Pluto - When Our Psyche Gets Taken Into The Underworld

I find it somewhat amusing that my very first blog post topic centers around a celestial heavy hitter...a literal representation of my Sun and Mercury squaring Pluto! Why start with something light and airy fairy when we can go straight into the deep end with the likes of Hades and Ereshkigal 🤪 If you're not familiar with Ereshkigal, she is part of the myth from Sumerian legend and her role in the story around Inanna (an earlier form of Ishtar). Inanna is radiance, life, sensuality and joy personified and Ereshkigal is her so called wicked sister and who, surprise surprise, lives in the underworld. She effectively represents many of the archetypal energies that we associate with Pluto in its shadow state; when she is deeply upset she cannot see that others may come to her to support her and so she feels compelled to ensure that everyone else feels the same deep pain as she does. In this state, there is no fairness or being reasonable. I think we can all relate to a time, however short-lived, when this energy has come up very strongly in us. In those cases, you have met your Pluto. The myth around Ereshkigal is a very apt one when talking about Pluto and its transits, so if this has piqued your interest in any way, I highly recommend reading Howard Sasportas' Gods of Change which elaborates on it specifically.

With quite some strong Pluto energy in my chart (the aforementioned square to Pluto along with Pluto being in my 8th house conjunct Saturn and a tight Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Scorpio in the 9th), I honestly can't help but be quite fascinated by Pluto...and I don't think this is a coincidence. I know that a lot of healing and resolution can take place when Pluto gets airtime...and to be quite frank, it probably doesn't get enough airtime with most people because it's incredibly uncomfortable. And yet, unless we confront our Pluto issues (especially those of us who are Plutonian), they won't just go away...sure, we can deny their existence up to a certain point but then a Pluto transit comes along and it will demand to be seen and acknowledged. For each transit that we ignore, it builds up for the next one. Compound interest even in the realm of astrology! And I think many will recognise it as those pesky patterns that keep coming up...they're very familiar, we thought we had resolved them and yet there they are, again. And once again we get taken down into the underworld, into the depths of our psyche...a place most people are not willing to go. And so we slap on a happy face, convince ourselves that we can just be "light and love" and focus on the positive...until we can't. Because Pluto sees through fakeness. It sees through a foundation that is being built and rebuilt with lies, platitudes and a refusal to really look at the parts of ourselves that we keep denying because they are ugly, unpleasant, cruel and vengeful. And I would take a guess that if you're reading this and that last sentence doesn't 'fit' you at all then you likely haven't met Pluto yet...or you've been able to keep Pluto at bay. For now. Either way, we all have Pluto somewhere in our charts. That says it all. And if you personally haven't met your Pluto...perhaps some people in your life come to mind instead which means you are drawing these people to you because you are not conscious of this energy in yourself. We are all a mirror for each other at the end of the day. My advice? Look within. Get in touch with that part of yourself that doesn't want to stay stuck in an existing structure, the part of yourself that you have been suppressing. What does that part of you want? Pluto will break down whatever can no longer be part of our authentic journey, no matter how much we might resist it and think we know better.

In evolutionary astrology, Pluto is associated with our deepest wound from either a time in our childhood which we can no longer remember or from past lives if you are open to that perspective. Whether you believe in past lives or not, you will probably recognise the feeling of intensity around being seen, being heard and essentially not belonging. It's where we may been overpowered by others so that we lost our own agency and/or where we abused our own personal power to gain and maintain control over other people and situations. Feeling into my own Pluto, I know that the pendulum has swung in both directions - where I have been manipulated and also been the manipulator, not necessarily both in one lifetime either.

Another non-coincidence with the timing of this post is that Pluto is currently retrograde which signals a deeper inward reflection on themes related to power, control, the unconscious, feelings and emotions that are difficult to experience and yet we want to get to the bottom of them. Depending on where Pluto is natally in your chart as well as where it's transiting can give us clues as to what may surface. If Pluto is also contacting one of your personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars and to a slightly lesser degree Jupiter & Saturn), then you're likely in the thick of it. Likely facing Ereshkigal in the underworld and she is demanding her due. Since I previously sent out a newsletter about the possible effects of transiting Pluto in our chart, today I will share about the meaning of its natal placement - ie. where Pluto decided to be at the time of your birth. Be sure to check your own celestial blueprint here and then come back to this post to read about your particular Pluto placement below.

Pluto in the 1st house

This can show up as a deep wounding around your own identity - who you were, the way you showed up and perceived things was not fully accepted. Your identity was threatened in some way where you either lost autonomy or where the need to exert too much power over yourself as protection became a way to navigate life and relationships. You feel a strong need to be your own sovereign being so in this lifetime you are asked to become independent and strong in your Self. The reminder is that you needing others is not a weakness or a threat, and that not everyone is 'out to get you'.

