Saturday, February 26, 2022

Pluto in Tropical Capricorn 28: A Return to the U.S. Pluto Degree



Pluto in Tropical Capricorn 28:  A Return to the U.S. Pluto Degree

1st Pass- February/March 2022

2nd Pass (Retrograde)- June/July/August 2022

3rd Pass- December/January 2022/2023

Sidereal Pluto Return- February 22, 2024

 



~Fool’s Tower~

by Felina Lune Kavi

(written for the 7 squares of Uranus-Pluto, 2012 – 2015)

 

Freed from old burdens,

bindings break down.

False ideas and bad patterns fall,

bricks and all, to the ground.

 

What was this prison I built tall and stately?

Who was I then, and who am I lately?

Ruins of humans where nature once grew…

Learn from the past and create something new.

 


Pluto as a Metamorphic Process

Pluto, discovered 92 years ago by Clyde Tombaugh in Flagstaff, Arizona, is the planet of Collective Metamorphosis.  Essentially, Pluto transits are processes of development that span many years in the lives of Earthlings.  Such metamorphosis is transpersonal in nature, though it can feel very personal depending on the planets or angles Pluto aspects in your natal chart.

A Pluto transit can also incline a whole nation into dramatic transformation.  While no human lifespan reaches its own Pluto Return (Pluto has a 247.686 year orbit), nations or empires can reach that point.  Rome went through 2 Pluto Returns before it fell.  England has gone through 3 such transformations.  And this is the 1st for the United States.


Because of Pluto’s distance from Earth, these returns are best understood in an arc of years that spans 10 degrees on either side of the exact conjunction (though, truly, we are in the thick of it now…from 2020 through 2024).  So, from 2017 to 2028…the U.S. is going through the Pluto process of metamorphic crisis, challenging our country toward a renaissance if we can rid ourselves of some of our systemic, underlying toxicity.

We could even feel the first rumblings of our social, economic, and political structures breaking down when Pluto first entered Saturn’s earth sign of Capricorn in 2008.  And our elders/ancestors felt the long, grueling strain of the half-return (when Pluto was in Cancer) during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.  At each turn of its cycle, Pluto challenges us to ‘live through this crisis and thrive through renewal’.

Pluto deals with the sometimes very dark truths lurking below the surface of our awareness…often the secrets we’d rather keep hidden so they won’t destroy us (or our reputation).  Of course, many times it destroys us from the inside out when we hide the truth.  So as our country goes through its Pluto Return Rite of Passage, the tight control that has kept our nation’s dirty secrets mostly guarded (usually through cover-ups, scapegoating, deflections, or carefully timed and planned distractions) are spilling forth from apertures in the dark underbelly of all our structures.  Even when our attention is directed outside our borders to vilify others, it can’t stop the shadows from leaking out here.

 

Pluto and the Wars for Wealth and Resources

Large-scale power plays to assume or regain control are often a theme during these times.  In the closing square of our 1st Pluto cycle (when Pluto was in Libra), NATO’s Able Archer war scare of 1983 brought the Cold War dangerously close to full-blown nuclear war.  Able Archer was an exercise that simulated nuclear war with the Soviet Union.  The Soviets genuinely feared that this was a prelude to an actual U.S. first strike, and prepared to preempt it.

Fast forward to recent news, and preemptive measures between Russia and U.S./NATO have once again fanned the flames of war.  On February 21st, Russia recognized the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic as independent states (on the eastern border of Ukraine).  On the 22nd, Biden said he believes Russia’s latest deployment into these areas foreshadows a larger war and announced new sanctions that would target two Kremlin-backed banks and restrict Russia’s government from trading its debt on Western finance markets.  Biden also promised to impose sanctions on Russia’s elite and their families, as well as authorize the deployment of troops and equipment to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (three former Soviet republics that are now members of NATO).  And since the 24th, Ukraine is now under full-blown attack from Russian forces invading from the South, East, and North.  Putin has made it clear that there would be ‘catastrophic consequences’ if Western leaders intervened to help Ukraine, which poses the threat of Russia using its substantial nuclear arsenal.  At the moment, it appears that Ukraine is left to fight alone in this battle although they are seriously outmatched. 

Where all of this is heading and how much more involved the U.S. will become, we (the people) really don’t know.  Under the Pluto Effect, there are always much deeper motivations and plans at work that are hidden from the public and left out of corporate media coverage…long-running power dynamics that lead to consequences that intensify situations and impose both economic and psychological damage on the people of the countries involved. 

What this particular part of the discussion should be about is what the people of the Ukraine want and need, without being influenced by the desires of superpowers outside (and now also invading) their borders.  However, this whole piece is to focus on the U.S. Pluto Return.  So it’s important to note that as far as the escalation of this conflict goes…the U.S. desires for domination of wealth and resources has played an equally significant role to Russia’s same desires. And, sadly, the Ukrainian people have been caught in the middle of this long-standing tug-o-war.


