Pluto in Capricorn: From darkness to light
Wondering about the astrology of the November 2016 election? Let?s talk about Pluto.
Sometimes, it would appear, victimhood is a necessary precursor to empowerment. I don’t know why, but I do know there are times I feel grateful I’m not God. I am not ready for that kind of responsibility.
Pluto as an archetype represents the energy of darkness coming into the light.
Pluto is the great transformer, and I personally like to describe it as the bulldozer that removes the floor from underneath you, leaving you with nothing to stand on until you rebuild your own floor.
When Pluto was discovered in 1930 it was in the middle degrees of Cancer, the sign of home, nurturing, and caring. (So, by the way, is the Sun in the United States natal astrology chart for July 4, 1776. It is in the middle degrees of Cancer.) You may recall that in 1930 there were some historical themes related to the dark side of domestic safety and belonging.
The rise of Hitler and the Nazi party to power in Germany and the descent into the Great Depression for the United States are and were manifestations of this energetic theme. Going into the darkness ultimately cracked open the illusion that someone else would keep us safe.
It grounded us in the importance of our own responsibility in how we treat and care for one another.
Well, fast forward to 2016 and guess where Pluto is? It’s in the middle degrees of Capricorn?180 degrees from, or opposite, where it was when it was discovered.
Capricorn is the sign of systems, structures, and institutions. It relates to conservative, authoritarian, or traditional perspectives. The planet Uranus, representing unexpected developments, sudden change, shock, trauma, and brilliant innovation has been squaring Pluto since 2011. The energy of change, both the bulldozer type and the lightning bolt type are here to remove the ?floor.? This includes all systems, structures, and institutions that need?in the natural flow of evolution?to be torn down and replaced.
We need new traditions. We need a new ?something? to stand for.
No matter what political party you align with, what you value, or what you would love to see happen, this proverbial two-by-four from the universe simply removes the security blankets of denial and complacency that you may have come to take for granted. And it does so with the tough love of a parent letting their child know it is time to grow up.
In the midst of this enforced change, you have a chance to decide what new floor you will build, and who you will be. But in the aftermath of the destruction it can be a gut-wrenchingly painful moment of truth and of loss.
Pluto guards the edge of the solar, or ?soular? system. One way or another, Pluto brings transformation. And if we respond with courage, out of the ashes will emerge a new rallying cry with a new sense of self, and a new reality will be created.
Pluto is where we let go of all we know to step into the unknown?either into annihilation or rebirth.
As I see it, in November 2016 we are in the ?Crossing the Threshold? stage of what Joseph Campbell has described as the hero?s journey. Campbell says of this stage, ?The adventure is always and everywhere a passage beyond the veil of the known into the unknown; the powers that watch at the boundary are dangerous; to deal with them is risky; yet for anyone with competence and courage the danger fades.?
The truth is, none of us are ever safe from losing what we have.
Danger, risk, and mortality are part of the journey. Perhaps this vulnerability provides us with the pressure we need to step into places we would never go, to learn things we would never have known. Perhaps it is what pushes us to know what we are capable of. Regardless, change happens, so we may as well see it as an opportunity.
What we do have is the ability to align with and act upon what is important to us.
We have the power to make meaning of our lives through our ability to be inspired, create, and take risks in the direction of making a positive impact.
Uranus in Aries: What the future holds
As long as you are breathing, by definition there is a future that has not yet been decided. Uranus in Aries brings change through action, but it doesn?t say what kind of change. That part is up to each of us and what we choose to stand for.
Jupiter in Libra: What it means to get along
Uranus has been squaring Pluto since 2011. In mid-November 2016, Jupiter in Libra opposes Uranus and squares Pluto, forming a t-square with the two that will last until the middle of April 2017.
Squares and oppositions in astrology mean challenge, pressure, or conflict. They are energies that don’t play nicely together.
But they are also powerful opportunities to step into higher consciousness, if you have the courage to be open to a shift in previously dearly held beliefs and patterns. And I don’t mean will power. I mean openness to new perspectives. I mean a shift in the foundational thinking that causes something to be what it is.
So what is Jupiter in Libra about? Jupiter represents faith, abundance, optimism, and a natural trust in the future. Libra is about relationship; specifically, the truth of what it means to go from one (voice, heart, body, personality, gender, perspective, etc.) to two.
The dark side of Jupiter is excess, and in Libra that looks like over-the-top polarization. A healing response would be a willingness to acknowledge the truth of paradoxical realities and unite, not by watering down our positions, but by acknowledging that ours is not the only way of seeing things.
So the lesson of November 2016 is that in the duality we have no choice but to learn to get along in the face of our differences.
To avoid annihilation and restore faith in the future we must reverse the denial and stop hoping the ?other? just goes away. We are in this together.
At the same time, we can’t let someone else walk all over us. In a healthy relationship both sides feel respected and heard. That means showing up fully as your authentic self, with your voice and your truth, while you are learning to respect and get curious about other points of view.
One way or another, Pluto in Capricorn helps us create new systems and structures. Uranus faces off with Pluto, bringing the potential for sudden, shocking developments, but it also brings the potential insight, innovation, and a freedom that feels more free than ever before. Jupiter, in the shorter term, helps us see how to do this through a deeper cut on what peace, justice, and equality really mean.
And there?s more. For the past year or so, Saturn has been squaring Neptune too. I?ll have to write about that another time. But the bottom line here is that the future is not written. The meaning we make out of the information and data we receive through the outdated filters of our own limited perspectives, systems, and institutions can benefit from another look.
We don’t know yet what we are collectively capable of.
It’s up to each of us as individuals to look within for the truth and then come together with others to create something new from the unknown. If we choose to do so on purpose, all the more is possible.
*****
Watch your email in the coming weeks for information about this year?s Personal and Planetary Intention-Setting! On New Year?s Day we will come together and set our healing intentions for what is to unfold, and get inspired to make a positive difference.
Not on my list? Sign up now at https://astrologyheals.com/ so you don’t miss this important opportunity.
*****
Marina Ormes is an evolutionary astrologer with a background of over 20 years in astrology and holistic healing. She is the author of Cycles of Healing: Personal Transformation in Relationship to a Living Cosmos.
