Tag Archives: Pluto transits

Ask Real Astrologers: How Often Do We Get a Saturn Return?

This week’s question comes from Chiara in Alghero, Italy:

How often does Saturn return in a person’s chart? I’m pretty sure my Saturn returned around 2000 and would like to know if it is planning on returning again anytime soon. It caused some major damage the last time it came around.

Chiara, Saturn takes about 29 years to orbit the Sun, so that’s how long it takes to return to the exact degree it occupied in your natal chart. That means everyone has a Saturn return at about 28-29 years old and again around 58 and then in their late 80s.

The first Saturn return typically is the most disruptive, unless you’re one of the fortunate few who got your act together very early in life. If you’re not on the right path, or if you’re frittering away your gifts and talents and acting irresponsibly in general, your first Saturn return may bring crises that force you to grow up. Even if you’re pretty well on track, other things can happen around your Saturn return to take you to a new stage in life. Sometimes people get married or have their first child at this time.

Your Saturn return was not in 2000 but in 1998. Because your natal Saturn is in your first house, close to your Ascendant, transiting Saturn was in your first house, which is often a difficult time even when you’re not going through a Saturn return. In January 2000, he was still in your first house, but Jupiter also was there, and that should have helped alleviate some of the difficulty of a first-house Saturn transit. Moreover, by the middle of the year, Saturn had left your first house entirely.

Whatever “damage” occurred in that year, we can’t attribute it to your Saturn return. There were lots of other things going on, though.

In 2000, Chiron and Pluto were conjunct, and that was a difficult combination. They were in your eighth house, which is associated with death and transformation. If you lost loved ones in that year, it wouldn’t surprise me.

Also in 2000, Saturn was opposite your natal Neptune, and that also can be an extremely challenging transit. Emotionally, you don’t feel like yourself, and you may go through a period of depression.

Transiting Saturn and Pluto weren’t yet in close opposition in 2000, but they were in opposite houses in your chart, so your finances were under intense pressure.

As for your second Saturn return, it’s several years away, and it should be much easier. And in any case, a Saturn return is nothing to fear. It’s an important milestone in life. While it may bring heavier responsibilities, working hard pays off, and you get the rewards, too.

I hope that alleviates some of your concerns, Chiara, and thanks for writing.

Pat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Ask Real Astrologers: Where Is Pluto Transiting My Chart?

This week’s question comes from Jackie in Brooklyn, New York:

Every month, I visit the blogs, websites, and online forums of several astrologers who say that Rising Leos should have Pluto in their sixth house now. In fact, all of these astrologers say that my work life is being “transformed,” and it is in a way. I just started a new job that I love and I feel the pains and pleasures of fulfilling, challenging work.

However, when I pull my transit chart, it clearly shows that Pluto, now out of retrograde, is retracing his steps in the earliest degrees of Capricorn. This means that Pluto is still in my fifth house (and causing me a lot of romantic relationship drama for the past year and half!). My fifth and sixth houses were both partially in Capricorn at my birth. How should I read this current Pluto transit?

I just love getting this kind of question, Jackie, because it allows me to explain, once again, why generic horoscopes are of limited value. Since you know your Rising sign, you’re getting more out of them than people who read only for their Sun sign, but you very clearly understand the problem you’re bumping up against, and it can be frustrating.

While most Sun sign astrologers advise reading for your Sun sign as well as your Rising sign, that still doesn’t address the degree of your Ascendant. Reading for your Rising sign generally is more accurate, but you have to know the degree of your Ascendant and adjust accordingly. For example, if you were a late degree Rising Leo, it might be better to read the horoscope for Virgo.

If your Rising Sign is in the middle of a degree, as yours is, that makes it even harder to know which sign to read for. You ought to do pretty well if you read for both Leo and Virgo. According to Sun sign horoscope “rules,” Virgos now have Capricorn in their solar fifth house. But then it gets so confusing – all the more so when the astrologer writing the horoscope refers to you as a Virgo and talks about traits of that sign that don’t apply to you.

