Chaos and Change
With 2021 right around the corner we will begin to see the effects of the US Pluto return even though it’s 2 years away. This is because Pluto is coming into “orb” or close enough to the position of Pluto in the US chart to have an impact. It takes the planet Pluto 248 years to make a complete revolution around the zodiacal wheel, so when it returns to the same position is was at a moment of birth ( or founding of a nation) it makes astrologers sit up and pay attention. We are just a few short years away from the official Pluto return in 2022, but we will likely be seeing the effects in 2020 and 2021 as Pluto moves closer to the position it was at on July 4th, 1776.
What’s the deal with Pluto?
Pluto is known as the planet of transformation, destruction, chaos, and rebirth. Wherever it is found we can be certain of unrest, uncomfortable change, and certain destruction followed by healthy growth. It’s a lot like how forest fires are an important part of the ecological health, when they remove undergrowth, enrich the soil, and open up the top canopies to let in new sunlight. They are horrific and traumatic, but ultimately necessary and make things better in the long run.
We must first understand the nature of the Pluto in the United States’ natal chart in order to uncover what this could possibly mean for our country. At the moment our country was founded (5:10pm, Philadelphia, PA 1776) Pluto was at 27 degrees Capricorn 33 minutes in the 2nd house. In the sign of Capricorn Pluto is focused and efficient in creating change, as well as reconstructive when it comes to leadership and success. In the 2nd house, it transforms financial and personal values. When we consider that we became a country in order to self govern (Capricorn) and broke free from taxation without representation (2nd House) along with a new set of values that included liberty, justice, and freedom (2nd House) it is only natural to assume these are the themes that will return.
In 2020 and 2021 we can assume that leadership will be questioned (as it has been since the election of Donald Trump) and frustration with leadership at all levels will continue to escalate through these years as we prepare for 2022-2025. The years 2020 and 2021 also see a Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn along with with a powerful Solar Eclipse. Both of which will have important effects on the Pluto Return.
Pluto Returns Through History
Historically, we can see that the Roman Empire experienced its first Pluto return from 218 and 220 A.D. This period had dramatic leaders and intense shifts in power, along with seemingly endless scandal (sound familiar?) The Roman Empire’s second Pluto return arrived between 461 and 468 A.D. — just prior to its fall, with these years being key to the eventual destruction of their empire. Britain’s most recent Pluto Return in 1801 saw the establishment of The United Kingdom with the Act of Union. Other examples of Pluto returns can be seen in Spain in 1972 when dictator Francisco Franco relinquished power. France and Russia saw the deaths of Napoleon and Stalin during their own Pluto returns.
The US Pluto Return
We can be certain that during the US Pluto Return our country will go through some very intense growing pains related to the way we look at our leaders, along with a reassessment of our values as a nation. Pluto returning to the 2nd house demands that was uproot what we held as important. It will be a time of conflict when we redefine our own morality as a whole. While the US was founded on freedom we will need to figure out exactly what that means. I would imagine that this will come up in Congress or the Supreme Court. I wouldn’t completely rule out changes to the Constitution. I know that sounds extreme, but we are dealing with Pluto here.
With these changes and questions about our values and morality we are likely to see intense infighting among the American people who hold contrasting and extreme views. At its core Pluto itself is extreme, and we will see that from both sides of the political and social isles as the years progress until it ultimately comes to a head and explodes like a pressure cooker. We have seen many protests and demonstrations in recent years, but with Pluto they are likely to become more violent, shocking, and unlike anything we have seen since the Boston Tea Party and American Revolution.
Financially, these will be challenging years for our country and its people. Prices are likely to soar, and another recession is almost guaranteed, though it will not be as easily bounced back from as the Great Recession in 2007-2009. Along with values the 2nd house rules money, and it is under a great deal of stress in the Pluto return chart. Investing will be both risky and expensive. I pray we don’t end up in a Great Depression. Hopefully leaders have studied how it happened before and can take steps to prevent the severity of financial chaos.
The Great Conjunction and Solar Eclipse
As we approach 2020 the upcoming Great Conjunction on December 21, 2019 (which I will write about in a future post) we see shift towards Aquarius energy from the Capricorn energy of the Pluto Return. This release of Jupiter and Saturn’s hold on Capricorn Energy illustrates that Pluto is now free to do what it does best, destroy. We can expect the end of 2019 and the early months of 2020 to be fraught with Pluto themes of contrasting values, financial hardship, and the next wave of rumblings from the the initial Pluto return wave of energy from 2016.
December of 2021 shows a Solar Eclipse on the 3rd, which will sit right on top of the Ascendant of the US Natal Chart. Eclipses have been feared for a millenia as omens of doom. With it sitting right on a sensitive point in the US chart we can assume that the period between July 2021 and June 2022 will be particularly intense, especially with how the rest of the world views America. The Ascendant is also tied to the US’s identity as a whole, which is concerning as to what could be in store for what we stand for as a nation. Finally, the Ascendant rules the immediate environment, which illustrates danger to the American people. As it is in Sagittarius (the archer) we may see a sharp uprise in mass shootings (especially since ideological tensions are likely to rise).
Pluto is getting ready to shake the very foundation of our country, which will initially feel scary, but it is also for our greatest good. We cannot cling to old and outdate methods of thinking, and approaching what we value in the county. While we were founded on freedom, the USA is decades behind other nations, and Pluto is bringing that forward and asking us to change. We can expect many to try to hold onto old ways of thinking and behaving, and we may even see ourselves regress for a period of time. Fortunately, Pluto cannot stand for such stagnation and regression. It will force us to change, or destroy us in the process in order to rebuild like the forest fire discussed at the beginning of the assessment.