This week’s question comes from Joe in Minneapolis, MN:

Would having natal Pluto in the first house make someone prone to have an extraordinary number of “ghosts” of family, friends, lovers and acquaintances that have gone on? They weigh heavily on my S.O., especially in January which is an anniversary month for almost all of these people’s deaths. Now another friend is preparing to go from liver cancer, and he is wondering why it seems like everyone he knows is dropping dead. I know everyone starts feeling like this at a certain age, but I just wondered if the feeling is more acute, having the Lord of Death in the house of the self.

Neith’s response:

Joe, as I see it there are two different parts to your question. First, why is January his “anniversary” month and second, what does having Pluto in the first house mean?

In your SO’s chart, Chiron in Aquarius falls in his sixth house and squares his Moon in Taurus. This past January, the solar eclipse in Aquarius conjoined his Chiron and likely brought many feelings about his losses to the surface. Even though he is past his Chiron return, planets passing over this sensitive point will trigger all aspects to it. Fortunately his natal Sun-Mercury conjunction is trine Chiron, providing the means to process his feelings through dialogue with others.

I believe having Pluto in the first house, Scorpio Rising, planets in the eighth house, or Sun in Scorpio, all help give one the ability to see and accept death and dying as part of the larger cycle of death and rebirth. In the case of your SO, you are correct about his age bringing more of this into his life but he is also a person with a strong Venus influence in his chart (Venus on the Ascendant, Venus ruling both Sun and Moon). This suggests a preference for using charm and tact with an appreciation of beauty. Coming to terms with the Lord of Death is not easy for him.

Pluto in Capricorn started squaring his Sun a year ago and will finish up later this year. Perhaps this uncompromising transit will help him come to understand and find some beauty in Pluto’s realm.

Good topic, Joe! We have only touched the surface!

Pat’s response:

Well, Joe, as you know, when our resident Pluto expert gets on a roll, there’s not a whole lot I can add!

I agree with Neith that having strong Pluto or Scorpio in the chart can predispose the native toward a focus on death. In extreme cases, it can indicate more contact with death and dying than most of us experience in the normal course of life.

Remember that before Pluto was discovered in 1930, Mars was considered the ruler of Scorpio and was associated with the eighth house. Your S.O. has Mars in the eighth house, in Pisces, which like Scorpio is a water sign and tends to be psychic. In fact, dreams and “supernatural” phenomena such as ghosts fall more within the realm of Pisces, the twelfth house, and Neptune, the modern ruler of Pisces. Before Neptune was discovered, Jupiter was the ruler of Pisces, and your S.O. has Mars in a very tight opposition with Jupiter. So I think it’s pretty safe to say that he is tuned into the “beyond.”

I also have Pluto at 29 degrees Leo, but in the seventh house, and my North Node is conjunct the Midheaven in late Scorpio. While I don’t have Pluto in the first house, I do have a first-house Moon in Pisces, so I, too, pick up these subtle energies. I would not say, though, that they weigh on me the way your S.O. describes.

I agree with Neith about the January timeframe. With Chiron in early Aquarius, your S.O. is always reminded of these unhappy events when the Sun and Mercury are in proximity to his natal Chiron, and that means they also are square his Moon, triggering a strong emotional response. This alone can be troubling for Moon in Taurus.

That may seem like a bit of a convoluted answer, but as is often the case in astrology, there is no simple answer that explains everything. The natal chart is a complex energy imprint, which makes sense, as most human beings have a complex psychology not easily summed up in a neat paragraph.

Thanks for this intriguing question!

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