Pluto In Aquarius
Plutonian Keywords: Transformation. Destruction. Renewal. Rebirth.
Aquarian Keywords: Revolution. Innovation. Technological. Rebellion. Alien.
Associated with the Greek God of the Underworld Hades.
Pluto can help to bring our deepest and most buried compulsions into the light. Its position indicates areas of life that must ultimately become transformed as part of the soul's evolution. In a chart, the position of Pluto by sign will be shared with other people in the same generation due to the comparatively slow movement of Pluto, the outermost planet, in the heavens. By house, the position of Pluto shows where individuals search for truths and deeper meaning. This area of life may be associated with change, upheaval, power struggles, and issues of control. Pluto in aspect to other planets in the chart colors those energies with obsessive qualities, power struggles, the need to find deeper meanings, and willingness to explore and examine. Where we find Pluto in the chart is where we either seek change and transformation, or have it thrust upon us if we refuse to accept our deepest needs. If we fear Pluto's energy, or our "dark" side, destructiveness (both directed at ourselves or others) can be a byproduct.
Historical Events of Pluto In Aquarius
674–647 BCE
One of the earliest known scientific events actually took place during Pluto in Aquarius in ancient Mesopotamia. This scientific project was in astrology, today what we refer to as the Astronomical Diaries started being recorded in Mesopotamia at this time. Mesopotamian astrologers would go out everyday, observe the sky and they would write down where the planets were and major astronomical events that could be seen in the sky. They would note the prices of different commodities on the market and they would also note other major social or political events that took place at that time. The oldest Astronomical Diary is dated to 652 BCE, which falls exactly in this Pluto in Aquarius period. This research program persisted from that point for around the next seven or eight centuries, with the latest Astronomical Diary that’s securely dated to about 61 BC. The historians of science rave about this project, because they say that this was probably the longest scientific research program that was ever conducted in world history, certainly in the West, because it lasted essentially unbroken for over 700 years.
430–404 BCE
This period is really interesting because the first ever natal astrology seems to have been developed. The very first birth charts that ever existed date to 410 BCE, which falls right in this period. The oldest chart is actually dated specifically to April 29th, 410 BCE, and it has Pluto at 24 degrees of Aquarius. This development was the beginning of using astrology as a predictive method. The idea was that when planets were in certain signs there could literally be a case of history repeating itself. During this period, the Persian rulers almost caused a democratization of astrology. Astrologers weren’t just consulting with kings, royalty and the elites, they were now consulting with other people. This allowed everyone to be able to access this new world information. The last thing is that in the 5th century BCE, the zodiac was standardized to be 12 signs of exactly 30 degrees each and also they developed ephemerides. These two technological developments were also part of the precursor that was necessary that led to natal astrology being developed.
185–160 BCE
The Christian era. The invention of paper was thought to have happened during this time period. The earliest known paper fragment from China dates to approximately 179 to 141 BCE. This led to the writing of books, making maps, the invention of libraries and made spreading knowledge and information easier and more widely accessible.
060–085 CE
The Silk Road, Around 60 CE the West had become aware that silk was not grown on trees in China but it was actually spun by silkworms. The Chinese had purposely kept the origin of silk a secret. Once the secret was out they carefully guarded their silkworms and their process of harvesting silk. China’s production of silk was very important for their economy. So much so that the “Silk Road” actually became major trading routes for all goods.
The Great Fire in Rome that took place on July 18th, 64 CE, where 70% of the city was burned and then later ended up being rebuilt. This fire is famous because there were suspicions that the emperor at the time of Rome, Nero, had started the fire so that he could clear the land and build his own extravagant palaces.
Another major event during this period was the first Jewish-Roman War that took place from 66 to 73 CE, which falls exactly within this Pluto in Aquarius period. There was a Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire. This ended up leading to the destruction of the second Jewish temple in 70 CE, which was a huge event in Jewish history because that’s what led to the Jewish diaspora. The Romans imposed heavy taxes and were interfering in Jewish religious practices, which led to growing discontentment or resentment as well as sporadic revolts.
