Don't intend to sound like your mum and that's hardly my intent.
In fact, the tensions with which you are straddling are reflected very much by the Saturn/Uranus opposition, the still operational conjunction of Jupiter/Chiron/Neptune in late Aquarius, and Pluto's ingress into Capricorn and recent station at the zero degree and change (the alpha degree-on our Solar Apex) of that sign.
These aspects and placements hearken the paradigm shift for which you are so deeply longing.
The old ways are crumbling, no longer functional, or at all fair, and are ultimately unsustainable.
Rest assured that more and more people are becoming cognizant of this truth, each and every moment of every single day.
You sound as though you may think that you have only two choices. Those would be illustrated especially by the Saturn/Uranus opposition. Saturn represents many things but in this case could be best described as conformity (i.e. corporatism or the slowly shattering of the old illusion of "business as usual.")
These are very simply, amazingly unusual times.
Caving completely to "corporate think" is really not an option because it would require a lobotomy and such a thing is not recommended.
Psssssssttttt. . ."corporate think is entirely oxymoronic". . .and might possibly be a total insult to the vast majority of the sheep population on the planet. They often demonstrate the "group mind" in a sometimes fairly artful and inspiring manner which is very different from the antiquated label of the "herd mentality" which is really not the case or so they have often told me (WARNING: no bestiality jokes will be permitted on this thread or for that matter, in this forum-perhaps it's time to update our mission statement-Skinner would so-o-o love that request :)
Saturn in Virgo has an outrageously low tolerance for incompetence, malfeasance, lack of accountability and no rectifications or real remedies whatsoever, through which government, banking, Wall Street, and the corporate world has been robbing us blind. They haven't even been at all subtle about it in recent years.
Uranus in this case would represent rebellion (free spiritedness, spontaneity, and an aspect of the quality of creativity, and self expression that it sounds as though you've craved for a very long time if not most of this entire incarnation.)
Kindly note the distinction. (kidding)
Prior to this year, Saturn and Uranus had not been in opposition since '66 & '67. They were conjunct throughout '88 around the degree where Pluto is now and has been transiting for a while.
Consider setting the "way back" for a moment and ponder what happened at those separate junctures in time. The kids born of the middle class had the time and money to rebel in the late sixties. They tried to create a different way of life and rejected the conformity of the homogeneous ways in which they were encouraged to live. Of course, their visions and ideals (civil rights, peace, environmentalism, natural remedies) didn't manifest immediately in their fullest potential, and maybe that had something to do with drugs, the extreme scattering of sexual and semi magical energies, drugs, drugs, and did I forget to mention. . .drugs. . . .
There are many in the progressive movement that attribute the decimation of the middle class, the seeds of the seeming revival of ever widening extremities between the "haves" and the "have nots," and corporate slavery began to manifest with a vengence through reaganomics. (that lower case "r" is not a typo- it is entirely intentional.) Though he technically resigned in '85, this guy's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Regan (among many others too countless to mention) nefarious plans had been pushed through and were being instituted by '88.
Anyhoo, the first of the Saturn/Uranus oppositions of the past year occurred ironically on last election day. It was the first of five of which we've experienced three. The second was in early February, the third was this past month on September 15th, the fourth will be late during next April, and the fifth will occur late during next July.
That's in only one part of why this shift will be incremental.
When you mention wanting to be no longer in the place of dependence, I would like to point out that the fifth opposition in this current cycle will be on the Aries/Libra axis at zero degrees. Ahhhhh. . .Zero degrees of Libra is aligned with the intergalactic center. So no biggie. : )
But seriously, if I was to summarize the Aries/Libra axis in four words only, which I loathe doing, but I want to illustrate this point. Those words would be independence/self versus dependence/other. The mollifying words for that polarity would be intra dependence in collaboration rather than oneupmanship and competitiveness that suggests dominance rather than simply learning to take turns.
If you don't want to hear it from me. . .take it from a wombat. (kindly excuse any redundancy)
http://www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtmlSorry to rant all over your thread. This is only a short early draft. It's an update of a slew of things I've been crafting for nearly 18 years if not far longer.
In summation and without looking at your chart, I'd recommend that you start taking advantage of the Aquarian stellium and start networking your butt off for "stepping stone" or even temp positions as you ride out this transition.
I know you'll land on your feet. This may sound prosaic but ya know the old adage. . ."the treasure lies in the journey."
Compromising your instincts or caving when you feel as strongly as you do would be somewhat inadvisable. You don't have to become an automaton or sacrifice your soul and spirit to have a decent and fun job. Just perhaps attune your radar to smaller companies with fewer rigid people and maybe even a superior who at least in part recognizes and appreciates at least most of what is inclusive of your skill set.
Just beware of the bozos but consider being kinder to sheep.
:grouphug: