Pluto decides on an an outfit

Scorpio 2024

Yes. On November 19th, Pluto made his final decision to stay in Aquarius for the next twenty years. He has changed his clothes. His business suit might be gone, but don’t be fooled. Pluto is still Pluto. The one who requires deep soul-searching. The one who needs to use his power wisely. Sadly, we haven’t seen much of that on his trip through Capricorn, since 2008.

Many astrologically-minded people couldn’t wait for Pluto to get out of Capricorn, and indeed his journey through the last degree of this sign has been difficult. This degree, 29, has lived up to its reputation for being critical and intense. In Capricorn, it felt like the last chance for authorities (Capricorn) to exert power. On the world stage we have seen the power-hungry showing their true colours. The polarisation has been intense. Vitriolic language has been rife, and, since Capricorn has to do with physical borders and boundaries, it is no wonder that wars are being cruelly escalated.

The last days in the Netherlands

Just before Pluto’s exit from Capricorn, reporting on incidents in Amsterdam went into overdrive on a global scale. The events were appalling, not that I noticed any of it, not being out and about on the days in question. Getting news from different sources is always eye-opening. But in this case, it was also shocking to see some of the manipulation in the reporting. The whole thing started when football supporters from Israel were allowed to come to town for a match against AJAX. Although a few alarm bells sounded in a few heads, this was not considered to be a threat, even although the Tel Aviv Maccabi football supporters have a reputation for violence. When the Mayor of Amsterdam asked for advice from the National Coordinator against Terrorism, she was assured there were no concrete threats.

One-sided

The match itself was well managed by the police it seems, although there have been disturbing reports about police tactics. However, the bias in the news– especially at the beginning – was all about antisemitism and pogroms and hatred against Jews. Don’t get me wrong, chasing suspected Israelis and Jews on scooters and attacking them is horrendous. It has no place anywhere, especially not in Amsterdam. However, although the Maccabi supporters shouted shocking abuse and removed Palestinian flags, before all this, this was hardly mentioned, except in initial reports, and Sky news then removed this coverage, apparently. A film of the Maccabi supporters taken by a Dutch photographer, showing them rampaging through town attacking Amsterdam locals, was used to show the opposite by media outlets. The Israelis were said to be under attack from antisemitic pro-Palestine supporters. Why? The photographer is still trying to rectify this. It was a terrible mix of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, antisemitism, football hooliganism, and general hatred. None of which is OK.

A heady mix

What was astounding was that politicians tried to disconnect what was happening in Gaza from events in Amsterdam. Spin doctors for Israel were hard at work and it took mainstream news a while to get their stories straight. But the tone was set. Currently Dutch terrorism authorities are looking into ‘unwanted foreign interference’ by Israel. I would have thought anyone could have seen that this mix could have been dangerous  – especially as Kristalnacht was being remembered that weekend. Of course the war in Gaza plays a role. What planet do these decision-makers live on?

In other countries different decisions were taken regarding football matches. Any astrologer might have said ‘play it safe’ as well! Politicians were accused of fanning the flames, and indeed using words like ‘pogrom’, totally inappropriately, is not helpful. It divided a tricky coalition government even more and caused a near cabinet fall, with three people from one party stepping down, or giving up their seats in parliament, ostensibly because of unacceptable language. The polarisation came to a head.

The debate in parliament

I watched quite a lot of the parliamentary debate on the events, as I try to keep an open mind, but most of it was about antisemitism. The problem I have is that, although I don’t approve of some of the language as it is really unhelpful, I can see several points of view that have merit. No-one is shifting from their usual beliefs. And in a way they are all right. They are talking from fixed viewpoints at cross-purposes. Some want to come down hard on perpetrators and take away Dutch passports where there is double nationality. This is already legally permissible, but it rarely happens.

Some want to attempt better integration in Dutch society. There are mixed views on whether this is the problem. Some want to highlight that a high percentage of perpetrators of violence are young Muslim Moroccan men. (True) But the ‘politically correct’ think that mentioning race and background is racist. And some think that mentioning this at all suggests that all Muslim Amsterdammers are a problem, which of course they aren’t.

So immigration is the problem. Or the police. Or the justice system. The Mayor should go, or … and round we go again. And to add fuel to the flames, Geert Wilders, the PVV leader who won the most votes in the last elections and is still doing well in the polls (but who along with all the coalition party leaders isn’t in the cabinet) will visit his ‘friend’ Netanyahu, in Israel. This is typical Wilders, nor adhering to the norms of others, and sometimes going against agreements made. This, despite the fact that the cabinet has gone along with the international agreement to arrest Netanyahu if his feet touch Dutch soil. Welcome to Pluto in Aquarius! Views are getting more fixed.

Collective trauma

As an aside, one of the comments that caused the most backlash was from Geert Wilders. His comments are known for being very controversial. In the debate he said that the Koran teaches hatred of Jews, and that antisemitism is part of Muslim DNA. Although he has been saying this in various ways for 20 years, you can imagine how that was received.

