The Uranian cracking open of the rigid walls of the consciously held structures of identity opens the floodgates of the Neptunian unconscious, including the ideals about our lives. Our conscious mind and present state of identity is, to whatever degree, overwhelmed in the encounter with the unconscious, making it difficult to discern between what is real and unreal in the world we live in, and the overwhelming longing that cannot yet be put into form.

Pluto’s impulses come in to organize the formless ideals and unconscious content that we have been projecting into life. The dynamics of Pluto are not polite or diplomatic. The force and intensity of what we face in situations, through people, and experiences are accordingly determined by how we have defined ourselves through our past thinking, feeling, and doing, and and how rigidly we hold onto these definitions. Pluto, as the seed of all that is unconscious, including our fullest spiritual development forces us to face our ultimate reality concerning ourselves, and our ideal role in society. To the degree we have not lived up to this, and we have not totally dedicated ourselves to the renewal of ourselves, then Plutonic compulsions and urges will destroy what we have held as ideal, leaving illusion and deception which leads to eventual destruction of what we hold as near and dear.

This process is both challenging and liberating. We develop a new sense of self and possibilities for ourselves, our relationships, and society in general. This doesn’t happen overnight! Through the process, we encounter our darkest aspects of self, becoming uncertain, disoriented, and emotionally regressing. All these are aspects that force us to work on ourselves.

In these last days of Pluto being in Capricorn, the breakdown of structures is intensifying. The destroying of all that is holding back or belying the truth of one’s self and being, and of humanity’s purpose and intentions is coming to a head. The seed of renewal must germinate and grow. Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius heralds in a new level of intensification of the dynamics towards change and renewal. Once again, this is not an overnight renewal. Events and occurrences will be more stark, contrasting, and sudden. We must really consider looking at the 21 year period of Pluto in Aquarius, or any other sign, in thirds: The rebuilding and creation out of destruction, the establishing of the new, and the breakdown of what has not evolved to its highest potentiality. We can observe how in the first 7 years new ideas, ideals, and philosophies arise, the next 7 years bringing in new emotional renewals, and the last 7 years, a renewal of action in the world. Of course, these dynamics weave and interact together through each phase, but each phase has a particular focus. These dynamics will be focused through the lens of Aquarius. Individual, group, and societal patterns will be breaking apart, as new patterns arise.

A key element of Aquarius is to know. Know Thyself was the admonishment at the threshold of the Ancient Greek Mystery centers. Aquarius brings the necessary restructuring of thought enabling us to face challenges, and to boldly move forward into the future. It is crucial in our age to consciously make the necessary shifts in awareness. The proverbial beads and feathers, and other historical outer symbols cannot be taken any more as marks of spiritual evolution, though they can signify an emotional relationship to certain ideals and possibly experiences. We must move forward towards the Aquarian call to a consciously clearer, self directed evolution
to redefine ourselves and our world. If we look around us we will see there are pockets of people moving forward. This is true of every generation. Those who are now in their 30s, and younger will be showing a generational shift toward the Aquarian ideals and creative inventiveness.

We can ask ourselves how to meet this call by looking at Pluto’s placement in our own charts, Natal, Progressed, and Transit, along with their signs, rulers, houses, aspects, and dispositor.

Looking at Pluto’s house placement: Where do thought and emotional dynamics and blocks prevent/inhibit one’s involvement, or indicate hidden gifts and energy seeking release into social reality?
Pluto’s sign: What attitudes need transforming?
The dispositor: What factors and elements help or challenge one’s process?
Where Scorpio is in the chart: Where does total involvement work out in one’s life?
Where Aries is in the chart: Where does one see a new identity arising as a result of this process?

It is also important to see the house placement of Aquarius, which indicates the area of life in which one is called to rethink what and how one thinks, and about one’s attitude. Uranus, as ruler of Aquarius is our urge towards being aware of the transpersonal, or spiritual forces behind our personalities, in order to understand how the Higher Self seeks fulfillment by breaking old patterns and accept new, more universal knowledge. To address this urge, we can look at:

The house position of Uranus: What sudden changes or disruptions bring about this kind of awareness?
Uranus’ sign: What awareness and imaginations does it bring?
The aspects: What helps or challenges personal creative expression?
The dispositor: What controls its expression?
Its also worthwhile to consider Saturn, because it is the co-ruler of Aquarius, and indicates what, where, and how we holding our identity and definitions, and what is our ability to find a place in society.

Saturn’s house shows where we have limitations and responsibilities defined by what we experience(d) as authority in life, and what our need is to build a basis for operating within society.
The sign shows how we go about building social foundations.
The aspects indicate what challenges or helps our process.
The dispositor shows what factors determine our responses to authority, and what determines our boundaries.
The placement of Capricorn shows where our ambition to gain respect finds fulfillment.

We are continually being called to be more universal in all that we are as human beings. Pluto going into Aquarius will lead us strikingly further. This isn’t the beginning of the Aquarian Age, but a harbinger of things to come.

Michael