Sunday 18 January 2009

Pluto in Capricorn - A New Era Dawns

I have been asked to re-post my thoughts about Pluto in Capricorn...

It is hard to comprehend just how much life has changed since the last time Pluto was in Capricorn. Some may feel that we have moved onwards and upwards since that the mid-eighteenth century, and in many ways of course we have made progress, from longer life expectancy to curing many illnesses, but if we look at the developing world today, these issues are still a major problem, not to mention war, famine, global warming, abuse of resources and the massive power/wealth divide across the world. Power is still owned by the few with the masses at their beck and call.

When we think back to the last time Pluto was in Capricorn (1762 – 1778), America was under British Colonial Rule, and at the end of the period, we saw the American War of Independence. If we think back even further in history to previous periods when Pluto was in Capricorn we can see other significant events such as the last Crusade as well as England falling to the mighty Roman Empire giving birth to London (Londinium).

Interestingly when we consider the future of such countries; in the centuries after the Roman invasion, London become the heart of it’s own mighty empire, and in more modern times, despite it’s relative youth, America is now arguably the most powerful and influential country in the world.

So nations have fallen, fought back and become dominant themselves in Pluto in Capricorn cycles. Major world events have taken place that have shaped the world for decades to come.

What can we expect this time round?

Before we consider further just how Pluto in Capricorn will effect us, we need to remember that Pluto takes 248 years to complete one orbit of the Sun, this means that it resides in a sign between 12 to 32 years (this is due to it’s erratic orbit). So, Pluto’s effect by sign is very much generational – a collective or global shift. Therefore we need to consider Pluto’s effect on the Earth as a whole as well as individually.

Let’s first of all think about the energies involved with Pluto in Capricorn. Capricorn begins at the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, and this is the darkest time of year – the shortest day and the longest night. Hope is at its lowest ebb, and it is a time of retreat and withdrawal. However, we often forget that it is at this moment that the Sun is reborn and the days begin to get longer again. So one could say that it is in the darkest moment that hope is reborn. This seems all the more potent for the coming years as Pluto is the planet of beginnings and endings, life and death.

A New Dawn?

So, it seems that the next 16 years will be a special but challenging time for humanity and the Earth. We will become even more aware of the unpredictable world in which we live, as well as the delicate balance between life and death, endings and beginnings.

When we consider than Pluto is connected to endings and beginnings and Capricorn is often connected to Governments and other powerful bodies, we can start to get an idea of the issues likely to come to a head over the coming decade.

The fight for democracy in countries across Africa, Pakistan and elsewhere continues, so perhaps these potential changes will also affect great world change.

And finally, as the War on Terror continues, will we see a time of more war or will be peace be possible?

Perhaps world events will bring about a time when world powers (and so all of humanity) can collectively come together as one?

End of Days?

Many of us have felt the level of oppression and suppression in the world, from political correctness gone mad to rules being imposed by outside forces. We have witnessed the War on Terror, unspeakable terrorist acts and yet more famine and suffering in parts of our world. Whilst we live in a world more connected than ever through the World Wide Web and multi-media, in many other ways the world is becoming more fragmented, more broken.

On an individual level, many of us feel unnerved by the destruction of the world in which we live from global warming and over-fishing to catastrophic rates of extinction and the dwindling of the earth’s resources. This downward spiral cannot continue indefinitely, something has to bring a stop to this, and this is where Pluto in Capricorn comes in.

Pluto will make us see the plight of the Earth and the beings who live on her. Pluto’s subtle hints will grow ever stronger until we finally get the message. Now at what stage we will collectively pay attention who can say, but it could be that a natural disaster attributed to global warming could bring the world together.

Consider that 2012 is right in the midst of this Pluto in Capricorn phase – the end of days has been predicted. Perhaps this is the event that will bring the world together? The end of the world may be nigh, but it seems more likely that we will see the end of the world in which we currently live – an end to the corruption, war and greed. Pluto is about change and new beginnings – maybe we will get a chance for a fresh beginning, a new understanding with the Earth and each other?

So, we are likely to see great change in the world around us, not only in our relationship to the earth and how we live, but also in our relationships with others – particularly on a global level. Pluto will take us through a time when hope is fading, however we need to realise that it is only through this experience – through the darkness - that hope can be reborn.

The War of Integration

Last time Pluto was in Capricorn, there was great unrest and change – the American War of Independence began towards the end of this phase. This time round we are likely to see similar unrest, but unlike the battle for Independence, a battle for Integration seems more prudent for the current era – a battle for each of us to find our places in the global community and come together as one planet rather than be divided by country, religion or sex.

It is time for the segregation, degradation and power games to end - it is time for the world to come together as one, united.

Just take a moment to think back to Pluto in Sagittarius (1995 to 2008) – this period has been a spiritual reawakening for many many people – a time where the old rule books have been discarded, where an individuals own relationship with Spirit, the Divine, God or the Creator has been re-defined to something completely personal to them. This spiritual journey is in preparation for the events to come with Pluto in Capricorn, we no longer need to cling to the familiar through fear or ignorance – we can embrace the new and embrace change (for it is inevitable).

Power to the People

We should not forget that Pluto is also about power – think about the atom bomb – this is a Pluto invention. The threat of nuclear bombs now acts as a powerful deterrent, but this is only because we have witnessed their devastating destructive power. Our relationship with power needs to change – we should remember that power can be completely destructive as well as constructive, and we all need to consider our own relationships to power over the coming 16 years.

As each of us become more aware of the destructive power around us, we should remember that this is a reflection of our own inner power. Individually we can be just as destructive to ourselves, our lives and to those around us. However, once we make the decision to take our power back to where it belongs – within each of us as individuals - the power of the few will start to dwindle and fail.

There is no room for dictatorships, failed democracies or power imbalances – and we need to remember that these do not only exist in the outer world, we all have them within as well – due to our family environments, our upbringings and our beliefs, we all have little idiosyncrasies of power within. Once we have realised this, embraced our own power and let go of the patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us, we will each be free to truly stand in our power and express ourselves as unique individuals.

Once each of us can be totally responsible for our lives and acknowledge our own personal power, then the dominance of the few can no longer be. The more we can bring our own lives into balance, the more our outside world will come into balance.

We also need to remember that we all have incredible power as individuals and so we must declare the intent to use this power for good. We also need to be able to handle this power – so we each need to be free individuals without this happening at the expense of others.

In Conclusion...

The feeling of Pluto in Capricorn is not one of luxury and indulgence, it is one of challenge and change, and rather than feel apprehensive about what’s to come, we need to feel open to the process and trust that change is inevitable, it will happen whether we want it to or not. What is important is that we are complete in ourselves, trust our intuitions and stand in our own power.

Remember also that Capricorn is also about building and creating solid contributions for the future, so we will all have a role to play in making Earth a better place to live. This is not a time to be feared or dreaded, but to be resolved to make a difference.

Just remember that change is inevitable, and we need to embrace it in order to evolve...