Pluto in Aquarius – the Sun sign challenge

The value of astrology, Arab astrologers believed, was in helping us understand and put in context the past. Unfortunately most astrologers spend their time in a tremor of anxiety about what is coming. Pluto, the planet of transformation, ruler of inexorable and seismic changes, is once again poised on the brink of a cyclical shift. Should we shiver with excitement at the chance of new vistas opening up and the possibility of recent restrictions being cast aside? Or wilt at the prospect of having to adjust yet again to a new scenario with a while different set of challenges?

  Sun sign astrology is generally sneered at by the elitists but it works well enough at a simple level not to be dismissed out of hand.  It is one way of approaching what will happen to individuals in the time to come.

 Pluto will move into Aquarius from the 23rd of this month till the middle of this June and returns again from early 2024 for two decades thereafter.

  The greatest effect will be felt by the Fixed signs – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.   Those born early in their sign will feel the effects first.

   For Taurus, it falls in the Solar 10th house of career and life direction, bringing a long phase of seeking and searching for meaning and purpose at work and in life. The ultimate aim is to find a true vocation. But it may be a question of try, try, try again before you succeed. Along the way there may be power struggles with authority figures.

Leo will be prompted to alter their approach to close relationships. Pluto can throw up tensions as one or both partners resist letting go the old ways and fight for control. It can be scary to open up to deeper connections with intense emotional reactions surfacing. But the end result will be to forge stronger bonds if the problems can be overcome and trust established.

Scorpio will sense the winds of change blowing through their home life, family relationships and altering their attitude to their roots and origins. Pulling away from old emotional foundations can bring a sense of loss but the gift is the prospect of reattaching in future to more mature connections as childish patterns are eliminated. It can also be a time of rebuilding literally at home as the domestic shell shows signs of requiring renovations.

Aquarius could regard this as a transformational phase comparable to caterpillar, chrysalis into butterfly. Though another analogy might be the crustacean – like a lobster or shrimp.  They are armour coated which protects them but what fends off danger also stops them growing. When they need to evolve to a larger size they go through a vulnerable phase when they cast off the old shell. At that point they hide under a rock for safety. Grown in size, they put on a suitably enlarged overcoat and sally back into the fray. Pluto’s change always requires a step backwards into an exposed or defenseless stage before an empowered move forward.  Aquarius will emerge renewed and regenerated along the way.

  The other Air signs – Gemini and Libra – will benefit from Pluto in Aquarius. 

Gemini has been labouring since 2008 with Pluto moving through its Solar 8th house, which is a financial and emotional drag. Some have used Pluto’s subtle manipulation of power and influence astutely but it hasn’t been easy. Pluto moving ahead through their Solar 9th will find them opinionated and wrestling to a degree with sorting out their beliefs and philosophy of life but they won’t be as tied down.

Libra has been sorting out home, family and domestic matters for the past fifteen years and is now ready to step out into a longish phase of Pluto moving through their Solar 5th house. This will help them make their mark creatively and be an influential presence on the social scene. Less helpfully it can make them more possessive and controlling about children and loved ones. Resisting that temptation and turning their attention to building up their self-confidence and getting their achievements out on display will make more sense.

The fire signs – Aries and Sagittarius – will be less burdened moving ahead with Pluto moving out of materialistic, earthy Capricorn into airy Aquarius.  A mix of Fire and Air can be hot-air-balloon time, exciting but not always realistic or practical. But will appeal to their adventurous spirit.

  Aries will throw their energy into activist movements with Pluto moving through their Solar 11th house, wanting to make a difference. Friendships will become more intense and mixing with influential types out in society will be more frequent.

Sagittarius can now turn their attention away from Pluto in Capricorn’s obsession with money to considering how to reorganize their everyday schedule and routines at work and in the neighbourhood. Altering their way of communication will be key to Pluto in Aquarius. Everyday encounters may take on a significant tone, though too much may be read into small glitches. Becoming opinionated, dogmatic or negative are risks but real insight into the core of situations and problems will be the gift.

Cancer is still moving through a challenging phase of revisioning close relationships. Pluto in Capricorn has been a longish time of adjusting to a different balance in interchanges with one-to-one partners. Pluto moving into the Solar 8th house can bring a sense of restriction either financial or emotional, but in rethinking attitudes to influence, power and control, there can be a surprisingly positive outcome. For sure, best results will come from altering ways of sharing, caring and relating and being firstly more adaptable and secondly accepting of what can’t be changed.

Pisces will adapt to Pluto moving through Aquarius, the sign before theirs, by disappearing into a private space to ponder. For some, they will drift and daydream through a time where they feel marginally hemmed in. For others they will rise to the challenge of understanding what is going on deep within themselves. They will explore their unconscious or their past for clues to how to change the pattern of their lives.

Virgo facing Pluto moving into their 6th house of health and work will be unperturbed at the prospect of exploring better ways of upgrading and regenerating their fitness and physical well-being. Being hypochondriacs at heart, they will relish the thought of researching new diets, exercise plans and supplements to keep them on peak form.  There may be tensions in the work place since their determination that they know best about new methods and approaches may not meet with universal agreement.

Capricorn likewise won’t be unduly unnerved by the prospect of Pluto moving into its chart area of personal finances, since money and materialistic matters fall within its comfort zone. Though they may not appreciate Pluto’s tendency to start with a breakdown phase as an old financial base or methods are deconstructed before the reconstruction begins.  Staying in control of cash and security will be key to their peace of mind.

  These are the rule of thumb Solar effects of Pluto in Aquarius – which will equally make sense when applied to the rising (Ascendant) sign. Not to be regarded as tablets of stone since other planetary influences will also be in play. But helpful as an overview.

20 thoughts on “Pluto in Aquarius – the Sun sign challenge”

  1. I’m a Sun Aquarian and Pluto’s transit through the sign’s 12th house has been debilitating and excruciating.

    The way it has been described above in the 12th is a very good description of my experience with it.

    What I’ve learnt personally is what I have to show for it, but I’m glad this is ending. I had no spiritual vocabulary, yet I spent years deeply digging through my past and subconscious. Years.

    I can already feel it ending – and I’m just grateful.

  2. Thank you Marjorie!
    My sis-in-law is a Libran, and what you wrote really hit the mark! after 15 years (just as you wrote) she had already decided she will leave her job this summer so she can spend more time on her creative interests. As for potentially being more controlling with children and loved ones, on the other hand, I’m afraid she was already very much so (she feels like a Cancer ASC, which would also place her sun in her 4th, very homebound and in need of security) – and having Pluto in her solar 4th was causing all sorts of family tensions to come out; I hope she has learned to let go and be a bit less bossy as a result and not return to her old ways once Pluto leaves Capricorn.

    As for myself, I hope your general forecast will be as beneficial as it sounds for Virgo. What’s been looming over me are an Asian astrologer and particularly palm readers (I didn’t seek out the latter but happened to meet them through acquaintances) who made practically identical life-threatening forecasts for me over the next few years (unlike Westerners, Asian fortune-tellers have no qualms telling you when they think the end will, or might, come).

    Knowing nothing about palmistry, I tried to read up a bit and identified the lines they must have seen indicating poor health, tho timing is difficult to determine for an uninformed person like myself.

    Astrologically, Saturn in Aq had already done a number on my health, but I survived, so I would like to think that perhaps that was the challenge. I haven’t looked hard to identify specific aspects of my chart over the next few years, but the Saturn Neptune (in Aries, Virgo 8th) potential for epidemics which you mentioned in your other post now makes me wonder whether that might be a source of danger … Guess I’ll find out, and keep on masking …

  3. Thank you very much, Marjorie!
    Sun sign astrology may seem too simple for some, but I find your Pluto in Aquarius for the sun signs wonderful and enlightening!

  5. Oh dear! It doesn’t sound very restful. Pluto’d and saturned for years, I was looking forward to quieter times. Oddly, for the first time ever, I’ve become actively involved in a protest movement. It’s infuriating, enlightening, frustrating, but exhilarating too. It’s such a relief that it’s not all about me and mine. I’m astonished at my fearlessness and determination! Where did that all come from? Heading north towards 80, perhaps my Aries moon is finally having its say.

      • I understand what you mean – it’s the shared ideals, the sense of being part of a larger community while trying to contribute my small part ! I am Virgo/Aq ASC, and began actively protesting prior to the Iraq war (my 40s ?) and haven’t stopped since, tho I was always interested in protests & revolutions throughout history (before I learned about astrology, now it makes sense); would have to go back check what the transits were at the time.
        Although, as you say, it’s not about the self, I finally understood a couple of years ago why raising a fist is so important because it felt so empowering (I am a Virgo after all, not usually one to scream and yell 🙂

  8. Thank you for the analysis, Marjorie!

    I’m an Aries and engaging in activism and worthy causes are definitely my thing. In fact, I’ve been involved in a number of social justice, human rights, humanitarian, self-determination, arts and educational,and environmental causes for many years now….I imagine I’ll be just as engaged when Pluto goes into Aquarius too.

    I’ve donated and helped raise money for charities that help ethnic Yazidi survivors of the 2014 genocide, Ukrainian refugees, PBS, children’s hospitals, wildlife conservation projects in Borneo (Indonesia and Malaysia), and to various art and cultural heritage restoration and preservation organizations.

