Pluto in astrology (1)

Pluto: The Poet’s Cookbook

 The mast of a ship, a gallows, a cross at the cross-roads… may be made of the same kind of wood, but in reality they are different objects made of different material… They are nothing but the shadows of real things… The shadows of a sailor, a hangman and a saint may be completely identical… Nevertheless they are different men and different objects… A poet understands… the difference between a stone from a wall of a church and a stone from the wall of a prison… He hears the voice of the silence, understands the psychological difference of silence, realizes that silence may be different.
- Peter D. Ouspensky
 

  In this rather mysterious and yet beautiful passage, P. D. Ouspensky (the Russian mathematician, explorer of the fourth dimension and renowned disseminator of the trickster Gurdjieff’s ideas) sets out to show us that no two objects are the same and that context always supplies additional meaning. The stone in a church is different in quality than the stone of a prison wall though they both might be made of limestone, and have the same shape and weight. The context of any given object, symbol or event is just as important as the content.

  As I face the prospect of sharing with you an astrological cookbook – one of the favorite tools of the modern astrology student – I encourage you to hold this understanding in mind, realizing that the context of the birth chart will dictate the ultimate meaning of its parts in the end. Two people may have the same configuration – say, Mars in Leo. But each person will have a completely unique experience of that Mars relative to their chart, and their personal history. That there are advantages for the student of astrology in using a cookbook is clear. At least initially, when trying to grasp a complex symbol system it can help to have the different components broken down into constituent parts in order to better understand them. This book aims to provide such a framework. However just as the inquisitive child might have tremendous fun taking apart an old transistor radio, it can be a lot more difficult putting it all back together again.

  For example, let’s consider the Pluto in Leo archetype. Pluto in Leo will have a strong inner sense of its own creative path, a self-conscious narcissism and need to engage with the expression of the self in a fashion that benefits from positive feedback from others. However the Pluto in Leo person will express these qualities and needs completely differently through a South Node in Pisces with the ruler (Neptune) in the 12th house in Libra, as opposed to a South Node in Aries with the ruler (Mars) in the 1st house. In the first example the person experiences creativity on a sacrificial basis and will likely express their need for power and approval through passive-aggressive or self-sabotaging strategies. In some cases such a person might manifest illness in order to attract the necessary feedback and concern from others that they cannot bear to relate with directly. In contract, the Aries South Node person is capable of direct action in order to feed the self, and may indeed tend towards another extreme – that of aggression and overt selfishness in order to fulfill the inner directive and need to express the self as it actualizes via creative pursuits.

  So you see, the further we try to explain the chart through the content of specific placements to which we’ve attributed a universal meaning, the further we stray from the complex truth of the individual’s experience. We must read each part in its greater context of the whole.

  And how might we do that? This is a good question, but one without a simple answer. Though I do teach a method, for that is always a good starting point, the method is not fixed, and is not to be taken as such. I continually refine and adapt my method according to the input I receive from the real-life context of working directly with clients. When we read a chart, we have before us a unique being, with specific karma, and a specific set of issues and concerns. Only by relating to this individual in their context to the best of our ability may we begin to access the full potential of Evolutionary Astrology.

  So use the following chapter not as an astrological cookbook, but as a poet’s cookbook. It consists of twelve archetypal ingredients, from Aries to Pisces, which are interwoven in a unique way for each individual. The paradox of the poet’s cookbook is that every ingredient, no matter how familiar, has the potential to add a completely new dimension to the meal in preparation. As astrologers we must always remind ourselves that while we may feel comfortable with our conceptual understanding of chart dynamics we can only ultimately aspire to an incomplete understanding of an individual’s life and selfhood. If we approach each chart with the natural humility that arises with this revelation, we will provide the best service to our clients that we are able.
(Mark Jones - Healing the Soul)

Pluto in astrology (1)
Pluto in astrology (2) Pluto complex
Pluto in the 1st House/Aries (3)
Pluto in the 2nd House/ Taurus (4)
Pluto in the 3rd House/Gemini (5)
Pluto in the 4th House/ Cancer (6)