Frasch Ideas—Examine, Inquire, Explore

What About Pluto? (Part 2)

• Posted by Theresa on August 29th, 2006 filed in Believe It or Not

One of the questions the demotion of Pluto brought to my mind is what are astrologists going to do with this? I have a friend who writes a blog on astrology and I have been watching to see what she says about it, but so far nothing. So I did a little research on my own to see what is happening out there.

According to Astrology.com:

Pluto’s energy may be subtle, but its results will hit you like a ton of bricks. This Planet is about transformation, regeneration and rebirth. Things aren’t pretty with Pluto, but they do get done. Pluto says ‘out with the old and in with the new,’ and we’d better be ready for it. If we’re not, this Planet will simply have us wallow in our misery. Pluto asks us to transcend that which we know, redeem ourselves in the process, and come out stronger as a result.

For all that Pluto (re)creates (it also governs the reproductive system), it loves to destroy. This Planet rules destruction, death, obsession, kidnapping, coercion, viruses and waste. That’s definitely not pretty. Pluto also governs crime and the underworld, along with many forms of subversive activity (terrorism, dictatorships). This Planet is about all that is secret and undercover, that which is hidden from view. Is this the story of good vs. evil? Yes.

No one will deny Pluto’s power (it rules atomic power, too) and intensity. This Planet’s energy is often focused on the masses and what the collective will do. Pluto beseeches the masses to look inward (and to their subconscious) to see what’s there. It may be scary, but Pluto doesn’t care. This Planet knows how to push buttons.

According to You and the Universe:

Pluto is the outermost planet of the solar system, and the end of the process of breaking down the reality structure of normal consciousness begun by Uranus. Pluto supplies the energy for the evolutionary process whereby outmoded or dysfunctional entities are transformed through death and rebirth into new ones higher on the evolutionary path. This outmoded entity is often a part of our ego with which we are identified, and without which we feel we cannot live. If we resist Pluto here instead of surrendering to the necessary ego death and personal transformation, mental illness or even breakdown can occur. Pluto causes the disintegration of psychological blocks obstructing our evolutionary growth. Its energy comes from the core of all things, and is the most intense and potent there is: atomic, nuclear, sexual, kundalini. If we allow the fear of the death of some part of our self to block it’s process, the result can be catastrophic.

According to Elysian Astrology:

Pluto energy compels the individual in one way or another. Whether they are compelled for good, or for bad (evil, even) depends upon the Pluto sign and house position, but also largely on the aspects it receives from other planets, and whether a generally kind or cruel disposition is indicated by the overall chart.

Contacts between Pluto and Saturn, especially when close, can be very ‘hard’ or ‘dangerous’ aspects to the personality. Saturn-Pluto contacts can bring a sinister touch to the most benign personalities. Close aspects between Uranus and Pluto are quite explosive and revolutionary - perhaps for good (a social reformer or passionate campaigner), perhaps for worse (cruel, unpredictable dictatorship). Close aspects between Neptune and Pluto are ’strange’ in nature, perhaps paranormal, or at the very least rather enigmatic.

Even though Pluto’s sign position remains the same for a generation or more, and is personalized only when it is the ruling planet or in close aspect to an important planet/point, the house position of Pluto is of course individual to every natal chart.

So it seems that as a planet Pluto is pretty important to astrologers. So What do they have to say about this new development?

As reported in the Seattle Times:

The ruling by the world’s top astronomers to boot Pluto from the planet category is sending shock waves through another set of dedicated stargazers: the world of astrologers.

Against:

Some astrologers, including leaders of the American Federation of Astrologers and The Astrological Association of Great Britain, are standing by Pluto. They say they will continue to regard the icy orb as a full-blown planet with a powerful pull on our psyche, despite the astronomers’ decision.

“Whether he’s a planet, an asteroid, or a radioactive matzo ball, Pluto has proven himself worthy of a permanent place in all horoscopes,” says Shelley Ackerman, columnist for the spirituality Web site Beliefnet.com. Ackerman criticized the IAU for not including astrologers in its decision.

Wall Street’s best-known astrologer, Arch Crawford, 65, who has studied the effect of the planets on the Dow Jones industrial average, says, “I’m going to continue using it [Pluto]. They [astronomers] can stick it where the sun don’t shine.”

For:

That has generated excitement among a small group of practitioners known as “minor-planet astrologers.” They have long contended that outer-lying asteroids and ice balls exert a powerful tug on our psychological makeup.

Some astrologers think that officially introducing new dwarf planets to the charts might give astrologers additional information about people, by providing more planetary bodies and forces to study in the charts.

Many other minor-planet enthusiasts are interested in raising awareness about

Charon and the new dwarf planets, Ceres and UB313, in part because they consider them female planets symbolizing a rush of new maternal energy into the cosmos.

StarIQ.com astrologer Michael Wolfstar suggests that the asteroid Ceres is a humanitarian, compassionate force “associated with relief operations, the food industry and parent-child relationships.” According to the site, Ceres is currently pushing for “the return of refugees to southern Lebanon” and “reforms in the organic-milk industry.”

So what are they going to do about it?

Companies that make chart-reading software for astrologers are adjusting their products to include more information on dwarf planets. Astrolabe, an astrology-software company in Brewster, Mass., released a software patch this week for users that provides additional information on Ceres.

Horoscope columnists are wrestling with whether to incorporate the new dwarf planets into their chart readings.

Michael Lutin, columnist for Vanity Fair, says he will consider the newcomers. But he notes that they aren’t likely to have massive impact on our personal lives because of their location in at the outer reaches of the solar system: “UB313 is never going to tell you whether Wednesday is good for romance.”

I don’t know about you, but it all sounds pretty suspect to me. But then again…Is it the same as the ever-changing world of science?

Technorati : astrology, beliefs, character, pluto
Del.icio.us : astrology, beliefs, character, pluto
Ice Rocket : astrology, beliefs, character, pluto