“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.”—Richard Bach, Illusions
Alas for Pluto, he’s no longer a planet but a plutoid. Plutoids are bright and spherical objects which orbit the Sun beyond Neptune. They are not considered planets because they don’t have enough mass to clear the area around them. Actually, a planet has been defined for the first time. Pluto orbits in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy debris on the outer edge of the solar system. Pluto, and other small planet-like bodies, are now named for either mythical gods of the underworld, or creation deities, depending where their orbit is relative to the Sun.
Beyond the Kuiper Belt, in a section of our solar system called the Scattered Disk, the newly discovered Plutoid Eris orbits. She is larger, and much further away from the Sun, than Pluto. It was Eris, aptly named for the Greek goddess of discord, who caused Pluto’s demotion, and this has resulted in a whole new category of small planets.
Mythology
In Greek mythology, Hades (the Roman Pluto), and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon, defeated the Titans, who were their more powerful predecessors. In turn, they established their own dominion over the realms of Earth, launching the epoch of the Olympians. The three brothers ruled the underworld, sky, and sea, respectively. Hades is simultaneously the Greek god of the dead and the name of the underworld he ruled. Pluto was the Roman god of certain precious metals; and because these materials are mined from deep in the earth, mythically he took on the role of god of the underworld. His name means “wealth,” or “riches,” from the Greek word ploutos, referring to the riches found beneath Earth’s surface. The English words plutocrat and plutocracy come from his name.
Hades obtained his consort and queen, Persephone, through deceit. He abducted her from a field while she picked flowers with her mother. He took her against her will to his underworld abode and tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds. This meant she had to remain with him. This myth is connected with the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries and the annual cycle of death and rebirth brought about each year by Earth’s seasons.
Helios, the Sun god, told Demeter, Persephone’s mother, that Hades was not unworthy as a consort for her daughter. Therefore, every year Hades fights his way back to the land of the living, bearing Persephone in his chariot. Earth is cold and barren while Persephone lives below, and Demeter grieves, and becomes fertile and flowering when mother and daughter are reunited in the spring. The same myth of an annual descent into the underworld is repeated in most world cultures. The Roman myth is identical, but the characters are Pluto, Proserpina, and her mother Ceres. If we understand the Hades/Pluto myth, we see that death is part of a cycle, and the expected outcome is a cyclical resurrection. Ancient cultures understood this, but in the West, we often forget the promise of spring and rebirth that is implied in the annual death.
Astrology
Even though Pluto is no longer officially a planet, his astrological influence has not diminished. Ask any astrologer. It’s arrogant to assume that size, or appearance, are the only valid measures of significance. Pluto may be small relative to the other planets, but he is mighty, releasing tremendous power. In a way, I believe Pluto’s change of status has freed him to operate more potently in his own mythical realm—the Underworld. Like a stealth provocateur, he moves unseen, touching the depths of what’s hidden from view, but needs to be seen, and triggering volcanic eruptions which are felt on the surface. Pluto’s role in astrology might be described as an agent of evolutionary metamorphosis, and evolution is a long process, not a single event.
Pluto teaches us, sometimes through painful lessons, about the nature of power. We are not the same after Pluto has his way with us. His energy is not subtle; and he seems to generate power struggles, healing crises, or initiations, which lead to cleansing and reformation. This can be likened to an emotional and psychological detox. What is occurring is the death of the ego, or the false self, making way for a psychological rebirth. This in turn can lead to transformation and redemption. I believe Pluto’s diminished status symbolically reflects the death of the ego which must precede true spiritual growth.
We can interpret the meaning of the Underworld psychologically and spiritually. I believe that symbolically the Kuiper Belt acts like a collective and forms the psychological border between the ego and the soul. We can undertake a conscious descent to the Underworld, face the demons, or find the hidden riches which are hiding there. If we are successful, we are no longer the same person. The significance of our growth and well-being when we return from such an adventure into the world of light is profound. If we are wise and open to this process, we finally realize that it is only in our thoughts and inner world where we can really exercise any control.
Like the myths, this process of transformation is also described in many cultures and can be compared to the mystery of transformation through which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Once our psyches enter the cocoon of transformation, Pluto’s destructive influence cannot be avoided, and an inexorable metamorphosis begins. We enter the chrysalis phase, and there is no going back, as the substance of the caterpillar is turned into something else entirely. We can trust that a profound renewal is unfolding, and we will emerge transformed. The caterpillar has to surrender its old life of eating milkweed on the ground in order to be reborn and spread its glorious wings.
