When planets change signs, the energy will shift. We have the luminaries (Sun and Moon) and the personal planets (Mercury, Venus and Mars). These have an impact on a personal, daily, short-term basis as far as transits are concerned. Then we have the societal, also called bridge planets which are the constructs of society, Jupiter (beliefs) and Saturn (structure). Then there are the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). These are slow moving and impact humanity on a wide scale. Because they move slowly, the influence isn’t felt as overtly as say a Mars transit. However, they are powerful, and we will witness them through global changes. We can look back in history and see common themes of change pertaining to the specific sign the outer planets transit. It is easier to wrap your head around it, in retrospect, as you look back and see the changes.
Think back to when Pluto was in Sagittarius, from the 1990s until 2008. Sagittarius reigns over travel and belief systems. This was when we experienced 9/11. A tragedy that was caused by people with zealous beliefs and it resulted in massive changes to the travel industry and security processes. Religion, another Sagittarius theme, took a stronger role in politics. The separation between church and state got blurry. Pluto is power and transformation. In Sagittarius, it changed the travel industry. It certainly transformed the political environment of many countries, not only the U.S.A. Sagittarius is a sign of duality, half beast, half man. The dual nature of Sagittarius energy polarized the nation, highlighting the strong beliefs that did not align.
On the positive side, Pluto in Sagittarius brought more electric cars on the road. It increased accessibility to information. We saw libraries, encyclopedias, and newspapers being digitized. Now, more people have everything right at their fingertips. Knowledge was accessible in a way it never was before the internet.
The last time Pluto entered Sagittarius was in 1502 and it stayed in this sign for about 15 years. It was during this time Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany which began the Protestant Reformation. This period was the start of the Renaissance, that pulled humanity out of the dark ages and into more intellectual enlightenment. There, again, is the theme of religion and belief creating revolution and transformation, as well as an expansion of knowledge. In the 16th century, the Bible was printed in languages other than Latin. Other manuscripts were printed and distributed to the more common people. In our century, printed material went digital and expanded to the masses through the internet.
There is a pattern: Pluto in Sagittarius, promotes expanding knowledge. Then, as it moves into Capricorn, it challenges authority. Capricorn is authority, the government, the church, or corporations. During Martin Luther’s time, the church was the authority. Once people were able to have access to books and to read the Bible for themselves, they challenged the church. Christianity was transformed. This time around, the internet expanded the accessibility to information to the masses.
Pluto has an eccentric orbit, so it can be in a particular sign for between 14 to 31 years, it depends. These planets move in retrograde toward and away from the Earth, so it will be in one sign move into the next and go back to the previous sign again before moving direct.
In 2009, it made its final direct motion into Capricorn which reigns over government, organizations of authority, or big corporations. Pluto will expose what has been buried, what is hidden and underground. Mythologically, Pluto was the god of the underworld. His archetype has power over life and death, which is transformation. What has happened while Pluto has been in Capricorn? We’ve seen big businesses, like pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, Hollywood elite, and government officials’ covert practices being investigated and revealed, hopefully, to transform unhealthy, greedy practices, and change these environments. Sexual predators have been exposed for sexual assault and human trafficking. In the church, pedophiles are being exposed, same sex marriage is being acknowledged, women are entering the clergy. It is all transforming what has become stagnate and harmful to humanity.
During Pluto in Capricorn, we also experienced the COVID pandemic. It takes more than one planet transiting to create an effect of this magnitude. On December 26, 2019, we had a total solar eclipse with multiple planets in Capricorn. It is called a stellium when three or more planets are in one sign or house. This was huge! Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and Mercury as well as a little asteroid named Wuhan were all in Capricorn. Jupiter expands and relates to our beliefs. Saturn places limitations and represents government and authority. Pluto is the overseer of life, death and rebirth; it is transformative. A few days after the eclipse, Mercury entered Capricorn. Mercury is communication. This is when people were starting to be made aware of the virus. If that wasn’t enough the asteroid named Wuhan was traveling along in the Capricorn stellium as well. We can’t make this stuff up – astrology is very real! At astro.com you can create a chart for December 26, 2019, and include the asteroid Wuhan in the chart for that date and see it for yourself.
All this energy in Capricorn coupled with Jupiter, led to governments expanding their authority; control of the public was a dominant theme to contain the spread of the virus. Saturn in Capricorn is authority placing limitations. We had the shutdowns, couldn’t travel, couldn’t congregate, children couldn’t attend their schools, we couldn’t hug our elders in assisted living. There is more to this story, like Mars being in Scorpio, the sign associated with Pluto, but I don’t want to diverge too much. I think I’ve illustrated the influence Pluto can have to transform society. What’s next?
On November 19, 2024, Pluto will move into Aquarius and stay there until January 2044. This will ignite a long slow process of change. Aquarius is the sign of humanity, technology, space, and the eccentric things like aliens. Seriously, when it dipped into Aquarius in 2023 congress was investigating reports of UFOs, so much so that they changed the acronym to UAP, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. I guess the name change was to get away from all the stigma surrounding UFOs. I’m not saying, ‘the aliens are coming!’ I’m illustrating that these types of subjects and themes will enter our consciousness. We’re going to see more things like the civilian spacewalk that happened September 12, 2024. In July, NASA found signs of ancient microbes on Mars. Point being, during Pluto in Aquarius, we’ll see more of this.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another development that has been surfacing since Pluto has been transiting into Aquarius. We’ll be adapting to this new technology, and how it will help and harm humanity. Just as we saw with the birth of the internet, technology is often developed a lot faster than our laws can be implemented for protection. Efforts to regulate AI will probably be in the forefront.
Aquarius promotes the greater good, but not necessarily for the individual. This will characterize the turbulence of this period. The opposite sign of Aquarius is Leo. Leo is the king, the ruler. Leo is about self-love, sharing love and creativity. Aquarius is the people, the masses and is about love for all of humanity. Aquarius energy wants to help humanity, but it can become disconnected and analytical. It is an air sign, so it can be more mental and not necessarily warm, like the fiery Leo. The challenge will be to keep the energy of these two opposite signs in balance. Taking care of humanity while maintaining love and compassion. There is always the good with the bad. Pluto removes what is stagnant to make room for new growth. It is volcanic. It burns away the old, for a rebirth of something new. We are constantly going through this process, with the thematic effect of the planets developing, dependent on the sign they are transiting. How it differs from the past transits are the aspects it makes with the other planets.
You can check out my Historical Exercise under Resources to see what you can discover about the transits of the outer planets throughout history. I promise it will amaze you!
