Original article posted on Vocal
Pluto's Journey from Capricorn to Aquarius
Almost immediately after Pluto entered Capricorn in January 2008, it triggered a global financial crisis known as "the great recession." The banks collapsed, and while the economy is said to have healed since then (higher wages, lower unemployment rates, etc.), I look at the financial situations of the people around me and think, "has it really?" The COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with a Capricorn stellium involving Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter, brought about another worldwide economic crisis; businesses were shut down and thousands of people lost their jobs. That said, throughout all this, the billionaires have been fine. After all, Pluto is the planet of plutocracy, of power and money, and underhanded conspiracy. It is also the planet of death and rebirth, of transformation, and of the passionate intensity buried in the depths of the subconscious mind.
With Pluto in Capricorn, a sign associated with structure and hierarchy, goverment, business and the economy, it is no surprise that these structures (along with our trust in them) were completely transformed or in some cases, destroyed altogether. Some people might credit this transit with the rise of digital currency and the decline of paper money (others might credit Uranus in Taurus for this but as with anything in astrology, I see it as resulting from multiple factors rather than an either/or situation). In some ways, it seems that this transit has made our oligarchs more powerful than ever. At the same time, however, it's pulled away the curtains and exposed our leaders for who they really are.
So, what can we expect from Pluto's transit through Aquarius? Like Capricorn, Aquarius is ruled by the planet Saturn, which gives them some similarities, but unlike Capricorn, which is a cardinal earth sign, Aquarius is a fixed air sign, and in some ways, its total opposite. While the earth element is associated with the material world, the air element is more at home in the world of ideas. While the sign of the goat is known for its authority, ambitiousness, respect and responsibility, the water-bearer is believed to possess a more authentic, altruistic, rebellious and revolutionary nature. But how does this translate, in regards to Pluto and its effect on real world events? I believe that the best way to predict the future is to look back on the past, and that by looking at the history of what happened last time Pluto transited the sign of Aquarius, we can gain a better idea of what to expect from this one.
Pluto in Aquarius: 1778 to 1798
Although Aquarius is the sign most often associated with revolution and uprising, the American Revolution actually occurred when Pluto was still in Capricorn, which makes sense, given what I said before about how this transit can represent the transformation of government and economy. However, the destruction of the old system (which occurred with Pluto in Capricorn) required the invention of the new one and as far as American history is concerned, it's this that Pluto in Aquarius was about. While the U.S.A as we know it is said to have begun with the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Revolutionary War against England did not actually end until 1783, and the constitution was not written until 1787. It wasn't until Pluto entered Aquarius that the first American banks were created and the dollar chosen as the national currency. It wasn't until Pluto entered Aquarius that the states were created and that George Washington became the country's first president. Pluto's entrance into the sign of Aquarius was a time of progression and change.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, the French Revolution actually took place during Pluto's transit through Aquarius. Considering Aquarius rebellious reputation, it should come as no surprise that the French Revolution was a lot more radical than the American one and the process, a lot faster. The storming of the Bastille, the beheading of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette all took place during this transit. The French monarchy was overthrown and replaced by a constitutional government like the United States, but unlike the United States, the French practically outlawed Christianity and replaced it with a new state religion, built on the worship of reason. The French Revolution was positive in many ways, in its outlawing of slavery in the French colonies and its efforts to champion the rights of women and working class people. However, this radical period descended into a period of violence known as the "Reign of Terror" where tens of thousands were guillotined in the streets and publicly executed, including many of the French Revolution's original leaders.
The Haitian Revolution, a rebellion of self-liberated slaves against their French colonizers, also took place during this period. As did the Belgian Revolution of 1789-1790. Not every rebellion (such as those in India and Ireland and of indigenous peoples in the Americas and the "newly discovered" land of Australia) that took place during this period was necessarily successful. But "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité" was the slogan of the day, and this transit saw the creation of many of our modern-day values. In England and even the U.S., there were movements to end slavery although this wouldn't happen in either country until late on, various European countries granted Jewish people emancipation and early feminist movements began (for example, English writer, Mary Wollstonescraft published her famous "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" in 1792).
Pluto in Aquarius also occurred during an overall transition period from the Enlightenment to the Industrial Revolution. The Enlightment was essentially the "Age of Reason" where scientific and culture advancements drove political and philosophical discourse in a more secular, humanist, direction. Meanwhile, the Industrial Revolution, believed by some historians to be the biggest change for humanity since the invention of agriculture, brought about major technological advancements such as the introduction of machines, whereas before products were made solely by hand, leading to better efficiency and the mass production of goods.
