Reflections on Pluto in Aquarius
José Hernán Cibils
March 2024
I was going to write a few lines on this subject, so hot and in vogue, and suddenly I found myself sailing in strange waters that I had no idea I would reach.
We know that Pluto has recently been in Aquarius, returned to Capricorn,aInd will do so again until it finally stays in Aquarius for about 20 years.
But this time is special and unique because Pluto is making its triumphal entry accompanied by a retinue of planets (all personal) that will enter Aquarius almost simultaneously and form a conjunction with it. Hence the unique effect of this new position of Pluto at 0º Aquarius.
This degree is already highly activated by recent aspects that have occurred there, such as the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction, called the "great mutation" because it happened to occur in an air sign after many centuries.
Pluto was part of the "triple conjunction" that had just occurred in Capricorn.
I'd started by mentioning the aspects of Pluto in everyone's birth chart.
And I asked: how does Pluto at 0º Aquarius affect your personal life?
I replied: "It will depend on several factors.”
Firstly, if you have a planet or a sensitive point in your chart in the first 5 degrees of Aquarius or in the other 3 fixed signs, Leo, Taurus, or Scorpio, Pluto will square or oppose them and you will not fail to notice that your life takes a sharp turn or undergoes a radical change in the area or house where the aspect occurs.
Which of the current generations will be most affected by the Pluto/Pluto aspect?
The "millennials" (1983/95), who have Pluto in Scorpio, and the post-war generation (1937/58), with Pluto in Leo (which at one point was conjunct Saturn), many of whose members are still in good health, such as Biden, Trump, Putin and myself.
Secondly, where is Pluto in your birth chart and what aspects does it make?
For if you are used to Pluto touching your personal planets (Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, or Mars) in your birth chart, then its effect will not surprise you. You won't stop feeling it, but it won't be anything new to you.
On the other hand, if you do not have these aspects, Pluto's effect will be quite mobilizing.
Either way, Pluto will activate the house transiting at 0º from Aquarius. Even if there are no significant planetary or angular contacts or aspects, this house will feel Pluto's devastating, renewing, or simply very mobilizing effect, as the case may be.
There are many other issues to consider, for example, have you calculated to what degree your name corresponds astrogematrically?
It may be in the first degrees of a fixed sign (or even at the end of the cardinal signs), then it will be a sensitive point in your chart and Pluto will activate it.
On a worldly level, this entry of Pluto into Aquarius means a new epoch for humanity. We have said that Pluto stays in that sign for a long time, 20 years. Therefore, it has the opportunity to make many changes.
Let us analyze its recent transit through the sign of Capricorn and we will see if it was an "epoch" or not.
On the other hand, it has been said repeatedly that the last time this powerful planet (literally, it is the planet of power) was in Aquarius, very relevant events took place, such as the French Revolution, the independence of the USA, etc.
So what happens now? This will be repeated in the coming years. What will happen in France? It is obvious that a revolution cannot be attributed to a single planet, but is a complex process.
In any case, the coming return of Pluto will to some extent reactivate what began in France in 1789, when this planet was at 19º Aquarius. This will be noted as Pluto approaches this natal degree of the French Revolution.
Chart of the French Revolution
Speaking of the French Revolution, I looked at Robespierre's natal chart and saw that he has Chiron at 2° Aquarius... A painful memory associated with this man could soon become apparent (according to J. Brignone's theory, which I will explain later. It states that birth charts remain in force after death. Not in an "esoteric" sense, but in a normal way, e.g. if a statue of Robespierre were to be erected in Paris today and a great tribute paid to him, this would be seen in his birth chart, possibly in his house 10).
Chart from Robespierre
Because of the retinue of planets that accompany it, as I said, Pluto makes a great din. Its vibrations shake every corner of the planet.
Just as in music, there is the "law of resonance" (if you play any note on a piano, for example, an "A", all the other "A" strings will also sound), in the same way, Pluto, being so prominent now, will resonate our Plutons wherever we have them.
The 'Pluto' vibration is active, and through resonance, everything Plutonian vibrates.
So our Pluto will be activated anyway. Even if it is not touched by the current transit.
And if the natal position is 'conflicting', the conflict will be rekindled.
