Control and Power—Pluto in Aquarius MARCH 23, 2023 - January 19, 2044

(Pluto first entered Aquarius March 23, 2023 but had a few retrogrades out before fully entering in 2024. This is also the case when it exits, starting March 8, 2043)

Pluto is often described in traditional astrology as being the planet of renewal, death, taboos, endings and beginnings, regeneration, etc., but in fact Pluto is simply the planet of control and power, the dynamics of which can sometimes result in those effects, but does not necessarily, because its influence is dependent on how we respond to its influence. A Pluto transit will catalyze power dynamics in the theme the house it occupies, and understanding Pluto’s influence is very important for avoiding some of the most frustrating and consequential self-destructive behavior of which we may otherwise experience, because one of the purposes of Pluto is to demonstrate that we are not the ones with the control and power, even if sometimes it may seem that way, and our delusional control behavior is always met with consequences as we learn the hard way. Relenting control can sometimes be difficult (which is why inventory practice is so important), but in the case of Pluto transits it is necessary to remember that we are not responsible for the behavior of other people, nor fate, and we can instead give up that responsibility to Universe or your conception of a higher power, making life much simpler for ourselves in the process. Pluto transits in fact need not ever be difficult or stressful but are only that way due to our own control mechanisms and behavior. Below is a brief description of Pluto’s transit for every sign, but the chapter on Pluto’s influence in Under A Libra God goes far more depth about these dynamics. If you want a preview of what your next transit will be like, read the sign which precedes yours.

Aries

Pluto transiting the eleventh Zodiac house reveals control behaviors concerning friends, fortune, wealth, and investments. This is not an especially challenging influence but all Pluto transits still highlight our personal control behaviors, which are more likely during this time to result in disappointment, frustration, and even loss, while turning over control to life and trusting in life instead results in personal growth. For instance, if you think you can hold onto accumulated wealth or an investment portfolio through sheer force of will you will be sorely disappointed. If things don’t go your way remember that’s okay and just go with the flow, as we are not the ones who are in charge of life. Pisces just went through this transit, so if you know any ask them for advice or look at their life events concerning friends and fortune over the last 16 years (since 2008). Good things can happen during this transit, if you let them rather than force them.

Taurus

Pluto in the tenth Zodiac house a difficult transit, unfortunately, BUT it needn’t be and most awful experiences during Pluto transits come when we don’t yet understand how to stop behaving in controlling ways. Because the tenth house relates to society, public image, and career this transit will have you feel compelled to control the way you are perceived and regarded by your colleagues, superiors, gossips, cliques, newsmagazines, church group, followers, etc., and the harder you try to control their opinions of you the worse it will get. So chill out—who cares what people think of you anyway??? Well, you do, and that’s the problem. When you learn to stop trying to control how others think of you this transit will lose a lot of its sting. Aries just went through this transit and had a lot of frustrating experiences with their careers, bosses, and public perception, deserved or not.

Gemini

Pluto transiting your ninth Zodiac house needn’t be difficult or frustrating, but coming off the eighth house transit of power and control the point of this transit is to help you see how your personal philosophy and worldview limits what you get out of life. If you are an especially controlling person who had a rough time in the eighth house transit then you’re going to continue having a rough time until you stop trying to impose your philosophical beliefs onto life. As a mortal human we can never define what life is, and the sooner you realize that the sooner you can start making this transit a productive one. In very rare cases those with this transit can become so delusional they become cult leaders, and end up self-destructing and causing others significant harm. Surrendering your tightly held beliefs will instead let the Universe teach you truths you’ve never known before and liberate your life from the confines of fear and delusion. This transit is only fearful if you refuse that challenge, because what you will learn if you do give up control is nothing but wonder and awe. Taurus just went through this transit, so if you know any ask them about it.

Cancer

Because Pluto is the natural ruler of the eighth house the control and power themes from this Pluto transit can unfortunately be one of the most difficult of all. But all Pluto transits are difficult in proportion to the degree by which we refuse to give up control, so it can be pretty easy if you let go. Giving up control does not mean giving up—that is also a form of control—but instead learning how to get what we need from life and others in a way that does not try to force them. Learning to be okay when things don’t work out, people tell us ‘no,’ or things are taken from us is a life skill that many of us do not naturally possess and must be learned. But this is your chance to learn that, and while it can be frustrating, the consequences of refusing to let go during this transit can cost you relationships, status, money, respect, and even your own humanity if you take it too far. Trust in life to carry you through as it always has, and believe that you are more capable of caring for your own needs than you might know. Practice of inventory during this time would also be required to fully understand the situations you encounter and the problems you face, but all that requires is sitting down and writing, which is probably the easiest thing you will do during this time. Geminis just went through this transit and many had a terrible time because they refused to let go of control, so study their lives over the last 16 years to see what problems concerning control and power you might be up against, and don’t make the same mistake.

