Astrology - Wheel of Light by Rio Olesky - April 2017
In a political climate in which lying has become the new normal and alternative facts are presented as reality, a transiting aspect is coming along that may help to change those patterns. This month Jupiter in Libra will square Pluto in Capricorn. Jupiter represents higher mind thinking. It can pertain to the drive to expand our consciousness intellectually and spiritually. Its highest option is striving for an understanding of universal truth. Libra is the sign of balance and equality. It seeks justice both in personal relationships as well as in social contexts. Pluto is the energy of transformation. It enables us to penetrate the surface to investigate the deepest levels of reality.
At its worst it can withhold information behind the scenes, preventing it from being seen. At its best, it wants to bring secrets out in the open so that it can be explored and seen in its truest sense. Capricorn is a sign that likes to play by the rules. It is oriented toward tradition, conservatism and hierarchal power structures.
The square is a ninety-degree separation between planets. It creates a challenge that can prevent either energies from being expressed in clear or direct ways. For example, Jupiter in Libra would prefer that ideas be shared in harmonious ways that seek to create or maintain justice for all. It brings to mind that famous cry from the 1970s, “power to the people”. Pluto in Capricorn might prefer to hide information behind a firewall of control. One of the interesting things about Pluto in Capricorn is that it can represent such institutions as international corporations, elected officials and the various spy networks that may or may not work for the benefit of either of those institutions.
It’s clear that the needs, drives and goals of the forces represented by these planets in these signs are at odds at this time. Hence the square is good news. It will not allow the continuation of their patterns as they have been manifesting. The way out of a square is to create new options for expression within which both energies can be present and part of the creative process.
The Jupiter-Pluto square has been called the truth seeker. While some might want to obscure reality by pretending that everything is just fine (Libra) and others may prefer to stonewall (Capricorn) this combination of energies can combine to bring about a different reality. Jupiter is about expansiveness. Its influence can help us to become aware of many different paths, truths and philosophies. Pluto provides the penetrating insight that enables us to perceive how various disparate perspectives can all lead to the same place. Philosophically this can provide one with clear insight into the nature of life itself. Politically this can reveal what is really going on, who is hiding that reality and who is benefiting from the obfuscation.
Libra can, at times, be rather superficial. As long as everyone is getting along, everything must be fine. But it is also the prime zodiacal driver to create fairness and equality for all people in all areas at all times. If that state of being is not happening it can be extremely proactive in bringing the power of law to establish those conditions. This is especially true when Jupiter, which represents the legal establishment including the courts, is transiting through Libra. Pluto in Capricorn is quite capable of transforming institutions that are being used for private power rather than benefiting the common good. This could be a month in which information previously hidden gets revealed. In turn this could lead to some type of significant changes within the power structure of governments all around the world. It could especially roil the alt-right movements that are becoming so popular in Europe and the US. Who is really benefiting by scapegoating minorities and those fleeing destruction in their homelands?
We all can benefit from this transit by rooting out falsehoods about the quality of our lives. If we have an attitude that everything is just hunky-dory, this transit, combined with the Venus retrograde that has been going on since early March, can reveal the emptiness of that assumption. This transit can challenge us to let go of attitudes and behaviors that are unjust, manipulative or controlling. In another context, Jupiter, the energy of prosperity and abundance, square Pluto, the energy of death and rebirth, can reveal economic difficulties. Specifically, it has been called an aspect of bankruptcy. This could be collective, relative to political entities, or personal, relative to one’s own financial disaster. In either case, once we get over the mourning process, it’s time to establish new patterns in terms of budgeting, spending and projections for long-range economic health.