The Last Threads of Pluto

The Death and Rebirth of the American Egregore and the Second Pluto Return

Back in February I wrote this piece in anticipation of the US Pluto Return.

Between then and now a lot has happened, and regardless of where you stand on the issues at hand it's clear we're a nation on the brink of enormous change.

With the latest Supreme Court rulings, many have decried the state of the nation as one of a lifeless, hopeless thing. This Independence Day felt somber. I couldn't help feeling like the egregore of America--the spirit animated by our collective belief, fed on our active participation and allegiance to the State--was on its deathbed.

And then I remembered America was due for its second hit from Pluto.

Today.

When it comes to chart returns in personal astrology it's not uncommon to experience two or even three hits from a planet. But they rarely change the theme of the transit, instead building on the larger experience to create the understanding. Individuals do not experience a Pluto Return and while I have no doubt that executive powers employ consulting astrologers, I wonder whether they looked at this second hit before some of the decisions of this year were made.

It's appropriate that this perfection occurs so close to the American Solar Return. At a time when individuals are looking back at their lives and making plans for the future, America is also at a turning point. At Pluto's second return, it’s clear this is a country examining its own identity and tracing just how far it's come.

The Sagittarius Moon sits on America's natal ascendant, reflecting both the public's scrutiny and a nostalgia for constitutional ideals. Sagittarius craves freedom--liberty--above all, and it crystalizes experience into profound truths which are held most sacred. America and its citizens are currently at odds over exactly what these sacred truths are, two different experiences vying to be upheld.

But the American entity also has transiting Saturn approaching its own Moon which brings a gravity to matters of public well-being. Heady Aquarius is often said to be "for the people, but not of the people" and this is definitely reflected in popular response to current affairs. Between sky-high inflation, life-threatening shortages, and recent decisions from all branches of government, it's evident that the people do not feel their experience is understood let alone protected by the lawmakers of the State Leviathan.

I wish that I could say this will change, that America will have an epiphany and change course. But as this Saturn Moon conjunction continues to strengthen and move towards perfection, we'll likely see even more of these alienating occurrences. The US will experience a Mars Return in 2022 when the planet slips into frenetic Gemini which could either bring the nation back to the revolutionary force of brotherly love it once was or (more likely) continue to heat tensions in the love triangle that America has become--between the state, the media (largely represented in the US by Gemini), and the citizens themselves.

NASA

Pluto is a complicated planet. It has all the gravity and morbidity of ancient astrology's Saturn paired with an otherworldly transformation all its own. What's certain is that things will not remain the same. They can't. Each time we reach a breaking point, we seem to stretch it even farther. When I titled my original piece "Unite or Die," it was a call back to America's infamous revolutionary mantra. Now it feels like prophecy: America needs to weave the frayed ends of itself back together. In order for America to survive to another Pluto Return, it needs to examine its origins and return to the truth on which it was founded--with some very frank discussion on exactly what that truth is and what it might mean for citizens two hundred and fifty years later.

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On a personal note, I’ve been considering the future of my work as I poke my head above ground for the first time in nearly three months. My daughter is 11 weeks old and has been the deepest learning experience of my life. You may recall me ever-so-lightly saying I intended to write through my maternity leave and be back to client consultations with the solstice—lesson number one: newborn life is a fulltime job with room for nothing and no one, including myself. I’ve been writing about this existential crisis and initiation, which I’ll post on my other publication Life, Magically (which will also house new episodes of the new and improved podcast soon). This will continue to hold my more academic work on astrology and mythology, but more personal articles will land over there. Don’t worry—it won’t all be baby related. But it’s my own navigation through the deep waters of reality. I’ll speak very openly about my experience of motherhood, identity, life postpartum, and what it all means for my magical practice, professional career, and more in the weeks to come.

I sincerely miss writing. I miss combing through books and highlighting connections and feeling the words flow through me. I’m happy to be back, if even just inconsistently.