However, in one way he is perhaps correct, although it is probably more relevant to the Jewish/Arab conflict. It is now known that DNA seems to carry collective trauma for many generations. Of course Jews are sensitive to any events like these, and don’t feel safe in Amsterdam, because of collective trauma. But nor do Arabs, who have been mercilessly removed from their lands for centuries. Everyone is hurt and angry and carrying the effects of years of historical cruelty. We don’t seem to be able to stop piling on more hurt and trauma. It’s so heart-breaking.

Looking back

In the links below I have listed a few of my earlier posts which contain comments on Pluto going into Capricorn. Since I have been writing this blog since 2006, it is fascinating to look back to what I said then about Pluto hitting Capricorn in 2008. I realise I was pretty optimistic about what was possible, and I’m sure underneath all the messes we humans have made, some good things have emerged. Responsibility has been taken in many areas to improve our lot. People at the top, who abused their powerful positions, have been called to account; Epstein and Prince Andrew come to mind. #metoo and #blm happened. As I pointed out in my 2022 post on Pluto strikes the US, ‘The amount of corruption being uncovered, particularly in governments, is eye-watering.’ But it is not yet gone. Although as I write, investigations into the way COVID was handled are in progress.

Many of the themes I touched on were valid, however austerity hit the wrong people, as did rules and regulations. And dictates for sustainability went into overdrive. It would have been good to have some earthy common sense. Things that could have helped bring down prices and made them realistic, such as employing skills from other countries and stimulating competition, have only resulted in those same people being kicked out or leaving the country.

We tried to hold governments to account, and we can see where that has got us! Angry voters just want something – anything – else. Many governments have become autocratic and tyrannical. This is the negative side of Pluto in Capricorn. What a huge loss of a great opportunity.

Will it be better?

But will it be better now that Pluto has changed the way he operates? Sure – he will use different methods. And he will want to purify different areas. Aquarius is an air sign. One of the mind. His methods are mind control, propaganda, technological control, system control and, on a good day, amazing ideas and innovation. If AI is put to good use it could be mind-blowing for positive gains. The danger is that Aquarius can be very arrogant in the ‘know-it-all’ stakes. We have seen this already when Pluto stepped into Aquarius for a couple of trial runs earlier, starting last year. The technocrats are being set up to run the world. Will ‘free speech’ – an Aquarian ideal needed to promote innovation and progress – survive? Idea control is now very blatant. Dissenters against approved narratives frequently find themselves in court. Or they become subjects of heavy smear campaigns.

One I made earlier

In my Aquarius 2022 post, Will Pluto in Aquarius really mean ‘We the people?’, I suggested: The areas Pluto wants to radically transform are, to name a few: technology, the internet, science, IT systems and television. Shady dealings in all these areas will be in the spotlight. If there has been abuse of power, for example by internet services providers, these will be exposed. We’re no longer prepared to put up with it.

This, of course, includes social media, where a battle for control is being fought on a daily basis now. The amount of censorship, and propaganda, especially in main-stream media, I find truly alarming. I hope one thing that Pluto might do in Aquarius, is wake us up to what food our minds are being fed.

Pluto is still about power

Pluto is a planet associated with power and powerlessness. It is a very black/white planet in perhaps all senses. You either do it or you don’t – there are no half measures when Pluto has a decision to make. You could call it passion, but also obsession. You could say it has the power to move mountains, but this too can be taken as positive or destructive. As usual it is up to us. This is difficult, as Pluto in Aquarius ‘supports’ polarisation of ideas. Aquarius can be a truly open sign for all opinions, but we need a positive version of Pluto to spend time to research and understand the thoughts and ideas of others. We need to use Pluto this way if we want a better world. I hope we can.

Who can help?

When Pluto goes rogue, there is really only one planet who can rein him in. In my opinion this is Ceres. If you follow my blog or my lectures, you’ll know I am always talking about her as the antidote for Pluto ills. So in light of that, I wanted to touch on the times when Pluto and Ceres have met while in Capricorn. The Pluto-Ceres cycle is quite short, so they have met three times during Pluto’s journey through Capricorn between 2008 and 2024. To show that Ceres has tried to temper Pluto’s influence, here are three examples of her attempts. There are sometimes other planets in the mix, but that doesn’t detract from her desire to balance his influence.

October 2010 – Ceres met Pluto at 3 Capricorn

The first meeting of these two dwarf planets in the last Capricorn period, was in the middle of the main Wikileaks story. Julian Assange was accused of sexual crimes in Sweden, and was arrested for the document leaks in London later the same year. Chelsea Manning, who originally obtained the documents in question, was also arrested in 2010. There are themes in the whole case that show misuse of power (Pluto) by the Military and governments. Both Assange and Manning were treated particularly harshly, even considering their ‘crimes’. Whatever their motives, both were trying to show how ‘underdogs’ (Ceres) were being treated, from civilians, to the gay and trans-communities, to soldiers. It was a story that divided opinions, which is what seems to happen when these two planets meet. In Capricorn it highlighted the secrets (Pluto) of authorities and the law.