The mutual vilification of Western Superpowers and Eastern Superpowers, as well as the front of the Savior Archetype to justify interventions from both sides, is a very old game.  In our country, corporate media propagandists paint the picture like Russia is the only one to blame for what is happening.  To be sure, the Russian military responses to the threats of an encroaching West are of open, blatant blame.  But little is mentioned in our country of the U.S. strategies, aided by the International Monetary Fund, that seek to open Ukrainian markets to foreign investors so that giant, multinational corporations can control their economy. 

Pressed to integrate with the Western economy, a previous Ukrainian president (Yanukovych) decided in 2013 to restart economic negotiations with Russia instead.  Months later, he was ousted in the Maidan Revolution which was supported by the U.S. through the National Endowment for Democracy (which is dedicated to installing and defending U.S. friendly regimes worldwide). 

There is much more to all of this, but the point is that neither of the superpowers most heavily involved in Ukrainian affairs truly care about the Ukrainian people.  The U.S. government, just like the Russian government, is only concerned with their own economic and power advancements.

What is likely is that these are just the beginning stages of a war with a long game that U.S. and its allies are already prepared to fight.  Perhaps they're giving some time to ensure that Putin looks like the sole aggressor so that the West can bank on that savior role?  But big as this all is right now, it is really only one part of what the U.S. will be embroiled in during these Pluto Return times.

 

Pluto in the 2nd House of the U.S. Birth Chart


What we can glean from the Astrology of the U.S. birth chart is that much of this Pluto process we’re in (and have been in) has a lot to do with a large-scale metamorphosis in our traditional structures around money, resources, and values (Capricorn Pluto Retrograde in the 2nd House).  What comes to pass through the Pluto Return of a nation is that key components of its foundation must die to be restructured or reformed. 

Though much of the structure of our U.S. government was modeled after the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) Great Law of Peace, powerkeeping was more important than peacekeeping to the white, male landowners/slaveowners who made up the government in those days.  For example, the Haudenosaunee were matrilineal…but women were left out of the vote at the founding of the U.S. government (and for a long time after).  So, one of the great pillars of the earliest American democracy…the Council of Grandmothers (Clan Mothers)…was conveniently left out of the white man’s version of democracy that has carried us through a whole Pluto cycle since.  And, of course, slavery went against the very foundation of the Great Law of Peace…but that was conveniently overlooked as well.  Inequality and slavery are woven into our original foundation, even with constitutional amendments added later.  Both are systemic, and tearing us apart from the inside out.  As such, it is something we must keep revisiting and addressing until we can fully release the toxicity of it…something that a Pluto Return process inclines us to do.

 

Pluto Opposing U.S. Mercury

Also prominent in the U.S. chart is Mercury Retrograde in 8th House Cancer opposite our Pluto Retrograde in 2nd House Capricorn.  The two retrogrades signify that these planets promise some revision and ‘clean-up work’ for our nation to do over time.  The opposition indicates that there is tension between these energies in our foundation, and that a balance between them is necessary to maintain.  The houses where these planets reside show the areas of life where this revision and maintenance is needed (2nd= House of Resources/Values/Money/Possessions, and 8th= House of Shared Resources/Inheritance/Power Dynamics).  And while the U.S. Pluto has to do with our deeper (often hidden) motivations, the dark underbelly of our societal foundations, and the soul crises that urge us to transform…the U.S. Mercury has to do with how we think, communicate, and engage in commerce.

If we, as a nation, were on the higher end of the spectrum of how this opposition could present itself…we might find more value in the sustainability of renewable resources (Pluto/2nd House/Capricorn) and balance this with thoughtful, caring commerce practices that share such resources amongst the many families that make up the voice of our people (Mercury/8th House/ Cancer).  However, we seem to have some more retrograde revision to do in that respect.

The current transformation brought on by Pluto revisiting this Mercury-Pluto opposition of the U.S. is emphasizing a strain on resources and commerce as well as media control and thought control through propaganda.  It challenges the voice of the people to stop bickering amongst ourselves and re-establish our common bonds (Mercury in Cancer) so that we can be heard in our full power, demanding real change (Pluto in Capricorn) for the generations of descendants who will follow us. 


Can we, the people, reach such consensus in what needs to change so our country can be rebirthed in these years?  The Haudenosaunee structure advised continued communication with each other in Council until consensus was reached…as unanimous consensus amongst everyone in the confederacy (not just distinguished members, and not just men) was central to their decision-making process.  And their ideas of democracy are just as integral to U.S. foundations as the moral lack from what was left out of our own version of their constitution.

 

Not just Pluto, but also Neptune

This Pluto effect on the U.S. is also joined by Pisces Neptune’s opposition with the U.S. natal Neptune in Virgo.  Neptune is the planet of Collective Mystification, and a myriad of deception and smoke-and-mirrors tactics are part of the way this whole time period is being handled on a large scale.  The only thing definite in this time is a national resistance to the necessary transformation that must occur through such Pluto crises…and we’ve already been witnessing what the last strong-arm grasps of control to failing systems looks like in our country. 

