The Shadow in the Mirror: The Pluto Return of the United States
WikiCommons
In this article, we will discuss the current Pluto Return of the United States and recall prior Pluto Returns experienced by other nations.
The mainstream is starting to catch wind about an exquisitely rare astrological transit: The Pluto Return.
Indeed, Pluto returns are so rare because you and I will never, ever experience one in our natal charts. Unless, perhaps, we become cryogenically frozen, or get abducted, or something. Nevertheless, we have front row seats to a Pluto return unfolding right now. The United States is experiencing its first ever Pluto return – a once every 248-year event which facilitates a major break-down and rebirthing process. When it comes to the pool of entities capable of holding such a tenure, nations are front runners.
What is a Pluto return?
A Pluto return occurs when transiting Pluto returns to the same zodiac sign and degree as it holds within the natal chart. With an orbital period of 248 years, Pluto returns occur every two and a half centuries!
The United States’ natal Pluto occupies 27°32’ Capricorn. We will experience our exact degree-based return three times in 2022: February 20th, July 11th, and December 28th. However, I’d argue that we are already deeply steeped in the Pluto return, and that we’ve been witnessing the slow erosion of the “American Dream” now for decades.
The United States’ Pluto entered its 3rd Quarter phase (closing square) in 1982 from the late degrees of Libra[1]. At this exact moment, Saturn also conjoined Pluto, a cycle which deals with power structures, authority and control[2]. This was the same year that President Reagan implemented trickle-down economics. Reagan proposed that by giving huge tax cuts to corporations, the funds would “trickle-down” and benefits workers and families. Quite the opposite. Corporate bigwigs pocketed the cash. The rich got richer, and the middle class completely deteriorated along with the American Dream. As I write this article, billionaires are having their own little space race while the rest of the planet literally burns. As the third quarter of any cycle carries within it the cracks of eventual breakdown, looking back to this time, we can clearly see that some of the core issues we face now at the Pluto return stem back to this period.
Most astrologers would conceptualize the Saturn return passage to last for the full 3-year sign-based duration in which Saturn returns to the same sign it holds in the natal chart – peaking at the exact degree-based returns. The more I reflect on the United States’ Pluto return, the more I’m inclined to view this process through the same lens. Pluto first returned to Capricorn in 2008, the year in which our very first Black President was elected to office. Simultaneously, our economy tanked, revealing heaps of corporate favorability over the economic wellbeing of the people. The Occupy Movement was important, is it helped us all realize how direly systemic the economic disparities had become. After 8 years of Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton won the popular vote and was almost sworn in as the first female president (which would have been another significant stride of progress), although we ultimately ended up with Trump, who built a political following by conjuring racist vitriol toward Obama in the questioning of his birth certificate. Trump’s politics magnified the ugliness of racism already imbedded within our culture and revealed how polarized we are as a nation. Not so United, then, are we? On the flip, Kamala Harris is then elected to high office, securing title as the first female, Black and Asian Vice President. Since Pluto’s Capricorn ingress, we have seen huge leaps in progress, but also the stark revelation of core national identity issues. What does being a “world super power” even look like anymore?
While we have yet to see the exact degree-based Pluto return, it’s clear that our Pluto return is in full swing. Look no further than the Capitol Insurrection, the burning of police stations or the widespread economic despair in the wake of a pandemic. The United States Pluto return summons this nation to the pyre of purification, to ask the important questions: Who are you, and are you using your power wisely? This is a period of reconciling our identity both as a nation and as a global superpower.
