Pluto: A Case Study

Last updated on: August 3, 2009 at 6:14 am by Lynn Hayes

Pluto: A Case Study 2009-08-03T06:14:54-04:00 Lynn Hayes

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’m out of town this week so I’ll be reposting some of the more interesting articles in the archives. I hope you will like this one!

Last week I saw a client (let’s call her Sylvia) whose birthchart demonstrates the power of Pluto. Sylvia’s Sun is in the hard-working sign of Capricorn: Capricorns typically have a difficult life when they’re young but because they’re such hard workers (ruled by the Celestial Taskmaster himself, Saturn) they can be quite powerful as they age and incorporate life’s lessons. She also has a Grand Trine including Mars, Jupiter and her Moon, bestowing a sense of inner trust (Jupiter/Moon) that life has meaning as well as a dynamic will (Mars/Jupiter) for self-preservation (Mars/Moon). These are the tools that have helped her to navigate a difficult life that has been Pluto’s gift to her. Note to astrologers: to protect her privacy I will not be posting her chart.

Pluto in the astrological chart shows where we come face to face with the underworld of our emotions: fear, compulsion, obsession. Pluto often shows where we face the cold reality of death in order to come to a greater understanding of life. Astrologer Liz Greene says that Pluto represents the essential life force in nature that often must destroy in order to survive. The power of Pluto is that basic, and that intense. When we’re in the middle of a Plutonic disaster (our spouse leaves us, we lose our job, our house burns down, our cat dies) we are lost in the underworld of our fear and the pain of loss that is Pluto’s realm. But once the storm has passed we find ourselves rebuilding the wreckage of our lives with a new sense of empowerment that comes from having faced our fears and survived.

Pluto is conjunct Sylvia’s ascendant (persona and identity) within one degree, exactly opposite Venus (relating to others and love of self) which is therefore conjunct the descendant (cusp of the seventh house of partnership). Any planet on the ascendant (rising) expresses itself through the personality, and Pluto rising often is a person who is intimidating and can be a bit of a bully. However, when two planets are opposite (180 degrees) each other, often the individual will express the energy of the planet at one end but project the other planet onto others in her life. This is particularly true when we are dealing with two planets in opposition that fall on the ascendant/descendant axis of personal identity/relationship identity.

Sylvia was born into a family of violence. Her father beat her on a regular basis, blaming her for deserving it. She grew up in fear for her life as her father, embodying Pluto on the identity axis, annhilated her sense of Self. Her Venus is on the cusp of the seventh house, making her extremely attractive and desirable and she easily escaped her home life by marrying at a very young age. Unfortunately, she attracted the exact dynamic to her and the beatings continued, this time from her husband. She escaped again from this marriage and since then has worked hard to learn from her experiences and make choices that will empower her in ways that she never knew.

Saturn, that Celestial Taskmaster, squares Chiron (wounding and healing) in her chart which has throughout her life forced her to confront her pain and learn its lessons and the Grand Trine in air signs (the ultimate harmonious chart dynamic) has been a tool through which she can process her experiences and learn from them. (Oprah Winfrey also has a Grand Trine in air signs.)

Now, in midlife, Sylvia is a woman with a strong resolve and a great deal of personal power, although she is still working on facing her fears. Her chart is a good representation for the Plutonic dynamics of fear, violence and ultimate empowerment. It also demonstrates how powerfully Pluto operates in the birthchart.

Astrology

Fate

Pluto in the birthchart

violence in the birthchart

Previous Post

August 2, 2009

Speculators betting on sugar when Saturn enters Libra

Next Post

August 5, 2009 President Obama's solar return

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Age of Aquarius Astrology Astrology in my world Astrology in the news Astronomy Business Celebrities Consciousness Conspiracy Crime Death Ecology Events Fate Favorite posts Featured posts Financial Markets Future Shock Generations Health & Healing Holidays Inspiration Jupiter in Leo Lessons Life Lynn's favorite posts Mercury retrograde Miscellany Money and markets Moon Mysteries People Planetary cycles Planets Podcast Politics Popular Culture Predictions Psychology Relationships Religion Saturn in Scorpio Saturn Return Science Signs Skywatch Sports Sun Sun signs Technology Uncategorized Uranus square Pluto Wonders of the universe

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 August 2000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am bread from heaven that appeared with the morning dew six days a week. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Manna God's provision Heavenly food Bread of angels