We have never been here before.
Pluto in the sign of Aquarius - launched on March 27 — the great transformer, exposing our state of enlightenment or inhumanity, suggesting a goal of equality and radical change or revolution if needed, unearthing the lies, controls and corruption—in society, and within each one of us personally.
In our lifetime, Pluto has never been in the sign of Aquarius as it has an orbit so far away from our Sun that it takes 248 years to make the whole elliptical journey. Baby Boomers were born when Pluto was in the sign of Leo, the literal exact opposite energy.
This Leo-Aquarius polarity suggests that our transformational Pluto in Aquarius agenda for the next 22 years will uphold opposite philosophies to the dominant constructs. Royalty, narcissism, extravagance and excessive ego will be so last century, to be exposed and smashed. The positive qualities of Leo—creativity, expressiveness and generosity—will be transformed to shine appropriately.
On the other hand, we will thoroughly explore Aquarian principles, digging deep to expose problems and concerns that are already arising.. We will be course correcting, and building a new Aquarian principles infused society.
Aquarius rules technology, and already in the first few days of Pluto’s arrival here, we see the writing on the wall. ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence open source programs became available for mainstream use only a few months ago. Already the alarm bells are ringing. Do we know how to handle this? Is it accurate or does it become a tool of fake news? What about copyright? How can we avoid cheating? How many jobs will be completely wiped out?
Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, tech developer giants, have called for a pause on AI research because, frankly, it’s moving too fast even for them to trust in the process. They see the risks of this Aquarian centerpiece. World changes based on technology will continue to be awesome and supportive, but Pluto will expose the flaws and challenges, as it did with government and big business with Pluto in Capricorn (2008-2023), and with sexuality, disease and death with its Scorpio cycle in the 80s and 90s.
Revolution is also a key Aquarian concept. We see the French out on the streets revolting against a later retirement age, a reminder of the 1700’s and their protest of the royal/class system as the Aquarian planet was discovered. We see the fractures within the British monarchy and the likely weakening of their power if not abolition during the next decades. We can anticipate revolution throughout our world as the needs of an impoverished world population reach a breaking point, or we can embrace its compassionate cousin, activism, and create a humanitarian system that works.
It is said that Aquarius rules astrology, which has been having a renaissance in the past few years. It is also wild west territory, with anyone who reads a couple of books able to set up a website and say they’re an astrologer. Pluto will illuminate potential harm and suggest controls. We will dig deep to figure out how to create rules that will allow the freedom and autonomy of astrology to thrive while protecting people from psychological harm.
Aquarius asks each one of us to be an activist, to rebel against the self-centered power and greed that has ruled this world through every kind of Leo kingdom imaginable. The challenge to this task is to do our part without becoming hardened and exhausted. A revolution takes years if not decades. It’s a good time to remember “many hands makes light work” and to focus on the beauty we are creating in the midst of destruction.
Aquarius rules community, our friend circles where we share a sense of purpose or meaning. Technology allows us to connect in community throughout the world, yet there’s often a profound joy in being nourished by our personal connections. It takes purposeful action to cultivate and deepen community. This is one key to navigating these times.
Additionally, for each one of us, this time cycle offers an opportunity to thrive in our authenticity, to release the drudgery of endless work, living up to an exhausting drive for accomplishment. We can benefit by using the gifts of the three other “fixed” signs that relate to Aquarius to create balance:
Taurus: work on being grounded • connect with the physical body and its needs • be healed by nature • strive for simplicity • enjoy good, healthy food • let conflict go whenever possible
Scorpio: explore opportunities for depth and transformation • cultivate intimacy • be truthful • explore psychology and depth spirituality to make sense of the changes
Leo: play and be light-hearted • discover your unique version of fun • be creative • let yourself be seen • enjoy children, including you own inner child.
And the secret sauce?
Saturn in Pisces for the next three years asks us to be disciplined about our spiritual path, which can include, meditation, yoga, prayer, nature, and endless compassion for ourselves and others.
It is natural to be disturbed by change, to feel overwhelmed about the outcome or our ability to adapt. With focused healing choices to work with these energies, and by joining together in community, we have the potential to thrive.