“When word of the astronomers’ vote in Prague reached the New Horizons team, reactions ranged from indifferent, “Who cares what astronomers think? They’re not the experts in this.”, to bemused, to annoyed, to seriously pissed off. As Fran Bagenal succinctly put it, “Dwarf people are people.Dwarf planets are planets. End of argument.”~ Alan Stern, Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto
[caption id="attachment_19835" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Photo by Brandon Morgan on Unsplash[/caption]Anyone who has a prominent Pluto in their natal chart may not agree with the demotion of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet (August 2006). And yet its classification matters little when we observe its effects in a natal chart. The many powerful and famous people with significant Pluto aspects attest to its weightiness in spite of its small size. (Later in this article a look at a specific aspect configuration, small talent trine, of these people.)Pluto was discovered in 1930. By 1938 the first atomic bomb was made possible. That energy is often associated with Pluto. The power to affect change by obliterating ‘the past’. Our pasts loom large in our experience here. We are in possession of centuries, millennia of experience and thought. Beliefs that are buried deep within the structure that apparently supports us here.Though we are affected on an individual basis due to our connection to the greater community, Pluto’s terrain is non-personal. It destroys that life begins anew. Best not to take it personally and there is no escape from the lord of the underworld.We all have darkness. The need to explore the dark realm with Pluto’s ‘guidance’ is part of each individual journey. We contribute as individuals, tiny sparks of energy that are the blaze of eternal, infinite Being. These days we may truly desire to notice what our contribution is.
“We all give birth to many children each and every day. Every thought is a creation...every word we say is also born from us. Every activity, all that we do is born from us. What kind of thoughts are we giving birth to?"
~ Sthita Prajna p.34
So when we examine Pluto and its role in astrology we take into consideration its placement in a natal chart and aspects to it as critical to our soul’s trajectory in the lifetime. Jeffrey Wolf Green has written a highly informative book, Evolutionary Journey of the Soul, that is an in-depth study of the life perspective according to Pluto and its relationships in a chart. Wherever Pluto is, is our power to rise above the personal plight of suffering and searching to be free. We kick off the karmic debt, little by little. And we have been working toward this for a long time.With Pluto’s help, foundations rock with a primal force that moves everything. We fear the power behind this and at the same time honour it as the energy that clears the way for a less personal existence. This means without many of our desires and expectations we can live and experience what is, rather than what we think.
“Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.”
~ Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
Pluto rules Scorpio and the house of birth, death and rebirth...the cycle of humanity. Wherever Pluto is in your chart will point to the areas in which you will feel the kind of upheaval in life that is like dying and starting over. With each death is access to more authentic Self. Less ego more Self. This is where the real power lies, in the clarity. When one understands this cycle as limited to a physical existence, to our experience as the body/mind and as an individual we realize Truth of Self—not limited by physical being. Truth is always unceasing.
“Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to "die before you die"---and find that there is no death.”
~ Eckhart Tolle
This as stated previously is the real power of Pluto—annihilation and what is left? Reality. What arises in the uncluttered mind? What arises from nothing? We may build again but not with what we have experienced in the past; that is no longer available. Elimination means just that. Perhaps the thought of building anything is not a concept but allowing that which naturally will unfold to be our new path.
Pluto in the charts of powerful people
This is why Pluto prominent in a chart, is indicative of powerful people. They are adept at dealing with tearing down to rebuild. To letting go of what doesn’t work and with bold action to implement what will. They have a presence that cannot be ignored and an attitude that surpasses the average. The average do not often dare to go where those intent upon making a difference go. Nothing stands up to the force of 2.2 pounds of uranium-235 fissioned that releases energy equivalent to 17,000 tons of TNT.They have NO fear.These people with the power to transform collective consciousness show up in different areas of life but often where they are in a position to effect community. When they walk into a room everyone feels their intensity. It is magnetic and alarming at the same time. Such is the effect of this little giant. Plutonian people are not afraid to see what lies in the dark. In darkness is Truth. They reflect to others their own fear of examining what is beneath the covers. It is an uncomfortable feeling. Pluto and its domain can be a place of fearful excursion. Eventually we all go there.
“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
~ Carl Jung
Small talent trines are a powerful geometry. The name seems to be misleading as many people are actually very talented who have this formation; a 120 degree aspect between two planets, a trine and 60 degrees, a sextile to a third planet. For this article I looked at the charts of five of the world’s most powerful people. Four of those had small talent trines involving Pluto. Number 1 is Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.Jinping has Pluto sextile a Neptune/Saturn conjunction that is trine to his Sun. He has a particular ability to focus on the intricacies of the collective energy (Neptune/Saturn) and express transformative ideals (Pluto) through the personality (Sun). According to his bio he has made sweeping changes in China that would appear to be of a positive nature.Number 2 on the list is Russian leader Vladimir Putin also with a small talent trine including Pluto. Number 3 Donald Trump does not have a legitimate aspect but the geometry is there if one allows for seven degrees for a sextile. Number 4 is Angela Merkel and number 5 is Jeff Bezos both with the configuration including Pluto. Major actors/actresses with these aspects include Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Johnny Depp. These are just a few examples. And of course there are powerful people who do not have the small talent trine but undoubtedly have Pluto as a major player in their charts. Along with the territory of power comes secrets, hidden agendas and somewhere an explosive force that moves not only the individual but those whose lives they touch.
Pluto and the Tarot
In the Tarot, Death XIII, is most exemplary of Pluto and its representation in astrology. The Death card suggests devastation; the death of the old with sun rising, a king lies dead (representing an old realm) and high priest in his wisdom surrenders to the force that wipes clean the slate. The woman and child included; no one escapes Death. The sun rising is symbolic of a new day, new beginnings. Out of the ashes, rising forth from the flames of eternity and purification is the phoenix.[caption id="attachment_19800" align="alignright" width="150"]
The Tudor Rose[/caption]The Tudor Rose that is prominently displayed on the flag Death carries represents the end of ‘war’ and suffering (War of the Roses) and the combination of red rose and white rose, House of Lancaster and House of York, suggest peace.Wherever Pluto is in your natal chart one can expect upheaval, transformation and illumination. It asks for courage, honesty and passion, passion to rise above and shine forth!Anna is available at Paradise Found to answer your astrology questions or any questions you may have regarding your journey. A little clarity now can lead to those moments of illumination and grace!
About Anna
Readings that inspire!Allow your self to experience clarity that is beyond doubt, judgment and fear the products of thoughts that are habits. When we know what exists ‘when the smoke clears’ suddenly all aspects of life open up for us. We are free. Every step that we take toward liberation is a gift...View Profile
