I’ve heard many times that when a planet leaves a sign, it leaves a gift. This is supposedly more true when a planet spends a long time in a sign. If you’re into astrology what-so-ever there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve heard by now that Pluto is in the process of changing signs. When Pluto changes from one sign to the next it happens in three phases. It “dips its toes’ into the new sign twice until it is there for the long haul. This “toe dipping” occurs because Pluto spends almost half of its time in orbit retrograde (or appearing to move backwards from the vantage point of earth).
We have already had our first preview of what Pluto is Aquarius is going to be like. Pluto spent from March 23rd to June 11th in Aquarius this year (2023). That was the first “toe dip”. The second “toe dip” will begin next year on January 20th and last until September 1st. From November 19th, 2024 it will remain in Aquarius for almost twenty years until it starts transitioning into Pisces.
So What Does this Mean?
Pluto is the planet of death, destruction, and rebirth. Pluto is meant to kill off what isn’t working anymore. It clears off the debris to make room for new growth. Pluto often does this is a very destructive way that can be extremely painful. It bulldozes its path. What we must remember is that Pluto is working for the greater good. Pluto’s intent is to replace what was taken away with something more sustainable and longer lasting that will ultimately serve us better.
Pluto has spent the last 15 years (roughly) in Capricorn. It has been busy destructing and reconstructing systems and infrastructures. Pluto is in its last months of being able to change this area of life. It will be moving into Aquarius, which is a sign that represents humanity (and humanitarianism) in general. The next 20 years will be focused on us rebuilding humanity. And these last degrees of Pluto in Capricorn are illumining how we have been failing. More specifically, what is being illuminated is what systems are failing.
I’m sure everyone reading this article are aware of our current international events going on right now. The Israeli government is committing genocide on the Palestinian people. And what is even more shocking (or perhaps not shocking at all) is how most of the world is standing by without taking effective action. The government of the US is financially supporting this “war” (quotations because a war is defined as occurring between 2 nation states which Palestine is not) and is shipping the weapons and bombs that are being used to kill the Palestinians.
These events also align with the USA’s Pluto return. On October 7th the world heard news that Hamas had attacked Israel. This was the beginning of (and in my opinion an excuse for) this genocide to begin. On this date, Pluto came within a degree (21 minutes to be exact) of the Pluto in the USA’s founding chart. The degree of Pluto in the US chart is 27’33 of Capricorn. On October 7th Pluto was in the process of stationing direct, though it was still technically retrograde it was essentially standing still in the sky. Planetary stations (when a planet appears to be standing still because it is in the process of changing directions) are typically a big deal. Pluto not only stationed incredibly close to the Pluto in the USA Founding chart, this is also the last activation of the this Pluto. In the next Pluto retrograde (the final “toe dipping”) Pluto will not be within the 2 degree orb to the US Pluto that most astrologers use for transits.
What truths about the USA are being illuminated by what began on October 7th?
Since this date we’ve seen every single member of the US congress (except one who is Palestinian) vote against a ceasefire even though the people of our country are demanding one. And it has come into light why this may be. Every single US Politician has been given money by AIPEC which is, according to their website: “a bipartisan, pro-Israel political action committee. It is the largest pro-Israel PAC in America and contributed more resources directly to candidates than any other PAC. 98% of AIPAC-backed candidates won their general election races in 2022.” In fact, AIPAC often funds both candidates who are running so no matter who wins the politicians are indebted to them. The country of Israel has control of our US Politicians.
Israel is wealthy country. According to www.worlddata.info Israel is the 28th richest economy in the world by GDP for the year of 2022. Regardless of this, the US still sends them roughly 3.3 billion dollars of aid every single year. To me this seems a bit fishy. The US sends money to Israel who then sends it to the US to buy our politicians. US citizens should be angry. This money should be put towards services for the American people like universal healthcare and affordable education, both things that Jewish Israeli citizens are granted that Americans are not.
The veil is being lifted.
People across the globe are waking up and are finally paying attention. Palestinians have essentially been held in an open air prison for the last 75 years. The population there is mostly all women and children because the Israeli army routinely comes through and ethnically cleanses Palestinian men to keep Palestinians weak so that a real rebellion cannot take place. Palestine has no army and they do not even control their own water or electricity. They are at Israel’s mercy and have been since Israel’s founding.
These events the last two and a half months are absolutely horrifying and I cannot believe that I am seeing this in my lifetime. I cannot believe that that the world is letting this genocide continue. I cannot believe that we as citizens are so powerless to stop it. More than anything I cannot believe how ignorant most of us have been these last 75 years (myself included). The Palestinians are setting us free even if we cannot set them free yet. They are freeing us from our own ignorance and from the idea that we must keep conversations pleasant and peaceful. They are freeing us from ignoring our own shadows and from blindly trusting our own US politicians and living solely for convenience and entertainment. They are freeing us from being okay with distractions.
