See Also: The Spiritual Dimension of Pluto Aspects

x wrote:

In one of your previous posts, you mentioned the
" juiciness" of Pluto/Moon aspects. Other than
the usual intense emotional experiences of early
childhood with the Mother influencing the
psyche, any other insights into this?

At the time I basically meant that a Moon-Pluto aspect is a very difficult aspect, which is also therefore very transformative. But since you ask, I have another take on Moon-Pluto. I'd say that there's a very psychological approach to Pluto out there. Then there's the casual astrologer's approach to Pluto (power struggles, transformation). There's also an evolutionary approach to Pluto, like Jeffrey Wolf Green's. But I don't think the spiritual perspective of Pluto has been fully articulated yet; all that we've really done is throw around the same cliches over and over--death, rebirth, and transformation. The articulation of Pluto from a purely spiritual perspective is another kind of information that I'm trying to get out there. So here's what i don't think we've collectively articulated about the spiritual nature of Pluto:

First, a lovely image: Pluto is the only planet who is willing to put on arm's-length rubber gloves, stick his hand all the way up your as-, dig around, and pull out the problem. I know, it's nasty, but so is Pluto. Pluto does not care about you, the little ego-you. Pluto sees right through you, because you are not really Real. Pluto sees Truth, and the Truth of who you are, and that is what Pluto cares about. If you have to suffer to drop the false identifications of ego, Pluto could not care less, although I think Pluto is not actually ruthless and mean, even though it does often feel that way. Pluto doesn't want to hurt you, Pluto wants to free you from yourself. When Pluto really comes to visit, make no mistake about it: you are dying. You must surrender to this death and radically let go, because you cannot be present at your own funeral. To the degree that we resist the death of all that is false, when Pluto visits, we will suffer. If you want illusion to end for us, Pluto is the ticket to the Self.

Pluto specifically represents the purging of the grasping onto all that is unreal and untrue; Pluto represents the True and the Real. We can see this perverted search for the Real in Scorpionic people seeking the Real high, going from one extreme or addiction to another. Pluto represents that part of Spirit that strips away everything within us that clings to falsehood and illusion. If we could only take the Buddha's wisdom to heart, we would understand: everything changes, so why pretend otherwise?

So how does this help us understand a personal aspect like Moon-Pluto? First, I need to say that any major Pluto aspect operates fundamentally the same, whether it is a trine or a square, a sextile or an opposition. This is also true of Saturn and Neptune aspects. Harder aspects indicate more resistance and pressure, but even the trines, sextiles, and quintiles point to a need for relinquishing negative attachments.

So the fundamental question surrounding a Pluto aspect is: What kind of falseness and attachment can the planet aspecting Pluto represent? After you answer this, Pluto's demolition ball comes into clear focus. Any planet aspecting Pluto becomes extra-samsaric* until it is purified and enlightened, reconnected with the true source of Power. This is because ego will use this planet in its service, like the classic movie scenario of the bad guy who grabs the innocent victim to protect itself from the police, the upholders of the Law.

So what might the Moon cling to? Family. The past. Relationships. Home. Village. Pets. Stuff. Mom. Dad. Husband. Wife. Kids. A notion that things should be peaceful and harmonious. A desire for 'The American Dream.' (pardon me, non US-ians)

Any planet aspecting Pluto becomes defensive. Any planet aspecting Pluto becomes an intensified facet of ego until it finally gives in to the eventual and the Ultimate. Any planet can be used by the ego. When Pluto aspects any planet, that planet becomes the battleground of self versus Self, ignorance versus wisdom, delusion versus awakening.

So when Moon and Pluto collide, the ego begins to cling to the above items, hoping to fend off the inevitability of change and the realization that the little-self is not in control. This is ego trying to prove Truth to be false. Pluto then swings into action to expose this defensive move on the part of the ego. What is held will surely be stripped away. Hopefully the mind, and the desire for what can never be, will eventually surrender and give up the illusions. Then a new possibility is born: razor-sharp clarity in knowing what is false and addictive clinging, and what is not. Then one can lead others out of unnecessary suffering brought on by grasping onto externalized dreams, and into true peace, which is fundamentally internal.

I think Moon-Pluto is perhaps the most obvious illustration of this spiritual battleground because the Moon can be so samsaric, or addicted to the projected 'external' world and its inherent fluctuations. Venus-Pluto can certainly be another obvious illustration.

(*) samsara/samsaric - Buddhist terms denoting the unenlightened life

Gettin' serious on ya,
Moses