Today, March 23rd, we have the MOST important astrological event of the year and quite frankly a decade! Today the planet Pluto ingresses into the sign of Aquarius from its 15-year long journey in the sign of Capricorn. Because of Pluto’s slow movement, he hasn’t changed signs in 15 years and hasn’t visited the sign of Aquarius in close to 250 years! Today we witness the birth of a new generation…. the birth of a new era!
I’ve mentioned multiple times over the last few months that although we celebrate the new year on January 1st, from an energetic (cosmic weather) standpoint, the new year doesn’t really typically begin until the Vernal equinox (the Spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and the fall equinox for our friends down under.) Why is this? Western tropical Astrology is based around the 4 seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The most important markers, therefore, are the two Equinox’s which happen at the Spring and Autumn and the two Solstices, which happen in the Summer and Winter. Spring is a time when Mother Earth (Gaia) wakes up from her slumber. There is a burst of fresh air, the days are getting longer, the sun is getting warmer, and the flowers and leaves start to pop up! We see the Robin (a popular bird in North America) come back to visit and the wildlife start birthing their young. There is an infusion of new energy and LIFE that “springs forward” at the time of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere. As such, the ancients observed this phenomenon and coordinated the beginning of the Astrological zodiac with the Vernal Equinox and the sign of Aries. When the sun crosses over 0 degrees of Aries in the western tropical zodiac we have the beginning of the astrological year. As such, in Astrology, Aries is the sign that represents new beginnings, the warrior that blazes new paths and courageously defines himself in the world. Aries is associated with the I AM presence, the who am I? Aries (naturally ruled by Mars) is the born leader.
On March 20th, we celebrated the equinox as the sun crossed over the 0-degree Aries point and the new astrological year began. But why was THIS particular vernal equinox so different than others in regard to the energies of the year 2023? Doesn’t the vernal equinox happen every year? Absolutely! Here’s where the difference lies. First of all, we started January 2023 in the middle of THREE retrogrades. Retrograde energy is “reviewing OLD energy” - it’s not new energy. It’s a time to go back and re-do and revise what wasn’t working for us in the past. We had to move through this energy to be able to clear out and release old chapters in our life in order to allow the new energy to come in. It took a while for this energy to clear out as the 3 retrograde planets (Mercury, Mars and Uranus) had to turn DIRECT AND move through their shadow phase. Secondly, we had two major heavy hitting planets (Saturn and Pluto) ever so slowly inching toward the final (29th) degree of their respective zodiac signs of which they have been visiting for quite a while. When a planet transits the final degrees of a zodiac sign, there is a DISTINCT feeling of “finality” and a “now or never” energy to close old chapters. This is felt THE MOST when the planets changing signs are outer planets. Saturn and Pluto (the planets of time and karma) have been transiting the last degrees of Capricorn and Aquarius since the beginning of the year. Again, this is energy of “endings,” not new beginnings. All of this was going on while the Sun was transiting through the last two zodiac signs of the astrological wheel, Aquarius and Pisces. In true Pisces fashion that represents culminations, transitions, healing and letting go don’t be surprised if you felt the effects of these major energetic transitions via anxiety, depression, frustration, sickness etc. as these are all ways the body is signaling imbalance and a need for change.
Enter March 2023 – It is fairly common to see 2-3 planets shift signs over the course of a month. Remember, a planet changing signs represents a shift in energy and a new start. However, this month of March we see a SIGNIFICANT 7 planetary bodies shift signs! That’s some whopping new energy! But this is where it gets real. First, let’s talk about Saturn – Saturn gets a bad rap in Astrology because he can be about obstacles, delays, karma and restriction. However, Saturn is really our teacher. Saturn teaches us lessons, forces us to look at what we’re committing to and why we’re committing to it. Saturn takes approximately 2.5 years to visit a zodiac sign. Over the last 2.5 years we’ve witnessed Saturn going through the sign of Aquarius. Aquarius is the rebel genius of the zodiac. Aquarius rules over science, technology and society as a whole. Aquarius rules over our communities. Over the time Saturn visited Aquarius we got a cold hard look (Saturn) at lessons around the way we use technology for better or for worse. For instance, Saturn gave us a taste of what happens when too much power goes into the hands of the social media giants. We saw censoring, restriction of accounts and inflated use of algorithms to direct what society sees and the information they receive. We witnessed lessons and difficulties (restrictions/lockdowns/rules etc.) mandating society around new medical technologies that were developed and implemented.
