Pluto in the Signs

Pluto in Aries (1822/23–1851/53)

Pluto’s influence in this adventurous sign set off the great pioneering trek westward in America. The first railroad was introduced in America. It was during this era that the world became larger as mankind ventured to explore the far reaches of this planet. There were struggles for supremacy as strong nations acquired colonies. It is particularly notable that England (which is specifically an Ram country) achieved world ascendancy during Pluto’s transit of Aries, becoming the empire on which the sun never set. When Pluto is in Aries, the planet’s personal influence gives courage, self-reliance, and a strong sense of individuality; recklessness and egotism are its negative effects for individuals.

Pluto in Taurus (1851/53–1882/84)

In Taurus, the sign of wealth and possessions, Pluto brought upheaval. In America, a bloody civil war was fought over the question of slavery—whether one human being could properly be the possession of another. All over the world the very wealthy exploited the very poor; child labor flourished and the have-nots endured lives of misery and hardship. During this era Karl Marx formulated his revolutionary theories, based on the elimination of the class system and a more equal distribution of wealth. Pluto-in-Taurus saw capitalism finally triumph over the last vestiges of feudalism and virtually take over the world. When Pluto is in Taurus, the planet’s personal influence gives its natives determination and endurance. People with this Pluto position seek stability and are often obsessed with material advancement.

Pluto in Gemini (1882/84–1912/14)

When Pluto was last in Gemini, the sign of communication, it revolutionized the way information reached the masses. This was the era when newspapers came into prominence. The phonograph and photography reproduced sounds and visual information for wide use by the public. The first motion pictures were invented and gave rise to a new industry (which flowered when Neptune transited the theatrical sign of Leo). Gemini rules the airwaves, so it is not surprising that during Pluto’s transit the telegraph, the radio, and the telephone came into being. This era also introduced two new forms of travel that would revolutionize the world: the airplane and automobile. When Pluto is in Gemini the planet’s personal influence gives its natives an inventive and restless mind that seeks change and freedom from old restrictions.

Pluto in Cancer (1912/14–1937/39)

Pluto’s stormy transit through Cancer, the sign of home, brought upheaval to family life in America. By the millions people left the country to settle in towns and cities. The negative side of Pluto-in-Cancer was shown in the hideous loss of life in World War One, and the preparations for World War Two under the leadership of militaristic Nazi Germany, a nation that espoused glorification of the homeland. Our country and our way of life (Cancerian values) were imperiled. Cancer is the sign of agriculture; during Pluto’s transit in the 1930s, we saw the great drought and the misery of the migrant farm workers forced from their land. We also saw the rise of industrial unions formed in violent struggles against the power of the great corporations. When Pluto is in Cancer, the planet’s personal influence gives intense emotions and creative imagination. Negatively, it produces a deep resentment of other people’s good fortune.

Pluto in Leo (1937/39–1956/58)

During Pluto’s journey through the masterful sign of Leo, the United States entered World War Two and helped the Allied powers win a victory over Germany and Japan. Leo is also a magnanimous sign (after the war the United States gave money and assistance to the defeated countries in order to help rebuild them). On October 24, 1945, the United Nations was formed, where each country would express its point of view and attempt to work out its differences with other nations. The Korean War was fought to save a nation from aggression. Pluto in the power sign of Leo also points to abuse of power, and during this era people’s lives and careers were crippled and destroyed by the rise of McCarthyism. When Pluto is in Leo, the personal influence is to emphasize love of power, a domineering ego, and self aggrandizement, but it also confers on its natives strong pride and a will to prevail despite obstacles. There is a tendency toward arrogance, selfishness, and sensual pleasures. The generation that was born when Pluto transited Leo introduced the era of the pleasure principle; there is also strong emphasis on mass hero-worship of personalities in the media.

Pluto in Virgo (1956/58–1971/72)

During Pluto’s transit of Virgo, the sign of service to others, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations were committed to social programs. This was the era of the Great Society, of achievement in the fight for civil rights and, in the mid 1960s, a growing feminist movement. In this sign of health, some of Pluto’s influences on its generation are a new awareness of toxic food additives, an emphasis on holistic medicine, and concern over pollution of the environment. Virgo is also the sign of practicality, of putting facts to useful work. During Pluto’s transit of this sign, the two world superpowers were actively involved in space exploration. In 1969 a human being first walked on the Moon. The dark side of Pluto’s power was shown as the United States was plunged into turmoil by the assassinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. Southeast Asia was torn by an unending war in Vietnam, which not only took its toll in lives and misery but also divided the nation emotionally. When Pluto is in Virgo, the planet’s personal influence bestows a profound analytical quality to the personality. People under this influence seek perfection but are also suspicious and ready to find fault with the world around them.

