2023: Catching a (Small) Break Part 1: Pluto in Aquarius
- rjmontgomery89
- Jan 16, 2023
- 6 min read
In 2020, we had a Grand Conjunction with Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, and briefly Mars on top of each other in Capricorn. Mars joined the fray in March 2020, on top of a full moon opposite Neptune in Pisces during a Mercury retrograde, which is when my part of the world went into lockdown thanks to COVID.
You can’t make this s*** up is 2020’s slogan.
2021 and 2022 were a little better, but under a Saturn/Uranus square, money and supply chains were up in the air. Inflation, recession, and uncertainty have dominated these times.
But wait, there’s more. In the next couple of years, about 2024-2026, Saturn and Neptune will come conjunct under Scheat, a fixed star that means exactly what it sounds like. SHEE-at.
The universe, however, is delivering us a break between these messy aspects, where the big boys in the sky aren’t playing nice.
2023 is going to be a quieter year.
Quieter is the operative word. It will feel like a reprieve for most of us because the last few years were doozies. The exceptions are possibly people who were born or have planets at the beginning of fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) and the start of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).
Cardinal signs, you’re also getting some action. The nodes will change signs from Taurus and Scorpio into Aries and Libra. This will affect people born at the end of cardinal signs and globally, will shift our goals away from I have/You have to I am/You are.
However, the biggest to-do in ’23 will be Pluto changing signs in Aquarius. He’ll pop in for a few months before changing signs permanently next year. This year will be more of a preview. The last time Pluto changed signs, it was in 2008 when it moved into tropical Capricorn. We’ve also got Saturn changing signs and a few more planetary to-dos to note. For now, let’s focus on the big one.
Taste of the Age
I maintain that we’re not going to see the actual Age of Aquarius for another 500 years. That’s when Aquarius the constellation will rise off the Eastern elliptic on the Spring Equinox, the marker of an astrological Age. However, Pluto in Aquarius will give us a small taste of what issues will come to the fore and usher in this new age.
We’ve even seen a little bitty taste with Saturn in Aquarius now. Technology can enable people to operate independently of ordered economic systems. Under capitalism, that means using technology to be your own boss or work from anywhere, automate crappier jobs, and even grow a money system that’s independent of a government.
That’s not quite what we got. With Saturn in Aquarius, go figure. The world is returning to working in person, technology is creating art, not automating sending emails or doing menial work so people can make art, and crypto appears to be crashing and burning. A square to Uranus in Taurus (where it hates being and where it will stay for another few years) influenced the slowing and stopping of these new (albeit imperfect) ways of doing things.
Generations
Pluto in astrology also distinguishes people into generations. It is a generational planet, after all. Like Uranus, which defines cohorts within generations, and Neptune, fitting generational creativity into 15-year cycles, Pluto defines a generation by its sign (pro tip: if you want to know how Pluto affects you personally, look at what house it’s in your natal chart).
The last times Pluto was in Tropical Aquarius were during the height of the Reformation and Age of Exploration in the 1530s and the height of the Enlightenment and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th Century. During these times, technological breakthroughs, challenges to outdated social orders, and boosts to shipping and commerce dominated. The last one saw the end of the American Revolution and the beginning of the Frech Revolution where the West moved away from monarchies. It wasn’t all great though – the industrial revolution gave us new technologies, but created another unequal economic system that will have its reckoning during this Pluto in Aquarius period.
People born under Pluto in Aquarius will grow up during an innovative and challenging time period. They’ll seek ways to use technology to stay connected and help others more than get noticed or make money. They’ll grow up watching social reforms play out and come of age during a time when appreciation for the arts, philosophy, and esotericism will be renewed like the Romantics coming of age during the last time Pluto was in Pisces.
Pluto in 2023
While it doesn’t look like there’s going to be some big leap for 2023, it could be like an engine that stalls, then starts running when Pluto enters Aquarius. The car’s not going fully into drive, but the engine started, so that’s something. Globally, we’re going to look back at the last few years and see how we can actually restructure our world so it’s better for everyone, not just Capricornian matters like career, finances, and government.
If you have planets at the very beginning of air signs, this is a good time to start restructuring your life around independence, innovation, and collective action. On the other hand, if you have planets in early fixed signs, watch out. Pluto will be challenging these planets for the next few years, so restructuring your life around Aquarian principles will be a challenge you have to rise to. Either way, where is Pluto calling you to restructure your life? It depends on the house your planets are in, and the house Pluto is transiting in your chart. Here’s a quick guide:
Aquarius in the 1st/Aquarius Rising: How do you fit in with the collective? Pluto will call you to stand out from the crowd and transform how you carry and present your Aquarian energy.
Aquarius in the 2nd: How are you dedicating your resources? Do you need to invest in technological upgrades or learn more about technology for your finances, house, or property?
Aquarius in the 3rd: How can you make a difference in your local community? How should you stay connected to your siblings or upgrade your everyday communication style?
Aquarius in the 4th: The next 20 years will call on you to restructure and redefine home and family. How can you make your immediate family more of a community?
Aquarius in the 5th: What can you do to have fun online? Are you passing on your collective knowledge to the children in your life, or connecting them to the local community and collective? Are you instilling – and living – the aquarian values of service and humanity?
Aquarius in the 6th: Can your job use some innovation? The next 20 years will call on you to upgrade the way you work.
Aquarius in the 7th: How can you shake things up in your relationships? Whether it’s meeting more people virtually or using technology to forge business partnerships, the way you relate to your other half, partner, or BFF will shift during this time.
Aquarius in the 8th: Yours, mine, and ours. The planet of transformation will move through your house of transformation for the next two decades. This is also the house of other people’s stuff, so if you need to revamp how you conduct business or handle your loans (including mortgages) and tax accounts, now’s the time.
Aquarius in the 9th: How do you approach learning? Why do you believe what you believe or study what you want to study? Get ready for continued education and international travel opportunities to come in where you can serve your community. Be warned: make sure your pursuits are for selfless reasons or you could find these opportunities being easy come, easy go.
Aquarius in the 10th/Aquarius Midheaven: How does the world see you? In your career and public image, are you working towards the right things?
Aquarius in the 11th: Aquarius rules the 11th house, so you’ll find your relationship with large groups of friends, societies, organizations, and your community as a whole coming to the fore now. How should you grow, scale back, or transform your relationship with your peers and organizations?
Aquarius in the 12th: Pluto’s energy is going into your “planet jail,” so it could feel hard to access here. Pay attention to dreams about society, crowds, and organizations. Rework your subconscious mindsets and biases about the collective, humanity, and technology for the next couple of decades.
Although Pluto will only be in Aquarius for a few months this year, we’re going to receive a sneak preview this spring of what the next 20 years of our lives will be like. If you want more specifics on how Pluto in Aquarius will affect you long-term, stay tuned since I will be offering readings at vendor fairs and online.
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