I clarify that this is a hypothesis of mine, I have not found any sources to confirm it, but it seems to me that it can work. At least it does in my horoscope. I will have to study many more charts to see if this is confirmed.
Now, to change the subject slightly, I would like to mention what Edmund Jones' Sabian symbols say about the degree 0 of Aquarius.
Dan Rudhyar analyses this spectacularly in his book "An Astrological Mandala".
On the 0º of Aquarius, he says (we take the degree 1 because Rudhyar numbers them from 1 to 30)
"PHASE 301 (1st of Aquarius): AN OLD ADOBE MISSION IN CALIFORNIA.
KEYNOTE: The power inherent in all great human works to endure 'beyond the lives of the makers'.
The work and spirit of the Spanish priests who oversaw the construction of the Californian missions have had a lasting influence on the development of this land; they remain a monument to the men who were able to leave their mark on this strange environment.
While Capricorn began as a symbol of socio-political power, Aquarius begins with a more spiritual and idealistic, or more creative, image of social forces at work.
It also emphasizes the enduring nature of human achievement, animated by a great vision. This symbol speaks, at least within the frame of reference of our Western civilisatiozn, of the projection of a noble ideal into concrete forms of beauty and meaning, and thus of the radiation of a 'civilizing' force within an institution, offering primitive man the possibility of reaching a much more organized and productive level of activity...".
This symbol "...speaks to us of the CONCRETIZATION OF AN IDEAL. This also implies the 'immortalization' of an individual in a great cultural and collective enterprise".
All the words in this text by Rudhyar, which I have underlined in bold, have a strong Aquarian flavor.
The 'keynote' sums it up: the important thing is the work, which endures beyond the individual people who make it. And while your name may be 'immortalized', it will be through your work.
This clearly shows us that, unlike Leo, Aquarius is not individualistic, and despite (or perhaps because of) the fixity of his character, he is interested in social, collective, even utopian, lasting achievements.
The Californian missions wanted to send a message to society and the world, beyond their religious content.
Similarly, the Jesuit missions in Argentina played a role in organization and social integration. Something typically Aquarian. The opposite of slavery (leonine domination).
I was thinking of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, and looking at his birth chart (without the time of birth) I see that he has the Sun at 29º Libra (or 8º Scorpio according to the Gregorian calendar), Pluto at 1º Scorpio and Saturn at 2º Aquarius!
Chart of St. Ignatius of Loyola
If it is true that birth charts continue to work even after death, as the Argentinean astrologer Jerónimo Brignone claims,
there would now be an active partile square of Pluto to the Pluto/Sun conjunction in his chart, and a conjunction to his Saturn.
This is no coincidence.
The Society of Jesus was founded in Paris on 27 September 1540. In its natal chart, we see Pluto at 11º of Aquarius, trine both the Sun and Saturn. A very Plutonian and Aquarian institution!
Chart from the Society of Jesus
This means that Pluto touches both the natal chart of Ignatius of Loyola and the Society itself. By squaring the former and by the very return of the Society!
In other words, a crisis is looming for the Jesuits. And therefore for the whole Catholic Church, of which they are a very important part.
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With this, I have left the subject of the 0º of Aquarius, but not so much, everything has to do with it.
"Pluto in astrology represents the destruction of old foundations so that they can be replaced with new ones," explains Evan Nathaniel Grim, founder and senior analyst of Inner Worlds Astrology, speaking about the return of Pluto in the natal chart of the USA, which took place at 27° Capricorn, but will return ain....”
Chart of the United States
"Every single pattern of behavior that the country has developed over the last 250 years will be challenged and possibly overturned," he told The Independent. "Basicall, Pluto is going to bring out all the uncomfortable truths ... and shine a light on the cracks and structures so we can see what needs to be changed."
In the same way, the Church, and the Jesuits in particular, have recently been rocked by several serious scandals.
We can cite the case of Pseveralater Marko Rupnik, a famous artist whose works decorate rooms in the Vatican, who was excommunicated for absolving a woman of sexual sins committed with him.
In the United States, the problem is even greater, with unimaginable economic consequences for the Church, due to the high amount of compensation claimed for sexual abuse committed by Jesuits.
