What if Pluto’s influence on our civilization injects a disruptive, but necessary, an element that forces us to clean up our act and get serious about displaying Love-Acceptance-Wisdom? Something magical can happen when we choose to live in balance and act from that higher level.

Astrologers stare unblinkingly at 2020 when short, dark, menacing Pluto socially engages with other powerful planets. Pluto, acting like an overly-authoritarian father, had seven square-offs with his technology-savvy son, Uranus back in 2012-15. However, Uranus has moved out of the house and is making his career plans. As ruler of the Aquarian Age, we can expect Uranus to leave his not-so-gentle mark on the upcoming 2,000 years.

The rich and manipulative Pluto will now be entertaining other members of the family: Uncle Saturn (limitation, discipline, pessimism), Aunt Jupiter (optimism, excesses), and even Cousin Mars (energy, aggression) will be arriving for visits, each taking turns interacting with Father Pluto and with each other! Pluto will tire by the end of 2020, but he is anticipating his big Birthday Party in 2022 when he celebrates by returning to the place where he was discovered in 1930 as the Great Depression began. There is more than just mild apprehension about the symbolism of this event!

Pluto continues to be active beyond 2024 when he enters Aquarius for 20 years. He is expected to dismantle what is positive about Aquarius: concern for social welfare and ideals around humanity as a group.

A numerologist attempts to translate into an amusing story what astrologers have painstakingly uncovered as warnings to our culture about deep changes that face us. Astrology is something like an opera sung in the language of geometry. If we know the character’s basic energy and accept that he is just singing his emotions out loud, then we won’t be far off from the plot. To understand astrology, we need to know the archetypal character that each planet represents in this cosmic opera. Pluto is a very disruptive fellow who tests our comfort level with either impulsive outbursts or emotions repressed to the point of bursting. Pluto has a knack for ‘bursting’ things open to reveal contamination, infection, and decay. But Pluto also has the potential for deep transformation and regeneration – just what our culture desperately needs.\

Pluto as a Planet of deep Transformation and Power

Pluto looks completely dark, but his symbol (before a demotion to a dwarf planet) indicates spirit and infinity. He may be doing undercover work for a larger plan. Pluto and other planets live in the Sun’s domain of Love-Acceptance-Wisdom. The whole solar system is tinged with the aspect of Love. Pluto’s part may be like the Yin/Yang symbol where each holds a small dot of its extreme opposite. Pluto is likely to push us to exhibit more love through his contrariness. Strange, but that’s how the opposites work in duality. The opposites must exchange energy to remain stable. If you want to be more relaxed, then focus on being more alert (it’s opposite). If you want to be more alert, then be more relaxed, and the Universe automatically seeks to bring balance.

What this numerologist sees is a transition period based on the 57th Alignment of the Psychological Cycle (#9) with the Metaphysical/Spiritual Cycle (#12). The Tarot says Political strife, the potential for civil and environmental upheaval; while the I Ching indicates that the only successful tactic will be the ceaseless, penetrating influence of Gentleness. Both astrological and numerological cycles will influence our civilization for decades, even centuries. Receptivity and Keeping Still are indicated (along with Gentleness) as a means of avoiding the danger inherent in our situation.

The only security now is Inner Security that comes from a sense of wellbeing that is capable of manifesting a good outcome no matter what the circumstances. Our deepest contribution to this time of transformation is the ability to display our positive polarity. Being positive means not blaming. The I Ching says, “Knowing how to become blame free is the highest good.” Don’t blame others, don’t blame yourself, and don’t take personally the blame which others are projecting. See your opponent’s fears and emotional vulnerability and generate compassion for them. Make sure you extend the same compassion to yourself. We suffer when we judge anything as right/wrong, good/bad. Either we are all guilty, or we are all innocent. If we dislike someone because they dislike or disrespect others, do we fail to see that our response of ‘dislike’ is no different from theirs? ‘Respect for others,’ entails allowing them to hold radically different points of view than our own. When our inner conflict is reversed, the issue is no longer a ‘problem.’

Maybe Pluto’s disturbing behavior comes from fear. Fear is the opposite of Love. Fear is the source of all negative emotions. But fear collapses our power to see the wisdom and logic of Love and Acceptance. “If we knew how to love under any conditions, we never would have created these conditions.” (Barbara Brennan, “Light Emerging”)