But after 2.5 years Saturn finally moved out of Aquarius and into the sign of Pisces on March 7th. This is a completely different territory for Saturn likes to manifest and build and he now has to swim in the formless waters of Pisces. So, what can Saturn in Pisces do for us? Well, mundane astrologers attempt to predict what’s going to come in the future by studying the transits of the past. Think back to what happened in your life between 1993 and 1996 and maybe even 1964 to 1967? These were the last times Saturn visited the sign of Pisces. Pisces is the compassionate healer, mystic and artist of the zodiac. Ruled by the water element and the planet Neptune, Pisces encourages forgiveness, creative expression, the desire to merge with all that is and connect with the divine. When Saturn enters Pisces, the “Teacher” prompts the question: “What is the deeper meaning of Life?” It’s a time to “learn” through accessing our dream state, tapping into our intuition and manifesting our dreams by getting clarity via our soul’s inner knowing. Saturn will bring us important lessons around realizing, “it’s not about the Destination – it’s about the Journey” and all that we learn along that journey. What could we see in the next few years of this transit? We could potentially see an explosion in metaphysical practices including more meditation and yoga centers popping up. This transit also encourages artistic expression, and we could very possibly see a “music mogul” be born during this time. As a note, when Saturn visited Pisces in the mid 60’s, the Beetles became a worldwide phenomenon. Saturn in Pisces is connected to “manifesting our dreams.”
This now brings us to the star of the show, Pluto, which today ingresses into the sign of Aquarius. Pluto can get a bad rap in astrology too because he’s associated with death and rebirth, destruction and chaos. He’s this little guy out there at the very end of the solar system just hanging out (to the point where over the last number of years it has been attempted to completely eliminate him as a planet in our solar system at all!) But that hasn’t stuck because Pluto packs a mighty big punch and Astrologers know it. When Pluto changes signs, he has a profound effect on the economic, social and political stages of our society. Accordingly, each generation that is born is actually defined by a Pluto transit. For example, the “Baby Boomers” were born during the time Pluto was in Virgo, Generation X (those of us born between 1965-1980) were born with Pluto in Libra, the Millennials (those born between 1980 – 1995) were born with Pluto in Scorpio and Generation Z (those born between 1995 – 2010) were born with Pluto in Sagittarius. Think about some of the major world events/movements that occurred during those times. For instance, when Pluto was in Libra, we saw a complete reform around love and relationships. The Gay Liberation movement started, and we saw an all-time high of divorce rates, ending the outdated concept of “to death do us part” that our ancestors so closely adhered to. When Pluto was in Scorpio, we saw the dark side (Pluto) of supposed taboo sexuality (Scorpio) with the rise of the AIDS epidemic. Finally, when Pluto entered Sagittarius, we saw the exposing of corruption (Pluto) in our religious institutions (Sagittarius) and the search for truth (Pluto) regarding the 911 Twin Tower Attacks (Sagittarius rules Travel.)
Pluto has just spent 15 years in the sign of Capricorn. What did we see? Capricorn rules over our governments and large corporations. Over the last 15 years, and particularly over the last several years (as Pluto transited the final degrees of the sign) we saw exposed corruption of our political systems, our government and the attempt of large corporations taking all the power and attempting to eliminate the sustainability of small businesses – Capricorn rules business. Needless to say, Pluto did a damn good job of exposing what WAS NOT working well in our society and culture. But that’s the GIFT of Pluto. Pluto doesn’t just “expose” and breakdown. Pluto represents the higher octave of Mars whose job is to keep our society “EVOLVING!” Pluto’s job isn’t just about demolishing but re-building better! Pluto isn’t just about power but empowerment. Pluto’s job is to CHANGE and REFORM, on both a collective level and on a personal level. So yes, in the beginning when Pluto exposes and breaks down, it can be extremely chaotic. But the lesson with Pluto is reform and build back better what is worth keeping and eliminating what is not built on a solid foundation.
Today, on March 23rd, we birth a new generation as Pluto comes to visit the sign of Aquarius. As mentioned earlier, Aquarius rules over our society. Aquarius is not only the mad scientist, but the loving humanitarian. Aquarius is about joining our thoughts and ideas in love to make the world a better place. Aquarius is about sharing through communities. If Capricorn was about government and structures, Aquarius is about the People. You might now be starting to get an idea what this Pluto in Aquarius transit might bring for us…just based alone on what we have seen over the last several years. The biggest theme being brought up for question is the use of technology and AI. Will Pluto in Aquarius result in us living in a Metaverse and digital society? Maybe…maybe not. You see, we already got a taste of what happens when AI and technology get too much power while Saturn visited there over the last 2.5 years. The first part of the process is to “expose.” We were also exposed to the manipulation (Pluto) of data and research surrounding medical technology (Aquarius rules technology and Medicine.) So, Pluto in Aquarius can continue to show us what happens when we rely on too much technology WITHOUT considering the ramifications first.