The same is happening in other countries. I would just like to point out that it is no coincidence that Pluto is slowly approaching its return in the horoscope of Societas Iesu.
(This destructive and structural process was already the work of Pluto in Capricorn, but in Aquarius the aspects I mentioned become relevant).
Total renewal or death is what the Catholic Church and the Society of Jesus will have to face in the coming years (very soon).
In 2028 Pluto will reach 8º Aquarius, where it will go retrograde. But for a while, it will be in conjunction with the 11º of the Companion's natal Pluto...
Is it a coincidence that Pope Francis, a Jesuit, has his Pluto at 28º Cancer (Pluto opposition Pluto), his Moon at 12º and his Venus at 7º Aquarius? Certainly not... Pluto (which is prominent in his chart, angular, at C1) already makes him a fierce challenger. In his case, he has also reached the age of the return of Uranus (which is in his 10th house), which has already happened in his chart.
Pope Francis' Birth Chart
But in order not to stray too far from the analysis of the 0º of Aquarius, according to the Sabian symbol, I would like to express what, in my opinion, originally gave the Society an Aquarian character, to assimilate Rudhyar's "Californian Mission" with the Jesuits of Argentina.
Education for all, with an emphasis on science, was their forte. Although it is still hotly debated, it is clear that the missions created an egalitarian society in which the indigenous people (Guarani and others) found refuge and an opportunity for self-development in the hostile climate of the Spanish conquest.
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Is there anything more Aquarian than science, research an,d utopian ideas as embodied in the Jesuit Company?
Of course, this was not to the liking of the royal authorities, who ordered their expulsion and dissolution in 1773. Where did the Jesuits find their last refuge? In Russia, an Aquarian country!
Natal chart of Russia (Julian calendar), according to
The Jesuits put their greatest emphasis on education, all over the world. And on scientific research. The creation of the Gregorian calendar is due to Christopher Clavius SJ, considered "the most influential teacher of the Renaissance".
The Society of Jesus defines itself in these terms:
“Missionary work
From its beginnings, the Society has served the Church in Europe as well as in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Men like Robert Bellarmine and Peter Canisius led the Catholic Reformation in Europe".
Without assimilating it to the 11th house, Aquarius indeed loves groups and institutions (the Church, the Society of Jesus, for example) as well as individual freedom (hence their reputation as rebels and revolutionaries).
“Education
... Ignatius understood that schools offered the greatest possible service to the Church, through moral and religious instruction .... So many schools were founded".
Religious preaching is something more Piscean, but the Jesuits were always considered 'progressive', they could have one foot in Pisces and the other in the still-distant Aquarian period.
"Study and research
The Jesuits were firmly committed to study, science, and exploration. By 1750, Jesuit astronomers were running 30 of the world's 130 astronomical observatories. As many as 35 lunar craters are named after Jesuit scientists..."
You can't get more Aquarian than that...
We therefore believe that the interpretation of the 0º of Aquarius, according to the corresponding Sabian degree, is well founded.
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I will also allow myself to contribute my collection of 'symbols', without pretending to follow in Rudhyar's footsteps.
For a long time I was working on a series of 360 haiku (or haiku-like poems) + 360 drawings + 360 short musical compositions, which I put together in a volume called "El Pez Mudo" (The Mute Fish).
I was excited by Rudhyar's idea and, more as a game, I proposed to do something similar, in my way. Whether it has "oracular" value or not, experience will tell, which is still lacking.
In some cases, however, I have been able to verify that it works.
Look, for example, at what the haiku in my book says about the 0º of Aquarius:
(301
Hooded, prepares to celebrate carnival)
WitTh the corresponding illustration, showiunconsciously live the essence of Carnivalng a hooded man (if we want to interpret it that way).
(By Ctrl + clicking on the haiku, which is a link, you can listen to the music).
Regarding "carnival", I find several sources on the Internet that give me a clue as to its possible Aquarian meaning.
unconsciously live the essence of Carnival
In the newspaper "La Voz de Galicia" we read the following:
"Some study and seek the practices, and others live the essence of Carnival in an unconscious way. These differences are due, in part, to the influence of the action of the individual on the behavior of the mass and, in part, to the influence of the mass on the behavio of the individual...,
"...The motive and symbolic function is to enjoy for a few days the freedom that only those who come from the other world enjoy...it is a funeral rite in memory of the ancestors..."