305–329 CE
Constantine became the emperor of the Roman Empire and he fought in a civil war right after his father died on July 25th, 306 CE. The reason why Constantine becoming emperor is important is because what he would do once he got fully established about a decade later. He issued the Edict of Milan, which permanently established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire in February of 313 CE. Constantine legalizes Christianity, which up to this point had been against the law and it had been something that was even persecuted in some earlier periods. Constantine, towards the end of the Pluto in Aquarius period, forms the First Council of Nicaea, which occurred in May of 325 CE. The First Council of Nicaea, in November of 324, he founded a new city in the city of Byzantium, what will someday be called Constantinople and that will later be called Istanbul.
The intellectual attitudes towards astrology as well as the laws against astrology started to change rapidly after the legalization of Christianity during this period. Those that once wrote astrological texts would suddenly go against “pagan” practices and you see a major shift in a world that was once tolerant of most other religions and practices.
550–574 CE
The emperor Justinian sends spies to steal silkworms from China sometime around 552 CE. Silk was traded between China and the Roman Empire through Persia through the Silk Road where there were Persian intermediaries, the issue was that the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire was frequently at war with the Persian Empire. Silk being an extravagant commodity, was expensive and had been the most sought after luxury for around 100 years. It is rumored the Emperor Justianian sent a few monks into China to steal silkworms and smuggle them back into Rome in order to “cut out the middleman”. Once they brought the silkworms back to Rome, the Roman Empire created a silk industry in Byzantium, and the emperors then established a state-run monopoly on all silk production. This is a perfect example of the type of “industrial espionage” that you see when Pluto is in Aquarius. Countries try to hide the secrets of their high dollar products, only to have it stolen from them.
795–819 CE
Paper is transmitted to the Islamic Empire and the first paper shop is opened. Paper first started being mass produced in Baghdad in the year 793 CE under the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid. Originally developed in China, then transmitted to the Arabic and Islamic Empires. Paper replaced parchment quickly, which then allowed the proliferation of books and libraries. The House Of Wisdom was founded in the late eighth or early ninth century in Baghdad, there was a great flourishing of cultural wisdom and translations at the height of the Abbasid Caliphate. The House of Wisdom was a library and research institute, they created a translation project where they were translating different scientific and other texts into Arabic from other languages like Greek, Persian and Sanskrit. Creating these vast libraries and repositories of information, caused a great expansion in science and culture. The development of paper during this Pluto in Aquarius period fostered an amazing intellectual climate.
During this period in another area in Europe, Charlemagne was crowned as emperor in Rome by Pope Leo the III on December 25th, 800 CE. He was the first Holy Roman Emperor combining both the political role of a King and the role of a religious ruler. Charlemagne also united much of Europe under his rule, and his rule laid the foundation for future European kingdoms and empires as well as cemented the Catholic church’s influence in Western Europe. His close relationship with the papacy solidified the alliance between secular and religious authorities.
The first confirmed reference to gunpowder occurs in a Chinese text in the year 808 CE, and this is right in the middle of this Pluto in Aquarius period, this is important because this would become a very important technology that will come up over and over again in subsequent Pluto in Aquarius periods.
1041–1063
During this period, paper really starts spreading, paper first begins being produced in Europe at this point in Muslim Spain. The first recorded paper mill in the Iberian Peninsula in Spain was set up in 1056 AD.
The earliest surviving chemical formula for gunpowder dates to 1044, where they started really working out the correct ingredient percentages to make gunpowder more explosive.
1286–1308
Guns seem to have fully come into use in China, during this Pluto in Aquarius period. The oldest unequivocal and well-dated gun is the Xanadu gun, which dates to 1298, which is less than a decade after this period started. There’s another hand cannon that’s dated to a decade earlier to 1288, which is just two years after the Pluto in Aquarius period started. According to the History of Yuan, in 1287 a group of soldiers equipped with hand cannons attacked a rebel prince’s camp. This is really crucial, because we have the development of guns; we also have the development of cannons around this time, the first recipes for Saltpeter in around 1280. The first recipes for this explosive compound were published in the West. Just before Pluto moves into Aquarius, you start seeing the publication of these recipes for gunpowder in Europe and Europe becoming fully aware of its impact on warfare, siege warfare and weapons manufacturing.
The Mongol Empire peaked around 1294 to 1309 towards the end of this Pluto in Aquarius period, guns were possibly passed to the Middle East and Europe due to the Mongols presence, although there’s a lot of ambiguity surrounding this.
Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road from 1271 to 1295. Then the book about his travels to China and to the East, which was titled The Travels of Marco Polo, was published around the year 1300. This book published about his travels explaining the culture, the science, the society and everything that he experienced, was an eye opening thing in the West.
1532–1553
The mass production of books jumped during this time period from 2 Million books to 20 Millions books in Europe. Then eventually by the end of that century, by 1600 CE, around 115 million books were printed. Now there are thousands of copies of all of these books and the mass spreading of information is well under way.
Copernicus published On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres in the year 1543, which was about a decade after this Pluto in Aquarius period started. In this book, he argued that the Sun is the center of the solar system rather than the Earth. This major moment in history triggered the Copernican Revolution and also was a pioneering contribution in terms of the Scientific Revolution in general. His discovery of the Sun being the center of the universe took us from a Geocentric society to a Heliocentric society. His book was met with resistance by the community and religious figures. This attempt to control vital information led to his book not even being mass produced until just before his death. The church tried to control any publishings that they did not agree with.
Six years after Pluto enters Aquarius the Senate of Milan issues…“the Italian Index of Prohibited Books”. The Papacy and other cities and states across Europe soon followed the practice where certain books could not be printed, read or owned. Anyone caught doing so was said to be punished. Further measures included checking texts before they were published and the more careful issuing of licenses to publishers. It wasn’t until the Protestant Reformation combined with the printing press led to sweeping political, social, and cultural and religious changes at this time. The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century weakened the authority of the Catholic Church, creating a more open environment for scientific debate.
1777-1798
In 1781, William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus, which expanded our knowledge of the solar system. Until then we only knew of the seven visible planetary bodies, the five traditional planets plus the Sun and Moon, that had been known for thousands of years up to that point, but all of a sudden, this is the first time that our knowledge of the solar system expanded and we realized that there’s more planets out beyond the visible planets. This is a huge discovery, both in astronomy but also in astrology. Herschel does this with a telescope that he designed and made the lenses for. He didn’t just discover an expansion of our solar system, he was also an innovator of his time as well. He took what he knew of telescopic technology and made it better.
1775-1783 we have the American Revolution, where the 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain, culminating with the birth of the United States of America. During the Revolutionary War most of the government of the United States was actually set up in the system of three branches that’s supposed to have different checks and balances and all of that and eventually the ratification of the US Constitution that’s created during the early phases of Pluto in Aquarius, which is really interesting and important that there’s something about the way that they attempted to set up the democracy that has the stamp of Pluto in Aquarius. The “set-up” for our Democratic society really took shape during this time frame. This caused a major stir around the world. Many countries would then follow suit, becoming tired of being poor and abused by their tyrannical rulers.
1789-1799 The French Revolution takes place. Going back to Charlemagne, you had these hereditary monarchies that were set up during previous Pluto in Aquarius periods. Specific bloodlines had been ruling entire countries for hundreds of years. During this period we see a sudden breakdown of those systems. People begin to overthrow these “rulers” in favor of a more democratic society. This really became the norm for societies in 1799 at the beginning of the Napoleonic Era.
20 June 1789: Collapse of Estates-General - The Estates-General (France’s equivalent to the British Parliament) collapses when members of the Third Estate – which represents ‘the people’ – form their own National Assembly, to campaign for constitutional reform. This is a bold challenge to the King’s authority. The French Revolution has begun!
14 July 1789: Storming of Bastille
A wave of revolutionary hysteria sweeps through Paris, leading to fears of a military coup. In retaliation, rebels storm the prison fortress of the Bastille, a symbol of royal authority. Paris falls from the King’s control. Today this date is celebrated as Bastille Day in France.
22 September 1792: French Republic established
After a long period of debate about how the new constitution will work, the French Revolution takes a radical turn when revolutionaries arrest the King. The following month, on 22 September 1792, the National Convention was established. This proclaimed the abolition of the monarchy and established the French Republic. The King is tried and, on 21 January 1793, he is executed as a traitor.
June 1793: Reign of Terror begins
Following the King’s execution, France goes to war with various European powers. This signals the most violent phase of the French Revolution. Infighting within the National Convention leads to the radical Montagnards taking power. This marks the start of the bloody Reign of Terror (la Terreur), a year-long period in which suspected enemies of the revolution are killed in their thousands.
