Karmic Knowledge

I’m sure glad that the International Astronomical Union has decided to retain Pluto’s status as a planet, because I don’t think it’s influence is going to lessen any time soon. Pluto, currently retrograde in Sagittarius, will go direct on September 4th and will cross the Galactic Center, just about 27 degrees Sag, on December 30th. In early 2008 it will enter Capricorn, retrograde back into Sagittarius for a short time, and then re-enter Capricorn where it will remain for 16 years.

The December 2005/ January 2006 issue of Mountain Astrologer featured an article entitled Pluto into Capricorn Part One: Redefining Freedom - New Politics for a New Century by Edward Gillam. In it he points out that it was during the transit of Pluto through the last degrees of Sagittarius in the 1760s that the relationship between the British and the American colonists began to fall apart. Gillam states:

…violent protests began in 1765; Pluto had, by then, firmly established itself in the early degrees of Capricorn. By the time that the revolutionary movement had gathered unstoppable momentum, Pluto had moved into the final decan (segment of 10 degrees) of the sign. …This resulted in the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, with Pluto at 27°33′ Capricorn.

Essentially, the United States is about to have a Pluto return.

Capricorn is the sign associated with the rules of society and political institutions. Where Pluto casts its shadow one often finds transformation through confronting and dealing with issues of power. Do I agree with Mr. Gillam that we as a country may be starting a new cycle of revolution against the established power structures? I do.

Long before I considered the astrological influences, I was seeing a future for America that included war, devastation (as in that wrought by Hurricane Katrina) and lack of resources, not just gasoline but food, water and electricity. I first had this vision on the night of December 12, 2001 moments after I heard that the U.S. Supreme Court had declared George W. Bush the winner of the hotly disuputed presidential election. So visceral was my vision that I had pains in my stomach. I shared it with a few select friends who looked at me like I was crazy. Remember, we were still basking in the economic glow of the Clinton administration. So I kept my mouth shut about it for a long time.

Six years have passed and the people I talk to are no longer shaking their heads. The mess created by the current administration will not be simple to clean up. Capricorn can be a stern teacher and my clients have often heard me say that during a Pluto transit, “Resistance is futile.”

As I’ve watched a Congress powerless to stop the tide of political corruption, the vision before me shows a future where the power to make positive change is more likely to come from the people than from their elected representatives. The showdown in the Connecticut Democratic primary between incumbent Joe Lieberman and anti-war challenger Ned Lamont is one such example of the people standing up against the established (dis)order. But somewhere deep in my Scorpionic gut, I know that elections are not enough. I’ve been telling those close to me for some time that I see the country headed for a new wave of of civil unrest, not unlike that experienced during the 60s.

I remember those times well. My mom had a job in downtown Newark, NJ. One day she was told to go home because the streets had become dangerous. We watched the riots on the television, afraid, wondering if Mom would be able to return to her job, and if she did, would she really be safe.

Coincidentally, the August/September 2006 issue of Mountain Astrologer contains a short piece by Ray Grasse called “The Sixties Reloaded.” Grasse points out that Uranus is moving into opposition to the point where it conjoined Pluto in 1965 and 1966 and suggests that we may experience some of the same revolutionary themes from that time.

The U.S. is not the only nation affected by Pluto’s impending journey through Capricorn. I hear yesterday on Air America Radio that the military is standing ready in Mexico to quell possible civil uprisings related to its own disputed elections. Very little is written in the mainstream media about the dangerous situation there. However, if you look closer, you can find travel warnings issued by countries all over the world, even our own.

I didn’t write this to scare you, but Capricorn does require us to view things with a heavy dose of realism. Even so, it’s important to remember that change, no matter how difficult, is ultimately a good thing. The stages of change begin with death but always end in rebirth. The last Pluto in Capricorn cycle marked the end of colonialism in this land and the birth of a nation. As we begin this current cycle, it’s impossible to say exactly what we are birthing. First we have to clean house and throw out the trash. (Pluto rules garbage, recycling, composting, etc.) Only when that’s done can we uncover the treasure.