Pluto in Aquarius: a Fundamental Shift
2023 kicked off some monumental celestial shifts. Three planets changed signs: Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. While Jupiter changes signs every 12 months, and Saturn every 30 months, when Pluto changes signs, it signals a huge, generational shift.
This will be followed by more major shifts in 2025, as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all change signs that year! With Uranus and Neptune, in particular, it's a very big energy refresh.
The world is heading into an important period that may feel like a new era.
Let's start with Pluto (and I will write another post on Neptune and Uranus at a later time).
Pluto's Role in Astrology:
Well my friends, Pluto's energy is not easy. It's about deep transformation that comes under a considerable upheaval. Think the "phoenix rising from the ashes" experience.
Pluto clears what's become outdated and stagnant, to pave the way for a new wave of societal change. And when I say "clears", what I see is a powerful hurricane tearing through and uprooting everything in its path. That's Pluto alright.
One thing is for certain - when Pluto changes signs, we can go through a tumultuous experience collectively, and our lives and society as a whole can change in unprecedent ways.
But, after the initial shock and turbulence passes, a new paradigm usually emerges.
Pluto Will Be in Aquarius for a Good Long Time...
Owing to Pluto’s elliptical orbit, these big and societally important periods can span between 13 to 33 years. It moves very slowly and only advances 1-3 degrees a year, depending on the sign.
Pluto dipped its toes into Aquarius in 2023, visiting it from March 23 to June 11 2023. I then retrograded into Capricorn.
Well, it's about to move back into Aquarius, on January 20 2024! This time, it will spend more time in Aquarius - 8 1/2 months - but Pluto is not done with Capricorn just yet. It will return for one final blast, between September 2 to November 20 2024.
But, come November 20, Pluto will settle into the Water Bearer sign for a good long time, until March 8 2043. So we better understand what Pluto in Aquarius means, because this energy will be with us for close to 21 years..
Pluto will flirt with Pisces between March 8 to Sept. 1 2043, and return Aquarius for one final hurrah, until Jan. 19 2044.
When a planet is changing signs, we feel its energy very strongly. It's like, it wants to make its presence known when it first enters the sign. And when it's about to leave the sign, it's as if it rushes to complete any unfinished business.
As Pluto is About to Leave Capricorn...
Pluto first moved into Capricorn in 2008, it brought a financial crisis. And its exit was accompanied by the prolonged stock market turmoil, that finally started lifting in November 2023 (but who knows what the future holds... the upcoming Jupiter-Uranus conjunction can be verrrrry good for cryptocurrencies, but that's for another post 🙂)
Governing structures and governments are another area that can be shaken up by Pluto's exit from Capricorn. There can be one last, desperate bid for control and power.
There may be some big political reversals experienced by the governments in power in some countries, in the coming years.
Pluto in Aquarius: a Retrospective
Pluto takes 248 years to go around the Sun. The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was between 1778 and 1798, a period of massive change all over the world.
A big part of Aquarian energy is about revolutions and "power to the people". And so the last time Pluto was in Aquarius, we had the French Revolution and the last years of the American Revolution.
248 years have passed, and a revolution these days doesn't need to be violent (although it can be). The important thing is, there can be a collective desire and drive to overthrow something that no longer works and feels oppressive.
Another big Aquarian theme is innovation and scientific breakthroughs.
A radical overhaul of the map of the solar system happened when Pluto was also in Aquarius. In 1543 Copernicus first set down his findings that the Sun and not the Earth was the center of the solar system.
Some of the other notable events included development of the smallpox vaccine - the first successful vaccine; development of the telegraph; and invention of the first dental drill.
This is not to go into an exhaustive review of the previous Pluto cycles in Aquarius, but to give you a flavour of its energy.
Pluto in Aquarius: Going Forward
Paving the way for Pluto's entry into Aquarius, Jupiter and Saturn both visited the water-bearer sign between December 2020-December 2021 (Jupiter) and December 2020- March 2023 (Saturn).
True to form, when Jupiter and Saturn both moved into Aquarius in December 2020, viable COVID vaccine was confirmed. See? When a planet moves into sign, and especially when two planets join forces, we can really feel their impacts.
