I hesitate to write this, because the transit of Pluto to my Mars is only at its midpoint now, but many of you have written and are curious to know my experiences so I’ll tell you what I’ve learned so far.
First let’s look at the players. Mars in the birthchart shows the way we express our desire nature. What we want, how we set boundaries to defend what we have, how our basic drives are expressed and what those drives desire. Pluto is often called the “higher octave” of Mars, because where Mars acts as the Will of the individual self, Pluto acts as the Will of the higher self. The outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, each is a higher octave of a personal planet and assists in the soul’s evolution of that personal planet. For example, Uranus is the higher octave of Mercury, and takes the concept of learning and communication to a higher level.
When Mars and Pluto interact, either in the birthchart or by transit, on a transformational level we have the Will of the personal self colliding in some way with the Will of the higher self. Our individual desires are subsumed by the process of the soul’s evolution to take us on a path of growth rather than personal satisfaction. This can result in tremendous frustration and dissatisfaction, especially if Mars and Pluto are in stressful aspect in the birthchart, or if the individual is successful at aligning the individual Will with the higher self, there is a tremendous focusing of individual power.
Someone asked me yesterday, “how do we know that we have worked through our issues so that we get to the higher manifestation of the planets?” Our personal issues and personality quirks create resistance within us to the unfolding progress of soul growth. As long as we identify with these issues and quirks and hold onto them instead of relaxing into the process of change, the difficult planetary transits create lessons and challenges for us in order to facilitate that process. Once we have stopped resisting and feel enough trust in the process so that we surrender each moment to the energies of the planetary gods as they work to deepen our evolutionary story.
I didn’t know what to expect during this Pluto transit, which began for me at the end of January. Mars in my chart is in Capricorn, which makes me a very big DO-er as some of you know, and it conjuncts Chiron which shows that the necessity of doing under Mars in Capricorn is both a wound and the key to healing for me. I have always been a person who says “Just Do It” ; Capricorn doesn’t really care about personal excuses and the desire (Mars) for achievement (Capricorn) is a powerful drive that has been a great motivator for a somewhat consistent exercise program. However, when Pluto was exactly on my Mars I found I couldn’t move. I felt like I wanted 2000 pounds and it was difficult to even walk from my house to the car. I remembered what I had counseled so many clients with Mars/Pluto in their charts, and forced myself to walk and get to the gym occasionally and did find that the action helped to create more energy. Great job, I told myself.
I had been working on beginning online astrology classes and had nearly 100 people express an interest in the classes, and I was fired up. However, in the midst of the first hit of Pluto when I began to schedule the classes there weren’t enough people to participate. I surrendered beautifully to that and congratulated myself on my brilliant navigation of Pluto.
Pluto was less than a degree from Mars in my chart when it changed direction and started heading for Mars again, and I began to feel a simmering rage begin to burn in my intestines (solar plexus). This started causing some real physical distress and I looked back in my ephemeris to see when Pluto last aspected Mars in my chart, which was a square formation back in 1972. That was the time I ended up in the health center at the university I was attending, suffering from severe intestinal cramping. The natal Chiron conjunction to Mars suggests not only a fear that my needs will never be met, but it also provides a link to the physical body through Chiron for health problems to arise when this issue is confronted.
A situation with a neighbor began to exacerbate this burning rage and caused a confrontation in which I attempted to exert every bit of my power and need to control. A casual breakfast with my mother turned into a disaster as old wounds (Chiron) erupted to the surface and could not be held back. At the same time, it became clear that my 18-year old cat was nearing the end of her run. It is not uncommon to face death in one form or another during a Pluto transit, because we are never more aware of the power of life in a physical form than when we are exposed to death. My relationship with this cat has been extremely complicated, but knowing she would soon be gone made me realize how attached I had grown to her over so many years.
