Slow, Powerful, and Irreversible Changes
The orbital period of Pluto around the Sun is the slowest among all the planets in astrology, taking 248 years. The changes represented by Pluto are typically slow, gradually taking shape beneath the surface in both individuals and society. The gestation period is long, but the release of energy can sometimes occur suddenly and forcefully. Following such an eruption, there may be a renewed period of gestation if not all the energy has been adequately processed and released. This process resembles the activity of volcanoes, which fall within Pluto’s domain.
Pluto in astrology represents profound and intense power. Pluto unearths truth and authenticity, stripping away elements that no longer serve human development. Thus, Pluto demands individuals and society to undergo renewal and rebirth wherever it appears on the astrological chart.
Pluto as a Healer
Pluto also symbolizes our internal wounds, which can be hidden from others and sometimes even from ourselves. Therefore, the placement of Pluto in the astrological chart, along with its aspects, reveals the areas of life where we have wounds or painful issues that need to be addressed for personal development towards our authentic selves.
Take, for example, the challenging Mars opposite Pluto aspect. The individual’s Mars energy (assertiveness, aggression, etc.) is somehow suppressed (Pluto). It is difficult for the person to freely express their will and desires, and they may present a conciliatory or overly submissive image of themselves. Outwardly, they may seem content with compromises, but beneath the surface (Pluto), the pent-up Mars energy can build up over time and eventually explode in a manner that is too powerful or inappropriate for the current situation.
Pluto’s wounds often originate in our childhood and youth. Perhaps the parents of a person with Mars opposite Pluto aspect were too dominant and failed to allow the child to grow and freely express their own selfish desires. They might have overridden the budding expressions of selfishness with their strong will. As a result, the child learns that the free expression of their desires is not safe or acceptable and carries this perception into adulthood.
Finding Light from the Darkness
Pluto, therefore, brings truth to the surface, and the truth is not always “socially acceptable”. Or at least not what our loved ones might want to hear. The individual in the previous example may, among other things, believe that their will is inherently evil and that they themselves are bad. Thus, they must fearlessly dive into the dark underworld represented by Pluto within themselves and confront their own “evil” thoughts and desires. And that’s not all – the person must also be able to enact and express their “dark self” to others, especially those who were supposed to understand a growing child. This is a classic situation where other people wonder “why is he behaving strangely/childishly, what is wrong with him,” when in reality, the person may, for the first time in their life, be genuinely themselves.
Only by unearthing painful things from the depths of the soul can true healing and rebirth begin. Something old must die for something new and better to grow in its place. Death and rebirth is one of Pluto’s essential functions.
Pluto as an Evildoer
In the previous example, the healing of the victim from the wounds related to the Pluto theme was described. But what about the child’s parents? They were involved in the same Pluto energy, but they were on Pluto’s destructive side. Pluto, of course, also represents the destructive and subjugating aspect of the same powerful energy. It is likely that the parents themselves had unresolved Pluto energy, and, knowingly or unknowingly, they expressed it unconsciously towards their child.
This same danger is within all of us. Anyone can be on the side of evildoing unless the painful aspects represented by Pluto have been sufficiently processed, thereby removing the need to express oneself through destruction. The child in the example may, as an adult, express the Mars opposite Pluto aspect in the opposite way; completely inhibited, doing as they please without regard for others. In certain circumstances, this can be extremely destructive. If they themselves become parents…