The transits of the planets

Pluto - Introduction

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Since Planets in Transit was written, Pluto's status as a planet has become controversial. The discovery of several planetary bodies beyond Neptune, in the Kuiper Belt, prompted the debate. Many of these objects have masses comparable to, or greater than, Pluto's, whose mass was long over-estimated. At first glance, these bodies seem to possess the same astrophysical qualities as Pluto and therefore merit the same classification. Consequently, at a highly controversial meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006, Pluto was demoted from the rank of major planet to a new category, dwarf planet — a classification intended to include virtually everything in the solar system that does not qualify as a major planet. During that conference, or shortly thereafter, the term "planet" (meaning "major planet") was redefined according to the following parameters.

1. A planet must possess sufficient gravitational force to pull itself into a roughly spherical shape.
2. A planet must have enough gravity to clear its orbital neighborhood of other bodies, either by accreting them or ejecting them.
3. A planet must orbit the Sun.

More recently, these criteria have been challenged by other groups of scientists, including several IAU members. Their objections are as follows. Criterion 1 is largely uncontroversial: most small asteroids, on close inspection, are simply large, irregularly shaped rocks. Criterion 2 is more contentious; one could argue that even Earth has not fully cleared its orbital neighborhood, as substantial debris still co-orbits with it. Thus the requirement is hardly clear. Criterion 3 automatically disqualifies planets orbiting other stars (exoplanets) because they do not orbit our Sun — an exclusion that seems absurd in the post-Copernican era, when we have long known that the Sun is just one star among many.

Alternate criteria have therefore been proposed.

1. A planet is a body whose mass is less than that of a star and that has never undergone the fusion reactions characteristic of stars.
2. A planet must have sufficient gravity to maintain a roughly spherical shape (Criterion 1 above).

The difficulty with this definition is that it applies to all of the larger asteroids, most planetary satellites — including our own Moon — and every Kuiper Belt object large enough to be spherical. By this reckoning, our solar system would contain at least a hundred planets, the Moon among them.

Although the second set of criteria does provide a coherent definition, the debate ultimately revolves around semantics. What does it truly mean for an object in space to be a planet? In the end, a planet is whatever human beings agree to label as such; there is no objectively real category called "planet."

As astrologers we must determine for ourselves which extraterrestrial bodies deserve the title of planet. For thousands of years we have included the Moon and the Sun — objects classified very differently by astronomers — simply because they appear to wander against the backdrop of the "fixed" stars. In this sense we have never aligned with any post-Copernican definition. After all, the word "planet" literally means "wanderer."

Our criteria must serve astrology, not astrophysics. The only debt astrology owes to astrophysics — strictly speaking, to celestial mechanics — is the ability to calculate positions, even for Kuiper Belt objects. With that in mind, I propose the following astrologically relevant criteria, all of which include Pluto.

1. The term "planet" should be limited to bodies that move in predictable, periodic orbits. We should probably exclude comets that plunge into the Sun or other bodies, although we have already adopted periodic comets, such as Chiron and the other Centaur objects.
2. A planet must be a physical body; it must have mass and obey the laws of physics. Points without mass — e.g., the Ascendant, Midheaven, the Lot of Fortune, the Lot of Spirit, or hypothetical points like Vulcan, Transpluto, Cupido, etc. — may be astrologically useful, but they are not planets.
3. If a body is a satellite that, from a geocentric or heliocentric viewpoint, never strays more than a minute or so of longitude from its primary, it is not a planet, regardless of its mass. The moons of Jupiter may influence Jupiter’s quality, but on their own they have no direct bearing on astrological practice. By this logic, our Moon qualifies as a planet because its geocentric position is independent of any primary body. Mercury and Venus also qualify because their longitudes can differ significantly from the Sun’s. The Sun, although technically a star, is considered a planet in astrology because it meets Criteria 1, 2, and 3. What about fixed stars? They are not truly fixed relative to each other, and while astrologers have long regarded them as significant, it has not been customary to consider aspects to fixed stars — a question still unresolved.
4. This final criterion is not astronomical: a planet must possess a sufficiently understood nature for astrologers to delineate it clearly. By this measure, Pluto is a planet. The various Kuiper Belt objects under study are becoming planets as astrologers learn to use them, and Chiron is close to achieving full planetary status, although its use may differ from that of other planets.