Pluto in the 2nd house

In the 2nd house, the deep Pluto wounding shows up in how you value yourself, how you sustain and create resources for yourself and a sense of loss in regards to security. You may either have been at the mercy of others where being seen for your worth and values was threatened and/or you manipulated situations so that you were always in control of security, stability and resources. In this lifetime you are being asked to stand for your true values and worth without the need to overpower, manipulate or control - or to be overpowered, manipulated or controlled into a value system that is not your own.

Pluto in the 3rd house

A deep wounding around communicating, speaking your truth, writing, sharing your ideas and power struggles with siblings are the themes when Pluto is in the 3rd house. You may have been persecuted intellectually or anytime that you spoke your truth, making it very uncomfortable to do so in this lifetime. But this is exactly what is being asked of you now - to speak your truth with clarity, conviction and self-empowerment. To speak your truth not to control or manipulate but to inspire and empower. If you have siblings, your early childhood relationships may have been intense and rivalrous - it's these relationships that are part of transforming the dynamic between you in such a way that you are able to resolve deeper power struggles and to help transform your mindset.

Pluto in the 4th house

The water houses (4, 8 and 12) are typically not the easiest arenas and Pluto in the 4th is no exception. Here we are talking about deep wounding related to family, your home, early childhood and childhood conditioning, memories, your mother and anything to do with your ancestral lineage. It can really be a very painful placement but one that has massive potential for regeneration for the soul in question. The 4th house is associated with our inner, private life which is why this particular Pluto placement can really hit deep. You may have experienced a very tumultuous childhood where power and control were exerted onto you and as a child feeling incredibly powerless and vulnerable. Emotional blackmail would not have been a stranger. You have been tasked in this lifetime to parent yourself back to a place of deep empowerment and emotional safety. To walk a path of sovereign self-leadership where emotions are felt and transformed with the deep knowing that you absolutely can face any and all feelings, and hold space for it all.

Pluto in the 5th house

The fun house in astrology takes on a slightly different meaning when Pluto is here - wounding comes from not feeling safe enough to express yourself or your creativity, and not being seen or recognized for your incredible gifts. Showing them off and sharing them with the world may have brought such trauma that the thought of sharing them now is almost paralyzing. But share you must. Expressing your authenticity without the need for external validation and doing so with as much love, joy and creativity as possible is what is being asked of you in this lifetime. Another wounding could be related to children with Pluto in the 5th - either not being able to have them or trauma around unwanted pregnancies (pregnancy in order to control/manipulate another can be one manifestation of Pluto here).

Pluto in the 6th house

The 6th house is all about divine service as well as daily habits, work (the unglamorous behind-the-scenes work), routines...in a word, efforting to reach the perfect goal. And this is where the deep wounding comes in. You may have experienced rejection around perfectionism, self-sacrifice, health and not being valued unless you have shown something for it. And so in this lifetime you may feel as though you can't be valued for who you are unless you prove yourself. And when you can't prove yourself perfect you feel shame and guilt. This is your work. To release the need and control for things to be perfect and to deeply validate for yourself that good enough IS...good enough. And that you can be deeply valued, loved and accepted without having to prove yourself through work - be it by being the perfect employee/partner/parent/child, having a perfect health routine etc. BEing you is key. In ancient astrology, the 6th house was associated with slavery so there could be feelings of always having to "slave away" at tasks and of having no choices in life. But you do. And you must reclaim agency over choice and that YOU choose what you do.

Pluto in the 7th house

Pluto in the house of marriage, committed relationships and business partnerships is about wounding around these particular dynamics, of failing others, being ignored or not respected as an equal. You may have experienced deep rejection and betrayal by your partner or a special loved one. Business partnerships may feel less charged but there is always the question of trust when we enter into relationship with others so with Pluto here, the undercurrent of deeper wounding is ever present. To protect yourself you may try to control others, be it consciously or unconsciously, through subtle (or not so subtle) manipulation. With Pluto in the 7th, relationships are incredibly important and in this lifetime we are tasked with reclaiming our sovereignty through being honest with ourselves about our motives and acting in integrity.