In addition to many other advances in space exploration (such as the discovery of black holes), Aquarius' modern ruling planet, Uranus, was discovered by William Herschel during this time, and this is no coincidence. The discovery of this planet revolutionized the cosmology of astrologers, who at the time, believed that Saturn was the furthest planet from the Sun. On a similar note, the hot-air balloon was invented during this transit, and human's first flight was taken in Paris, France. It is no coincidence that the first air travel instrument was invented and used during Pluto's transit through Aquarius, an air sign.
Pluto in Aquarius: 2023 to 2044
So, what does all this history say about our current time? How will Pluto in Aquarius affect our lives now now? I expect it to be another period of revolution but what sort of revolution will it be? Talk of revolution has been in the air for a while now, but except on the surface of things, there has been very little change. Yes, women and non-white people are found in higher positions of power, our collective understanding of gender and sexuality has changed dramatically, but economic inequality only continues to widen, the rich get richer while everybody else continues to struggle. Maybe now, all those guillotine jokes will turn serious or people will literally be up in arms. We can likely expect real revolutions to occur across the globe - as they did last time. Will it be a technocratic New World Order or an anarchist utopia? I can't say for sure, but I do suspect that with this transit, changes to the existing systems will actually be under way, for better or for worse.
There will likely be a second industrial revolution, brought about by the advancement of A.I. and other advanced technology. Robots could be replacing human labor at an ever-increasing rate, but will automation lead to mass unemployment and therefore poverty, or will it instead set the foundation for a utopian sort of communism? Unfortunately, it seems so far, that adding artificial intelligence to the workforce has exacerbated income inequality even further, but I would hope that the idealists are right. So far, robots have mainly displaced people working for manufacturing companies, such as the automobile industry, but as robots gain intelligence, replacing artists and writers and white-collar professionals, such as those working in IT and maybe even doctors & surgeons, what jobs will even be left for humans to perform?
Perhaps, with enough people protesting this A.I takeover, a universal basic income will be introduced, and maybe it will cover more than just our most basic needs while the billionaires bathe themselves in luxury. I can potentially see this happening within the duration of Pluto's journey through Aquarius. With Pluto in Capricorn, the collective seemed to embrace old-school values of discipline and hard work, but maybe with Pluto in Aquarius (especially, when coinciding with Saturn in Pisces and Jupiter in Taurus) people will find virtue in rest and relaxation. Many people fear that this will lead to laziness and indulgence, ultimately giving way to emptiness and depression, but will it? But isn't it more likely that without a requirement to work, people will be given more time to work on what they are truly passionate about? That's what I'd like to think. Then again, there are those who seek to bring about a transhumanist future with inventions such as brain-chips and of course, the dreaded metaverse, a digital world intended to replace the joys and stressors of real life. So, perhaps these companies will seek to capitalize on some hole left in people's lives from a lack of work, but I don't see why such a hole would have to exist. With the freedom acquired with time and money, there is so much in the world to experience, so much else left to create.
On another note, Aquarius is an Air sign, and the last time Pluto traveled through the sign of Aquarius, the first air travel instrument was invented: the hot air balloon. This time, I predict that this will be taken a step further. Air travel will be extended to space travel. Again, this discussion has been going on for a long time but "the future" we've been talking about is happening now. Apparently, NASA is under presidential orders to land humans on Mars by 2033, and since Pluto will be in Aquarius during this time, I think it will likely happen, at least at some point within the 2030's.
Conclusion
So, those are some thoughts about what to expect for the world, but how will this transit affect you personally? That depends on your birth chart and if interested, you can schedule a reading with me by clicking here.
I decided not to write horoscopes for this transit because of its length. Pluto transits are so long that I cannot really distinguish its influence on house placement alone: I was born with Pluto in Scorpio, Pluto was in Sagittarius for the duration of my childhood, Pluto entered Capricorn during my teenage years and stayed there throughout most of my 20's; what is there to say? Pluto in my 7th house didn't bring any intense romantic relationships: I was a child! That said, I can definitely feel the effect that Pluto in the 8th house had when it squared my Sun and when it squared my Mercury, or when it trined my Moon many years ago, and yes, death was a major factor.
Basically, Pluto in Aquarius' influence depends on the aspects it makes to the placements in your natal chart. Those with angles, luminaries and personal planets in Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio will most especially be affected.