Leo

Dear Leo, with Pluto entering your seventh Zodiac house of partnership you are unfortunately in the middle of some extremely infuriating decades as Pluto goes through the 6th (work and health), 7th (partnerships), and 8th (power and control) houses that can either mean the rest of your life will be one giant exercise in futility and self destruction or a spiritual phoenix who rises above petty control behaviors to learn deep secrets about life not many get to know. Whether you will be trampled by your own pride or peer into the divine is entirely up to you and comes down to whether you live by the ego and your own selfish fear, insecurity, and demands on others or by devoting yourself to service and spirituality. Remember that even when we think we are serving others it can in in fact be an egoist deception, and the way to understand the difference is whether we are concerned or not with what we get out of any situation. This transit specifically affects partnerships, both love or business, which are inherently difficult anyway, and you will definitely receive control and power impulses from many people in your life—just don’t return it to them and you will have a much better time. Remember that giving up or not showing up is also a control behavior, and there is no reason to stop having boundaries and good self-care behaviors, but we can never control the outcomes in life and if you find that fact difficult to espouse then so shall be the next forty years. Cancers just went through this transit but they are also now in the 8th house and might not be agreeable to a conversation about their own control behaviors—so just look at how their lives went in terms of partnerships (plutonic, business, and romantic) since 2008 for a preview and warning.

Virgo

Pluto’s transit of the sixth Zodiac house can be perilous, Virgo, and is the beginning of the ‘gauntlet’ of the frustrating 6th, 7th, and 8th house transits which can mean the rest of your life will be one giant exercise in futility and self destruction or a spiritual phoenix who rises above petty control behaviors to learn secrets about life not many know, because this gauntlet begins with the 6th house and our condition of our mortality that requires meeting daily obligations. Most of us refuse to submit to mortality, and during this transit it can literally result in serious health problems if you refuse to care for your body on a daily basis. Any eating disorders, dieting, junk food, skipping meals, drinking or drugging excessively, relying on prescription drugs, or excessive exercise will result in health problems, and likely has already since Pluto started transiting in since 2023. This transit can and will also motivate you to be healthy and active, just make sure that what you doing is helpful and not just a delusional control behavior. Being the house of labors means everything we must do on daily or regularly basis, so daily habits can be clues to the effect of this transit. This house also includes work which can be a double whammy since working when you’re also sick is very challenging, and the key to surviving this transit (sometimes literally) is to make life as easy for yourself as possible. Be kind to yourself, there’s no need to be a Greek God for people to like you, and taking care of your body by eating regularly and eating a good diet can give you the energy you need to go to a nice job that isn’t excessively demanding. Leos just went through this transit, so you can talk to them about their health and work experiences since 2008 for an idea of what this transit is like. Not many people actually die during this transit, but some do as a result of their behavior, not fate, such as when work becomes too much and they literally neglect eating food to get more time working, or try to do exotic health treatments for illnesses that really just need a good, consistent diet and daily sun exposure. Remember the key during this transit is daily so everything you are required to do on a daily basis—eat, sleep, work, rest, go to bed on time, take care of the pet, clean your apartment, etc., will be at issue, and don’t be too hard on yourself—you are only one person who can only do so much in a day and.

Libra

Fellow Libras, we finally get to breathe a sigh of relief after that horrible, horrible fourth Zodiac house Pluto transit. But don’t rest because we only have about 19 years in this transit to get to work creating. Art, babies, new love affairs—this is one of the easiest Pluto transits (if there is such a thing), just remember that we never control outcomes, people, projects, or fate, and many things will not go as planned or desired and if we don’t roll with the punches and try to control people, projects, or pregnancies we are likely to cause significant harm to others and to our future. Definitely do not guilt people, manipulate them, or scheme to get what you want, because you will end up destroying rather than creating. Virgos just went through this transit since 2008, so ask them about their creations (or what they wanted to create), remembering that creation is a broad subject and can be anything from art to literal children. Most of all, remember to have fun.

