Understanding Pluto

by Robert Wilkinson

A friend and I were having a conversation about some sensations he was having that seemed “devilish,” “primeval,” or “shadowy.” He wondered if Pluto on his Sun could be associated with these impressions. As I said, “Sure, why not?”

I offered that the trick is to observe those "devilish" "primeval" "shadowy" seeds and understand their meaning and power in your life. They show us a side of our inner nature, both past and present, that can lead us to great power if we understand these seeds and turn them to good.

I told him that while I was a wild man when I was much younger, I learned over time that the dark side is only good until it begins to ruin your life and/or steal your desire mind and have it run rampant over your Soul. It took me a lot of crashing around and “getting it wrong” until I realized I had a choice of how I was going to suppress or externalize those wild (and often destructive) attitudes and behaviors.

Because we are living units of giving and receiving energy, a part of our evolution is learning how to feel all there is to feel. And since we’re never separate from the larger Field in which we live, breathe, and have our Being, we will from time to time sense parts of the toxic soup of modern existence.

Over time we learn what is ours “to own,” and what is not ours, but rather just part of the greater human energy field. When I sense an impression of these types of “shadowy” things these days, I do not take it personally. It's more likely something toxic in the atmosphere which I can transmute by not playing to it and if possible, consciously nullifying it.

When Pluto makes an exact pass over a planet, or even a hard aspect, it tends to strip us to the bone. In learning to with “the Lord of the Underworld” in “the underworld of our existence,” we are exposed to our deepest core. Pluto tends to annihilate everything that is no longer true for us, or which serve no purpose in our future.

Pluto transits show us who we are as a distinct unit of spiritual energy, and show us what “skins of personality” we must shed so we can be clearer and a more authentic expression of who we are at the core. It acts as a catalytic reagent that will precipitate out everything in the “solution of Self” that is impure or a particulate we don’t need to be a part of us.

Pluto has been in a tight orb square to my Sun for several years. Though I am no longer tempted to act out unfortunate behavior patterns, I have been shown that some people in this world are toxic personalities, and even though it's painful, we must say goodbye.

To put it another way, as much as a scorpion wants to share your space, if you allow it to be there you will at some point get stung. And again. And again. Who allows that sort of painful stuff in? We do.

So a tight Pluto conjunction, square, or opposition to one of our planets shows us that internal function is under pressure in a big way. We can break free of old inner restrictions, old toxic things, and purify whatever needs purifying.

Though the purifying process can be painful and at times impossibly ugly (since we cannot control other people’s responses to what we’re letting go of), it frees us to walk on into a new chapter that feels a whole lot better than the old. And yes, we will experience echoes of feeling from time to time, since what is purified out from deep wells of life is bound to hurt a little.

Which is why we are told that though life is painful, we do not need to suffer. By trusting the process of self-purification and ever-unfolding self-realization, we can come to know who we are at the core of our being, and live our spiritual Power, Love, Wisdom, and Intelligence in active conscious ways. And that’s a very good thing. Thanks to the Friend who inspired this!

© Copyright 2015 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Magwrit1]

Hi Robert,

This is a great piece on individual interactions with Pluto and Self! I'd love if you shared this with KISS as well.

Since I'm not in my usual log in here, I'll sign instead iwth my name although you know it. :)

Namaste,
Michelle

[Veronica Norman]

Thank you Sage Robert. Perfect timing. Peace and light, Veronica

[caliban]

And there would be the new moon trining natal pluto. :D Saturn squares pluto in my chart. Learning to say no. And gracefully. It's a challenge.

[Heather]

It's always a challenge to transmute that scorpion into a phoenix!

[helina]

Thank you.

Just waiting for my private "tornado" (Pluto transit opposition Sun) to be
exact at 2017.
And for me this means living Upsetting things first (Uranus transit square Sun), which means Now.

I really wish not to hurt or upset anyone - but that might be impossible (and I sometimes feel like little mouse myself).
I hope that small steps help a little. Although I wish I had studied art of "good manners" earlier. Better now than never...

[Ann]

Well Pluto to me is bleach. With natal Sun at 21 Leo, Pluto at 29, Saturn at 7 Sagg. at the moment it's Full On - just finished my degree at the young age of 57, now plunged into final divorce negotiations, what can a girl do but drink champagne!! Thanks for being here Robert. You are appreciated more than you know.

[caliban]

As a side note, NASA's New Horizon project is in the process of naming the physical features on Pluto and Charon.

[marytw]

hmmm, thank you for speaking about pluto times, right now transiting pluto conjunct natal descendant while progressed ascendent conjuncts progressed pluto...not suffering over suffering, that's important news.. no time for flailing around.