Well my friends, this is an exciting day! For, as you may know, we have been teetering on the brink of this ingress over the last year or so- with Pluto faffing around between Capricorn and Aquarius, entering and exiting. Today, however, sees Pluto entering this sign once and for all, for the first time since 1777. This slow-moving planet of course only enters a new sign in this fashion every twelve years or so; we do not see this often. Embrace the strangeness of it, the newness, even if nothing drops out of the sky per se- these cycles move slowly, but they do move. They offer us an opportunity to come to an understanding of these forces beyond our immediate perception as humans, or our tendency to measure things by the clock- here we move more in terms of epochs, ages, eons.
But what does it all mean? In order to understand the significance of this cycle we need to come to an understanding of what each of these component parts may mean- what Pluto might mean, what Aquarius might mean- which in term means we become aware of how these individual factors operate in the machinery of cosmic consciousness. Yet be aware! If we understand these things in terms of their individual parts only, extrapolating them into separate ideas, we run the risk of reducing the understanding to just another game we can play with our minds. Understand that no one part of the cosmos is conceivable without every other part that has its relationship to it. Understand also that difficult or disharmonious experiences or energies exist in cooperation and in relationship to easier ones; there is no sine without a sawtooth, no wave without a trough, no convexity without concavity.
Let’s begin!
The Nature of Pluto.
The nature of Pluto is, like most astrological thema, not easily described in a few sentences; however, we may begin to understand firstly in the more mundane aspects of its physical context. First of all I always like to understand an outer planet (that which is beyond Saturn) in the context of its discovery- Pluto was discovered in the 1930s, shortly before the second world war, during the Great Depression and shortly before the birth of atomic energy. With its orbit so dissimilar from other planets and its great distance from the rest of our solar system, there has always been some aura of mystery and difference here. We know this is a cold place, we know it is in darkness; which phenomena indeed inspired the name Pluto- characterising it in association with the God of the Underworld. Here, in short we have Death and the gateway to the after- which, like Pluto, may not be all it seems? For Pluto itself has been re-considered and recategorised, much as we may refigure and reconceptualise the gates of Death or of great transformation, once we have been through them- utter terror turning to understanding.
For of course, anyone who has died or has any understanding of Death in metaphysical (or even in basic Tarot) terms- will tell you that the gates of Hell or of Death are not what they seem from the outside. The soldier running and screaming on the battlefield, thereafter blown to bits- finds himself in a place of rest and ease, even though he was screaming for his life a few minutes before. Thus are we even in the many smaller deaths in our day to day life, when we hold to something whose time it is to transform. Sometimes the phase of dying is long, sometimes it is short, the painful period is a part of this- but on the other end we have what would not be able to see or hold before. Here is the higher octave of Mars, the irresistable super-war which cannot be resisted or even fought, which in its fierceness and vehemence brings about the change that indeed ensures a peace.
Pluto in Aquarius- what might this mean?
To understand Pluto in Aquarius, we need to understand Aquarius energy and how this may intersect with Pluto energy. Aquarius is most commonly and easily understood as the “rebel” in opposition to loyal, royal Leo which maintains the status quo in relation to human values, the things people look up to and revere. While Leo, for all its shine and glamour, is something of a safe follower due to the need for adoration from others- Aquarius represents an outlier whose values connect more to a universality of light and understanding. These opposites do depend on one another- a revolution (Aquarius) without an understanding of heart (Leo) can lead to a dictatorship, while an established order of sovereignty (Leo) that refuses to accept commonality with other humans nor moves with the times (Aquarius) is an absolute monarchy which itself would depend on many bloodbaths to sustain itself.
Yet bloodbaths are not what we need to expect here. With Pluto in Aquarius, we expect deaths and rebirths in terms of the Aquarian themes mentioned here, in terms of innovation and how we view ourselves as humans. We did see the birth of several great revolutions, including the Industrial revolution, during the last Pluto in Aquarius transit between 1777-1798. None of these were possible without the concepts of a humanist “Age of Reason”, which heralded scientific advancement and abstract logic as the foundation upon which an enlightened and harmonious society should rest. Yet heart and emotionality, in themselves extant phenomena which (in the opinion of the writer) must be accounted part and parcel of any reasoning process- despite their being less quantifiable than numerical or otherwise quantitative data. In short, it is arguable that heart has been left out of the equation when it comes to earlier transformative revolutionary cycles- which in turn has created an unsustainable system that humans are unable to live in and enjoy. The France immediately following the Revolution, the Soviet Union and similar egregores are generally viewed as failed experiments due to the rigidity of systems that could not see that people might prefer meaningless luxuries or religion despite all efforts from above that they may be encouraged towards embracing ideology. Yet it would be a mistake to assume that humanity would again head into the same place it did in the late eighteen hundreds- wider cosmic cycles indicate we are on the precipice of an age of less density, of higher energy and accelerated change indeed beyond our ability to prevent such. Today’s humans have indeed benefited from the lessons of previous cycles; it is understood more and more widely that any meaningful change must also take place on a heart level, on an individual level, that it cannot be imposed from above on the unwilling with force.
Pluto in Aquarius- Exponential change and growth in the technological sector.
Anyone who has anything to do with any form of computer technology will no doubt be aware that advancement in this sector is accelerating exponentially. In short, more technological advancements facilitate greater advancements, as bright minds are put into contact with better and better equipment and systems, thereby continually creating more and more updated systems that are thereafter superseded at the blink of an eye. While this is wonderful news in terms of research and planning and in many other sectors, it can also lead to problems as the pace of advancement outstrips human ability to utilise the systems in question, and the ability of humans to also be comfortable with these changes. Tools such as AI are proving useful as adjuncts to human ability, yet problems arise in terms of how companies may use the data gathered from AI and in terms of how adoption of these systems may supersede human input in digital spaces and exclude that input that has been created outside of AI systems. Certain companies may attempt to use the technology to cement their control over the digital space, while at the same time natural human unwillingness to move at a fast pace with unfamiliar equipment engenders conflict and controversy, which in turn feeds algorithms designed to create more of what people respond to most strongly. Furthermore, the potential for criminals to misuse these systems is very large- particularly in relation to those who will refuse to familiarise themselves with new technology.
Pluto in Aquarius- what to do?
This brings me to the final point of my writing. What to do? Embrace the new! As the Bhagavad-Gita teaches us, we must find the path in life that leads towards expansiveness and new frontiers. Nothing will be gained here by shrinking back in fear from change, from the specter of Death and all that seems frightening and black. Deal with your emotions mindfully, skilfully- do not push them away- but do all you can to learn new skills and work with new things. It is the beginning of the end for us when we refuse to walk down a new path, walling up and sticking to the tried and true, the comfort zone- is a fast route to being exploited by others, and also dementia.
It is a honourable part of ourselves that wants things to stay the same. We must not refuse to listen to our own fears, but we are also ill-advised to act blindly on these. All the same- remember that what you put into the wishing well is what you get back. The more of us that see death and mayhem at these gates, the more panic and fear and frustration we seed into the collective. Be brave, strong, and of great heart! Afraid as we may be at times of new tech and all of this blindingly fast growth, we cannot escape the fact that it is here. Make the most of it- accept with a smile, and become damn good at working with what is coming. That is my concrete and actionable advice to all of you. xxx
Green Lady Astrology 