Ah, but Neptune isn’t simply about making everything confusing or deceptive.  It just tends to be how big government works with Neptunian energy.  It’s also that which blends seemingly disparate parts into a whole…the notion that All is One…and is essentially a creative and spiritual process supporting this Pluto metamorphosis we’ve been moving through.  Neptune energy may not have a lot of definition in our more rational ways of viewing ourselves or the world, but it invites us to connect with the ineffable to dream new ways into being. 

The whole combination of the U.S. Pluto Return with the U.S. Neptune opposition can be seen in one of my favorite processes of transformation…the metamorphosis from Caterpillar to Butterfly.  I mention it often in my writings, as it is an apt metaphor for the kind of changes the outer planets incline in our world.  Like Pluto, the whole process of that dramatic change is guided by Natural Law.  The Caterpillar grows and grows as an avid consumer of leaves…until it cannot consume anymore.  Then it dances into its Chrysalis stage and dissolves…nothing left of the Caterpillar structure but an indistinguishable pool of goo, really. 

Does the Caterpillar fight it?  Oh yes, with every cell that identifies as Caterpillar.  But, as Natural Law goes, the process is a must. 

And then, after what appears to be certain death (Pluto)…the imaginal cells (Neptune) take over and create the new structure we call Butterfly.  The being is transformed from a pudgy, crawling consumer of convenience into a lightened, winged nectar-sipper with a seemingly impossible journey ahead.  Once fully-formed, the Butterfly breaks free of the Chrysalis of Transformation, strengthens its new wings, then flies from everything it previously knew…taking in the sweetness of life as a new being with renewed purpose.


If we can remember this metaphor throughout this whole process our country is going through, it may help us along our way.

 

Why Are We Expressing Such Aggressive Resistance?

There is another key component to this process.  The U.S. Mars in 7th House Gemini is in a dynamic square with Neptune and a bi-quintile with Pluto.  It is the square aspect to both transiting Neptune in Pisces and the U.S. natal Neptune in Virgo where we are feeling the most stress.  This pattern puts our Mars at the apex of a T-square between the Neptune opposition, making it very hard for us (and our government) to imagine what the ‘imaginal cells’ can actually do for us.  A stressed-out Mars going through massive changes can become extremely aggressive in fighting against whatever arises to challenge us toward change. 


In the 7th House, the House of Others/Partnerships (sometimes even ‘Open Enemies’), we may be inclined toward aggressive fighting with anyone who appears as ‘Other’…reacting in ways that further separate ourselves from ‘the villain’ who threatens our American existence.  It may appear to be an outsider, or even someone close who has differing views…but remember, this process is as internal as it is in the chrysalis.  These fights with ‘others’ that play out through this process are really us at war with ourselves (the Caterpillar fighting the Butterfly, hoping to avoid Death). 

But the Mars-Pluto bi-quintile (a 5th Harmonic aspect of 144 degrees) promises an advantage through resourcefulness.  Such a highly active Mars is motivated toward necessary action, so we it's likely we will ultimately do what needs to be done to transform…even if the first stages of it continue to bring about heated conflict, destruction, and death. 

I wish I could say it could be a peaceful unfolding toward renaissance…but the very nature of Pluto dynamics brings us into our Underworld to become through crisis.  At some point within the next few years, our country will have to surrender to necessary changes.

 

Pluto in Capricorn 28

Sabian Symbol:  ‘A large aviary’

Spoonbills at Omaha Zoo's 4-acre Aviary


The symbol of the U.S. Pluto evokes imagery of a large community of birds of many types, shapes, colors, and preferences…all living together in relative (and very communicative) harmony.  As such, learning the transformative value of community and common welfare is integral to the collective soul urge of our country’s Pluto degree. 

The U.S. people inherently feel community as being able to express and network their individuality in ways that support the group (U.S. Moon in 3rd House Aquarius).  There is a subtle opportunity to integrate this into our transformation, as the U.S. Moon is in a semi-sextile (30 degrees) with the U.S. Pluto. 

It is our diversity, not our sameness, that allows us to thrive through the many crises of dramatic change.  But there is also a necessary understanding in this to be reached…that every individual contribution affects the whole.  In communing with each other to bring about some much-needed change in our country (because the U.S. metamorphosis will come from US), we need not manipulate or coerce each other toward sameness.  We must, instead, uplift each other in our diversity and show our government that we can, and will, work together to achieve the truest and deepest meaning of ‘United States’. 

 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

 

P.S.  If you have any planets, angles, or other significant points in your natal chart on or near the 28th degree of Capricorn (as I do with my Midheaven), this U.S. Pluto Return may have very personally transformative lessons for you (even if you are not from the U.S.).  If you have something in the last degrees of the other Cardinal signs (Cancer, Aries, or Libra), you’ve likely been feeling the push for dramatic change too. 

No comments: