Are you feeling overwhelmed? We’re in the middle of two intense astrological alignments — Sun conjunct Pluto and a square Uranus — that will put the cosmic squeeze on us today and tomorrow.

If the language of aspects is a bit new or advanced for you, let me put it this way. Four times a year the Sun crosses paths with the planets Uranus and Pluto, who have been holding this tight formation over the last few years. If you’ve wondered why your life has turned upside down and nothing is the same as it was, say, back in 2012 or even 2008 — like night and day different — look no further than the titanic influence of Uranus and Pluto.

Pluto is in Capricorn right now, which is like watching your life get burned down the ground around you. Uranus is in Aries, which is this undeniable impulse to do things differently, to radically begin again, to be authentic. If Pluto is the ash of the life we once had, then Uranus is the spark to envision something new.

It’s stark stuff, yes. Keep in mind that the outer planets — Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto — are agents of consciousness and transformation. Their jobs are to inspire change. And who said change was easy?

Which brings me to today’s astrology. Since the Sun is in Capricorn, it just finished its rendezvous with Pluto. Think rebirth, power, and transformation . . . but also a unflinching look at our shadow and the demons we’d rather not acknowledge. Tomorrow the Sun will square with Uranus. Squares are friction, motivation, 90 degree angles in the sky. If the Sun is intrinsic to who we are and how we express who we are, then a square to Uranus is a demand for liberation, innovation, and a break from the past.

This is restless, high stress astrology. Make sure you engage in a lot of self care right now. Make sure you own what you are projecting onto others. Make sure you acknowledge your demons, using the power of Pluto and Uranus to transmute them into light. Be present for the emotions and circumstances that are coming up right now. There’s a lot of subtext to work through and if you do, Uranus and Pluto will help us evolve into the next chapter of our lives.