Pluto moved into Sagittarius in January 1995 where, save for a brief period between April and November of that year, it has remained ever since. Until today – when at 5:02 pm PST it will leave that sign, and won’t return for another 233 years.
Isn’t it staggering to think that if you’re a young person in your late twenties or early thirties, Pluto has been in Sagittarius nearly half your life? Thirteen years is a bit less a third of my life, but a very significant third. The distance between age 34 and age 47 is vast, psychologically and physiologically. When Pluto entered Sagittarius I was – well, not a baby, but certainly much cuter, much more idealistic, more ambitious. I’m sure getting thirteen years older would have left its mark regardless of Pluto’s sign, but Pluto moving through my first house and making some pretty brutal aspects along the way has seen changes in me that I never expected. And mostly they’re changes I’m not proud of, to be honest. I’m not as nice as I used to be, as forgiving, as trusting, as positive, as open-minded or open-hearted. I’m not aging as gracefully or soulfully as I’d have hoped.
On the other hand, I’ve survived a generally rough period in my life, and have some positive things to show for it – a strong marriage, solid friendships, a family that’s smaller but even more tightly knit, a house that I mostly love, and something resembling a career. That which doesn’t kill us… well, you know the rest.
Anyway, I’m not sorry to close this chapter in my life, although I’m thankful for the love, beauty, and good that I’m lucky enough to enjoy. It’s been a tough chapter for me personally, and what’s more, I’m not sure civilization as a whole is going to come off all that well when these years make their way into the history books. Globalization, ecological violence, and extreme ideological warfare appear to have been Pluto in Sagittarius’ dubious legacy, and I can’t say the world seems better for it.
But if I’m still idealistic about anything, it’s this: that every transit, and every moment in history, has its purpose, and the potential to elevate us. In particular, Pluto moving through a sign purifies and distills the symbolism of that sign by burning away its most damaging vanities in a ferocious bonfire – liberating its best qualities to take flight. If I may offer up my version of a Sabian symbol for this moment of transition, it would be this: Propelled by air that’s been warmed by an open flame, a balloon lifts off. When the kids born with Pluto in this Sagittarius eventually reach maturity and come to power, my hope is we’ll see the return of that beautiful, hope-filled balloon … carrying our highest principles and aspirations, and leading us into a new era of innovation and spiritual awakening.
How are you different now than you were thirteen years ago? And how has Pluto in Sagittarius left its mark on you?