And, as I mentioned, technology and scientific discovery are two big Aquarian themes.
All things technology soared (predictably) when Jupiter was in Aquarius. Zoom became a household name during the pandemic. It was technology that was connecting us all, quarantined in our homes and going stir-crazy.
And, just before Pluto moved into Aquarius in 2023, Chat GPT became a household name, and AI (artificial intelligence) started to gain prominence. As I write this post, many organizations are starting to use Co-Pilot (an AI-driven tool) for office use and to improve productivity.
And in 2024, we are going to experience another energy that can kick off some major innovation and breakthroughs. Jupiter and Uranus will come together at 21° Taurus, on April 20. We'll start feeling the energy of this conjunction much earlier though, as early as mid-March.
Many technological and scientific advances over the last couple of centuries transpired when a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction was active in the skies. Even if we don't hear of any big break-throughs in April, there could be some important innovation worked on, to be revealed at a later time. This enhances the energy of Pluto in Aquarius.
So...what's next?
Some Possibilities:
Here are some possibilities that Pluto's move into Aquarius can bring. What I've been noticing over the years is that just a couple of themes play out when the planet is visiting a specific sign - but they play out big time.
So, in addition to AI and technological advances, here are some possible scenarios:
- Political revolutions
- New political parties emerging and becoming mainstream
- The next industrial revolution
- Big changes around the way information is disseminated. It's hard to imagine our life before Internet and social media now. Perhaps some new developments that we can't even fathom just yet will arrive.
- Big technological shifts. Perhaps AI (Artificial Intelligence) will develop in the ways we can't fathom now. And, will the machines take over the world? I guess we'll find out in 2043-2044, when Pluto is getting ready to leave Aquarius 🤖
- Significant developments related to outer space
- And other technological breakthroughs that we might not be able to envision yet!
We Are All Connected:
Aquarius is egalitarian. It connects groups of people and flattens hierarchical structures. It brings greater equality.
But...I'm curious about the talk of de-globalization, following the pandemic years of supply-chain disruptions, that highlighted just how fragile the world's interdependence can be.
Will we be experiencing the shift to a greater interconnectedness of the world, or will we be moving in the opposite direction? Or doing some zig-sags?
Pluto-Jupiter Aspects:
In 2023, Pluto squared Jupiter, and we had a banking mini-crisis in the US. For a few weeks, it looked like it could have a global impact (but thankfully, it didn't).
Pluto-Jupiter aspects are the energy of wealth. Depending on the aspect, they can bring a downturn or a huge upswing.
On June 2 2024, Jupiter (at 1° Gemini) will trine Pluto (at 1° Aquarius). And that's an auspicious energy. That's when some financially beneficial developments are possible - perhaps much-anticipated interest rate cuts will be happening right on schedule, after all. Bank of Canada's rate cuts are projected for May-June 2024, at the time I'm writing this blog.
And, if this aspect hits your natal chart just right, it can bring an opportunity for wealth, power, and future growth toward your higher purpose. Check if you have natal planets or angles between 28° Taurus - 4° Gemini, 28° Virgo - 4° Libra, and 28° Capricorn - 4° Aquarius.
Who is Impacted?
Pluto moves so very slowly...it will visit 29° Capricorn to 2° Aquarius in 2024.
If your natal Sun, personal planets or angles fall between 27° Capricorn to 4° Aquarius, 2024 could be a very impactful year for you personally. Massive transformational change is not out of the question! At the very least, 2024 will allow you to connect with your personal power at a very deep level.
Here is a quick cheat sheet to the dates of birth affected by Pluto in 2024, For some of you, 2024 will be closing a theme that started a couple of years ago. And for some of you, it will be introducing new energies that will stay with you for a couple of years forward.So Much More to Share with You!
So much more to share with you in my webinar, "Navigating 2024"! , Global trends. Impacts on your sign. Practical tips to navigate your year ahead - including the energy of Pluto in Aquarius.
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And many extras, including a calendar "Best Dates for..."
You can purchase the recorded webinar here.