Pluto's nature is transcendent; in a sense, he is “not of this world.” Attempts to harness Pluto’s energy for personal, ego-driven gain usually end badly, and societies that try the same fare no better. Consider the Nazis, Stalin, and the many authoritarian regimes that have arisen since Pluto’s discovery, though Stalin anticipated it by about a decade.

Pluto’s energies operate slowly and relentlessly, producing profound transformation. A fitting metaphor is the movement of tectonic plates across Earth’s surface. Not until the twentieth century did we realize that continental drift causes earthquakes and volcanoes. Historically, Pluto signifies long-term economic and social forces that work independently of conscious human intent, though our unconscious may channel them. Current examples (in 2018) include the mass displacement of people from Syria and other parts of the Middle East, the resulting terrorism and migrations, the sudden rise of populist movements in the United States and elsewhere, and, of course, climate change and its cascading effects.

Before leaving this introduction, we must note one more point. Unlike the other major planets used in astrology, Pluto follows a highly eccentric, elliptical orbit. Consequently, the time it spends in each sign varies greatly, as the accompanying table illustrates.

It takes Pluto roughly 245 years to complete one circuit of the tropical zodiac (248 years in the sidereal zodiac). Half of that cycle is 122.5 years. Yet, as the table shows, Pluto spends thirty-two years in Taurus but only eleven in Scorpio — almost a 3: 1 ratio. Thus, if Pluto is at 0° Aries in a natal chart, ninety-one years pass before transiting Pluto forms a square, and 116 years before it forms a trine. In contrast, with Pluto at 0° Virgo, the square occurs after only thirty-eight years and the trine after fifty-one. As a result, Pluto’s transits to natal points occur at markedly different life stages depending on where Pluto is in its orbit, making generalizations difficult. At present, Pluto is moving faster than its mean motion, so its transits occur earlier in life, and a greater portion of the Pluto-cycle aspects can unfold within a single lifetime. This variability is especially dramatic in the cycle of Pluto’s aspects to its own natal position; the length of each phase depends heavily on the sign Pluto occupied at birth.

Qualities of Pluto

Pluto differs from the other planets in how it expresses the four classical qualities — Hot, Cold, Wet, and Dry. Naturally, these qualities were not attributed to Pluto in antiquity, just as Uranus and Neptune were unknown. Assigning qualities to Uranus and Neptune proved straightforward, but Pluto posed a challenge until I realized that Mercury also resists easy categorization. Whereas Mercury tends to adopt the qualities of any planet it contacts, Pluto seems to oppose them: if a planet is Cold, Pluto introduces Heat, and vice versa; if a planet is Wet, Pluto brings Dryness, and again vice versa. In this way Pluto acts as an agent of transformation.

Consider tectonic plates, a Plutonian phenomenon. A plate is essentially solid — Cold and Dry. When two plates collide, Pluto’s influence first renders them somewhat fluid (introducing the Wet quality) by exerting immense force so that the plates bend and subduct. As one plate slides beneath the other it heats until it liquefies, transforming from Cold and Dry to Hot and Moist. Although magma is hardly airy, it often contains considerable dissolved gases that explosively escape when it reaches the surface.

This example suggests that whenever forces collide — whether physical or social — the outcome is explosive, whereas when they do not collide they move slowly, relentlessly, and largely unseen. Many people with Pluto conjunct the Ascendant, for instance, prefer to remain private, concealing the intense emotional energies they contain. The challenge is to channel these Plutonian energies constructively through lifestyles that engage positively and powerfully in social transformation.

Because Pluto’s energy is transformative, encountering it requires a willingness to release whatever is passing out of one’s life and to allow change to unfold both within oneself and in the surrounding world.

Sect

Pluto’s sect nature is fairly clear. Day reinforces clarity, emphasising conditions that are distinct and well-defined. Pluto’s transformational energy, by contrast, produces continual change, in which nothing remains distinct or well-defined; even slow flux is inherently confusing and unclear.