I truly believe that Pluto in Aquarius will bring us peace, finally. It will bring a rebellion of the people and perhaps a stronger world order. We need a restructuring of the US government and a new world order. The UN needs to be restructured so that the US cannot be a corrupt bully standing in the way of a ceasefire.
A Deeper Look in the Astrology
Above is a synastry chart that contrasts the USA founding chart with the chart of October 7th, 2023 (which was made with a noon time so ignore the houses and angles of this chart). Everything that I will mention will occur roughly within a 2 degree orb meaning that these transits are at an extremely potent distance. Everything will also center around the US Pluto return that coincides with the US Chiron return.
The Pluto Return
The Pluto return is heavily aspected in the chart. It is square to the Oct 7th Mars and South node, opposite to the moon (which would become exact that same day), and sextile Neptune. It also makes a quincunx (inconjunct) to Venus conjunct Lilith.
The October 7th Mars, the planet of war and action, conjunct to the South node, the collective release valve, signals an allowance for us to let go of our old perceived path forward. We are able to release the idea that war and violence is the way forward. This conjunction is square to the Pluto return which echos the idea of releasing what is no longer serving us, albeit in a very destructive manner. The mars/south node conjunction occurring in Libra also highlights the way that Israel tried to look like the victim in this scenario being the peaceful one that was targeted by Hamas and the way that it claimed it was only retaliating. It did not take long for the citizens of world to catch on to the fact that this was deception. Retaliation would have ended a long time ago. The Mars/South node are in the territory of Venus (the sign of Libra) and is also received by her (meaning the Mars/SN makes an aspect to her) but she is also involved with the Pluto return as she herself is inconjunct Pluto. On top of that, she is also conjunct to Lilith.
Venus represents our sense of femininity, values, and enjoyment and on this day it was infused with shame by being conjunct to Lilith. Lilith can also show the areas and ways that we are repressed. Neptune’s involvement shows how deeply affected our psyches are. How can any of us really full-heartedly enjoy ourselves and distract ourselves with “holiday spirit” when we cannot get it out of our heads what is happening in the Palestine?
The Pluto return is semi-sextile to the moon of the US chart. In our hearts many of us know that it is time for a great change in the status quo. This event and the information that has come from it has pierced through our tough skins to our hearts to make us feel something. The US moon in Aquarius shows a heart of the American spirit that believes humanity is for all. Some people have abused that power and that heart but deep down the people still feel it. The heart is a muscle. We must exercise it and use it. By allowing ourselves to feel this pain bit by bit the heart grows stronger and can trust that it will not break.
The Chiron Return
The Chiron return is opposite to the US Saturn and the Oct 7th sun, bringing light to the way that the US is structured and how we as a people conduct ourselves. Saturn in Libra is very concerned with appearances and more so appearing pleasant and peaceful. Peace does not equate to justice. We can have peace and injustice at the same time. There were peaceful times during this 75 year occupation but that does not make it right. Peace can be obtained by numbing out our true feeling. Libra can be about making things beautiful on the surface. American values seem to be just that: focusing on peace and beauty and trying to numb ourselves from actual feeling things that may be unpleasant. It takes bravery to look at our shadows. It is much easier to look away and ignore our problems. The Chiron return in Aries is giving us the strength to heal and to follow what we know deep down is right.
Our Take Away
It is incredibly meaningful that the last contact of the US Pluto return is happening at the exact same time as its Chiron return. It is time for us to face our wounds. It is time for us to feel our pain and to actually look at it and try to do something to heal and learn instead of continue to find ways to numb ourselves and check out. The time for only focusing on what is pleasant is over. How can we focus on Christmas and consumerism when there is so much suffering going on in the world?? And to be clear: suffering that our (for those of us reading who are American) government is funding. Those are our tax dollars paying to manufacture and send those bombs and white phosphorus (using this is a war crime)! We need to take our personal accountability. We need to look at what we can do to be better. We need to see what we can to individually and collectively to be able to be proud of ourselves. We need to heal our own wounds of feeling selfish so we can stop numbing ourselves with alcohol, substances, consumerism, and media.
I do wish everyone a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays. I hope we can all find some joy in the wake of this severe injustice. We should hold our loved ones close and be so grateful that we are safe. We should celebrate what we have but not forget what others do not. And we should vow to do whatever we can to put a stop to injustice in the world everywhere. Palestine is waking us up and setting us free. Nothing will ever make this right but the least we can do is learn from it. I hope that we are all awake now and able to feel without trying to numb ourselves.