Pluto in Astrology

Pluto in Astrology...

Pluto Rules Scorpio...
Pluto represents power, control and death
But this powerful planet also lends self-control, will-power and self-preservation.

Pluto can deliver quite a punch to a natal chart. The house it occupies in a natal chart can be a place of power struggles and life changing events. Of course, Pluto has a purpose and a person who knows to how to control the planet of control can use its power to their benefit rather than to their detriment.

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Why Pluto represents death...

Pluto's presence in a natal chart house often brings death-like experiences to that area of a person's life. Though this generally doesn't indicate an actual death, it does indicate death-like endings, such as, divorces or break-ups in the seventh or eighth houses, changes in residences or the divorce of your parents in the fourth house, career changes in the tenth house, changes in physical appearance in the first house, or changes in financial status like bankruptcies in the second house. But through Pluto's death-like experiences we actually bring forth life. A divorce can mean the end of a torturous relationship, or a career change can lead to more money and a more rewarding life. Many times we remain in stagnant situations that are begging for an ending so that a refreshing new approach can be made and we can grow and move forward. Pluto has the power to push us through the difficult process of symbolically killing the stagnant situation so that we can grow and enjoy a better way of living.

Control for self-protection...

Ultimately, Pluto's purpose is to keep necessary control over the life that belongs to you. It generally doesn't have any deeper desire than that. Occasionally, an afflicted Pluto will lash out and seek control for reasons other than those of a self-protective nature, but that isn't Pluto's true nature. Pluto only seeks to protect what is innately yours. At times, we all relinquish control when we know we shouldn't. We rationalize or simply get lazy and give into other people or situations. With Pluto's help, however, this type of weakness is less likely.

A threat to your control...

The house which contains Pluto in your natal chart will represent the area of your life in which you are keenly sensitive to issues of control and power. If you even have a only vague sense that someone or something is attempting to control you in this house it can cause a feeling of tension, even physically, in some instances. You may react to any person or event that threatens to control you by recoiling in an attempt to give yourself time to assess the situation and form a plan to retain your control. It may start as a tensing of your muscles and a feeling of anger and restriction that creeps over you while you gather your resources in order to keep your ground. Unless Pluto is in Aries or in a tight aspect with Mars, you are not likely to react with overt anger and aggression. It is more likely that you will attempt to hide your feelings and begin to carefully plan a retaliation that will be played out over time. With Pluto, the key is control. Overt anger and aggression are signs of loss of control.

Situations outside your control...

Very often Pluto will seem to exert its force in a natal-chart house on its own. It seems that no matter what the chart holder does, Pluto creates power struggles and endings. Things just seem to happen to the chart holder. An excellent example of this is Pluto in the fourth house. To a large extent, the fourth house represents our childhood home and family. With Pluto in this house, there are likely to be power struggles between the parents, career changes that effect the family, or changes in home locations. These things are not under the control of the child with the fourth-house Pluto, but they present themselves in the child's life. Or in the sixth house, Pluto's force can create an atmosphere of power struggles in the workplace among coworkers when the sixth-house Pluto person isn't even directly involved in the drama.

Tension and power struggles...

When Pluto's force isn't strong enough to tip the scales and end a situation, long-term power struggles will ensue in Pluto's house. These power struggles can go on for years and create enormous levels of tension. A seventh-house Pluto can bicker, complain and resent a partner for years without actually ending the relationship. The relationship will be wrought with tension and spoken or unspoken resentment. The person with Pluto in their seventh house may feel that their partner is a threat to the control they have over their own lives and will constantly feel they have to control their partner because of an unconscious fear of being swallowed up by their partner. Meanwhile, their partner has no intention of controlling them, but the Pluto person can't help but see them as a threat. A ninth-house Pluto may see any conversation about their beliefs as a threat to the validity of these beliefs. There may be constant tension regarding belief systems. A person with a third-house Pluto may see early schooling experiences as constant power struggles. Run-ins with teachers and authority figures may be frequent as Pluto tries to protect itself.

Pluto's gift is rebirth...

With every symbolic death that Pluto brings, there is a rebirth. Rather than the planet of death, Pluto is more accurately named the planet of regeneration. At many junctures in life there is a need to clean out the old in order to bring in the new. Pluto offers its power to assist with this natural part of life. It is often a very painful process, but for those who are willing to see the big picture and realize the rejuvenation and healing that are possible when Pluto is allowed to operate on its natural course, a reward of new life is waiting. Because it is often a difficult process, Pluto needs to be forceful and powerful using constant pressure to achieve its goals. Unlike Uranus which brings quick, unexpected change for the purpose of freedom, individuality or progress, Pluto brings slow, and unfortunately often painful change, which often requires long-term power struggles to end stale and unworkable or unprofitable situations. But the wise person listens to Pluto and works with the planet to recognize when the change is necessary for growth and new life.

Pluto in the Houses
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The Planets in Astrology