The good news is that Pluto breaks down what is not sustainable and BUILDS UP that which is valuable! Pluto is both de-stabilizing AND co-creating. What’s even better news is that the sign Pluto sits in is where the POWER lies. In Capricorn, the power was exercised by our governments and systems; but in Aquarius, the POWER lies with the PEOPLE. Consequently, it is very possible that we will continue to see an uprising of the people and our communities to put a focus on our freedoms and God-given rights. What is valuable stays – what is corrupt goes. We will potentially see more people coming together to form sustainable communities through love, connection and each’s person’s individuals' gifts/talents they have to offer – a shift from monopoly to shared resources. What did we see the last time Pluto visited the sign of freedom-loving Aquarius almost 250 years ago? The signing of one of the most distinct movements of our society’s freedoms – The Declaration of Independence. It is important to note here that Pluto will only dip his toe into Aquarius for a short time as he will retrograde back into Capricorn in June until next near. Pluto will do this dance going back and forth between Aquarius and Capricorn for about a year tying up loose ends in all Capricorn-related areas before making his final transition into Aquarius in late 2024.
As you can see, the Astrology of March including the Vernal Equinox followed directly by a potent new moon in courageous and brave Aries, with 7 planetary shifts (one of which hasn’t been around for close to 250 years) is significant to say the least. This week of March 2023 a new generation is being born – a new chapter is about to be written and the pages are officially blank. We, the People, have the power to shift our realties both personally and collectively. The newness of energy now is like nothing we have seen in some time. The question is, “What is your new chapter about?” We end this week with Mars finally moving out of the sign of Gemini (of which it has been in for an abnormal amount of 7 months) into the sign of Cancer. Typically, Mars only spends about six weeks in a sign. For those with Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces placements, this is another huge breath of fresh air as well. We will end the month with Venus, the planet of love and money, meeting up with the planet of surprises and shocks, Uranus on the 30th. Venus/Uranus meet-ups catalyze new cycles around relationships and finances.
This powerful energetic portal can bring chaos, but also results in reform and empowerment both personally and collectively. We have the choice of what we write on the pages of this next chapter. It’s truly up to you. Co-create with the Universe. Saturn in Pisces wants you to “manifest your dreams.” What do they look like? Aquarius rules community and connection. What type of connections do you want to build? What type of communities do you want to live in? What type of relationships do wish to have? Re-write the script – the time is now. To close out this energetic update, I would like to share a fable about Pluto written by the students of Astro Butterfly and shared in a recent article. It speaks so strongly to the story of Pluto and the power of Transformation and new beginnings that I felt compelled to share it here. Credit goes to Astro Butterfly:
“Once upon a time, Pluto was feeling lost and out of place. It was no longer considered a planet by the scientific community, and it was struggling to find its place in the universe. One day, Pluto discovered that it had entered the sign of Aquarius.
Excited by this discovery, Pluto started to embrace the Aquarian energy and began to feel more confident and powerful. It started to realize that it had the ability to create and shape the world around it, just like the people born under this sign.
Pluto began to explore its newfound Aquarian identity, experimenting with new ideas and technologies. It started to build robots and AI to help it in its quest for knowledge and understanding.
But soon, Pluto realized that even with all its power and technology, it couldn’t control everything. People still had free will and could choose to reject Pluto’s ideas and ways of doing things.
Feeling frustrated, Pluto went to see an astrologer who specialized in Aquarian energy. The astrologer listened patiently to Pluto’s complaints and then said, “Pluto, my dear, in the Age of Aquarius, people will always have the last say. It’s not about controlling them; it’s about empowering them to make their own choices and create their own futures.”
Pluto realized that the astrologer was right. It wasn’t about trying to control people or change them; it was about empowering them to make their own decisions and create a better world together.
With this new perspective, Pluto continued to embrace its Aquarian energy, but now with a more humble and collaborative approach. And as it worked with people to create a better world, Pluto discovered a new sense of purpose and belonging in the universe.”
*Image credit to respective owner