Pluto, generally:
Pluto is the planet of upheaval, exposing our shadows, insecurities, and the skeletons in the closet we’d prefer to ignore until the end of time. Pluto transits bring us to the chamber of transfiguration, forever altering consciousness. While we may initially resist the inevitable force of change, Pluto reveals such undeniable ugliness that we have no choice but to drink the truth serum and slowly begin rebuilding our psyche. Pluto highlights trauma, abuse, and otherwise unethical power dynamics – but it can also turn the tables and help us reclaim our power – even redefine what it means to be powerful altogether. Pluto will very often represent larger than life issues which feel (and often are) beyond our mortal control. Archetypally, Pluto can represent entities who have amassed so much wealth and influence that they are like unscalable, unfuckablewith supervillains. Except that this is real life. And Jeff Bezoz is really out there not paying taxes on a $220 billion estate, while millions of essential workers starve to pay rent without health insurance. Pluto very often represents the reptilian lust for greed, power and control. Pluto is the angel of death, but also promises resurrection. Sometimes we rebirth triumphantly like a Phoenix from the ashes, while other times we are wounded, blistered and defeated. Sometimes, it takes a while to regain our footing again. How we turn out often depends on how much control we are willing to surrender to the current of evolution.
The widening chasm of wealth in this country will 100% be a major part of the Pluto return. We have seen massive wealth inequalities breed dramatic upheaval in the past. Take the French Revolution, for example. It got to the point where the wealthy painted their golden carriages black to avoid bloody persecution. And while we aren’t beheading billionaires (yet), we have already seen the revolutionary symbol revived on Capitol Hill. Exactly one year before the first exact Pluto return, a guillotine was erected with Mike Pence’s name on it during the Capitol Insurrection. While no one was beheaded, there were attempts to take hostages, Nancy Pelosi’s laptop was stolen, and human feces were smeared throughout the government buildings. Ruthless. Just like Pluto.
It’s clear that no matter which side you are on, the American people are extremely dissatisfied with the way our nation is handling itself. Are we really a global superpower if most of our country is living paycheck to paycheck? We are falling behind in education, most of our production is outsourced and more countries are surpassing us in technology. The United States Pluto return is a massive ego-check. Are we really as great as we thought?
Are “All Men Created Equal?”
Another major component of our Pluto return deals reconciling how our constitution reads. We know that when the slave-owning forefathers wrote that “all men are created equal,” that they really meant white, land-owning men. What about the women, non-binary folks, and people of color? If “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” are indeed unalienable rights, then we must reconcile the prison industrial complex, the lawlessness of police officers and the higher mortality rates of black mothers and babies. How this nation has treated it’s Indigenous population is so horrendous that we haven’t even fully breached the pandora’s box of shame. And yet, there’s still time. The Pluto return has yet to reach exactitude. Pluto’s job is to reveal all the skeletons in the closet so that we may reclaim ourselves in a new light. While Pluto work is immensely confronting, it’s the process of transmuting lead into gold which reveals inconceivable dimensions of strength. Can we do it? Can we collectively process and repair the past? This could take a while, but ample opportunities are presenting themselves now.
Are we “One Nation Under God?”
Arguably, this country has been split down the middle since the civil war. The Great American Eclipse of 2017 not only foreshadowed Trump’s election, but it also strikingly cast a visual line across the country – and quite literally, it seems things couldn’t be more polarized right now. As we struggle to overcome the pandemic here, the immunization shots have become so radically politicized. And it’s sad! Between the magnitude of the health crisis, the lengths politicians have gone to imbue doubt election results, to limit access to voting – all in the name of Plutonian power and control - I’m worried about how this polarization could have permanent effects. Pluto indeed creates permanent change, but it’s also a catalyst for something new to arise. What will this new nation look like?
“No taxation Without Representation”
Our founding fathers rebelled against England because their tax dollars weren’t being reinvested back into their communities. Representation matters. We use this terminology when it comes to seeing various races, ethnicities and personhoods reflected in the media, in politics and in power-holding institutions. Wonderfully, we are seeing more women and people of color represented in government and elsewhere. While there’s so much more work to do, it’s also important to recognize that progress is happening!
The United States is the only first world country which doesn’t provide universal healthcare or paid parental leave. Studies show that the majority of people in the United States desire these resources, as well as university tuition. Again, this goes back to the illusion that there isn’t enough wealth to go around. There is enough. Billionaires and corporations must pay their fair share of taxes and we can invest it into our infrastructure to promote overall growth and wellbeing for all.
