Pluto is a planet that has quite the reputation. The metaphorical bulldozer which can flatten things we once thought were absolute, dig deep into recesses of our being that we didn’t know existed and force us to face some of the darker sides to life. It is however, from these places we find the riches that Pluto offers – shadow-integration, healing and the destruction of what holds us back in our lives. It is a formidable catalyst for change.
We will talk mostly about the person whose angle Pluto lands on because for the Pluto person the way this can manifest is very dependent on the placement in the natal chart and its aspects. You might see some mirroring of themes coming up and the Pluto person also relate to what is said.
It is enough to know the Pluto person will likely be, or feel to be, in a place of power and this always comes with its benefits and dangers. With awareness, maturity and compassion the monsters of control, abuse and obsession can be tethered (tied up) to turn the millstone that grinds down unprocessed materials into more refined forms.
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Pluto conjunct the Midheaven
The Midheaven or MC is the highest point of the chart. When Pluto is on your midheaven angle, its powers to break old things down focuses its energies on your vocation, life path and status in society. It could be a confrontation, challenging you to review how you deal with authority. There can be a stimulus to completely change course in your professional life. Again, here we see Pluto’s tendency to be magnetic, attractive and mysterious. An ambivalent force that pulls us in as much as it pushes us away.
As Pluto represents power, it could also indicate a relationship with a boss, someone who is wealthy or notable in society. This could also be indicative of changes in your status in society. Examples could be people with whom marriage, divorce, child-bearing, social advancement take place. Anything that changes how the rest of society relates to and identifies you.
It is very likely that power in the relationship will be an issue, so be ready for conflicts and the potential for power struggles. It is an invitation to review how you deal with people who are in these positions of strength and power. Of course this could stir up some deeper rooted unconscious beliefs and patterns of relating that are challenging to process.
On the MC, it can indicate dynamics in a work or authoritative context so take care that the Pluto person does not wield power here in an abusive way. Again, Pluto must find a way to be a facilitator for difficult processes, not a violent antagonist. If you end up in situations of violence or abuse, consider cutting off all contact if possible, or reducing it to the bare minimum.
Placed on the Midheaven it also opposes the Imum Coeli (IC / 4th house cusp). This means the Pluto person could feel like a powerful force that threatens the deepest hidden aspects of yourself. You might find that the relationship challenges dynamics around family and home, its oppositional influence feeling like an obstacle to you feeling secure in what you know from your past, roots and heritage. This can bring early life traumas around family to the surface which can facilitate profound healing but it is not an easy road. Positive synastry aspects will greatly help soften the strain of Pluto occupying any powerful position in your chart, increasing the likelihood it can be used constructively.
Pluto conjunct the IC
The Imum Coeli or IC is the angle representing deepest self, family, home, ancestry.
We see some similar things coming up when it is conjunct the IC, though somewhat reversed. It likely indicates a person with whom you can really dive deep, reaching new depths of intimacy and sharing of your innermost self. We see the likelihood that topics around home, homeland, family and lineage come up for review, processing and with hope, eventually, transformative healing.
There could be strains placed on your professional life due to the intensity and private nature of this interaction. The processes initiated here could be using a lot of energy and attention to get to the core of some things about your past and upbringing. It could also herald someone who you share milestones with, such as starting your own family. Understand that Pluto here can bring many riches, but always with Pluto, both people involved need to be engaged in these dynamics as consciously as possible to avoid the negative expressions of dominance, manipulation, abuse and control in the areas of life we have looked at.
Pluto square the MC/IC axis
This aspect will be highly dependent on the house where Pluto falls in the chart. If it falls, for example, in the 2nd house – issues around self worth, values, or money and possessions will act as a trigger, a provoker of changes in the career or in the status in society. As it also affects the IC – the changes in the values that Pluto triggers will need to be reconciled with the innermost self. It might also be a partner that literally changes our values and they become difficult to reconcile with our family of origin.
On a more material level it might mean that Pluto causes big changes around your money and possessions and this strongly influences your home life, your career and your status in the world. Squares are often particularly difficult to find a healthy expression for, requiring consistent work and compromise for the relationship to succeed.