you into deeper realms, from astral travel to shamanic journeys. Pisces writers, artists, and inventors among others benefit from bursts of creativity and development of the mind's eye. Your ability to envision and intuit strengthens your innate gifts. As your inner world grows, changes in personality and outward appearance will also become evident. Your style and appearance attract attention, and over time it's likely you will have entirely reinvented yourself.

Aries: The next several years signal a time of spiritual development as Uranus tours the twelfth house of your chart. Your interest in magick and fantasy stirs. You may also explore multiple religions as you look for ideals to live by, or a group that shares your vision. Uranus's effects can feel chaotic as walls break down and boundaries are blasted wide open. Learning to live without restrictions that once governed your mind is an adjustment. You feel global and spiritual connections and reach a new awareness of your place in the universe, and a path to your future is cleared.

Taurus: Uranus in Pisces will bring unique and eccentric friends into your circle. In fact, from now through 2011, your social circle is likely to change as sudden attachments form with friends who seem destined to cross your path. Others may enter your life for a short time only to open your mind and lead you in new directions. Your new relationships are connected to turns of events that make the once-unattainable suddenly possible. During difficult times your support system will strengthen and amaze you!

Gemini: Uranus brings career upheaval to even the most solid Gemini professional. The image you project now will no longer fit you at the end of 2011. In fact you may change professions more than once during Uranus's time in Pisces. Chances are you'll feel the need to break the mold you've been cast into at times during the next seven years. Even if you remain in the same field or with the same employer, you rebel against old ways and change the rules. Your success will rely on unconventional thinking. Circumstances could lead you to become your own boss, or to lead a revolution in your field. Regardless of how this comes about, you will shed insecurities and show the world the person you've truly become.

Cancer: Uranus in Pisces heralds a mind altering time in your life, Cancer. Sudden opportunities related to higher learning, travel, in-depth exploration, and study change your awareness. You become more unique and independent as you form your own theories and ideas about worldly and otherworldly phenomena. Unexpected requests to write, speak, or teach satisfy a deep need to share your knowledge and philosophies. You are both student and master while Uranus tours your ninth house.

Leo: Deep transformation occurs as Uranus tours Pisces in the eighth house of your chart. You will ultimately live more wholly and passionately as your understanding of life, death, and rebirth undergoes major shifts due to events of this period. Resources you gain from or share with others play a significant role in your life over the next seven years. Sudden wealth or unexpected loss changes your priorities. This is a time to invest in your future. You may also develop a latent talent for helping others deal with eighth house matters from death to medical treatment to large sums of money. Your connection to the spirit world and souls that have passed on inspires your work on earth by the end of Uranus's Pisces cycle.

Virgo: Uranus in Pisces signals a time to change your view of what it means to be a partner. Unpredictable changes in your marriage or business force you to reevaluate how you enter committed relationships. You may struggle between the need for independence and the desire for companionship. In the process it's likely you'll open your mind to less conventional relationships with creative, financial, or romantic partners. As Uranus tours Pisces you're likely to become part of a duo that attracts a great deal of attention for your originality! The person you feel you know the best may surprise you as a skeleton pops out of the closet, or a secret desire or sorrow comes to light. You are both challenged to learn, grow, and become more willing to compromise as a result. Your experience of commitment will be entirely altered by Uranus during this time.

Libra: Uranus will create lasting change in your day-to-day life, Libra. Your whole routine from work schedule to health practices will be altered as a result of the events Uranus brings. Your health is most likely to be the catalyst for you to adopt permanent lifestyle changes. Whether it's a sudden wake-up call from your doctor or an awakening personal interest, you're led to explore whole foods, alternative health practices, and new forms of exercise and relaxation. As you improve the way you care for yourself, your work style or type of employment is also likely to change. As your priorities shift, you make connections with different coworkers. Unhealthy situations—whether environmental or interpersonal—will motivate you to rebel and effect change, and others will benefit from your willingness to stir the pot.

Scorpio: Uranus in Pisces is a time of experimentation and creation as you find your muse! Inspiration and spontaneity burst forth as your first symphony, a beautiful series of photographs or a sudden desire to have children. The urge to create takes hold! Whether you create a family or gestate and give birth to a brainchild is up to you. Passion and love are an integral part of your Uranus in Pisces' cycle so you'l be motivated by your strongest longings. Scorpio athletes, artists, and innovators are blessed with the luck as well as the vision to reach creative peaks beginning now!

Sagittarius: Uranus in Pisces changes your home life, Sagittarius! Free spirited archer, you may now suddenly feel the need to take root and create a home or family. Or if you've settled into domestic life, you may feel an undeniable urge to break free and leave childhood or your comfortable home behind. Whatever opportunities you choose, your new life will defy convention. You may move frequently or far away, pursuing career goals or accompanying a family member on these journeys. This will be a time of challenges and awakenings that change your vision of home and family forever!

Capricorn: Uranus in Pisces signals a very busy and active time in your life. Exploring and communicating new ideas is the general theme whether you are involved in global business, telecommunications, study, or travel. The next several years are a time of learning for you, Capricorn. Opportunities that come are to expand your knowledge and give you venues for creative expression. You discover your own versatility and multiple talents. Print media, film, and photography are potential outlets for your inspirations. Family situations will change around you unexpectedly as well. A series of surprise Uranus in Pisces events between 2003 and 2011 result in a very different family portrait than the one that would be taken today!

Aquarius: As Uranus, your planetary ruler, moves to your next door neighbor's house, profitable opportunities await! Uranus in Pisces paves the way for you to earn a living from your inventive ideas and passionate interests. Electronics, computers, and inventions not yet introduced to the mainstream may figure in your work. Trademarks, patents and marketing plans will become part of many Aquarians' worlds as you revolutionize your areas of expertise, particularly in fields of science and communication. This is also a time for interesting personal acquisitions, and you could become a collector of the unusual, from memorabilia to antiques. Possessions with cultural or religious significance and authenticity will attract you, and you become a connoisseur. While Uranus tours Pisces, your original designs and ideas could earn you considerable wealth, though your intent was really to make the world a better and more beautiful place.