In the last chapter we learned about the context in which Pluto was discovered, a particularly dark time in our history when things looked bleak. There can be no denying that we have entered another dark period, still addressing the same issues of the 1930’s: poverty, health crises, world wars and weapons of mass destruction. This time around, it’s even more complex.
Pluto is center stage in the celestial drama that mirrors the unfolding melodrama here on Earth. So let’s take a deep dive into Pluto.
In Greek mythology, Hades was one of three brothers: Zeus, (renamed Jupiter by the Romans) ruled the heavens; Poseidon or Neptune held sway over the oceans. Hades, now Pluto, was appointed Lord of the Underworld, domain of the dead and the invisible.
The word Hades is still part of our vocabulary because it corresponds to our Christian concept of Hell, a place of torment and punishment. Thus we have come to associate Pluto with all things dark, hidden, and ominous. Children learn to fear this dark realm through nursery stories. Churches reinforce this fear and instruct us to keep our eyes toward Heaven. Carl Jung realized that the Underworld was a metaphor for the unconscious where we stash repressed experience along with our memory of our true nature. In the 20th century Pluto took on new meaning as depth psychology.
Take a look at the Nasa photo of Pluto above. Notice the ice formation on the right side. It’s shaped like a heart. Pluto has a heart of ice! What can that mean? We are all familiar with fight or flight, two ways of responding to danger, but there is a third option: freeze. Like a deer in headlights, sometimes we are unable to act.
Trauma can produce this effect. When the conscious mind is overwhelmed by an experience, it can freeze in terror. Think of abused children. They are not equipped to deal with their experience. They can neither fight their abuser nor flee. The same is true for rape victims, or soldiers witnessing the horrors of war. When the mind cannot cope with trauma, it stores the experience in the unconscious, where it remains, frozen in time. It’s a blessed defense mechanism, but we know that the trauma still has an impact. We call it PTSD.
Pluto rules the domain of the Unseen, all the things we have been taught to fear or distrust: death, destruction, loss, change, feminine qualities like intuition, psychic abilities, magic. But Pluto is our great protector, holding our fears and traumatic memories until we are prepared to integrate them. When the timing is right, material wells up from the unconscious. We have no choice but to face it.
There are many myths involving a descent into Pluto’s realm. One of the most revealing is the story of Psyche, or Soul, who makes the journey into the Underworld to reclaim love. This myth tells us much about the Pluto process. We refer to it as the Dark Night of the Soul.
Caroline W. Casey, astrologer and weaver of tales, identifies three stages in a Pluto process. The first is ‘Disruption”: someone you love dies, your partner walks away, your doctor hands down the devastating diagnosis, a hacker steals your life savings, you lose your job and survival is at stake. Some issue erupts into your life and demands full attention. It wakes you up and proceeds to strip you down. Its mission is to return you to your essential self.
Stage 2 is “Not Knowing.” Pure anxiety for the ego which reigns in the mind. Not knowing is an absolute prerequisite for transformation. Only when you are stripped of all your knowing can you begin to learn. During this phase you are reviewing your life and releasing the past. You are healing your wounds, forgiving your enemies and opening to change. Gradually you let go of your outworn beliefs and release yourself into not-knowing, a place of silence and presence in which you can finally hear “the still small voice.” With no preconceived idea, you can allow yourself to be led by a sacred wisdom that lies in your depths.
Stage 3 is “The Ascent.” This is the return to life, renewed, revitalized; more alive and more yourself than you have ever been. You have tapped into your true power – that sacred flow that guides you forward and informs your mission.
Pluto is the part of us that feels we have a mission. We call it Destiny, or Fate, or a Dream. It calls to us from our future and we yearn to find it from our very depths. Pluto is our longing for significance, our wanting to do our part, to fulfill our Soul’s desire to grow. You could say that Pluto is the Evolutionary Impulse that sweeps life forward.
Pluto is the ultimate shaman. He initiates transformation through disruption in our routines. He is an alchemist at work in the depths of our psyches unearthing repressed trauma, painful memories, our deepest fears and insecurities. He activates the Hell inside, all the detritus of our life that we have not processed – all the repressed emotions, all the hurt and the rage, and the missed opportunities.
It is not a gentle process and one cannot negotiate with it. When Pluto arrives, it’s time for renewal and we will transform, one way or another. Pluto demands change. He seems a harsh master, but he is wise and generous and brings us the opportunity of a lifetime to let go of the weight of our lives – all the guilt and shame, pain and resentment, blame and rage, frustration and helplessness. He offers rebirth!
Pluto is about reclaiming power. Whatever we have repressed and sent into the Hades of our inner world, works invisibly in our lives, sabotaging the best of our intentions, frustrating our wills, wreaking havoc in our relationships. Pluto comes to free us from our emotional/psychic baggage. This applies to our collective psyche as well. We will speak more about that in coming chapters. If we can see how Pluto functions in our personal lives, we can understand that he is affecting all the lives around us, and we can begin to perceive his influence on the collective.
So how do we cope with a Pluto process? How do we stay human while hell erupts within? There are good and bad choices. The worst is resistance. It comes in many forms. A common response is control: more self-discipline, more self-inflicted criticism and judgment, more resolutions to improve, more lists of things to do. Or we might focus on controlling others whose flaws are ever so apparent and need fixing. Control is a response to the fear of chaos, but ultimately it will not work. Pluto is stronger than our will.
Blaming, complaining, seeking sympathy, feeling self-pity are all ineffective ego defenses against transformation. Avoidance is another. Just pretend it doesn’t exist and distract ourselves with entertainment, or indulging our addictions, or keeping ourselves so busy we can’t see or hear the volcanic roar within. Pluto is a pressure cooker and resistance is the lid. It will only delay the inevitable and if we don’t give in soon enough, it could blow up our lives. Ultimately the only positive response is surrender.
There is a bigger plan for your life than you can imagine. Once you surrender to a Pluto process, you are taken into your own depths where you meet yourself – your true self, stripped of fear and dysfunction, whole and unconditionally joyous. The frozen heart melts and compassion flows forth to heal the world.
We aren’t done with Pluto, but he is not the only player at work in our psyches. Next time we’ll meet Saturn and his domain, the Zodiac sign of Capricorn.
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