Nevertheless, another argument can be made regarding Pluto’s sect. Ptolemy considered Saturn diurnal because it needed the day’s heat to offset its intrinsic Cold, and Mars nocturnal because the night’s moisture tempered its intrinsic Dryness. By similar reasoning, Pluto could be classed as diurnal because it needs the clarity of day to expose its transformational energies, allowing them to be handled with greater consciousness. However, as I have said elsewhere about Uranus and Neptune, it is far from certain that planets beyond Saturn should be classified by sect at all. Nor can we apply the analogy with Mars and Saturn, whose energies mostly operate within ordinary consciousness; Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto do not. For that reason it is unclear whether they should be labeled malefic or benefic. Indeed, we might question whether any planet should be so classified. Ptolemy’s reasons for assigning Saturn to day and Mars to night are better understood by appealing to their intrinsic natures: day is clear and well-defined, like Saturn, while night resists such clarity, like Mars, which ceases to be malefic when permitted to defend and protect what needs defending — a role that clearly aligns it with Venus and the Moon, the other nocturnal planets.

Ease or Difficulty of Dealing with Pluto

It is more useful to ask how easy or difficult Pluto is to handle, rather than whether it is benefic or malefic. Labeling an energy malefic really means that most people find it hard to manage. By that measure, Pluto is certainly challenging. Yet calling it malefic ascribes to it a desire to do harm — a motive it does not possess. Pluto simply is. Like many forms of power, when its energy is consciously channeled the results can be productive and creative; when left unchecked, the consequences can be unfortunate.

Pluto’s energy perhaps most fully embodies the dilemma expressed in the Buddha’s first two Noble Truths: life is inherently unsatisfactory and often painful, and this suffering is caused by desire — specifically, the wish that events conform to our preferences rather than to what needs to happen. The Chinese formulation puts it more succinctly: "Enlightenment is easy for those who have no preferences."

Function in the Natal Chart

Inward Manifestations

Astrological texts often state that Pluto’s energies operate entirely unconsciously within the individual. This is certainly true of some manifestations: biological processes such as growth, elimination, and the activation of latent talents proceed without our awareness unless something goes wrong — much like tectonic plates, which move unnoticed until they lock and slip, producing an earthquake. Pluto’s energy itself is not a malfunction; it is the relentless, ongoing transformation that triggers crisis only when obstructed.

Many astrologers link Pluto intrinsically with the unconscious or subconscious mind, a view that holds if we assign only negative states of consciousness to Pluto. Yet ample evidence shows that Pluto is equally involved when ordinary consciousness collapses and makes way for heightened spiritual awareness and enlightenment. Most of the time we remain unaware of Pluto within us — just as we are of Uranus and Neptune — except when something goes awry.

On the personal level Pluto often manifests as compulsion or obsession. Again, this may not reflect Pluto’s intrinsic nature but rather the circumstances that dam up its natural flow. When such a blockage occurs, the force exerted is tremendous.

Outward Manifestations

Because Plutonian energies are transpersonal, they are often experienced as environmental forces that feel fated or inevitable. Two factors contribute to this perception. First, because these energies cannot be fully contained within individual consciousness, it is as easy to experience them as external as it is to sense them emerging from the depths of one’s own unconscious. In that sense their "fated" or "karmic" quality can be a projection. Second, Pluto is genuinely connected to forces of change that arise in the world around us — societal, economic, and natural. Climate change is one example. While such change is constant, we should still examine how our collective unconscious drives these processes and do what we can to reduce our contribution. Natural forces are already in flux; they do not need additional impetus from us, which is why the present climate crisis deserves our concern.

When people accuse others of being on the "wrong side of history," they are invoking these Plutonian forces. Unfortunately, describing history in terms of sides or forces does little to clarify what is actually happening; these labels are largely meaningless.

A general observation applies to all Pluto transits: any planet or chart point located more than 270° ahead of your natal Pluto is unlikely ever to receive a conjunction (0°) from transiting Pluto, and for most people Pluto never gets even that far.