Pluto in the 8th

Another water house and this time, Pluto is in its own domain in the 8th. Here the wounding is about deep emotional loss, abandonment and trauma around shared resources, intimacy, sex and financial as well as energetic inheritance. If there ever was any doubt that money and sex/intimacy is intricately intertwined, Pluto in the 8th quashes it. You may have experienced some kind of rejection where the threat of shared resources being lost was used against you, intimacy being forced or part of a deeper power struggle and/or the feeling of ghosts from the past surrounding these themes courtesy of your parents. Somewhat similar to the 7th house, in this lifetime you are being asked to trust and merge with others without losing yourself - the difference is that these are about relationships that go really deep. Reclaiming personal power through deep trust in yourself as well as in others leads to transformation and regeneration.

Pluto in the 9th

Pluto in the 9th speaks to wounding around persecution of beliefs, belief systems, seeking truth, having forced or been on the receiving end of forced dogma/ideology. This may be experienced as not holding strong beliefs around anything for fear of that persecution happening again, and on the other spectrum it could be holding tenaciously onto beliefs to the point where that leads to alienation. Either way, it's the infamous Plutonian theme of abandonment and rejection. In this lifetime you are being asked to listen more deeply, to be curious about what others have to say and from there forming your own beliefs without the need for dogma or validation. It's about tapping into your own intuition and seeking what is true for you.

Pluto in the 10th

If Pluto resides in your 10th house, you likely experience a deep wounding around being seen and recognized for your achievements because when you were on the career ladder or accomplishing something visible to the world, you were met with rejection or persecution. There could also be an over-identification with success here and a need to achieve greatness through power and control, in order to manage public image. In this lifetime, you are tasked with transforming yourself into becoming a symbol of Plutonian truth - wielding power in healthy ways for self-empowerment and being a wayshower for others in regards to leading powerfully with integrity and truth.

Pluto in the 11th

In the house associated with friendships, groups, networks and long-term plans and visions, deep wounding around these themes and being cast out of the tribe is often felt. You may have experienced being overpowered in or by groups, being the scapegoat and of not belonging. What results, as always with Pluto, is a mistrust of others and often a self-fulfilling prophecy that you won't be accepted by the group and so you protect yourself by staying detached. As you might recognise now with Pluto energy, the healing and the resolution lies in facing this deep fear head on - by trusting that the group will accept you, regardless of how quirky you may be and that it's about finding your tribe.

Pluto in the 12th

The last water house, the 12th is a nebulous place for any planetary placement. It is the realm of the unconscious (personal and collective), spirituality, hidden things, solitude and retreat. With Pluto here, the wounding is about losing control, feeling lost/confused, not being able to hold on to anything and fearing that something that matters to you will get taken away. In the Plutonian darkness, the 12th house can feel like a big void through which you are free falling. What you are being tasked with in this lifetime is to transform through finding a higher truth and, often, regenerating through spiritual means. This is a challenging placement but as with anything related to Pluto, the potential for great reinvention and rebirth is ever present as long as we confront the wounding. A 12th house Pluto placement that has accomplished its task is of great service to the collective - this soul has embodied, grounded and transformed their wounding which in a sense was not only theirs, but also the collective's. This is their gift to the world.

Phew...that was a little heavy!

Pluto IS heavy...kidding ourselves by denying it is definitely not the way to go, nor will Pluto let you. We can't blame it...it's simply doing what Pluto does. On a collective consciousness level, we are also ready to deal with it. I truly believe that these planets get discovered when we as a collective are ready to face the archetypal energies they stir up. Is everyone ready on an individual level? Perhaps not. Only you can answer that for yourself. One thing I can say, being quite Plutonian, is that Pluto will not dance with love and light only - it is through its fires of hell and damnation that you die and are reborn through the ashes of transformation. From my own experience, when we last had a Saturn-Pluto conjunction in 2018-2021 (yeees, remember those years...) I went through my mother's tragic suicide which broke me apart like nothing else followed by a world gone mad from 2020 - that time forged me in wildfire and there were times when I honestly didn't think I would make it - the grief at times felt all-consuming. It made me come face to face with some of my deepest fears and also showed me the grit and resilience I have in standing very firm on issues that I absolutely would not compromise on. Did it result in a very difficult experience? Absolutely. But I would make the same choices again and again. Like I said, Pluto forges you and you do not emerge the same person. Pluto represents death - losing my mother, my sense of the world and finally myself only to be reborn. I lost quite a few people on the way as a result (more metaphorical deaths) because I had changed too much but that is the price of admission and transformation into the underworld. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction of those years was a collective transit and I daresay no one experienced it unscathed. It might be interesting to reflect on it now in view of this celestial event that took place and to see how Plutonian it was for you. Please share on IG if you feel called to (this platform currently doesn't support a comments section but it's something they're working on!). I'd love to hear and also if anything came up for you when reading about your own Pluto placement. Tell me which house this beast is in!