Scorpio

Scorpio, I’m so sorry—Pluto’s transit through the fourth house of home and family is one of the most aggravating because this house encompasses both the family but also the literal place of domicile (dwelling), and you’ll be finding disagreeable and hostile landlords, annoying neighbors, and probably move house at least several times and have many arguments with parents and siblings as you try to control it all. There’s nothing more annoying that a couple next door screaming at each other in the late hours, or a landlord trying to cheat you, or family that just won’t treat you with respect—just remember that our worst experiences in this transit come from our behavior, not theirs, and while they may get away with trying to control, you will certainly not. Instead of trying to manipulate people into doing what you want—just ask, sincerely, if they can accommodate your needs, and if the answer is no, just ask again another time and until then find ways to care for your needs that doesn’t try to force others to instead. Get earplugs to drown out those awful neighbors, be kind and patient with your family members (within reason), and if your living situation is objectively not that bad try not to move because you’re likely to find the grass is not actually greener there after all. Libras all just went through this since 2008, so ask them about their home and family life during that time if you need some insight.

Sagittarius

Pluto’s transit through the third Zodiac house is not so awful, Sagittarius, but like all Pluto transits the peril comes from obstinate refusal to let go of control, and in this case doing that here can set the stage for much worse experiences later in life because the third house rules the literal obtaining and sharing of knowledge, so refusing to hear other people means you miss out on literal information that you may in fact need, but being arrogant and refusing it will later leave you in a rut and you won’t even know why you are having a hard time, because the first step in the acquisition of knowledge is recognizing its absence. The third house also rules siblings and childhood friends, because they are the people we learned alongside with as we grew up, and there is likely to be some control and power dynamics between you and siblings, and it is important not to do that and to lighten up and take yourself less seriously. If you can let go of your ego during this time and not try to make life conform to your expectations you will be empowered to better survive the upcoming, difficult fourth-house transit, which is one of the worst if you don’t let go of control.

Capricorn

Transit through the second Zodiac house can be literally enriching, and some Sagittarians found their bank accounts get larger during this long transit since 2008. But it can also cause you to do truly heinous things for the sake of money if you try too hard to control your finances, sources of income, and other resources. This is not typically a difficult transit, and nearly all of its influences are a result of our own behavior, but much of our lives depend on money, so disruptions to our finances can be understandably disappointing. Just remember that money isn’t real, and that there are many things in this life that are of value which are not money, and fixating on money or doing amoral things for money can deprive you of relationships, respect, self-dignity, or even of your own humanity if you lose sight of what is truly valuable, not to mention the money you made by being heinous since there are also consequences for such behavior. Being responsible is not a control behavior, but shaming children or spouses for requiring money is, or stealing from others or exploiting people, so is doing things which are illegal, immoral, and just make sure that you are not investing your ego and fear into money and instead trust in life to provide and you will find not only value in many areas of life but also real security, which is really what you are searching for.

Aquarius

Pluto transiting the first house can be quite unsettling, Aquarius, especially after the twelfth house transit which likely caused you to already question many things about life anyway. The zodiac cycle never starts and ends, but is a continuous and unending circle, so this isn’t really the ‘first’ house, just the next house after the last, and having a crisis of spirituality now leads you into a crisis of identity as you try to control who you are and what your purpose is which is also informed by your spirituality (or lack thereof). The problem is that we do not control anything, not even our purpose, but you can come to learn what your purpose is and who you are if you listen to life instead of your fears and insecurities. The first house also represents the literal body, and you may be obsessed with being healthy or fit, and while this transit is not especially perilous many people try to control life by dissociating from relationships, isolating, and excessively fixating on the body which will only bring you more self-doubt, loneliness, and failure in the future, and can even result in behaviors that harm your physical body or sense of identity which will then make you less effective in the upcoming second house transit. Don’t be afraid to meet life on its terms, show up for opportunity, lead with love, and see where it takes you. Oh, and—it’s okay to make mistakes. Talk to a Capricorn about this, if you want, since they had this transit starting 2008.

Pisces

The twelfth Zodiac house is about endings, spirituality, and the unknown, but the twelfth house is also associated with Pisces, so you may fare better during a Pluto twelfth-house transit than other signs. But that does not mean you are exempt from the laws of cause and consequence, and the consequence of failing a Pluto twelfth-house transit takes the form of greater fear, shame, and regret as we refuse to acknowledge the greater forces at work and our own mortal limitations and subjugation to them. You can see how this will come easier for you, since Pisces are already one of the meeker and more spiritual signs, and letting your intuitive nature guide the subversion of the ego required for any Pluto transit can show you amazing truths about existence that other signs are to fearful to experience. Endings often occur in this transit but are primarily endings of things like long suffering, resolution of trauma, shedding of addiction behaviors, and generally letting go of the past and experiencing more profound truths, unless of course we get in the way and refuse to let go. Aquarians went through this beginning 2008, so take a look at their life over the last sixteen years for some insight.