Highlighted Aspects:MON: Jupiter semisquare Sun, Pluto stations direct 5:35pm PDT, Sun enters Libra (Equinox) 7:29pm PDT; TUE: Chiron quincunx Jupiter, New Moon 11:13pm PDT; THU: Uranus trine Jupiter; FRI: Chiron sesquisquare Mercury; SAT: Mercury enters Scorpio; SUN: Saturn semisquare Sun, Neptune quincunx Sun
MOST ASTROLOGERS found it laughable when, in 2006, Pluto was demoted in status. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided that Pluto did not qualify as a "planet," so it became designated as a "dwarf planet."
The reason most of us chuckled at this demotion is because, in spite of its relatively small size and incredible distance from Earth, Pluto is a huge player in the energetics of our human experience. So it is fitting, in this week when Pluto is about to change direction and its influence is heightened, that astronomers are reconsidering Pluto's status once again.
Scientists last Thursday had a debate on the subject at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. A vote taken after the debate showed that most in attendance now believe Pluto should regain its status as planet.
Nothing is official yet, since it appears that an IAU vote is the deciding factor. But just ask anyone who is currently experiencing a strong transit from Pluto -- they will be very quick to tell you that Pluto's effects can hardly be called "dwarf."
ALL OF US are working with Pluto's increased influence now, most notably in the areas of life represented by its house location in our natal charts (of both natal Pluto and transiting Pluto). Pluto has been retrograde (moving backward) since April 14, and now is ready to turn around and start forward motion again.
When a planet changes direction, it moves very slowly, and so tends to have greater impact than when it is moving more quickly -- a bit like the difference between dipping your hand briefly in a bucket of ice water and holding it there for several minutes.
Pluto's ultimate effect is deep transformation, especially of those aspects of our personalities that keep us chained to clashes of ego and will. As a transpersonal planet in astrological terms, Pluto's intention is to elevate our understanding and use of the ego -- not to deny it but to empower it in positive ways. An empowered ego does not need to do battle to prove itself. It resides in such a place of strength that it does not need to be defensive.
ASTROLOGER Bil Tierney explains in his book Dynamics of Aspect Analysis that:
"Pluto is only concerned with confronting us with the essence of that which we have not transformed to a higher level of expression. Like Saturn, Pluto shows us the reality of our limitations, although from a more psychological point of view. Much depends upon the degree of our self-discipline and emotional self-mastery."
"Emotional self-mastery" is a key term here. Pluto's ultimate goal is that of empowerment. One of the main ways we keep ourselves disempowered is by allowing negative emotions such as fear, suspicion, shame, and guilt to be in control of our thoughts and actions.
Pluto often brings to the surface those very emotions just listed. The intention is not punitive, but to help us be aware of the power of those emotions, and to help us learn how to rechannel in positive ways the energy currently being lost in nonproductive (or counter-productive) outlets.
IT IS NO COINCIDENCE that I happened upon my copy of the book Power vs. Force earlier this week. I had looked for it a few months ago, but in not finding it, believed I must have loaned it away. But a couple of days ago, as I reached behind a row of books in my bookshelf, hoping to find whatever it was I was looking for at the time (who remembers now!), the book that came out in my hand was this very book by David R. Hawkins.
Power vs. Force is a insightful, scientifically-based treatise on kinesiology and related subjects. What I mostly remember from my reading of it many, many years ago, is that it had a wonderful delineation of the levels of human consciousness, assigning energy levels to the various emotions.
At the bottom of the scale is Shame, which Dr. Hawkins gives an energy level of 20. Guilt is at energy level 30, Fear is at 100, Anger at 150, etc. etc., finally reaching Enlightenment at energy levels 700 to 1,000.
I often think about this book and the energy level scale when working with emotional issues. It reminds me why anger feels better than apathy or fear, but still does not feel as good as courage or even neutrality.
THIS BOOK with its energy level scale is a helpful tool right now because Pluto often pulls out of us the emotions at the lower end of the scale. I say "pulls out of us," because Pluto does just that -- it doesn't create those emotions in our experience, it reveals where they are hidden within us by bringing them into our consciousness.
Once we are aware of these lower-vibrational emotions that we carry, we can use the energy level scale to gradually raise our consciousness.The scale helps, because it shows us a step-by-step process. Rather than insisting that we make the giant leap from anger to love, it reminds us that if it feels difficult to bring in the vibration of love in our present emotional state, we can at least get started in the right direction by choosing some of the emotions that are higher on the scale, but that also feel within reach.
OUR OTHER important astrological events this week are clustered in the next few days. Monday brings us Pluto's station and the Equinox, when the Sun enters Libra. Tuesday marks the beginning of the new lunar cycle, and Thursday is the Uranus-Jupiter trine.
Here's what astrologer Stephanie Austin writes about these days around an Equinox, in the current issue of "The Mountain Astrologer":
"During the day before, on, and after the equinox, the Sun's alignment with the Earth's equator generates a reduction in the magnetic field of the Earth, enabling us to access higher dimensions more easily. Equinox and solstice points are thus energetic gateways and extra-potent times to set intentions and participate in ceremony, ritual, and prayer."
SCIENTISTS know that we tend to have more auroras around the Equinox, although they also admit that they do not have an explanation that completely accounts for the phenomenon. Auroras usually occur when solar winds from the Sun brush against the Earth's magnetic field. But, auroras also occur at the Equinoxes, with or without solar winds to set them off.
So, what does that mean for us and our experience? Mostly that there is an important energy shift that occurs in the Earth's electromagnetic field at the Equinoxes, and that therefore occurs in our human magnetic fields as well. In other words, as Ms. Austin says, the Equinox is an energetic gateway that enables us to access higher dimensions more easily.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST on my list of what I want to talk about today is the Uranus-Jupiter trine on Thursday. If you attended my teleclass back in June, you'll remember that I was pretty excited about this event, based on what each planet represents.
Jupiter is the visionary and the optimist; Uranus is the innovator and inventor. When these two planets work in harmony together (the trine aspect), we have increased potentials for gaining important insights, making changes that fill our lives with greater meaning, and accessing realms usually beyond our reach, both on the physical plane and interdimensionally.
Other possible manifestations, especially for those who are working with strong Uranus transits this year, involve having the courage to finally make those changes that we've been toying with for many months. For some, this trine could mean it's time for the breakthroughs we've been anticipating.
So, it could be an interesting and powerful week, in many regards...
Blessings,
Pam
Photo: Auroras over Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada on September 19, 2014 (credit: Joseph Bradley, posted on SpaceWeather.com)
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