The Pluto return unveils the dumpsterfire of institutionalized racism in this country – how deeply its ingrained, and the heavy work of excavating and repairing the damage. Reparations make a lot of sense when we consider various frameworks for what it might look like to redistribute wealth back into Black and Indigenous communities. Defunding the police is not such a radical idea when you break it down. What if these resources instead funded social services, parks, living wages and education? What if we set up our youth for success and equipped our parents with better resources as well? While we all have the option to vote on where our taxes go, what if we first need to create new systems to address our evolving needs? This conversation will continue to develop over the next couple of decades as the Pluto cycle reseeds itself.
Are we really the “Land of the Free?”
The United States has the highest percentage of imprisoned people per capita as compared to anywhere else in the world. Slavery was never truly abolished. The 13th Amendment instead provided a loophole in which those convicted of crimes could be legally forced into unpaid labor. This system became so ingrained into our culture that most people forget that the primary policing institutions of the south were literal slave patrols, targeting people of color. While we don’t tend to conceptualize the police as such in a modern sense, we can see the disproportionate profiling and treatment of people of color. The United States Pluto return places the role of police officers at the center of our conversation. Police officers have been living above the law for decades. Only now are they coming under fire for mishandled weaponry and wrongful death.
As it stands, we have an incompetent “correctional system,” with a 66% reincarceration rate. As weed becomes medically and recreationally legalized in various states, this creates a stark contrast between the states holding folks for lifetime marijuana convictions, while white-collar opportunists are making millions off its distribution in others. Right now, we are seeing discussion sprout around creating a federal legalization, which would liberate hundreds, if not thousands of people from behind bars.
Bringing our discussion on systemic violence full circle, it’s interesting to note that this conversation has quickened since Pluto’s ingress into Capricorn in 2008, specifically with the murder of Treyvon Martin in 2013. As Pluto neared it’s exact Pluto return within 1°, we witnessed the wrongful death of George Floyd, a major catalyst in this Plutonian process of confronting our collective shadow.
I know.
It’s heavy.
That’s Pluto!
While we haven’t yet reached our exact return, we will continue to immerse these themes in the rolling boil of national transfiguration. Our cultural identity is shifting. Will we heal our ailments and rise together? Or will we fall divided? As I found in my other Pluto return research, our Pluto return will likely continue to unfold for another decade or more. So rest assured, that if things are still looking dire by the end of next year, that we still have plenty of time to smooth things out. Pluto’s job is to destroy illusion. Break-down is part of the deal! Pluto officially exits Capricorn on November 24th, 2024, effectively concluding our sign-based Pluto return. From there, we will rebuild.
Configuring the Birth Chart of a Nation: Which chart do I use?
Nicholas Campion authored a book titled “The Book of World Horoscopes[3]” and it is by far the most important book on an astrologer’s bookshelf for answering such questions. Campion dedicated an immense amount of research into this book. I’m genuinely floored! Especially after conducting my own heady research for this article. Whew!
Essentially, we do NOT have an accurate birth chart for every country. Some nations are so ancient that their origin stories border mythos, or we simply don’t have a calendar date to attribute. A new chart can be utilized after a redefining moment in a nation’s history – one which would signify a completely new era – which could arguably point toward some sort of Pluto transit to an unknown origin chart anyhow.
Campion has documented various important charts for nations, and specifically points out if there’s a chart astrologers prefer. The back of the book is particularly useful, organizing planetary positions of nations by planet and by sign. This section has been my go-to for researching the Pluto returns of other nations.
