PLUTO IN AQUARIUS

I have been asked by a number of people who are interested in astrology, what is the meaning of the Pluto ingress into Aquarius?

Let’s start with what Pluto actually represents. Pluto is the furthermost known planet in our solar system taking 248 years to transit the 12 signs of the zodiac. Its transits in each sign vary considerably and entered the sign of Capricorn in 2008 where it has remained until March 23, 2023. It is known as the power planet and traditionally represents death and rebirth and is the ruler of the sign Scorpio. If you are familiar with your own chart there are many good astrology sites that will give you a description of how your natal pluto affects your chart so I won’t go into these descriptions here. Because of its long transits it is considered a transpersonal planet and registers generational trends in the signs but has more personal implications in the individual houses of the natal chart.

Capricorn represents authority, structure, government and politics and as it is ruled by Saturn it speaks of hard work and duty. It is the sign of status and ambition and Pluto’s ingress into Capricorn in 2008 saw the financial crash that affected the world and resulted in new formats for rulership and new systems have been developed as a result. In more recent years we have seen many clashes with governments and some very bright lights have been shone on government deceits and incompetences in a way that has not happened before to such an extent. We have also seen a rise in globalisation and centralisation of power, which is an apt description of Pluto here as it is considered to be the planet of power. Wherever you have Pluto in your chart is where you hold your power, for good or bad depending upon the aspects and general nature of the chart.

Pluto will remain in Aquarius until June 12th 2023 when it turns retrograde and goes back into Capricorn, then re-enters Aquarius on January 21st 2024. It will stay there until turning retrograde on September 2nd until November 20th 2024 when it re-enters Aquarius and stays in that sign until March 9th, 2043.

So what does it mean to have Pluto in Aquarius? Aquarius is the sign of the humanitarian and governs group activity and equality, sciences including computer science and all technology and new ways of doing things. Governed by the planet Uranus, the planet of upheaval, it also governs rebellion and during Pluto’s last transit of Aquarius we saw both the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, both of which massively changed the political landscape of those countries and the way in which people lived.

Although the focus on artificial intelligence became more public and promoted during the Pluto transit of Capricorn we are now looking at it becoming a major reality which will change all our lives forever. AI is a very Uranian concept and its applications will move very fast under the Pluto transit in the sign which it rules. There seems to be no going back now, but how it is used and what effects it has on the world’s populace will depend very largely on the sense of humanitarianism that Aquarius is known for.

Pluto leaves Capricorn with most governments under one cloud or another as we have general unrest the world over. Whatever your thoughts are about Covid and the subsequent vaccinations it is a signature action of Pluto in Capricorn for authorities to force people into taking the jab thereby denying the freedom to express personal choice. The same goes for the mandatory lockdowns the world over, the value of which are now being increasingly questioned. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of it all the point here is that Pluto in Capricorn will empower that sign in its desire for rulership and control. Pluto in Capricorn loves its government diktats!

Although Aquarius is ruled by the planet Uranus it is also co-ruled by Saturn which is the sole ruler of Capricorn. Saturn stands for hard work, duty and obligation and is known as a no-frills planet. It is considered to be a malefic in astrology but if you work with Saturn’s energies it usually does bring rewards in the end. A well placed Saturn in the chart is a very desirable thing to have, and although Saturn transits can be demanding they usually offer the opportunity to accomplish something whether that is recognised at the time or not. Whilst Aquarius as a sign is considered to be the land of the quirky, the alternative, the rebel and the free thinker, it is a fixed sign (along with Taurus, Leo and Scorpio) and coupled with Saturn’s influence as co-ruler it does offer stability and sustainability. Thus it is not unreasonable to hope for a more reasonable approach being adopted by governments and, being the sign of the rebel, a stronger voice from the populace. However, we are likely to see disruptive forces at hand with regard to environmental agencies with detractors and supporters finding difficulty in reaching any sense of agreement, whilst at the same time seeing new technologies brought forth to protect the environment. Don’t forget that Aquarius is the sign of the humanitarian and will fight for what is right, and I suspect that the whole environmental issue will become an increasingly dominant force in politics the world over.

As ruler of Aquarius, Uranus stand for disruption and change which is often sudden change. It is also the planet of rebellion and with Pluto highlighting the Aquarian impact on us we are probably going to see quite sudden changes taking place. During its transit of Capricorn the authoritarian control of government seemed quite strong whilst people muttered under their breath in protest. Now in Aquarius we will see more open opposition to certain practices and even rebellion, such as we’ve seen in France recently. There is a growing sense that people are rising up against controls that they have not voted for nor agreed to succumb to, but the hope is that this will be accomplished in a more peaceful way than during the last transit of Pluto in Aquarius, where we saw France guillotine its oppressors and America claim its nation for itself. Rebellion does not necessarily mean bloodshed but Aquarius does stand for progress and freedom. Pluto in Capricorn was bound to set off sparks in the areas of control and authoritarianism but in Aquarius we can hope to see a more measured and even-handed approach to government and leadership generally.

As we feel a shift in the energy we can sense the essence of a new dawn. During the next two retrogrades of Pluto when it goes back into Capricorn there may be a sense of “we’ve been here before”, but these retrogrades don’t last long and after November 2024 will not be found in Capricorn again for roughly 284 years.

There are likely to be many scientific achievements with Pluto in Aquarius particularly in the medical field. We will also see alternative medicine occupying a brighter spotlight and at best we can hope to see major breakthroughs in healing, not treating. Plutonium and Uranium are involved in nuclear medicine and I suspect we will see breakthroughs here too. While Capricorn is an earth sign and deals with the material world, Aquarius is an air sign and impacts the mental realm. It can give a feeling of having more air to breathe and in the natal chart planets in the sign Aquarius give a somewhat more detached approach – how these planets function depends on the houses and aspects. It is during this transit that we have a chance to take a more cool look at the events occuring in our lives, to practise taking more of a witness position and to allow space to enter our thinking in a focussed and meaningful way.