June 16, 2009

Pluto in Capricorn and a Forbidden Subject: Slow-moving Pluto’s passage through Capricorn is the base note for all of the faster planetary cycles. It will be the focal point of the major T-square with Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in 2010 that is one of the most powerful astrological patterns in many years. Prior to reaching this transitional point it is helpful to increase our understanding of Pluto’s transit through the ambitious and authoritative sign of Capricorn that began in January 2008 and ends in 2024.

Pluto’s presence in a sign intensifies its characteristics, usually in a challenging way. Most recently, we’ve seen Pluto’s transit through sexy Scorpio (1983-95) bring us AIDS and its transit through religious Sagittarius (1995-2008) produce the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers. Capricorn is a sign of social power, institutions and elite status. We have already seen a financial slide that has brought banks, investment houses and insurance companies to their knees. These are supposed to be the pillars of our free enterprise system, the reliable sources of restraint and responsibility that help hold it all together.

Capricorn is a vertical sign represented by the mountain goat trying to reach the top. It is ambitious and materially oriented, valuing conquest and concrete results more than cooperation and community. In Capricorn’s world “greed is good” and to the winners go the spoils. This aligns with free market ideals and the trickle down theory popularized under Ronald Reagan that when the rich get richer we all benefit.

While the current economic crisis and the Obama Administration have turned the government in a different direction, we are still reluctant to have a serious discussion about capitalism. The subject, like many others, has become so polarized than any criticisms are interpreted as all out attacks. Yet the critical issues of health care, taxes, unemployment and economic policies dance all around the “C” word without addressing it directly. It would be political suicide to question capitalism’s underlying principles in public and an invitation to battle among friends to bring it up in private. The subject is so hot that few except those on the extremes are willing to talk about it.

Perhaps we should expect no more than silence with Pluto in Capricorn. The power (Pluto) of authority (Capricorn) may be as open to dissent and discussion as terrorists or the AIDS virus. Yet if we are to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and face the enormous challenges of the present, we need to open our minds and put the big questions of who we are as a society and how we function on the table. The U.S. has already swung left toward a more activist government and mix of public and private power compared to the previous Bush administration. Yet, as long as we avoid substantive discussions about the capitalist engine that drives our economy, we will chip away at the edges without addressing the heart of the matter. And when we do not examine the core issues of our time in a conscious manner we increase the risk of being pulled into the dark by our unconsciousness.

Co-creating the Future

Rick Levine and I are presenting an exciting seminar on using astrology to live more effectively in these changing times. On March 7 – 13, 2010 we will be teaching in the beautiful colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for a limited group of attendees. Whether you’re a serious student of astrology, total beginner or seasoned professional, Rick and I promise to enrich, enliven and educate with astrology’s magical language to help you create a brighter future. Go to Heaven and Earth Workshops for details.

As published here on my Tarot.com blog.

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