A Country in Crisis

Everything that has a beginning has a birth chart — even a country. Consider the American Revolution the birth of the USA and you’ll find the country’s chart has Pluto in late Capricorn. A birth chart provides a fixed moment in time that serves as a blueprint for the entity coming into existence. As the planets continue to travel around the birth chart, there are important transits from the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) that activate cultural, political, economical, and environmental events.

For the first time since 1778, Pluto is once again in Capricorn. The USA is having its very first Pluto Return. Pluto is the planet of transformation, but that transformation doesn’t come easily. A cosmic rebirth requires significant chaos including a lengthy journey through one soul-searing crisis after another. In mythology Pluto is the alternative name for the Greek God of the Underworld, Hades. And, in fact, Pluto can be quite clever at behind the scenes manipulations, often using fear of the unknown to provoke what he sees as a necessary breakdown of complacency. Once Pluto is in a position of power, he can be absolutely relentless in exposing flaws and destroying whatever needs to go. Capricorn is the sign representing authority. On a non-personal level, this can be seen as being associated with big business, multinational corporations, government, and economic policies. As Pluto moves closer and closer to where it was positioned at the birth of the USA, he is making us aware that something has to give. A phoenix does rise from the ashes, but there is a certain amount of destruction that happens to create those ashes.

From Tarot.com:

Ideally, Pluto brings us to the essence of issues and, in Capricorn, will lead to a transformation of the social order, one in which the extreme inequities of power and resources are overcome by a burgeoning awareness of our shared humanity. Extreme danger from environmental issues is one less than desirable way in which our priorities can become redirected. Yet as more and more individuals take responsibility for themselves, the power of transformation can come from within and be a consciously creative force for change. When each of us faces our fears and turns darkness into light we can reshape the world with love and hope rather than reacting to pain and fear.