In mythology Pluto was the god of the underworld and ruled the dead. He was a powerful, dark and dangerous figure that came above ground only a few times; one of them was to kidnap and rape Persephone, bring her to the underworld and make her his queen. Eventually a deal was struck and she was allowed to return to the topside world for half of the year; the rest of the time she reigned in the underworld beside Pluto,
her lord and husband.
Whenever Pluto appears the ground shifts, our world cracks open, and life as we know it is changed forever. But it’s not all doom and gloom.
A very important part of the story is that it was in the underworld that Persephone found her true power. She went down an innocent girl and returned a queen.
Pluto is the god and planet of transformation; he destroys in order to rebuild. Pluto isn’t bad (no planet is) he’s simply not gentle. He has none of the social graces of the inner planets such as Venus and Mercury. There is something raw and primal about Pluto. He doesn’t want to leave us the same and will stop at nothing to wake us up.
Pluto rules all that is hidden, buried and beneath the surface. Remember, all the riches of the world are underground; gold, water, precious metals, oil, fossil fuels. On a personal level, our own treasures are buried in our unconscious. When asked the definition of psychoanalysis, Freud replied, “Making the unconscious, conscious.” That’s Pluto! Pluto knows that the only kind of power that is dangerous is repressed power.
Historically, when a planet is first discovered tells a lot about its character. Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930 (at almost 18 degrees
of Cancer, the sign of home, family, and security). It was the time of Hitler and organized crime. The banking system collapsed in this country, follower by the Great Depression and millions of people were starving and homeless. It makes Pluto seem evil but that’s not true. Pluto doesn’t create those things; he only brings them to the surface. As the poet Rumi says, “The pot drips what’s in it.” Pluto exposes what is toxic, wounded, and repressed, in a society or an individual – not to damage, only to transform. We can’t change something we’re not aware of; Pluto makes us aware. This same period also saw psychoanalysis gaining credibility, Gandhi’s famous Salt March, and Mickey Mouse’s debut. Jung introduced his concept of synchronicity to the public for the first time, President Roosevelt rebuilt our economy, The Empire State building was constructed, and The Star Spangled Banner became our national anthem.
The last time Pluto was in Capricorn was from 1762 to 1778: This was the period of the both the American and the French Revolution as well as the beginning of a worldwide industrial revolution. King George ruled the greatest nation in the world and a handful of “traitors and troublemakers” brought it down giving birth to freedom and democracy. What can we expect this time? We don’t have a monarchy but we still have a “king” George.
Pluto has been in Sagittarius since 1995. Because Pluto always exposes the shadow of whatever sign it is in (especially in the beginning), we have seen the dark side of Sagittarius. Sadge rules organized religion, higher learning, publishing, travel, foreigner countries, and excess. We have experienced the breakdown of religion, holy wars with foreigners, restriction in terms of traveling, reality shows, and displays of excess. But Pluto’s power has helped spread Sagittarian ideas and philosophies through the internet empowering millions of people. Because of the popularity of such books as The Da Vinci Code, The Secret, and Eat, Pray, Love more and more people are looking, not to formal religion, but rather to the god within. The priest’s popularity may have plummeted but Mary Magdalene’s (as well as the goddess and the feminine in general) has never been higher!
And celebrities such as Bono and Oprah (not the politicians) have made us aware of the conditions in foreign countries and shown us how we can help.
Pluto in Capricorn in 2008: Pluto transforms whatever sign it is in. Capricorn is associated with structures and institutions such as government, business, and banking. There will be big changes in those areas. This time it won’t be the monarchy that is exposed but the CEOS and heads of government. What could possibly transform our government more than having a woman or an African American president? There is talk of forming a joint monetary system with Canada and Mexico similar to what the European countries have created with the euro. Social Security will change or be eliminated. As millions of baby boomers turn 60 this year we will have to find new ways to care for our elder population. The archetype of Capricorn is the elder, the crone, the wise one. Perhaps Capricorn’s wisdom combined with Pluto’s power can ultimately help to heal problems like global warming, health care and corporate greed.
“Don’t ask for a lighter load; ask for a stronger back.”
We may not know exactly what Pluto will bring during its long stay in Capricorn but we can look to the tenth sign for clues on how to conduct ourselves. Capricorn is a sign that teaches us about taking responsibility or as we say in New York City, being a mensch (a Yiddish word for the kind of person who always does what’s right, never what’s easy). Find something you really want to do (something that expresses who you are) and perform it with excellence and integrity. Take the high road; don’t cheat; play by the rules (and not to the crowd). Walk your talk. Live your truth.