All through this, I could feel Pluto pressing in on me from all directions and my physical energy was completely sapped. It was as though Pluto was saying to my DO-er Capricorn Mars, STOP EVERYTHING!! So I took four days to retreat into my home. For the first two days I literally did nothing other than watch movies on TV. By the third day I was starting to feel reasonably human, and by the end I was, while not back to normal, at least functional. Some of the draining of physical energy is due to holding back the flood of rage that is stored in the body, and while I have released much of my inner rage over the years there was evidently still some left!
When we go through a big planetary transit like this the energy of the transiting planet needs to be assimilated so that we can absorb what it has to teach us. The first phase of the cycle is like a drive-by shooting – it wakes us up, but then we usually go back to sleep. By the second phase we recognize the need to pay attention and we begin making adjustments and alterations to our behavior and our mindset so that we can incorporate the lessons of the planetary god we’re dealing with. Pluto demands that we let go of anything that no longer serves us and face up to the responsibilities of real power – the kind of power that flows within us that goes beyond the ego. Pluto requires the death of ego so that a more transcendent power can be born – a power that aligns us with our own higher self and Universal Consciousness as well.
posted May 5, 2008 at 9:55 am
Sorry about your kitty.
I got that “can’t move” affect too but luckily exercised has helped
posted May 5, 2008 at 12:28 pm
{{{{Lynn}}}}
Sounds you made a very good call on how to respond to this transit. Thank you very much for your willingness to share your experiences of what had to be a painful transition for you . . . take care
posted May 5, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Your description of the second pass of a transiting planet was very well put. I am between the 2nd and 3rd hit of Saturn to my Virgo Ascendant, and I can tell you that this transit has been forcing me (sorry for the “causation” metaphor!) to integrate the lessons of the Taskmaster
posted May 5, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Lynn — This sounds so difficult, but I am glad you are taking care of yourself in the ways you need to. And I really applaud your self-awareness through it all! This kind of experience, in a nutshell, is why “sun sign astrology” is so inadequate!
Hope the rest of your transition is gentle and full of joyful renewal.
— Bet
posted May 6, 2008 at 7:37 am
Thanks for sharing this, Lynn. As others have said here, it’s helpful for our own understanding of transits. Sounds like you’re doing as well with it as possible! A prime example of how knowledge of astrology can help navigate what’s going on and try to work with the energy not against. Good luck with the rest of it..
posted May 6, 2008 at 7:48 am
Thanks all – I wasn’t sure whether to post this here or on my personal site but we do learn from hearing how these transits manifest for others and it helps to make us all better astrologers.
And really, I’m doing just fine.
posted May 6, 2008 at 9:40 am
Thank you for sharing your experience. I do think we learn so much more with real facts and testimonials rather than just books and theories. And if the native knows the astrological triggers for what is happening, even better. Everything becomes nice and clear. (www.astrologywithmeaning.com
posted May 10, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Hi Lynn~
Just wanted to say what a great post this is–it’s not easy for me to write or speak easily about this Mars/Pluto aspect, and I thought you did it very well. Also your self-disclosure really was powerful and honest, just the way this aspect can be in its higher mode. My mother had these two planets in opposition and I think it was important for me to identify that part of her nature, and possibly the roots of it. I felt it as a rage that she repressed into an ongoing depression. In fact, I wrote about our difficult karmic tie in my post on the “Family Karmic Inheritance” in http://www.NorthNodeAstrology.blogspot.com Although I didn’t mention her Mars/Pluto aspect, I wish I did in retrospect, because I think it was an important part of the whole story. I’d be interested to know what you think, if you have the time to read it—although it’s difficult to be at the computer with spring in the air!! Anyway….well done Lynn….~elizabet
posted May 15, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I can relate to much of this already, since I have Mars/Pluto conjunct in 8th house, has been very difficult all my life when under a stress aspect. Often it was “Rage”, and particularly with my Mother, who had mars in Scorpio on my Moon 12th house. She was indeed a secret enemy-often manipulating me in opposite direction I wanted to go. Now, its one of my daughters, who is a Leo, with Mars Scorpio again, square this touchy Mars/Pluto of mine on 8th/9th cusp. We’ve had a complex relationship-and when planets in Taurus where my Mercury is in 5th house-and opposite her Mars-things blew up, and I decided it best to break free of the relationship for the good of us both. I already feel a burden lifted, as she will over 30, has good marriage and secure.
