Pluto’s place in Astrology In Western Astrology there are ten planets: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranas, Neptune and Pluto. Yes, the Sun and the Moon in Astrology are considered planets as well. Every planet plays an important role in creating a natal Astrology Chart. So what happens now that Pluto has been demoted back to being just a space rock?

 Every planet is placed in one of two classes: fast moving planets are called “personal planets”, and slow moving ones are called “collective planets”. Depending on where these planets sits within a sign, influences the planet’s role in a particular area of the Astrology Chart of the life being read. 

Pluto; Ruler of Scorpio; God of the Underworld holds the energy of transformation. Going deep below the superficial, Pluto mirrors the forces of the subconscious. The positive influences that Pluto deals with are spiritual growth, Death and Rebirth, the end of one thing and the beginning of something new. The negative aspects are destructive tendencies and an obsessive desire for control and power. 

When was Pluto added to the Astrology Chart?

Pluto has not been a planet for all that long. It was the astronomer, Percy Lowell that discovered Pluto in revolutionary telescope on February 18, 1930. Not even a hundred years ago. The original glyph for Pluto was the capital letters PL, which interestingly enough were the initials of its discoverer.  The discovery of Pluto would have been Earth-Shattering news to the world in 1930 if it wasn’t discovered at the same time the atom bomb was invented and detonated as well. But it was for the Astrology world.

Interestingly enough, Vedic Astrology ignores the outer planets all together as being of any significant influence. So, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are excluded from their Astrology Chart. This isn’t surprising at all, since the ancients couldn’t see them, they didn’t know that they were there. There are some hardcore traditional Astrologers that stick to the original writings of the ancients and ignore the outer planets as well. However, some Vedic modernists do utilize the outer planets, as it gives 3 more signifiers that help describe better the modern complex world we live in today.

Influences Pluto on Life and one’s Astrology Chart

If Pluto, or any of the outer planets for that matter, are within a few degrees of someone’s planet when born, then that planet’s influence is modified and sometimes extremely. Pluto also dominates the forces of nature that are destructive – like volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. And also human nature’s negative sides – gang violence, terrorist acts and mob scenes.

The revelation of mysteries is governed by Pluto. The past is brought to the forefront, exposed, and then the slate is wiped clean.  This is the death and rebirth, the end of one thing, and the beginning of something brand new.

Pluto governs the active and inactive mind; the subconscious. Anything that that the brain focuses on outside of bodily functions. Things like paranoia, detachment anxiety and stress disorders.  

The outer planets are further away from us, but this actually makes their influence stronger. Because their orbits are bigger, they take longer to complete a cycle around the Sun. These are the slow moving planets, so they hang around each house longer than the fast movers. So whatever influences they have on us has the staying power to last a long time, making hard to change behaviors easily.

So what about Pluto not being a Planet?

Pluto is no longer a planet, well neither is the Sun or the Moon. They are Astronomical entities that have mass, therefore have an influence of other bodies around them.  So it does not make any difference, Astrologically at all. Pluto is the smallest and the furthest heavenly body we have. Which also means it has not only a stronger influence, it also has staying power.  Simply because it takes 28 years for Pluto to pass through the entire Zodiac. It is such a slow mover that changes don’t happen in one’s lifetime. Well they actually do. So in the end, nothing has changed, and Pluto continues to expand and deepen the meanings of your Natal Astrology Chart. Although, there are a few Astrologers that have dropped Pluto needlessly.