Curiously, as I flip through Campion’s book searching for previous examples of Pluto returns, I find it interesting that the majority of charts in this book are born in the 19th and 20th centuries. Not surprisingly, this era coincided with the Earth era – when Jupiter and Saturn were solely conjoining in the earth element [4]. This 200-year period coincides with an emphasized value on the acquisition of land, property, wealth and possessions. We are only now emerging from the earth era and entering a new era of air, which corresponds with the scattering of wealth, emphasis on education, and the movements of people across borders. William Lilly was a famous English astrologer who also lived through such a shift, and described the tensions between generations (hello Boomers vs Millennials!). Indeed, this is another extremely rare astrological shift to live through. Again, we are all doing ok considering!!
For the remainder of this article, I will focus on the previous Pluto returns of other nations in order to better frame what’s happening here in the United States.
England’s Three Pluto Returns
According to Campion, astrologers tend to prefer the 1066 chart for England. October 14th, 1066 marks the Battle of the Hastings, the Norman Conquest. This victory led to the crowning of William I, whom most historians would consider to be the first king of England. This chart is cast for 17:28 LMT in Senlac, England.
Since the inception of this chart, England has seen THREE Pluto returns. 1310, 1555, and 1800.
1310 marked a midpoint between the English’s attempts to gain control of Scotland. Pluto is in full swing as we see the escalation of power dynamics among nations. Leading up to the exact Pluto return, in 1305 we have a strong-arm situation where England essentially forces the Scottish to recognize England’s King Edward I as an “overlord” King. Yup. This already sounds like a super Plutonian “bend the knee” scenario. Scotland pushes back, issuing various revolts and rebellions. At this point, the English decide to send a message to the Scots. They capture and execute one of their leading revolutionaries. By 1314, the Scots ultimately achieve decisive victory over England, but their rightful independence is not fully acknowledged until 1328. We can see here, that there is a 30 year span of battling encompassing the exact Pluto return. England had to admit defeat here, but they eventually went on to colonize the rest of the globe.
Similar to the climate crisis we now face as a nation during our Pluto return, England also experienced a mini-ice age in the early 1300’s – hence all of the dramatic drapery attire, which ironically, judge, priest and graduation gowns are still based upon. (Hmm. Definitely some Jupiterian themes to explore here at another time?)
From the Apocalypse in a Biblia Pauperum illuminated at Erfurt around the time of the Great Famine. Death sits astride a manticore whose long tail ends in a ball of flame (Hell). Famine points to her hungry mouth.
Interestingly, if we briefly fast forward to England’s Pluto return in 1800, we see the formation of the Union Jack, which is a combination of the flags of England, Wales, Scotland and St. Patrick (Ireland). While England and Scotland joined forces in 1706 under the United Kingdom, it was 1800 in which Ireland joins and the iconic flag is created. In terms of the Plutonian themes of wealth and control, 1800 was also the year in which England invents and implements the Income Tax to support their warring efforts.
And yet, our 1310 tale is not over. The true peak of the 1310 Pluto Return descends on in the form of natural disaster (indeed, forces beyond our control). Heavy rains arrive, jeopardizing crops. The Great Famine of 1315-1317 led to a 10% loss of England’s population, driving up crime as people succumbed into survival mode doing anything to feed their families. No amount of prayer seemed to alleviate starvation, which led to massive distrust in the all-powerful Roman Catholic Church. This period of crisis lays the foundation for eventual movements deemed heretical by the institution.[5] Simulateously, the government’s failure to handle this life-threatening situation imbibed the people with resentment and distrust in their leaders.
Sounds reeeaaal familiar, doesn’t it?
Let’s jump ahead to 1555, England’s second Pluto return, wherein we see another major coronal crisis: Who is the rightful heir of King Henry the VIII? We all remember Henry VIII, the King who created his own Church so that he could remarry. And remarry he did. After 6 wives and a Plutonian beheading of his second Queen, Henry dies in 1547. Immediately a power-grabbing crisis emerges within the family, already complicated with bloodshed, beheadings, deceit and manipulation. The crown initially goes to Edward VI, son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, but when Edward unexpectedly dies at age 15, the Crown is passed to Queen Mary, eldest daughter of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Also known as Bloody Mary, the queen was tyrannical. Mary attempted to restore England’s allegiance to the Catholic Church, imprisoning protestants (including her sister Elizabeth I), burning Bishops at the stake, and sending hundreds of protestants into exile. Indeed, a major division is taking place in England. Mary falls ill and dies, unwilfully passing the crown to her half sister Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Bolyn, Henry’s second wife who was beheaded for treason. Yup. A hierarchal bloodbath for power and control. Pluto is all over this map!