She was strict Evangelist, and I’m unorthodox as they come. An ecletic Pagan. Sometimes you cannot mend such extreme differences, and she expressed a great deal of resentment towards me, rather open or not, I could feel it.
I never felt I could be myself around her.
I have experienced loss of several loved ones, result of the Moon Scorpio, and that Mars/Pluto Leo.
Astar
posted May 25, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Hi, Thank you – primarily for the reassurance that it doesn’t have to be the bleak, violent transit that seems to get so much attention. I currently have Pluto conjunct Mars and square Pluto at the same time and I am amazed at the insensitivity of astrologers (in person) to tell me all the horrible things that could happen (rape, murder, etc). But what do you think? How do you manage the rage, anger, secrets, etc? I understand Pluto and Mars – and I can easily see this connection. But your description sounds totally opposite to what I would expect. I would have expected you to have a refined surge of energy, focus, will. It’s been over a year now since you wrote this – I was curious if you had anything further to add?
Thank You Kindly.
posted May 26, 2009 at 11:14 am
Thanks “Your Name” for your comments. The final stage of this Pluto transit to my Mars will hit again between August and October as Pluto stations right at zero degrees, the same degree as my Mars. I too am appalled at the fear that some astrologers use in an attempt to prepare their clients for this kind of transit. These transits are much easier to manage as we get older, and each of us have very different experiences. But when these dark emotions like rage and anger erupt we have to welcome them as teachers rather than attempt to flee. Even though I know that, I still had intestinal problems that sent me to the emergency room. The doctors wanted to do surgery, but I knew that it was only Pluto.
Remember that the conjunction transit of Pluto can work both ways – it can work as an infusion of power, and it can also create blocks that challenge us to become more powerful. It just depends on what our higher self and guides decide we need at that time.
posted November 12, 2011 at 1:04 pm
So true to my current experience, w. Mars at 5’46 Capricorn and Chiron at 7″, Pluto now transiting . . . Thank you, it is really helpful to hear your experience ; In recent months I have become an “indoor cat”, sometimes able to create poetry or art out of my dreams, memories and experiences – sometime lackluster and dull for days at a time, until the creative impuse again rises. I am consciously healing very deep trauma (developmental trauma) and I feel from the surging energy and intense happiness that the images that are coming to me are the foundation for living closely with my Soul. Blessings for these archetypal shiftings : the Crone emeging !
posted December 2, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Hi Lynn,
Maybe you can shed some light. Pluto is now transiting my 2nd house. At the beginning of next year, it will oppose my Cancer Sun which is in the 8th house natally. I don’t know how to interpret the opposition with regarding to the houses involved. Also, at what pluto degree would the transit start to have an impact and what degree would it appear as over? At the same time, pluto will square my capricorn mars (which is in 10th house natal).
thank you for your help and advice,
posted December 4, 2011 at 11:11 am
Hi Lana, without looking at your chart and seeing the total picture, it’s impossible for me to advise you. You can’t just look at the houses involved – there are other planetary cycles occurring simultaneously and everything needs to be taken into consideration. This is why a consultation with a qualified astrologer is helpful during a major planetary cycle like a Pluto/Sun transit. Conventional wisdom says that a planetary cycle is felt when the transiting planet is about five degrees from the natal planet but again, that varies from situation to situation. The orb is wider at the beginning (meaning we feel the planet when it is approaching) than at the end when we have assimilated the energy and lesson of the cycle. I hope that helps but it sounds like a reading might be helpful for you.