Have you ever been curious about phrases like “The 7-year itch”? Or been told that our cells completely regenerate every 7 years? Uranus may be responsible for this.

Uranus transits the houses of our natal charts every 7 years, completing a cycle around the zodiac every 84 years. You could say Uranus transits act like electric shock therapy in whatever part of your natal chart they are moving through.

But how can we feel a planet that is, at its closest orbit, 1.6 billion miles away from Earth?

An understanding that the human body has biorhythms is generally accepted in modern thought. If you don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, then you may throw off your body’s natural biorhythms. Many things can disrupt our physical, emotional and psychological cycles. Someone yells at you for making a mistake; you get in a car accident; the stress of your excessive workload makes you feel out of balance.

Uranus cycles, however subtle they might feel to each particular individual, are definitely noticeable. If Uranus is transiting over your Sun, you might feel a surge of electricity around your identity and general vitality. If Uranus is transiting over your moon, you might feel a sudden stress around your emotional life, feeling the need for a change in your personal circumstances.

If Uranus is transiting over your Venus, you might feel its time for a change in your relationships – or a sudden stress or disharmony might reveal itself between you and your significant other. You also might have extreme stress around money (as Venus rules the 2nd house of resources). You might feel that your financial circumstances are beyond your control.

Uranus likes to shake things up, which can be both positive and negative. If Uranus is transiting your natal Chiron, you may feel as though you’ve opened Pandora’s Box of childhood pain. Life will become stressful in ways you may not be able to explain and people in your life may become perpetrators of this pain. At least, it will appear this way.

Trauma is a complex topic and not one that astrologers are necessarily equipped to help you process. This is where a psychologist or counsellor can be a vital resource. An astrologer, however, can show you the timeline of a Uranus transit – when it begins, when it recedes and when it finally ends.

Thankfully, while Uranus will transit through the houses for about 7 years, it will only transit over a personal planet for about 2 years – during which time, it will retrograde at least twice so you will have a temporary reprieve for a few months each time. The hard aspects are what I’m referencing as the most difficult: the conjunction, the opposition and the square.

In case you are unfamiliar with how the houses work in the natal chart, allow me to explain. In the Placidus system of chart calculation, a circle is drawn with the houses delineated first by the angles of your chart (the ascendant, descendant, midheaven and imum coeli: the 1st, 7th, 10th and 4th houses, respectively).

The circle is divided up into 12 houses – each sign representing the 12 signs of the zodiac. Placidus is one form of chart delineation and the one that has made the most sense to me. Some astrologers use a synthesis of chart styles.

The degrees of each planet (between 0-29 degrees) in a particular sign will assign certain houses. Some houses will be empty.

Let’s say you are born with Uranus in your 1st house. Your Ascendant is at 15 degrees Libra and Uranus is at 21 degrees Libra.  For the first years of your life, Uranus will be transiting your first house of appearance and self-hood. You will have this aspect natally for the rest of your life, but through transits, you will feel this Uranian energy shift every 7 years as Uranus moves through each of the signs of the zodiac.

With natal Uranus in the 1st house, you are born into the world with the themes of instability or disruption. Maybe your parents get divorced or maybe you move constantly – but the themes of disruption and reinvention will catalyze in the ways you are perceived by others.

This may be traumatic if other aspects in your chart crave stability and reassurance. It can also be invigorating if you use the energy as part of your personal magnetism. Most likely, as the 1st house is vital to one’s health in Medical Astrology – you will feel a nervous energy that at times will be very stressful for you.

When Uranus is transiting your 2nd house, you will feel as though your personal finances and possessions are receiving shock treatment. This can be positive or negative – mostly it denotes instability. Maybe you start a new career or a sudden influx of income will appear and then potentially disappear.

When Uranus is transiting your 7th house, relationships may seem to begin and end with shocking regularity. You may feel like you can’t seem to stay in a relationship for very long, or people close to you may seem unstable or unpredictable.

When Uranus is transiting your 12th house, you may feel victimized and lost in your own dreams or subconscious. You may feel like a mysterious illness appears then disappears, either psychological or physical. You may have difficulty being understood or feel that no-one understands you.

Uranus can be unsettling, but it is also associated with innovation and originality. Strong Uranian aspects in the natal chart are people who think differently. Sometimes they are pioneers in their field, sometimes they are just true eccentrics. If you know someone you think is weird or if you yourself feel a bit weird or unusual, most likely you have strong Uranus aspects in your chart. I know I do.