Pluto, God of Change and Rebirth
When I mention the name of Pluto in an astrological consultation, I tend to hear questions from clients like “Pluto? But I thought Pluto is no longer a planet. Why does it matter?” It is true that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded the status of Pluto in 2006 to a dwarf planet because it did not meet the three criteria IAU uses to define a full-sized planet. However Pluto’s transcendental power never stops surprising us till today. In astrology, Pluto is the planet in our horoscope that brings fundamental changes. If you have ever felt a moment when the things in life you have been extremely attached to are being forced to be taken away so that you could finally let go and rebuild the new? That’s usually the Pluto magic manifestation in life.
Pluto’s name comes from the Roman god of the underworld, whose domain is rather dark and shadowy. The Greek counterpart is named “Hades”. People tend to be afraid of Pluto, and it is quite understandable in astrology because facing Pluto transit is facing the ending of a chapter in life, which we could have been clingy to. In fact Pluto has always been associated with ending and destruction. In Tarot, Pluto rules the card "Death"; In Greek mythology, one of his most difficult labours Hercules has is to slain the Hydra, which is his his 8th labour, and the 8th house in Astrology is the natural house of Scorpio and ruled by Pluto; the Sumerian legend of the descent of Inanna into the underworld to face brutal trail by Ereshkigal is also a typical Pluto experience; and of course, the most well known story of Persephones’ abduction by Hades(Pluto). In fact, when Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was around the same time when we are in the middle of WWI and WWII, and it was also the time when nuclear weapon was invented for military and destruction purposes. No wonder we turn pale only at the mention of Pluto! However, there is also a different face of Pluto, which is creation. Pluto will cruely knock down everything that is establish and push us to rebuild. Nuclear power is now commonly used by nations across the world to generate electricity to reduce environmental pollution. Pluto’s influence is like two sides of a coin, they are opposite but always together.
It takes 248 years for pluto to finish one single orbit around the Sun, and each contact of Pluto with a natal planet lasts for roughly 2.5~3 years. Thus Pluto transit is once a life time, it is usually transcendental and it symbolises an improtant rebirth experience. Rebirth sounds exciting to everyone, but we must know that only by accpeting death first, then comes the transformation to the after life and thus rebirth. In life, we establish and bolster our identity through attaching ourselves to something, so we gain a sense of who we are. It be could a group of good friends, our families, our career, or even in some way it could be our long term value system... whatever is used to help us maintain the identity we want. In predictive astrology, when we have a pluto transit to important planets(Sun, Moon, or chart ruler), there is a sense of “ending” in the related area in life. Sometimes it feels like we ourselves must descend into the underworld to face our fear for the regeneration experience. What I realised in the years of work with clients, however, is that Pluto will NOT destroy what is truly good for our future growth and development. It will only clean out the things we are too comfortable and content with, especially things that have hindered our development. Because Pluto is profound, it will emotionlessly wipe out our all the superficial attachment that we pretend we need. On the surface, we might feel being deprived, but it is usually symbolising a necessary timing that we cannot pretend anymore. I remember seeing a client recently who was having a pluto transit to her Moon, and she has 11th house cusp in Cancer, and Moon in the 5th house. She was having a difficult time because she felt being estranged from a fitness group she has been in for the past 5 years. Note that 5th house is her entertainment and sports, and 11th house is her community. She was very disappointed to face the fact that she no longer shares anything in common with the people in the group and she was feeling lonely. When Pluto touched her Moon, she made the decision to leave and group to join a different type of workout scheme. There she met new people in a new environment, which brought her new potential growth and understanding in what type of friendships she needs to look for. So you see, Pluto could be scary because it pushed us off the edge to see reality and it could be devastating in that moment. Descending into the underworld is never going to be a Disneyland experience. It forces us to confront our fear and inner demons—greed, envy, superficiality and unbridled sexual yearnings. But underworld is not an evil place, it is also where all the rare minerals, crystals, gems and hidden treasure are hidden. This whole process goes from change, decay, death to final renewal. By recognising and accepting our inner complexes as our human inheritance, we can begin the process of redirecting the energy trapped inside to become more productive in our transformation.
On a natal chart, Pluto is the area we need to delve deep to face our fear and worries, tackle the issues we have and regenerate ourselves in a different light. The house that has Scorpio on the cusp is affected, as well as any planets that form a critical angle with your natal pluto. Pluto in 2020 will keep its transit in Capricorn from 22° to 24° (yes, only 2 degrees for a whole 12 months). If you have Sun, Moon or Ascendant in those degrees in Capricorn, it is necessary to take a pause, have a proper review of life in the related areas, and see what adjustments are needed. Pluto and Sun contact could bring a total transformation in how we see ourselves as an individual and what changes our life path might have. Especially if you are Capricorn, Aries, Libra and Cancer, we might discover our own power and strength, re-work our very sense of identity. It is very common for us to meet a male figure around this transit time to challenge us to face our very fear and insecurity. During this transit, there could even be situations where you need to deal with power struggles, manipulations and people's passive agreessiveness. This is the time to reflect on our own negative tendencies and make adjustments, instead of act on impulses. Pluto transiting our Sun puts us face to face with exactly what it is that has been holding us back from living life more fully and meaningfully.
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Birthday 11~14th |
January |
April |
October |
July |
September |
May |
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Sign |
Capricorn |
Aries |
Libra |
Cancer |
Virgo |
Taurus |
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Aspect |
Conjunction (0°) |
Square (90°) |
Square (90°) |
Opposition (180°) |
Trine (120°) |
Trine (120°) |
Pluto is physically so far away that it is always the most mysterious planet for us to understand. Some astrologers even believe that it is at this moment not possbile to fully have a grasp over how it affects us. However its movement in the celestial realm will always reflect our secret psyches. Work with him instead of fight or run away from him. The treasure Pluto brings is truely immense.
Letao~the Kingdom Healer
www.thehealingkingdom.com
