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Happy birthday to all the Sagittarians! Sagittarius, the archer, is ruled by Jupiter which rules, law religion, higher education, publishing and long distance travel. They are naturally freedom-loving individuals who are usually the life of the party! At the moment the planet Pluto is transiting the sign of Sagittarius. Pluto dwells in the Underworld and rules earthquakes and volcanoes, hence when we encounter Pluto transits we experience raw, primal emotions that involve issues of survival. Pluto was the god who abducted the maiden Persephone to the Underworld to be his bride. When she returned to the upper world she was transformed, no longer the innocent maiden but instead a mature married woman pregnant with Pluto’s child.
Sagittarians will have been experiencing the effects of Pluto since it began its transit of Sagittarius in November 1995, depending on the degree of the Sun in their natal chart. At the moment Pluto is at 24 degrees Sagittarius and will not complete its transit until November 2008. Sagittarius along with Gemini, Pisces and Virgo are all mutable signs which implies flexibility. Therefore, people born under these signs will also have been feeling the effects of Pluto. Just as Persephone was taken by surprise and completely transformed, Sagittarians and other people undergoing Pluto transits can expect to undergo a symbolic death and transformation. When counseling my clients who are undergoing major Pluto transits I encourage them to just go with the flow. The more we resist the more painful the experience can be. Pluto demands total surrender. Resisting the changes that Pluto represents can lead to illness or depression. Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, rules the eliminatory and sex organs. Major Pluto transits can coincide with a build up of toxins that need to be eliminated, skin rashes or for women gynaecological disorders. Taking care of our emotional and physical wellbeing is an imperative during a Pluto transit.
"Pluto demands total surrender."
Although it can be very painful we can also see Pluto as the great liberator. Just as Persephone was at the age where she needed to individuate from her mother, Demeter, when we experience major Pluto transits we may also have to let go of loved ones through death or divorce or broken relationships, cherished ideas or beliefs or possessions. If we can understand the process that we are undergoing and understand the purpose behind this particular rite of passage that is occurring, then we will be less afraid of what is happening to us and ultimately more accepting. The transits of the major planets are happening earlier and earlier. It’s as if the Universe is speeding up the process of transformation and evolutionary soul growth on the planet so that the human race has an opportunity for accelerated spiritual growth. What is referred to astrologically as the mid life crisis or transition occurs when a series of what are called the transpersonal planets i.e. beyond the personal realm, i.e. Pluto, Uranus and Neptune make a challenging aspect to the natal position of these planets in the birth chart. For the baby boomer to whose generation I belong we experienced our mid life transition from ages 39 onwards, relatively later than people do now.
The Pluto square to natal Pluto heralds the beginning of the mid life transition. People born around the 1960’s experienced theirs around the age of 38 onwards, while those born a decade later around the 70’s begin their mid life transition as early as 35. One thing is certain that when we are on the brink of these transits change is inevitable. What the famous Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, noted was that at midlife it is time to start expressing our unlived potential. For women it used to be a time they would focus on making their mark in the outer world i.e. in their career and for men who may have been focusing on building a successful career, it is a time to nourish their inner life. Therefore, we can experience a radical change in lifestyle for example a marriage breakdown, a career change or health challenges. A current example is the former state opposition leader, John Brogden, whose recent traumas, attempted suicide and decision to leave politics altogether coincided with his Pluto square Pluto. Joseph Campbell, the American author, writes about the hero’s journey and draws a wheel to illustrate the different rites of passage that we encounter. If we can just see our lives as a journey with many twists and turns on the way where we sometimes encounter helpers and sometimes hinderers on the way, this can help sustain us through the difficult times.
There is a powerful myth that I share with my friends and clients undergoing major Pluto transits. It is an ancient Sumerian myth called ‘Inanna Queen of Heaven and Earth’ which serves as an analogy for the descent to the Underworld that we undergo during a major Pluto transit. It involves the journey of descent of the goddess, Inanna, into the Underworld, ostensibly to visit her sister, Ereshkigal. She has to descend seven steps and at each step she has to surrender an article of clothing or jewellery which symbolise her worldly possessions. The number seven is a sacred number which corresponds to the seven chakras and the seven ancient planets. Numerologically seven is the number of spirituality and wisdom so the descent can be seen as an opportunity to gain wisdom through the painful process of facing our shadow, i.e. the unacknowledged dark side of ourselves. She is described as being bowed naked and low. This is precisely what happens during a Pluto transit – we are divested of our worldly possessions or beliefs.
Her sister, Ereshkigal, does not welcome this intruder into her domain and fixes her with the look of death. Ereshkigal symbolises our shadow and when we don’t deal with this dark side of ourselves we can find our shadow mirrored back to us by people with whom we have relationships whether it be our partner, boss, sibling, child or friend. This can come in the form of projections where our significant other can blame the person experiencing the Pluto transit. Inanna is hung on a hook to rot and this is exactly what happens during a Pluto transit – it is an alchemical process involving dying to the old self with the new self emerging from the subterranean womb. It is like a shamanic journey, involving death, dismemberment and rebirth. With the aid of little helpers who empathise with Inanna during her suffering she does emerge transformed from the Underworld. We all need little helpers of some sort to act as midwives to support us in process of rebirth.
When we are going through these transits it can be helpful to see a counselor or astrologer who can be seen as a helper on our journey. Other supportive modalities include kinesiology which involves muscle testing to get to the source of the buried emotions that are blocking our progress. Processes such as rebirthing, primal therapy, hypnotherapy, past life regression which are cathartic i.e. very cleansing and healing are also very conducive to Pluto transits which demand probing deeply. Homeopathy can also help in breaking down old patterns.
"This is precisely what happens during a Pluto transit – we are divested of our worldly possessions or beliefs."
In conclusion, the descent to the Underworld, triggered by Pluto transits can be very stressful and confronting but is ultimately life transforming. Plutonian energy can be felt up to two years before the transit is exact and it can take another two years to integrate the experiences. The journey involves a maturation process where we end codependent relationships. Pluto is about power and control so we are able to break down old patterns of relating and empower ourselves. It takes courage and honesty to own our own shadow. The hero’s journey involves facing the dragons but once we do that we find the buried treasure i.e. our hidden potential released from the deepest recesses of our psyche. Persephone returned to the Underworld to act as a guide for lost souls while Inanna resumed the reign of her kingdom sending her husband down to the Underworld in her place. Like our heroes, Persephone and Inanna, we too are transformed, feel empowered, lighter and freer, having eliminated a lot of excess emotional baggage.
Both Mercury and Mars turn direct in December. Mercury’s direct motion will normalise communications, ensuring we will receive our Christmas mail. Venus, the planet ruling love, relationships, justice, peace and harmony, has her star turn, turning retrograde on Christmas Eve and will retrograde back into the sign of Capricorn, turning direct on February 3, 2006. Esoterically, Venus is a sacred planet ruling right human relationships. What could Venus remaining in Capricorn mean for us mere mortals? Capricorn rules the establishment and Venus the ruler of Libra is depicted as the goddess holding the scales of justice. Perhaps we could try to divine her message for Christmas and the New Year. Could it be rule encompassing compassion and a sense of fairness rather than motivated from the love of power? And to conclude for the year with the words of the Libran ruled John Lennon – “Give Peace a Chance” or “Peace and Goodwill to all Men.”
-by Anne Robertson
18/12/2005
Transits
Birth Chart
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