In the Netherlands, this was also an interesting time politically, as Mark Rutte, who survived a long time as PM and is now head of NATO, then formed a minority government, with support from Geert Wilders party, the PVV, the winner of the latest election. The cabinet fell in 2012 when Wilders walked away from the agreement, which is interesting in light of current events. See below.

February 2015 – Ceres met Pluto at 14 Capricorn

On the exact day that these two planets met for a second time in Capricorn, on February 15, 2015, the Minsk-2 agreement, which was an attempt to halt hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, was supposed to come into force. This one is particularly noteworthy in light of the war in Ukraine at the moment. The first Minsk agreement was signed the year before in 2014. It was an attempt to bring a cease-fire and prisoner exchange to the region, but it didn’t hold. Minsk-2, brokered by Germany and France, was another attempt to solve the conflict. It is a complicated document and is still being argued over today. It can be read in different ways so is not a good basis for any agreements. However, it was an attempt to halt the destruction and killing (Pluto) on both sides. Ceres was a peace broker in the Roman myth. She tried. As Ukraine is a major producer of grain, it must have been close to her heart to want to stop the destruction.

January 2020 Ceres met Pluto (and notably Saturn) at 22 Capricorn

As Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn this was a coming together of two cycles with a Capricorn flavour. Of course, we all now know that COVID hit the world stage at this point, starting huge polarisation. Authority figures (Pluto in Capricorn) went into Saturnian overdrive. Lock downs, social distancing, masks, rules and regulations and the testing of vax passes. People acting for Ceres, such as those advocating caution with trial vaccinations, and suggesting better diet, vitamin D, fresh air and making immune systems stronger, were banned from all forms of media. There were brave demonstrations by those with different viewpoints, to very little avail. And heavy policing against the demonstrations, here in the Netherlands anyway. But this cycle changed something – the dynamic between the people (Ceres) and the ruling elite (Pluto). Democracy and governing systems are being questioned, which is important, as this is definitely a theme for the new cycle. Aquarius could provide an innovative solution.

An ending and a new cycle

On December 8 this year, Ceres and Pluto meet to end the ‘COVID cycle’. In this light it will be interesting to watch events connected to all the themes relating to how the pandemic was handled by everyone. Governments, companies, the WHO and the pharmaceutical industry may well be in the spotlight. It will also be interesting to see if Trump’s choice for Health Minister, in the form of Bobby Kennedy Jr., will be accepted. He is known for wanting to take on these giants.

However, of course this is also the start of a new cycle.

Ceres and Pluto will be right at the beginning of Aquarius – at 0 degrees, a very potent degree. Venus is also at their side at 1 degree. Hopefully Venus might bring her peaceful side to help this meeting, and encourage negotiation. But Ceres and Pluto, are still brother and sister who are willing to stand their ground. As I mentioned above, Pluto will try to keep control through technology, or idea control. Ceres in Aquarius will be convinced she is right on her own topics.

I think we can expect rebellious farmers and food producers, which we have seen already in London. We can expect people to rebel in all food areas. Bobby Kennedy Jr. is also a good example of this as he wants to take on the whole area of unhealthy food, and food safety. Ceres would agree! Environmental issues certainly won’t go away, Ceres is a big protector of both the earth and animals. However rather than CO2 quotas, I think she would prefer biodiversity, more trees and more natural fertilisers. She would also be an advocate for treating animals better. A true green goddess.

I hope this new cycle brings an exchange of ideas about war, and that Venus and Ceres might be able to help bring peace. We need this wise feminine archetype to counteract the horrors of the cruelty of war and the destruction of the earth. Remember too, that Ceres is also the Mother-in-law archetype, so perhaps you should be careful around December 8! 🙂 After that, the struggle will probably be about balancing ideas on natural things and living in harmony with the earth vs. our continuing plundering of Earth’s resources. And of course Ceres will stand her ground for the ideas of underdogs and equality, so democracy might be in for a revamp. It’s time.

Faye Blake

Websites of the month

An interesting article from The Conversation – Is social media fuelling political polarisation? 

Links to my earlier posts with comments on Pluto in Capricorn

How to use the Scorpion -2008

Saturn, scapegoats and the blame game -2007

New Year’s Resolutions – but why now? – 2008

My original post on Pluto in Aquarius

Will Pluto in Aquarius really mean ‘We the people’? – 2022

Quote of the month

“We are so locked into our political identities that there is virtually no candidate, no information, no condition, that can force us to change our minds. We will justify almost anything or anyone so long as it helps our side, and the result is a politics devoid of guardrails, standards, persuasion, or accountability.”  Ezra Klein, Why We’re Polarized.