One of my favorite monthlies is written by Susan Miller, who is amazingly accurate provided you read for the right sign – and that could change throughout the year or even from one aspect she’s writing about to another. I sometimes end up reading pieces of four different signs to get a complete picture. You almost have to be an astrologer to figure it out.

Now, as to your specific Pluto problem … Pluto will not enter your sixth house until February 2013. So it looks like your romantic relationship drama is going to continue for awhile. Sorry.

I’ve been contemplating teaching a class about how to use online horoscopes to their best advantage. I also have a new means of writing horoscopes on the drawing board in an attempt to solve this problem for everyone. Watch this space in the weeks ahead for news.

In the meantime, there’s no substitute for a reading with a professional astrologer. It costs more, but it saves you a ton of time and guesswork.

Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: The Mother of All Pluto Transits?

This week’s question comes from Ivi in Serbia:

One loss after another … I’m overwhelmed with the intensity of my emotions and thoughts. I truly feel I have lost the sense of faith in life and love and the sense of direction and purpose. I don’t know what to do, how to help myself out of this. Please have a look at all the squares and oppositions Pluto and Saturn are making. Any piece of advice would mean a lot.

Ivi, you’ve been hammered by the cardinal T-square, no question. In your natal chart, you have the Sun, Mercury and Saturn all on your Ascendant in early Cancer, tightly square Pluto in early Libra. Anyone born from late 1973 to mid-1974 may be experiencing similar obstacles, although you’re getting an extra heavy dose.

Your short description of what you’re going through well expresses the anguish of having so much happening in your chart all at once. I could well imagine how you might feel overwhelmed.

If you can find a good astrologer in your area, I highly recommend getting a complete transit reading. I can’t touch on everything here, since there isn’t enough space, and anyway, this column isn’t intended as a substitute for a complete reading. However, I can tell you a couple of things that you and others born around the same time may find helpful.

First, anyone with natal Pluto in early Libra has been experiencing a Saturn-Pluto conjunction. This transit happens about once every 29 years and is a real bear. No one I know has gotten through it without extreme difficulty, mostly in the form of insurmountable obstacles. It can feel like you’re getting slammed from all sides at once, with no mercy.

The good news for you is that this transit is over. Those born in 1975 will get their turn in the next couple of months. So you should at least get some relief from that feeling that nothing is ever going to go your way.

However, Pluto is approaching your Descendant, and that means he is opposing all of the planets on your Ascendant as well, just as Uranus is approaching a square with them. The opposition between Pluto and Saturn is especially difficult, and it often corresponds to losses. These losses can be a maturing event. Further, when losses occur during Pluto and Uranus transits, it’s sometimes a sign that you need to let go of those things. If you’re trying to hang onto relationships, a job, money, or anything else that needs to change, you’ll likely suffer even more.

Ironically, giving up may be exactly what you need to do. If you admit defeat, your life suddenly may take a very different course, because you will be opening yourself up to new possibilities that you may not have thought of. It’s very hard to hang out in that state of uncertainty and not knowing where to go next, but if you can keep your nerve and tough it out, I expect that your life will change in very powerful ways. Only after you get to your new place will you understand why all of these changes needed to happen.

I also want to point out that loss of a loved one can result in an episode of depression. That is outside the scope of astrology, and I would strongly advise you to see a professional therapist to help you work through your grief and pain. Indeed, you may find just such a person when Pluto crosses your Descendant again. He or she may have a lasting impact on your personal growth and spiritual transformation. Ultimately, that is what Pluto represents.

Before I close, I’d like to repeat my request that anyone with a question for this column submit it via the Ask Real Astrologers form. Otherwise I have trouble keeping track of all the questions I get, and I don’t get the information I need to cast an accurate chart for you. Ivi left a comment on a post, but she followed up by submitting her question with the form. Thank you for that, Ivi.

And thank you for writing. You will get through this, and you will be transformed by it.

Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: How Do Pluto Transits Affect Children?

This week’s question comes from “Concerned Mom” in Laguna Niguel, Calif.:

My 11-year-old son has a 5 [degree] Cappy Moon and has been so stressed for some time, very emotional and bad dreams sometimes. I think Pluto is hitting it and all the action this past summer. I don’t know that much about astrology but was wondering a couple things. How long would this tension exist for him – gosh, he’s just a kid, and Pluto moves so slow. And how can I make it easier for him? Watch for transits, or ???

P.S. I love your blog!

Yes, Mom, Pluto has been hitting your boy’s Moon hard, and that has got to be tough for such a young person. Pluto on the Moon is hard enough for adults – just ask Al Gore – so it has to be almost unbearable for a poor kid.

Actually, I’ve already done a post on this transit and usually I don’t repeat a topic. But your question gives me the opportunity to point out that children often feel astrological transits more acutely than adults do, since they tend to be far more sensitive. For children, the cardinal T-square could manifest exactly as you describe. It’s so fortunate that you understand enough about astrology to know that it could be impacting your son’s behavior. I can only imagine how many kids might have been put on Ritalin this summer for their behavioral “problems.”

Because Pluto has been at the apex of the T-square, that means your son also has a square from Saturn to his Moon and from Jupiter and Uranus to his Moon. Difficult transits from Saturn to the Moon can indicate periods of depression, while Uranus-Moon transits often manifest as nervous anxiety. Your son also has cardinal signs on all four chart angles, and his chart ruler is the Moon. He must feel like an electrical wire during a power surge.

Pluto went retrograde on April 6 exactly conjunct your son’s Moon, and then the T-square became more intense, until it reached peak power in early August. It has dissipated for the time being but will back next spring. In the meantime, Pluto has returned direct and will make one last pass over your son’s Moon in early January. You’re right – that’s an awful long time to be going through so much stress. The good news is that he’ll never have to deal with that again in his lifetime.

The Moon represents mother, and Rising Cancer needs the comforts of mother and home. I used to work with someone who had a Cancer daughter about your son’s age, and she had a bed full of stuffed animals that my colleague referred to as her “nest.” Every night at bedtime, she snuggled into her nest. Perhaps something like that would be comforting to your son. Extra attention from you and soothing reassurance would help, too. If he likes to draw or paint, that could help him express some of his feelings.

Keep in mind that the cardinal T-square is pushing us all to grow and evolve, and that applies to children as well as adults. Perhaps children are even more open to expanding their minds, as they are still forming what I call the “thought matrix.”

If the stress gets too much, though, I’d have to recommend professional help. Perhaps you could find a family counselor with some knowledge of astrology or, at least, a Jungian therapist who works with archetypes. Your little guy needs lots of extra support. Mom probably does, too.

Here’s a great big hug to both of you. Thanks for writing. I hope this helps.

Pat

Pluto Direct: Past Lives Coming to the Surface

I’ve never been a big believer in past lives – at least not the idea that we have a soul that remains intact and progresses through human time from incarnation to incarnation.

However, I do believe that our energetic body – our spiritual essence, if you will – has had experiences outside of linear time, and that could explain the phenomenon of feeling as though we’ve lived in another time and place. Never is this feeling more powerful than when we meet someone in this lifetime that we seem to have known before.

Pluto’s return direct at the apex of the cardinal T-square seems to have brought some of these meetings to a crisis, as several clients over the past month have asked for a Soul Mates Karma Report to help them understand their troubled relationship and, for some, disturbing obsession with a love interest. Until this past weekend, when Pluto was at a dead standstill, I didn’t put two and two together.

In almost all of the charts I did, the T-square was making very tight connections to the Moon, Venus, chart angles, or the lunar nodes in the natal chart of the client or the love interest. In some cases, it hit both of their charts very hard, mostly through transits of Saturn or Pluto. Boom – the relationship reaches a tipping point.

For “some reason” (these things are never a coincidence), I recalled a commentary on Pluto I read several years ago in David Pond’s book, Astrology & Relationships. It’s worth thinking about, with Pluto newly direct. I highly recommend the book, by the way, and have added it to my Amazon carousel on the left.

Another source of obsession that should be considered is past lives. Pluto connects us to people whom we have known in many ways in many lives. Past-life ties are confusing if they open you to hunger that cannot be met by the person in this life. It is as if your subconscious memory of who this person was for you in a previous life awakens the hunger for what the relationship offered you in the past. It is doomed to fail because that past relationship is dead, and you will not be able to mold your current relationship to fill this hunger.

This certainly has been the case for several of my clients, who specifically used the word “confused” or “confusing” in their initial message to me.

As I wrote in my Saturday Extra! post on Pluto and obsessions in relationships, spending more time thinking about the obsession rather than trying to put it out of your mind can put you on the path to healing and regeneration. That’s not to say it will be easy or pain-free. Indeed, you likely will have to confront your shadow side, which has to happen before the total regeneration symbolized by Pluto can take place, and for most people, that process is exceptionally hard and may require professional help.

It’s also interesting to note that I’ve received several e-mails from young people who were born in the late 80s, when Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all were in early Capricorn. Pluto is now transiting these degrees. The Pluto-Neptune conjunction can be a time of serious soul-searching, when you wonder whether your life is based on reality or illusion. Obviously, this can be a great awakening, and that awakening can open up the consciousness to the existence of experiences outside this lifetime. Meeting someone from another incarnation can be the trigger.

That said, it’s not just younger people who are having this experience. Many clients in their late 40s and early 50s are in similar circumstances.

This is definitely a trend to watch, so stay tuned…

Pat

Image: © Yuri Arcurs/Dreamstime.com

Ask Real Astrologers: When Will This Pluto Transit End?

This week’s question comes from Elise in Kansas City, Missouri:

I’m a third degree Capricorn … Yes, thank you, for your sympathy. I’m actually enjoying the travels through the underworld, and I’m very thankful for my background in Western ceremonial magick, which helps me understand. Sometimes the ride gets to be a bit much, though. Since Pluto will go direct soon, I’m wondering when I can expect things to be not SO intense for me.

P.S. Thanks very much for all your time devoted to the blog!

Yes, Elise, you certainly have my sympathy – you and everyone else who has personal planets or chart points in the early degrees of the cardinal signs.

It’s not just Pluto on your Sun that’s been making life intense, although that would be plenty rough enough. With Pluto at the apex of the cardinal T-square, you’ve been getting the full force of the T-square at the very core of who you are. I imagine you are much changed from a year ago.

At the same time that you’ve had Pluto on your Sun, you’ve had a Saturn-Sun square, which made your Pluto transit all the more challenging. The good news is that Saturn has now moved on, but then he’ll briefly conjoin your natal Mars from mid-October to mid-November, and that isn’t going to be fun. At the very least, you’ll likely be very irritable and agitated.

In the meantime, Pluto turns direct next Tuesday at 2°47′ Capricorn. For all practical purposes, that is conjunct your Sun, and the transformational power of Pluto is all the more intense when he’s stationed. Using your alchemical knowledge, you can channel this energy into making deep and lasting changes in your life, but it will backfire big-time if you try to manipulate situations or people for your own selfish purposes. If you keep the common good in mind – which shouldn’t be too hard for a Rising Aquarius – then I wouldn’t be surprised if you manage to work miracles.

As to when this will be over, I’d give it until the end of November. After that, I would concentrate on testing and verifying that the changes you’ve made truly are setting you on the right course. Next spring, when Uranus re-enters Aries, he’ll be square your Sun. If you’re not heading in the right direction, you can bet that more unexpected events will happen in order to keep you on the straight and narrow.

It sounds to me like you’ve got a good understanding of what’s going on, and I think you’ll do just fine. Thanks for writing … and thanks for the kind words about my blog (I do work hard!).

Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: Double Pluto Transit Brings Intense Urges

This week’s question comes from Karen in Alberta, Canada:

I just turned 45 and am feeling the strongest urges from within (my soul) to get a move on, to change, to evolve, to make use of my time and gifts. Yet, I’m feeling guilty about leaving my husband, who is not interested in anything spiritual or educational. I am happy in the moment but feel the push to go. What is going on?

Karen, you’ve got way too much going on in your chart for me to respond to it all here. Indeed, you could be a poster child for the cardinal T-square, which I will address in more detail in next week’s column. All four of your chart angles are in cardinal signs, with the Midheaven at 4 degrees Capricorn. Your Moon is at 5 degrees Cap.

Currently, Pluto is transiting these degrees. Pluto on your Moon is extremely disruptive emotionally, and it’s why you are feeling such strong stirrings in your soul. Moreover, with Pluto on the Midheaven, you are questioning the entire direction of your life. This is natural.

Both of these Pluto transits are marked by sweeping changes in a person’s life, including the breakdown of situations that no longer serve you and the end of unfulfilling relationships. Do not try to force any changes, but remain as open as possible to this powerful experience and let it take you to a new place. Also, try to understand the metamorphosis taking place within yourself first, and then address external circumstances.

I normally don’t reveal the questioner’s age, but since you mentioned it, I will comment that you were born during the last Saturn-Uranus opposition, which took place in the mid-1960s amid extreme political and social upheaval. You and others born in this time period are intimately familiar with that feeling of having one foot on the gas pedal and the other on the brakes. Or, put another way, whenever you attempt to spread your wings and fly, there always seems to be something holding you back.

I strongly urge you to get a thorough astrological reading. I do consultations over the phone, but if you’d rather work with someone in person, check your locale for a competent professional who can guide you through this period of intense change.

I realize that this is a stressful time for you. However, you’re standing at an open door to many new opportunities, and that is very exciting. Best of luck to you, and keep us posted.

Pat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth,

Ask Real Astrologers: Venus Needs Help!

This week’s question comes from Fumi in London, England:

I have the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction squaring my Venus/ Ascendant, whilst Uranus trines my Venus/Ascendant for the rest of 2009. I am quite confused as to how this is likely to play out. I also am dealing with the ongoing Pluto square to my natal Moon. I am hoping for a fresh and liberating start romantically (Uranus) but am weary of the Neptunian illusion that the square indicates.

Neith’s response:

Fumi, it is understandable that confusion reigns now, with Neptune & Co. sitting in your third house. Also, the sign on the cusp of your seventh house, Taurus, is ruled by Venus, and Neptune & Co. are creating a T-square with your Ascendant-Venus and transiting Mercury (retrograde for another day) conjunct your Descendant. This is not favorable for clear thinking about romance.

After Mercury makes the final square to Neptune on June 10, the Neptune fog will thin some, and Uranus will remain at 26° Pisces until the second week in August. The biggest drawback of Neptune squaring your Venus-Ascendant may not be your lack of clarity, but the expectations others are projecting on you. You can either forego romance this summer or relax and have fun with this.

Pluto in the second house squaring your Moon in the tenth has to be bringing into focus what is truly of value to you. Do you still enjoy your career? Does it bring you the emotional satisfaction it did initially? If not, are there changes you can make, even if it means living more frugally for awhile? Many times when we spend time making do with less, we find it is not the hardship we thought it would be.

Perhaps the best thing for all of us who have been struggling with Neptune & Co., including myself, is to look at the lighter side of things and to keep in mind that the fog will lift eventually.

Pat’s response:

Fumi, confusion is not always a bad thing! Or, as an old friend of mine used to say, “I don’t know” is a good place to be. How many people do you know who are quite sure of themselves … and wrong?

The key thing to remember about Neptune transits is that your ego boundaries are dissolved, and this is particularly true when Neptune squares your Ascendant. It’s also important to keep in mind that Neptune is traveling with Jupiter and Chiron — what Neith is referring to with her shorthand “Neptune & Co.” Chiron and Neptune together provide a powerful opening for healing deep and ancient wounds, while Jupiter amplifies this effect and helps us expand into greater spiritual awareness.

The combined effect for you and for many others will be to heal an internal wound that has made it hard for us to connect on a soul level with a romantic partner. There are many things that keep this from happening. Two of the biggest obstacles I see are attachment to a particular outcome and trying to control another person. It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we aren’t controlling when we’re just doing so on a very subtle level.

Because you also have Uranus trine your Venus and Ascendant, a surprising new romance could come into your life, and this will be an opportunity for you to observe your behavior and response. I don’t believe it’s bad to become attached to someone; in fact, I totally disagree with this notion that we somehow can love with all our hearts and yet not be attached. Again, the key is to be bonded with that person and yet to resist controlling them or where the relationship goes. These are fear responses, and fear is the enemy of love.

This is not a personal judgment of you. To the contrary, I believe that we suffer from a collective wound in this regard, and I find it deeply gratifying that more and more people see it and want to work on it. Aquarius is the sign of the collective, and Neptune & Co. in Aquarius means that we have an unprecedented opportunity to do personal growth work that will have a huge impact on the collective. That is our mission, if we choose to accept it.

You, dear friend, are sitting in the catbird seat. I wish you much love and courage. Keep in touch with us, and let us know how it goes.

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact us, or we don’t get your question. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Ask Real Astrologers: What’s Good About Pluto?

This week’s question comes from Karen in Ireland:

Pluto is now transiting my fourth house, and I’ve become aware of how much play it seems to have in my relationships. Having come out of a very controlling relationship nearly two years ago, I now find myself attracted to another man and it feels, hey ho, powerful and obsessive again. Given that everything I read about Pluto aspects seem to say DANGER, BEWARE etc., etc., I’m wondering how to approach the matter in a more useful way. Obviously these aspects appear natally, and in synastry, because they need to be integrated in some way. So my question is, what is good about Pluto and how do I deal with its influence in my life in a way that is progressive and not based in avoidance or worry?

Neith’s response:

Karen, there is no doubt that Pluto is very frustrating to work with, because he is the most transpersonal of the outer planets. In other words, the smooth shiny surface of Pluto gives us no openings. The more energy we pour into our obsessions, the worse it can become. Staying as neutral as possible within is still the best option, along with learning to accept ourselves as we are, flaws and all.

Yes, you do have a number of natal signatures suggesting you have a good reason for wanting answers about working with Pluto. Your Moon in Scorpio is one and the T-square with Venus at the apex, squared by Pluto opposite Jupiter as the base is another. This configuration says that you are naturally drawn to intense emotional experiences and, as usual, the Universe is always happy to supply the means.

What is good about Pluto? It can teach us so much about human nature and what is truly of value along with lessons about the reality of security. Once we realize security and control are essentially illusions, our lives can become much simpler because we are no longer expending massive amounts of energy attempting to do the impossible. Lovely, yes?!

The best advice I can offer for coming to terms with Pluto is first take a long look within, recognize and accept your dark places as part of the whole, and work on keeping expectations of specific outcomes in check. Be kind to yourself and always remember this is a process!

Best of luck on this journey, Karen!

Pat’s response:

Well, Karen, it’s no surprise that you’re asking this question now!

As you note, transiting Pluto is on your IC, which is the “bottom” of the chart and beginning of the fourth house. This is an extremely sensitive chart angle that represents your foundation. Given the long orbit of Pluto (248 years), not everyone experiences Pluto on the IC in their lifetime. To those who do, you know the feeling of being shaken at your very foundation by an irresistible force for transformation.

I don’t know that there is any way to “use” this powerful force, although you are right to ask the question. Pluto is about power and control, and one of the most important lessons we can learn from Pluto is to give up control and let our lives unfold. That doesn’t mean abdicating responsibility for our actions or choices. We have to decide what we want, set goals, and form strategies for meeting them. However, we have to do so without getting so attached to a particular outcome that we try to manipulate and control others to fit into our plan.

Looking at your chart, I see that you have some strong psychic and intuitive abilities. These gifts are being activated in a positive way by transiting Pluto, which tells me that this is an excellent time for you to identify patterns. Your chart also tells me that you have strong healing powers. You obviously have started to identify the patterns and so have taken this important first step. The second step is harder, as you have to allow the old wounds to be re-opened so that you can experience them fully and then allow that energy to dissipate. Body work such as deep massage or acupuncture can help get this process going.

As I’ve written elsewhere, we are in an unprecedented healing window due to the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction. It sounds to me like you are “in the flow” of this significant astrological phenomenon and may end up as one of the people who benefit from it the most.

Keep your eyes and ears open and, most importantly, your heart.

Thank you for writing.

Ask Real Astrologers: What’s With All This Drama?

This week’s question comes from Charles in Oakland, CA:

I’m an easygoing guy and like who I am, but lately I seem to be getting more than my share of drama. A co-worker who couldn’t cope with his divorce committed suicide. My father died and left his estate in question. I haven’t a clue what’s happening with the women in my life. All I want is for things to get back to normal again. A friend of mine is into astrology and says I have a “difficult chart,” whatever that means. She suggested I check out your site and ask what’s going on. This is all new to me, but I thought I’d give it a shot. Thanks!

Neith’s response:

Well, Charles, you are in the midst of a very transformative period in your life and probably your best option is to relax and go with the flow. Pluto is exactly conjoining your Sun right now, and you have Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron on the cusp of your eighth house, all squaring your Moon. It doesn’t get more Plutonian than that!

Pluto-Sun transits ask us to take a long look deep within at ourselves and acknowledge our strengths and our shortcomings without bias. My philosophy is, if you’re perfect, you’re dead, and we are much further ahead to see our lives as a process. Keep your goals short-term and easily attainable, too. Plus, always practice staying detached from a particular outcome.

Neptune & Co. squaring your Moon is tough all right, because there is a lot that needs to be taken on faith (Neptune). In a man’s chart, the Moon can represent the women in our lives, from our mothers to our lovers. Right now you might feel like you have no idea what to expect from any of them. My suggestion here is to forgive them, forgive yourself, and do your best to find the humor in all of this.

You can ignore all this advice, too, because free will is part of package. These transits will pass in a year or so, and with any luck, you can pick up where you left off, but the pieces are not likely to be the same shape.

Pat’s response:

Charles, I concur with everything Neith said. She’s our resident Pluto expert, and your experiences with death around you tell me that Pluto’s influence in your chart is indeed a major factor right now.

There are two things I’d like to add. First, your friend was right about your “difficult chart,” but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Last week’s question dealt with this topic, and you might want to read what I had to say about it. I would also strongly encourage you to get a full reading to help you understand better what this all means.

Second, “easygoing” is not the first thing that comes to mind when I look at your chart. Although you are a Capricorn, you’ve got planets in all four of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), suggesting a certain amount of inflexibility. It appears that you have compensated by throwing yourself into your work and career, indicated by your Capricorn Sun on the sixth-house cusp. Suddenly, with Pluto on your Sun, you’re being asked to examine how you may be shortchanging other areas of your life by devoting so much time and energy to your work.

The “drama,” as you put it, may not be coming from others, but is a reflection of unresolved issues within yourself. This may be a hard pill to swallow, but if you have the courage to explore this hidden part of yourself, you will be empowered in ways that are hard to imagine right now.

But, as Neith says, you can choose not to look and to let all these events pass without taking advantage of the great lessons they can teach you, both about yourself and the world in general. That you came by to ask us about this tells me that you are ready for the latter.

Best of luck to you!

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. We are getting some really great questions but unfortunately can’t use many of them, as they are missing information. If you’d like us to consider your question for this column, you must include your day, month (spelled out), year, and place of birth, and time if you know it. If you don’t, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

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The astrology of world affairs, human evolution, the future, and the state of the universe.

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