1795: The Directory takes power
A new regime – the Directory – took power in France in 1795. The internal political situation remains unstable, but is silenced by the army, now led by a young general Napoleon Bonaparte. There follows a period of successes in war: what is now Belgium is annexed, the Dutch Republic surrenders and peace is made with the Prussians and Spanish.
9 November 1799: Napoleonic era begins
The Directory’s four years in power are a failure, with them ceding much power to the military to maintain order. On 9 November 1799, as frustration with their leadership reached a fever pitch, Bonaparte staged a coup d’état, abolishing the Directory and appointing himself France’s ‘first consul’. This marks the end of the French Revolution and the start of the Napoleonic Era.
There were a lot of major technological advancements and developments at this time. In 1796, Edward Jenner developed the first smallpox vaccine, revolutionizing preventative medicine. In 1796, Alessandro Volta invented the first true battery, establishing sustained electrical currents. The Watt's steam engine was developed in 1785, an improvement of the original steam engine, which ended up spurring the Industrial Revolution, transforming manufacturing and driving economic growth. There’s also a textile industry boom, where innovations in textile production with inventions like this spinning jenny and the power loom significantly increased efficiency and output, and this is combined with in 1793, Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin. The invention of the cotton gin was very important. It is the perfect example of the negative repercussions that we see from the “industrialization” of the production of goods. Now that coton could be produced on such a faster and larger scale, the need for more slaves to pick the cotton increases. Although advancements in industry make it feel like an advancement of humankind, it will also highlight the worst of human nature. The “dehumanization” of work forces go hand in hand with all technological improvements.
2023 - 2044
During historical events of Pluto being in Aquarius we saw a lot of innovation, industrialization, invention and rebellion. Political espionage was also a very big topic. So what do we have coming our way? Since Pluto dipped its chilly toes into Aquarius the American government basically announced that “yes, aliens do exist”. Anything Alien is definitely a theme for Aquarius. Great advancements in AI were made. This could potentially go back to the negative repercussions of advancement. Some good could absolutely come from the use of AI, but some people are now worried that their jobs may be in jeopardy if Artificial Intelligence can do it instead of them. AI could also play a part in the espionage that we see during these time periods. How safe is your digital information? How safe is government information? Revolution is also a possibility for this time, especially once we get into historical events that coincided with Pluto in Aquarius, which is Uranus in Gemini (Part 2) and Neptune in Aries (Part 3) of this blog. The outer planets shape a new era and a new society when they move into new signs. This is energy that the universe hasn’t experienced in hundreds of years. There is absolutely the possibility for history to repeat itself. Like we saw with the production of gunpowder in the past, gunpowder changed the way we approached war and conflict. Let’s hope we and other countries have learned their lessons from the past.
As Pluto shifts from Capricorn, where it has been since 2008, it shifts from earth to air. This element represents consciousness and thought—things that we cannot physically touch. Earth energy is that tangible stuff that we can hold and grasp. Air disperses. It quickens. Air encourages us to move, to think and to communicate. Much like the signs that are ruled by the element of air, it builds bridges of interconnection.
What both of these archetypes remind us is that collective change begins from within each individual. While Aquarius looks to the highest reality and possibility for society, Pluto digs up the shadows and unconscious material that interrupt our expansion. While Aquarius wants rebellion and uniqueness, Pluto illuminates those spaces in us that we use to seek out control in our lives. Pluto creates a power struggle with what we can control and what we can not. There is a lot of change that needs to happen, with the world and within ourselves. Change can bring bad things, but ultimately it’s exactly what we need. What we are in control of is how we react to change, the unexpected, growth and influences. There is power in thought and words, we should learn to use them carefully and for good. There is no need to worry. What happens in the world from day to day is beyond our control. If you want to see change for the good, then start at home. Work on yourself and your relationships, then branch out to your community. This new era welcomes new perspectives, challenges limitations, and welcomes inner authority. In a positive response to any transit, we evolve. Focus on the positives of this transit. Worry and fear of life itself never did anyone any good. Everyday is unsure, that in itself is a gift. How strong do you want to be to handle life’s unknowns and darkness?
