October 6th ~ 13th
“The Torment of Saint Anthony” by Michelangelo Buonarroti
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. ~ Abraham Lincoln
We are at the end of one era, and on the threshold of another. Not all will appreciate this. There will be those who will want to hold on the the previous era as if their very lives depended on it. As if everything they always knew and all that they had built up and secured was in danger of being destroyed. And so they hold on.
But as Pluto stations this week at 27º Capricorn 54’ on October 10th-11th, it stands on this threshold between one era and the next. In the very last degrees of the sign of Capricorn, Pluto will re-enter Aquarius for the second time in January. These changes in sign, drawn out over the span of a few years are always significant to society as a whole, but also to ourselves. What makes this station of Pluto especially significant, is that it is square Mars in Libra while sitting at the bending of the Nodes. Alliances are shifting, relationships are being redefined, as we are all trying to figure out which side of the aisle we are going to be standing on when the dust settles.
Like a volcano getting ready to erupt, Mars/Pluto on the Nodes bludgeons, pushes, and overpowers us in ways that can feel simultaneously disempowering, and yet powerful. It can be about the despair one feels in the face of formidable forces over which we have no control. But there is also this primal need to survive when Mars meets Pluto, and it will not back down, even in the face of overwhelming circumstances. And so as we are currently standing on yet another threshold. One that could either feel like our utter destruction, or an opportunity for a rebirth and renewal.
Planets are strong when they station. And when Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld stations, he digs even deeper than he normally does, unearthing and revealing all that has been lurking below the surface. What is disclosed are often things that we had hoped would stay buried forever: our fears, cravings, obsessions, the wraiths and demons that possess our souls. The things that we want to avoid because we don’t want to ever have to deal with them. They make us feel uncomfortable, disempowered, fearful, wounded and lost in despair. These are the things that need purging. The things we most fear. It demands honesty, truth, a lot of courage and humility and even some heart-wrenching pain in the process.
At these stations of Pluto we are being asked, even in the face of extraordinary odds, even in the face of our own fear, even at the risk of humiliation, we are being asked to take our power back, where and however we can. No more avoiding the elephant in the room. No more placating or ignoring meanness, cruelty, bullying and shame. It is time to confront that which is undermining our health, our well-being, our confidence and our own agency and effectiveness in the world. And what is holding us back, are our own fears, our own insecurities and assumptions that convince us that we are incapable and unworthy.
Pluto is primarily concerned with Power: Who has it; how they use or abuse that power; and what they do with it. This can be political or economic. So some of the global issues we are facing could be concerned with: rising Authoritarian Regimes, Corporate and Political Corruption, the Abuse of Power and Wealth; and the fall from grace of powerful leaders. Pluto compels us to deal with forces that feel much greater than ourselves, but in the last degrees of Capricorn, it is also about transforming the infrastructures in our lives and in society: Governments; Leaders; Political Parties and Laws. All those things that we have outgrown as a society will no longer suffice, and will of necessity be challenged and purged, so that we can be reborn.
The consequences of what we learned last week in the light of the Super Full Moon in Aries could likely have been profound. With Mars at the South Node and square stationing Pluto, we can have the power of our own convictions. But know that this is the sort of weather that can make or break alliances. We can achieve much through right action, and through truth telling. But we can also cause harm if we come on too strong, are too demanding, or appear overly aggressive. However, this is also an opportunity for us to purge negativity from our lives.
Mars/Pluto can stir up a lot of angst and trouble. But with Mars conjunct the South Node we are also being asked to process and make sense of all that is moldering and burning and churning within. So what do we do with all this angst? Use it. Use it for something good and worthwhile. Mars/Pluto is tremendously courageous. Channel it into something constructive and useful. Use it to take on a habit. Use it to confront your own fears. Use it to transform your environment, your life, your body your mind. Get rid of all that stuff you no longer need. Something needs to be fixed? Fix it. Face off with that problem you’ve been avoiding. Do something hard. Fight for a worthwhile cause. Fight for something good. Do something wonderfully transformative. And if we’re going to be stirring up some trouble any way, make it good trouble.
Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful and optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. ~ John Lewis (2018)
For the station of Pluto for your sign or natal house, click below: