Transiting Pluto bring transformation at the deepest level and this can be exceedingly painful. The areas of life touched by Pluto, by planet and house placing, are going to see some pretty profound changes on both the inner and outer sphere of existence.

My own experience of transiting Pluto has been difficult and this is just the beginning of a series of conjunctions to Venus, the Sun and finally the Moon in Capricorn. These Pluto conjunctions will take place over a five or six year period. As Transiting Pluto conjuncts my Venus I am experiencing many changes in my life due to my marriage. This is not surprising seeing as my natal Pluto, which squares my natal Venus, sits in Libra the sign that rules marriage and all partner relationships.

The lessons that transiting Pluto is asking me to learn are about self-control, power and control in relationships, and how to get what I want without resorting to manipulation. Pluto seeks that we let go of the truth-denying escapist tendencies of Neptune, and allow the parts of us that no longer serve us, thought, behaviour and emotional patterns, to be burnt and destroyed. Having died a new me will rise from the ashes, the mythological phoenix.

What does transiting Pluto have to teach?

Fortunately, my natal Venus has a strong sextile aspect with natal Uranus, the energy of rebellion, ecstatic new ideas and (r)evolution. It acts, often in opposition, to Pluto’s controlling side. This ultimately helps maintain balance, but can lead to some pretty extreme inner conflict. With its placing in the 8th House transiting Pluto is advocating deep intense relationships. Uranus, which is natally placed in Scorpio, the sign ruled by Pluto, has always basically agreed.

However transiting Uranus, currently in fiery Aries, is not so sure. Transiting Pluto in Capricorn is like a totalitarian overlord in the eyes of this revolutionary! Uranus in Aries advocates a guerrilla warfare approach of running for the hills, periodically emerging to initiate rash, ill-thought-out attacks that ultimately leave me more wounded than my adversary.

Ah well, one can only remember that when you come out on the other side of a Pluto transit, or should we say transition, we emerge shed of our old skins, shining new in the sunlight. For more on working with transiting Pluto in your own life check out this excellent article by Astrologer Mary Shea, Making Choices with the Outer Planet Transits.

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Image by Eliza Rosca.