Plutocracy - The Progression of Power

Pluto in Aquarius - Part 1

Welcome back to Plutocracy - The Progression of Power! On November 19, 2024, Pluto left Capricorn for good (well, at least in our lifetime on this marble) and moved into Aquarius, where it will remain until January 18, 2044. Yup, we’ll be in this sign for the next 20 years, so let’s see what it has in store!

Getting Acquainted with Aquarius

Starting with the basics, Aquarius is represented by the Water Bearer, but despite that hydric association, it’s actually an Air sign. However, it often does feel like the wateriest Air sign you’ll ever meet!

Aquarius is a fixed sign, sitting between cardinal Capricorn and mutable Pisces. It is associated with the 11th House of dreams, goals, friend groups, and community in a natal chart, and the masses, legislative branch, and organizations in mundane astrology. However, this can also be a house of “mob mentality” and unrealistic idealism that can lead to revolutions and upheaval, something we definitely explore in this series!

Aquarius is co-ruled by restrictive Saturn (traditional) and unconventional Uranus (modern), a true study in dualities. Saturn is considered a malefic and referred to as “the hard taskmaster”. In its best expression, it can give us the structure and discipline to achieve our goals. However, its shadow side is constricting, controlling, and beholden to convention. There is a fine line between the maturity of restraint and the psychopathy of dominance. 

If you’ve looked closely at our logo, you’ll see that Uranus is a planet we are particularly fond of. Uranus rules electricity, invention, and those “eureka” moments, but it can also be a planet of rebellion, unafraid of using force to achieve its egalitarian ideals. This can give Aquarius a reputation for being detached, unemotional, and “out there”, although like the Sphinx, their emotions are simply processed more logically than others. This can be both a blessing and a curse, as they can justify their actions regardless of the harm inflicted so long as “it makes sense”.

These two planets may seem like unlikely partners in rulership, but they share one thing in common: an unwavering commitment to doing it “their way”. For Saturn, that means following a hierarchy and everyone “knowing their place”. For Uranus, that means tearing down the powers that be and redistributing authority amongst the people. Good times!

This opposition between restriction and freedom, convention and invention, conformity and rebellion will play out over and over again in these transits. Saturn is also the ruler of Capricorn, the sign that Pluto has now left, so expect to see a continuation of many of the themes we experienced over the past 16 years, even as we struggle to reinvent society.

Speaking of opposition, each zodiac sign works against the themes of its opposing sign, creating a tug-o-war ying-yang battle. In the case of “power to the people” Aquarius, our opponent is regal Leo, the sign of kings and potentially dictators. It’s a conflict of the “royal We” versus “We, the People” as humanity continues to examine its relationship to power and hierarchy.

It’s no coincidence that many older authority figures still at the helm during a Pluto in Capricorn to Aquarius transition are themselves members of the Pluto in Leo generation (1939-1956). Their time of wielding power and influence is drawing to a close, yet many cling to their perceived crowns. Others have worked to ensure a peaceful line of succession, putting the good of the realm above their own mortal desires. Unfortunately, that means the megalomaniacal menaces are now the ones with the loudest voices. Well, at least for the time being.

Unconventional Uranus

As the modern sign ruler, Uranus placements and Uranian energy will greatly influence Pluto’s transformative journey through Aquarius over the next 20 years. Therefore, it is important to understand this non-conformative planet better, especially its role in mundane astrology.

Uranus doesn’t do anything “normal”. The seventh planet from the Sun, it is a gaseous ice giant of methane and ammonia that rotates on a horizontal axis, has 13 faint rings, and is surrounded by at least 27 mini moons. It takes approximately 84 years to orbit the Sun, and thus work its way through the entire zodiac, spending around 7 years in each sign. We may even see our own Uranus return, if we are so lucky to live that long!!

Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781, by William Herschel. Ironically, this was during Pluto’s last transit through Aquarius, although it had not yet been discovered. Herschel originally named his new planet Georgium Sidis (“George’s Star”) in honor of King George III, but that name proved unpopular. It was not until the 1850s that Uranus was accepted as the agreed upon name.

This aligned with the then-current naming pattern of planets. Jupiter (the fifth planet) was the son of Saturn, so when that sixth planet was discovered, it was named to honor that patriarchal lineage. When Uranus needed a new name, it was suggested to continue with mythological genealogy and name this planet after Ouronos (Latinized Uranus), the Greek god of the sky and father of Saturn. The concept received further support when a newly discovered element was named uranium in a show of solidarity.

However, just like its namesake uranium, Uranian energies can be radioactive. In mundane astrology, it is a source of friction, rebellion, and revolution. Uranus can be associated with political extremism, especially libertarianism, and can represent the struggle between oppression and oppressors. It is a harbinger of labor strikes, riots, disasters, chaos, explosions, and eventually, progress.

This reactionary energy is less focused on diplomacy and more on immediate results, even if they may prove harmful to the long-range goal. That myopic and unpredictable nature gives Uranus a bad rep and certainly there are many times in its struggle for innovation that it takes one step forward and two steps back - sometimes stepping on the very people it claims to liberate.

Uranus is currently in Taurus and conjunct the brutal fixed star Algol, about which we have spoken extensively (see our CrowdStrike Outage post). Clearly, despite the flower-child reputation of Aquarius, this transit will not be all “peace, love, and harmony”.

Transitional Times

We got a taste of what Pluto in Aquarius may have to offer as our dwarf planet slipped between the signs during retrogrades over the past few years. The first journey into Aquarius began on March 23, 2023, where it remained until June 11, 2023 (stationing retrograde on May 1, 2023). This is when we saw the explosion of AI technology enter the public sphere, such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Midjourney. We also saw advances in the use of generative AI to create potential new medical treatments, a trend that is expected to become even more integrated in 2025.

Pluto again crossed into Aquarius on January 20, 2024, where it remained until September 1, 2024 (stationing retrograde on May 2, 2024). This is when we saw robust improvements in space exploration and technology. Blue Origin successfully launched several “space tourism” flights, two crewed space stations (International Space Station and Tiangong) are now in operation, and several countries including India and China are launching missions to the Moon.

Unfortunately, during these times we also saw a rise in cyberattacks, with 2,365 cyberattacks in 2023, impacting over 343 million victims. Supply chain attacks have increased 2,000% since 2018, with an attack on Clorox shutting down production and costing the company an estimated $356 million. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks also amped up by 31% in 2023, and authorities have been hard at work shutting down illegal marketplaces that are hired to commit these disruptions.

Technology is both a blessing and a curse.