    I’ve also signed petitions and participated in small local gathering demanding the recognition of the Yazidi and Ukrainian Genocides and independence for Kurdistan, Tibet, and West Papua.

    Laat but not least, I’ve also made small donations to Alzheimers and Cancer research organizations…and other humanitarian groups like Feeding Northeast Florida, United Way, the Clara White Mission, and the March of Dimes. And in 2018, I participated in the Jacksonville, Florida’s gathering of March For Our Lives to protest gun violence in our society.

    So, I’m hoping we’ll see more progressive (not far-left nonsense; I mean sensible, classic liberalism) activism once Pluto enters Aquarius. We need our world to move forward.

  9. Thanks again, Marjorie! I’m a Taurus who retires in May and has two exciting creative projects in the offing plus one or two political campaigns to work on — tying in with “power struggles with authority figures” — so your reading is spot on which is no surprise!

    May I ask if the readings also apply to countries such as Cancerian Canada and the U.S., as in: “Cancer is still moving through a challenging phase of revisioning close relationships”? In the case of Canada, I would guess that the “revisioning” of “close relationships” might be between Canada’s uber-stubborn, selfish, incompetent “elite” and their misgoverned, increasingly restive peasants (aka citizens). Much obliged for any feedback!

  11. Great rundown Marjorie – very impressive

    From the ascendant perspective you mention, I’m looking forward to Pluto heading into my 10th. Its trip through the 9th has been harder than I would have imagined. Going from being highly motivated to achieving my goals to having barely any because Pluto in 9th wanted me to dig deep to find what is meaningful. I became a shell of a person who just sat and stared with a constant sense of ennui. I can scarcely believe how much more knowledgeable I’ve grown over these years – I knew lots of facts then but now I can fit them together into a bigger picture – amazing. I’m ready to go give this to the world! Pluto’s entry is simply the beginning and I expect challenges however well prepared I feel.

    We should all bear in mind what began in 1996-98 when Uranus then Neptune entered Aquarius and last the next decade or so. There many be similarities or Pluto taking those things onto the next level.

  12. Hi Marjorie,
    Thank you very much for your overview of “Pluto in Aquarius – the Sun sign challenge” I appreciate you saying that this is a brief overview and not tablets of stone.
    However being a sun Leo with an Aquarius ascendant, I’m not jumping for joy. Especially as my partner is a sun scorpion ascendant Leo. We have spent 24 happy years together.
    Being in our 60’s I would have hoped and felt that we would have spent the rest of of our lives together but reading this does make me nervous as we will/could definitely be affected from many aspects that you have mentioned.
    No idea how one faces the next two decades knowing this without being somewhat concerned.
    regards
    Mary

    • Panic not. Have a look at Cancerians and Capricorns who have had Pluto opposing and conjunct over the past 15 years – they haven’t all split up or keeled over. Indeed I suspect no more than usual. But they will have undergone some challenges. Personally I found Pluto moving across my Ascendant a very helpful process.

    • Hello Leo! I’m one of those Cancers that has had quite the time with Pluto in Capricorn. I also have lots of Aries and a northLibra and south Aries nodes. All that to say… you CAN be okay through a “scary” time of pluto transits!

      I took to heart a quote I came across, “if you don’t do Pluto, it will do you”. I’ve never seen that as a threat but more as an invitation! And so that is what I have done this past 15 years. With all the oppositions and squares (still happening), I have had my troubles, traumas and endings. However, I have also leaned INTO Pluto with awareness… going “fearward” as a friend says.

      And?… I have been care-ful in my world. I have a strong Pluto in the 8th anyways, but these last 15 years has been a time of standing at the edges a bit, so as not to stir up too much around me. I’ve said this before… I also took up a formal, martial Tai Chi practice.. as a way to integrate that Plutonian energy and power INTO my physical body. That’s been very important, actually.

      all the best, Leo!
      and Marjorie.. what a terrific post… thank-you!

      • Oh… I almost forgot!
        I met my deeply Plutonian, Capricorn husband 15 years ago… with Pluto just into Capricorn. He, our relationship.. was completely new and transformative for me. So that, too, was scary.. however, a Pluto blessing! Our first date was to the movie, Into the Wild!… we joke about that, actually!

      • Wonderful post, Sandra!
        I have the same experience with Pluto in Sagittarius and conjunct my Sun circa 2002-2005. Very very challenging with some important losses but also coming into my own and being empowered… I understand that having Pluto transiting opposite the Sun is a bit different because the adversity and power trips come from ‘outside’. However, it can still be empowering. Astrologer Jessica Adams compares Pluto to weight-lifting, that is strengthening through resistance and willpower…That being said, I also think Pluto shows us where we have to surrender and ask for the help of a higher power

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