Pluto in Capricorn
Pluto’s 248-year orbit is eccentric and irregular; and for twenty years of its cycle around the Sun, Pluto moves inside of Neptune’s orbit. As a result, Pluto moves through some signs in as little as thirteen years, and it takes as long as thirty to move through others. Pluto moved into Capricorn in January, 2009 and will transit through this earth sign until 2023—a period of fourteen years.
There is a sense of testing the foundations upon which structures of power have been built. If the foundations were constructed on selfishness or delusion, or have become corrupt, Pluto will challenge them so they can be rebuilt. Astrologers expected that Pluto moving into Capricorn would bring upheavals in business and global finance, challenging established systems (and plutocracies); but the intensity of this global financial meltdown has been sudden and extreme, surprising even the most pessimistic among us.
Capricorn is called the Seagoat and is depicted with the tail of a dolphin and the body of a mountain goat. Capricorn is a creature of extremes who dwells in multiple elements. The Seagoat carries the memories of our evolutionary origins in the ocean and is therefore capable of plumbing the depths, reaching symbolically into Pluto’s underworld domain. Capricorn is also driven to climb to the loftiest peaks and breathe pure mountain air. This combination of influences brings compelling change which challenges the status quo and disrupts our sense of equilibrium.
Pluto in Capricorn relates to governments, administrations, and hierarchies and demands to know how power has been organized and administered on behalf of the collectives they serve. These structures will be tested and tried during this transit, and polarized extremes must give way to a more balanced view. Pluto in Capricorn is an energy which seeks to reform these large structures, rearranging hierarchies and toppling inept or dishonest power brokers. Anyone with a vested interest in old-style structures will be fearful of losing their power. Seen from a distance, a certain amount of turmoil and upheaval seems unavoidable as Pluto’s energy seeks to clear the slate and transform agendas which were built purely on self-interest.
Challenging Planetary Influences
As the planets move they form angular relationships to each other. As Saturn enters Libra briefly in November of 2009, the first in a series of square aspects, ninety degrees, will form between Saturn and Pluto. Saturn square Pluto can reveal what is working, and what is failing, in terms of existing structures. While it can be painful because we have resisted facing the truth, this knowledge can show the best course of action out of a difficult situation. It’s best to eliminate what isn’t necessary and come to terms with what is essential, conserving resources and learning to get along with less. Dead structures must come down so new ones can be built in their place. Thankfully, we usually emerge from these challenges stronger and wiser.
As Pluto moved into Capricorn in January 2009, it activated the US chart. First Pluto opposes Venus at 3 Cancer, and then Jupiter at 5 Cancer. This is likely to bring clashes of values to the forefront. It’s safe to say that money and materialism have been exalted and played a part in what’s acted out on a global stage. I believe that the golden calf of materialism is being smashed on the altar of greed. What must be examined are the fundamental workings of society and how a free nation operates on behalf of its people without going to extremes in either political direction. There must be a return to balance.
Looking a year into the future, in August of 2010 a Cardinal T-Square will form in the sky between Mars and Saturn in Libra, opposing Jupiter and Uranus in Aries. All four will square Pluto in Capricorn. Nothing as intense as this approaching Cardinal T-Square has formed since 1930. Astrologers who have looked back at similar configurations draw a relationship between these T-Squares and extreme financial challenges. As a side note, this configuration will cause a Cardinal Grand Cross in the US birth chart, making the financial challenges very personal at home.
As a component of this, Uranus in Aries will square Pluto in Capricorn seven times between 2010 and 2015. That many exact passes of an aspect is very rare. When Uranus and Pluto connect, their combined energy shatters patterns in a big way. In the sixties Uranus and Pluto were in conjunction, and most perceive that era as one of major societal change. It’s possible we will witness change on a level of the sixties, hopefully bringing constructive progress to economic, environmental, and energy arenas.
Clearly, we have some choices to make. I choose to be optimistic and believe that a critical mass has been achieved, and that transformation is under way. That’s not to say this passage will be easy. The question remains, how do we show up for these times? Rebirth is promised, but first a symbolic death must be experienced. We can either view the present times of challenge as the end of the world as we know it, or embrace the adventure of a miraculous transformation in progress. Either way, we probably won’t recognize the world, or ourselves, in another ten years. Time to grow our wings.