On the website of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, I read the following:
"The essence of Carnival is the people in the streets.
In this sense, our carnival, even if it can be improved, cannot be left to the mercy of individual wills that jeopardize not only its essence but its very survival. And both of these are inexorably linked to maintaining its presence in the streets.
The street is the driving force behind the festival. If there were no street, there would be no explanation for the brilliance of all the previous acts and competitions".
And on Wikipedia:
"Carnival is usually a public celebration that includes parades, street parties, and other entertainment, combining some elements of the circus. The elaborate costumes and masks allow people to set aside their everyday individuality and experience a greater sense of social unity".
With these quotations, I want to find a relationship between my "haiku", my drawing, and possibly also the music (although a little stylized), which speaks of the carnival and the 0º of Aquarius, or in general with the meaning of the sign of Aquarius.
I think they describe quite well the Aquarian elements contained in the carnival festivities, although they are not the only ones, as is obvious.
And which is the carnival city par excellence? Rio de Janeiro. I did not find reliable sources, but some cite it as an "Aquarian city"! Its beginnings date back to a day in January, in Aquarius, but it was founded on March 1, 1565.
However, I couldn't resist looking at the chart of that foundation:
Can it be surprising at this point that it has Mars at 0° Aquarius and Venus at 2°?
I find more sources linking carnival with Aquarius. Argentine astrologer Beatriz Leveratto, says so:
As well as this article from Astra Studies, which among other things states:
"After the year that had so far culminated with the old Saturnian archetype of authority, now it is time to question it and overthrow it to start the cycle anew. The co-regency of Saturn for Aquarius explains the paradox of societies specifying and delimiting a specific time to skip the corresponding rules and duties, agreeing on a kind of timelessness that bursts abruptly in time where the rule is that there is no rule and whatever happens in that space, there it stays. Thus, it becomes possible to normalize and give some structure to the impending chaos that, however, will leave its mark on the future."
And the YouTube site "Astrology by Chett," makes similar claims.
Although Carnival is celebrated in February, when the Sun is in Aquarius, the festivities have a typically Aquarian quality.
During these days, rules are broken, there is almost total freedom and social differences disappear or are significantly reduced.
In Rio, it is the inhabitants of the favelas (not just the richest in the city) who are the protagonists. They work and save all year round to decorate the floats and their costumes, which are sometimes completely lacking, and they dance completely naked.
With these mentions of carnival, I just wanted to confirm that my "haiku" for the 0º of Aquarius might work.
As a summary of this article, I can say that this entry of Pluto into Aquarius and its subsequent journey along the sign for several years will have unimaginable consequences due to the returns and important aspects that will take place, especially to itself, through squares or oppositions.
Hence its enormous importance for us as individuals and especially on a worldly level.
This interim period until 2024, when Pluto will return to the last degrees of Capricorn, will still be characterised by the struggle between the old, which is trying to remain, and the new, which is trying to overthrow it.
So we cannot take Aquarius as a sign of "peace". Its humanitarian, egalitarian content, and its tendency to move from a "monarchical, authoritarian" hierarchy to a utopian era of freedom, equality and fraternity of mankind, will not happen overnight, just as the French Revolution suffered 10 years of intense struggle and many deaths.
The independence of the USA was not easy either, and the construction of the country resulted in the extermination of many indigenous people. It will be very difficult to explain to them the meaning of the sign of Aquarius...
Over the centuries, many institutions have strayed far from the purpose for which they were born.
The Jesuits, for example, in recent years have neglected what was their primary task: education, and science, and have become more of a power group within the Church. Not to mention what has already been said about corruption, both moral and economic.
That is why Pluto is coming to bring to light all that has been hidden under the carpet and to eliminate what is outdated or has lost its raison d'être.
I recommend watching the important conversation between María Blaquier and Ana Polanco on this subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-FFF294moA
Let these words serve as my humble contribution to the significance of Pluto's current entry into 0º Aquarius and its subsequent transit for several years through the sign "of freedom and humanism".