Elizabeth ascends to the throne in 1558 and rules until her death in 1603. Despite being wrongfully imprisoned by her sister, Elizabeth aims to rule by “good council,” restoring civility to England. The Elizabethan era is remembered as a pinnacle golden age. Elizabeth heralds an emblematic Phoenix from the ashes Plutonian scenario. Bouncing England back from a tyrannical warzone into a period of English renaissance, renewing a sense of English culture, national identity and pride, arts and social expansion. Elizabeth also restores Protestantism, rebrands her father’s church as the Church of England and begins the Protestant Reform in Europe. A miraculous Plutonian death and rebirth indeed.
Comparing these themes to what I’m seeing in my country today, I can’t help but draw comparison from the haughty megalomaniac King Henry VIII and the gawdy, chaotic Trump. One can only hope that the next leader of the free world will herald the next golden age in the United States.
Another fascinating layer of the 1555 Pluto Return? Iconoclasm was encouraged. The destruction of statues, icons and imagery for religious or political reasons feels so massively cathartic. Parliament literally encouraged this destruction of the old icons. It feels so close to home, as we’ve recently seen confederate statues desecrated, toppled and rebranded with rainbows and Black Lives Matter tags. Ahh. Rebirth is indeed cathartic. And ultimately, beautiful.
As we’ve already covered, 1800 is the year that the Acts of Union umbrellas England, Scotland and Ireland, along with Wales and the Isle of Mann into one United Kingdom. It’s also the year that the Income tax is invented and instated in England to fund the Napoleonic Wars. It’s interesting that taxation continues to be a major issue in the United States’ current Pluto return – it was also a core issue for our Founding Fathers. We presently find ourselves at a critical moment, pressuring our government to impose higher taxes on corporations and upon the extraordinarily wealthy.
Interestingly, we could instate a new birth chart for the United Kingdom at this time. Whether we decide to use a new chart or not, Pluto remains in Pisces!
Spain:
Spain has periodically held a position as a global superpower, and they have also experienced two Pluto returns! Spain officially became a nation under the marriage of Prince Ferdinand of Aragon to Princess Isabella of Castile, uniting these kingdoms and others. The two royals happened to be the rightful successor to the others’ throne. Yup. Cousins. Spain’s inception chart is cast for the royal wedding on January 19th, 1479, Madrid Spain, 12 pm. Together, this “power couple” are noteworthy for funding Christopher Columbus’s Atlantic voyages, and subsequent colonization of various Caribbean territories, thus establishing Spain as a world super-power for the next century or more.
Spain’s first Pluto return occurs in 1725. Essentially, King Philip is powertripping, trying to gain control of various territories. In response, England, France, Austria and the Netherlands form the Quadruple Alliance to intimidate Philip’s huaghty ambition. Reportedly embarrassed by his inability to conquer his opposition, Philip surrenders (another important Pluto word) and signs a peace treaty. But the obsession doesn’t die. Philip again tries to regain control of various nations they lost during the Anglo-Spanish War of 1727–1729. Spain convinces Austria to form an alliance and push back against the English. Ultimately, Austria backsteps and Spain is left standing alone[6]. Check mate. After exhausting many attempts to become the top dog, Spain is essentially power checked. Philip decides to lean into an alliance with France, who proves to be a better friend in the long run. Sounds like a super Plutonian Venus transit, doesn’t it?!
