I am talking about a natal square or opposition with Uranus, Neptune or Pluto and a personal planet, especially luminaries. also with chart ruler (using traditional rulerships) or a hard aspect to an angle (ascendant-descendant, IC-MC). see note at the end re: conjunctions

hard natal aspects w/outer planets is TOUGH

these aspects  …

(1) bring tremendous challenges and experiences that impel one to...

(2) learn and develop skills that give one a great capacity for offering...

(3) a special medicine to the collective

for example ...

Uranus

(1)hard to feel like life ever really stabilizes

(2)learn to be resilient + resourceful

(3)innovative and unique life path full of innovative and unique contributions 

Neptune

(1)hard to see clearly - live in own reality but don’t realize it

(2)learn to choose own reality w/awareness, consciously learn to make clear definitions and boundaries

(3)creative dreamer pushing the frontier of the imagination

Pluto

whew - all very tough but especially challenging when aspecting the Moon (it all goes back to the Moon)

(1)pain, trauma, shadow

(2)access reservoir of personal power, capacity for surrender + transformation

(3)ability to experience full breadth of life and deeply connect to / heal others

These aspects put you at odds with your generational cohort

because everyone near your age will have the same outer planet placement as you (since they move so slowly) but not the same aspect to a personal planet (since those move much more quickly)

these outer planets represent / embody generational forces and you are influenced by that force more acutely

do you have one of these placements? 

what has your experience been like?

what gifts, skills, hard-earned wisdom have you borne from contending with these challenges?

a note on the conjunction:

some of the challenges already discussed, but less at odds with the self. 

rather it’s more internal - you are the embodiment, carriage of that energy and enact it upon your environment 

themes of that planet imbued into the self + life, vs. an external challenge always at odds with the self 

square / opposition and conjunction can make you feel at odds with the rest of the human world, but there’s that distinction