Pluto in Libra (1971/72–1983/84)

Libra is the sign of peace and harmony, and early in Pluto’s journey through Libra the agonizing war in Vietnam finally came to an end. On a larger scale, two enormous hostile world powers, the United States and the People’s Republic of China, moved toward peace and a new rapprochement in their relatie. Pluto-in-Libra also indicates deep concern for law and balancing injustice. The era of Watergate, with its shocking revelations of corruption, ended by bringing new order to government and restoring the balance of powers between the executive branch and Congress. A consequence was the adoption of the Freedom of Information Act. Libra emphasizes egalitarianism and equality, and Pluto’s transit saw the passage of equal opportunity laws, support for the Equal Rights Amendment, and greater equality for homosexuals. Libra also signifies a love for luxury, and the early 1980s ushered in a period of opulence and ostentation. When Pluto is in Libra, the planet’s personal influence promotes a deep need to seek harmony and cooperation. Its negative side brings unforeseen problems and disruption in close relationships.

Pluto in Scorpio (1983/84–1995)

The entry of Pluto into the sign of Scorpio coincided with George Orwell’s predictions of a totalitarian government and loss of individual rights in his famous book 1984. Pluto is extremely powerful in Scorpio, the sign that it rules, and this period was one of turmoil and revolution. During this era the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union disbanded and became a commonwealth, Iran turned militantly conservative, Yugoslavia was torn apart by warring Serbs and Croats. Scorpio is the sign of destruction, and Pluto’s transit was rife with worldwide terrorism. Pluto’s link to the underworld was seen in the rise of an international drug trade. The sign of Scorpio rules sexuality, birth, death, and rebirth, and Pluto’s journey gave rise to test-tube babies, surrogate parenting, cloned animals, and all manner of genetic engineering. The AIDS virus became rampant, underlining the themes of sex and death. Pluto’s personal influence in Scorpio produces individuals with penetrating minds and strong wills. These people are imaginative and passionate, possess psychic ability, and can be ruthless about getting their own way.

Pluto in Sagittarius (1995–2007/08)

Pluto zips through Sagittarius in a relatively short time, thirteen years, and its influence promises to be less heavy. Sagittarius is the sign of truth and open knowledge, and the years just prior to the turn of the millennium are characterized as the Information Age. Television reported events in full detail almost before they took place; the Web links us to information within seconds; endless streams of memoirs have left no one’s secrets untold. In keeping with full disclosure, we witnessed a U.S. president’s impeachment (and acquittal) that began with the exposure of his extramarital sexual affair. Sagittarius also represents foreign lands and far-flung places and, through the computer and the Internet, Pluto has transformed the concept of distance. International trade and business takes place in seconds, retailers sell to the public directly through the computer, and e-mail instantly connects people on opposite sides of the Earth.We are hopeful that the first decade of the twenty-first century is an era of new values in philosophy, religion, education, and foreign affairs, areas all under Sagittarius’s influence. Sagittarius is the sign of freedom, adventure, and exploration. There should be a new spirit of friendliness and spiritual sharing among nations. Europe has already joined in a Common Market. Pluto-in-Sagittarius brings deep hope and profound understanding. Its negative influence is toward impractical extremes, but the optimism and enthusiasm that characterizes this transit should make this an uplifting time for human beings everywhere.

Pluto in Capricorn (2008/09–2024)

Because Capricorn is the sign of discipline and ambition, Pluto’s influence here should stress responsibility and the ethic of work. Capricorn is the sign of government and long-term security, and Pluto may have the effect of bringing a new world order into being. Individual nations may join in a system of world government that leads to greater stability. Star-watchers are focused on the year 2012, which the Mayan calendar marks as the “end of the world.”Many spiritual movements believe this is a metaphor for a change in “consciousness” when the human race will adopt a more spiritual value system. Astrologically, Pluto in Capricorn holds out the hope there will be an end to war.