Now this symbolism is strong! Spain’s second Pluto return arrives in 1971. At this time Spain bounces back from dictatorship, restores monarchy with the crowning of Juan Carlos. Simultaneously, Spain begins their transition toward democracy, instating a parliament to co-rule with the royalty. Hmm. Sounds a lot like England, the country Spain tried to compete with on their previous Pluto return! Sometimes the best things we can do during a Pluto transit is to concentrate our forces and invest in our own empowerment, versus trying to control the wills and outcomes of others. Similar to the two England charts, we might even desire to use a new chart for Spain at this time. Regardless, both of these charts feature Pluto in Libra.
Netherlands
The Netherlands experienced their first and only Pluto return in 1825. This year, massive flooding overtakes the lands surrounding the North Sea. Over 800 people perished in this flood, clinching its title as the Netherlands worst natural disaster of the 19th century[7]. While the Dutch initially colonized a few territories, they never strived for global domination. Here, it seems that our Plutonian themes are less centered around power dynamics within political infrastructure, and more so along the lines of natural disaster. Indeed the wild untamable cycles of Mother Nature symbol up with ruthless Plutonian force.
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Switzerland
Switzerland is one of the world’s oldest surviving republics, which means that they have had the privilege of experiencing two Pluto returns! Switzerland’s first Pluto return occurs in 1536, encompassing the time which Zurich adopts the Protestantism as their National church, thus replacing Catholicism. Indeed, this is the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland. We have seen this theme already, as with England’s 1310 and 1555 Pluto returns. Why? Because organized religion holds office as one of the most powerful institutions on the planet – especially in the older days before globalization corporate giants. Before Bezos, it was all about the Bishops. During this time in Swiss history, various territories legally condemned opposite forms of Christianity. It was tense for a moment, but ultimately didn’t destroy the Republic.
In their second Pluto return in 1782, the golden age of Swiss culture is in full blossom. However, they need to reconcile their power stance of identity in the face of revolution brewing in neighboring regions (specifically France). Interestingly Switzerland is rumored to have executed their last witch in 1782[8] - as this form of persecution doesn’t quite match up with their new cultural values of enlightenment, unity, brotherhood and equality. Essentially, Switzerland is now becoming a democracy versus oligarchy (hmm, how interesting!) This was a period of defining Swiss philosophy and culture, which ultimately paves the way to declaring absolute neutrality in the early 20th century.
Wrapping Up
And who is next? Thailand, Australia and France each hold inception charts featuring Pluto in Aquarius. But before we can look forward to witnessing another country’s Plutonian rite of passage, we must first hope that we can survive ours over here in the States. Yesterday, I posted a provactive image on Twitter featuring two back to back solar eclipses which will be visible on American soil. October 14th, 2023 heralds an annular eclipse while April 8th brings a total solar eclipse. The paths of the eclipse intersect near San Antonio Texas. This is incredibly rare to experience, and it seems to arrive at a profound moment in American history - just before the next election - our first Presidential election in a post-Pluto return world. It should be interesting to say the least. Our last total eclipse on 8/21/17, which stretched from “Sea to Shining Sea” turned out to be as divisive as it appeared on a map, quite literally splicing us into two. As it stands with the publishing of this article, this country is incredibly divided in its politics and value system. But how long can we continue to point fingers across lines in the sand when most of the dissatisfaction is trickling down from opulent martini glasses at the top of the Chrysler Building? Will we be able to excavate enough of the moral decay? Well, if Queen Elizabeth I could do it, then maybe we can too.
Property of Catherine Urban, NCGR-PAA IV, ISAR-CAP. All exerpts and quotations must be properly cited.
[1] November 6th, 1982, 4:07 pm ET
[2] We recently saw the consecutive reseeding of the Saturn-Pluto cycle 42 years later on January 12th, 2020.
[3] The Book of World Horoscopes, Nicholas Campion, 1988, 2004, Wessex Astrologer
[4] For More information on this elemental shift, check out my lecture, Saturn in Aquarius
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_of_1315%E2%80%931317
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Spain_(1700%E2%80%931810)
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_flood_of_1825
[8] https://www.zum.de/whkmla/sp/0809/jia/jia1.html#pmh9