For such a diminutive planetary body, Pluto packs a punch in the Astrological world. Planets represent archetypes in astrology, connecting them with defined themes, qualities, and impulses. In Pluto’s instance, the primary expressions are power and empowerment, transformation, integration, intensity, shadows and complexes, death and rebirth, and the evolution of souls. Pluto blows stuff up and then reassembles it. Being part of a transpersonal planetary triumvirate representing our spiritual yearnings and the path to a higher consciousness, Pluto resides on the outskirts of our known local universe and takes 248 years to orbit our Sun. Because of this, its passage through each of the Zodiacal signs involves a period of 12 -31 years. Next year, on March 23, 2023 Pluto will change signs, entering Aquarius and heralding a challenging and revolutionary time for societies around the world. Here are some key dates to remember:
· Enters Aquarius on March 23, 2023
· Retrogrades into Capricorn on June 11, 2023
· Re-enters Aquarius on January 21, 2024
· Final visit to Capricorn from September 1, 2024
· Enters Aquarius to stay from November 19, 2024
· Dips into Pisces on March 9, 2043
· Final visit to Aquarius on August 31, 2043
· Enters Pisces to stay on January 19, 2044
As you can see, from the above summary, Pluto zigs in and out of Aquarius during a portion of 2023 and 2024 before ultimately entering Aquarius to stay on November 19, 2024. This is due to a visual phenomenon known as retrograde motion. From our perspective here on earth there are times that planetary bodies appear to be traveling backwards. This occurs because of the relative positions of these planets and Earth and how they are moving around the Sun. This speaks to the power of perspective being valid on a universal basis. In astrological delineation, retrograde planets have their energy turned inward where it can be difficult to get a perspective on what the planet represents.
During Pluto’s transformative voyage through Capricorn, which began November 27, 2008, we have been witnesses to its reconstructive ways in matters of government and corporate affairs, with the movement being toward bigger versions of both and greater control and power consolidating at the top. Capricorn is all about limitations and structure, the status quo, and a central authority. Aquarius in contrast is about the people, new ideas, and freedom, independence, and dare I say… revolution. The upcoming ingress (to go in or enter) of Pluto into Aquarius in March of 2023 promises to be a dramatic shift from what we have experienced while it has transited through Capricorn.
Think of Pluto as the grand eliminator, a cosmic hit-man of sorts, who removes what is no longer serving the greater cosmic agenda. He’s the shadowy figure, suddenly emerging from a dark alley and catching you by surprise. You gasp for air and your body begins to tremble from the encounter. But it’s the message he delivers that has the most impact. Pluto has a way with words. His powerful communications cut through the darkness revealing the hidden, purging the toxic, and intrusively bludgeoning and destroying what is no longer needed. Pluto is the lord of initiations, the type that are regenerative in nature, and deeply penetrating to the soul; whether it be the individual soul or the collective one. Pluto’s end game is transformation through the endless cycle of death and rebirth.
The long leading lines of the outer planet transits have been studied and written about extensively. One of most celebrated works being Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas. In this book, and based on thirty years of meticulous research, Tarnas eloquently delineates the case of correlations between planetary movements, with a focus on Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and epochal events occurring in society at large. Through the lens of these planetary bodies and their movement through Zodiacal signs, we can glimpse societal shifts, changes, and events that may be coming. Echoes of the expression “history doesn’t repeat itself but it does rhyme” credited to Mark Twain. This then begs the question, what has the Pluto ingress into Aquarius in the past meant to societies at large?
The most recent ingress of Pluto into Aquarius took place from 1777 – 1797. On a high level this was the peak of what was known of as “The Enlightenment”, when individualism and rationalism abounded. Revolutions were everywhere. There was the American Revolution, which was a declaration of independence from England, and the French Revolution, which was an overthrow of the monarchy and the declaration of the “Rights of Man”. There was the Industrial Revolution which brought a plethora of innovations. Steam power revolutionized transportation and the textile industry.
Here is brief list of some other innovations from this period:
· first cooperative workshop set up by tailors in Birmingham, England in 1777
· Lavoisier, the father of chemistry, discovered the composition of air in 1778
· Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781
· first hot air balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1782
· John Michell published his theory of black holes in 1784
· metric system developed during the French Revolution and formally defined in 1795
· workers built and ran a flour mill as a cooperative in Hull, England in 1795
· first successful vaccine for smallpox developed in 1796
It was also a time where philosophy captured the collective imagination. During this time such famous works were published as:
· Kant the Critique of Pure Reason in 1781
· Paine the The Rights of Man in 1791, and The Age of Reason in 1794
· Bentham the Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation in 1789
· Mary Wollstonecraft published A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792.
Turning our thoughts to the deeper meaning of Pluto in Aquarius we can begin to construct a sketch of what this upcoming epoch from 2023 -2044 may hold for you and I, and the world at large. First and foremost, Aquarius is about reform. The type of reform that gets ignited by new ideas, new innovations, and upsets and disruptions to the status quo. To read more about other important transits that have been paving the way to what we are likely to experience with this ingress of collective awakening, you can access related blog posts here:
Everything we think or accept as fact could get challenged. Whatever is now mainstream will likely be unrecognizable by the time we emerge from Pluto in Aquarius in 2044. It will be the era of the unusual, non-traditional, and alternative. If I have a cautionary note about this period is that there is the potential for a disconnect. Despite its celebrated tilt toward the collective and all things humanitarian, Aquarius can be also be aloof and distant from human stuff like “feelings” and the “body”. When we combine the dominating influence of Pluto to the mix, an assassin’s mentality can take over. Harkening back to our shadowy characterization of Pluto, envisioning him likely shooting with a silencer on his gun and walking away muttering… “nothing personal, it’s just business”.
All of that said, Aquarius represents an idyllic vision of the future and how we as a society can get better. So, without a doubt, Pluto will be focusing his intensity on transforming the world. This unfortunately means something must die, so that something new can be reborn. Pluto will push hard for the collective soul to evolve to some new level of enlightenment. This undertaking can be disruptive and volatile. Think technology is amazing now, just wait. Though this could come with unintended consequences that may feed into the propensity of Aquarius to disconnect, blurring or destroying the lines between being human vs. being a machine. A technocratic society that we may end up regretting.
Enter… We the People. The higher vibration of Pluto in Aquarius, and the one I yearn comes to fruition , an awakened planet. One where the power returns to the people. Resources are more equally shared by all. Self-sufficient communities are the norm. Individuality and freedom the priority and hierarchical bureaucracies are annihilated by Pluto’s demolition ball. The battle I fear that must come first will be major control issues (very Plutonian) in which technology makes a run at total digital domination that ultimately get confronted by the awakened masses realizing the potential devastation of such a path. In the end, I believe the urge of Pluto in Aquarius to empower the collective with freedom and liberation will prevail. A new consciousness will provide answers we can’t even imagine. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
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