Mars conjunct Pluto | Conjunctions with Pluto in Aquarius
Today we’re talking about Mars’ conjunction to Pluto in Aquarius, while looking at the broader question of how planets will experience conjunctions with Pluto now that it is in Aquarius, after having been in Capricorn since 2008.
Conjunctions with Pluto in Capricorn
Many planets frequently make conjunctions with Pluto. The Moon moves past it once each month, while the Sun, Mercury, and Venus all conjoin Pluto semi-annually. Mars does this every two years.
⛰️ This means that, every other year since 2008, we’ve had a Mars conjunction with Pluto together in Capricorn.
Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, is the wise SeaGoat, and has an earthy, elder mentality about it. When Pluto is placed there, it focuses it’s transformative efforts on things like institutions, power structures, and societal norms, such as by asking questions about authority or dissecting the responsibilities of leadership.
Individuals and societies during this time may have been navigating constructs like power dynamics, corruption, and the necessity of accountability, while Pluto was in pursuit of virtue within heiracheal systems. For many years, this planet focused on the moral and ethical implications of societal structures. When any other planet stumbled upon Pluto, it’s own themes were tied into Pluto’s Capricornian narrative.
For example, Jupiter conjoined Pluto four times during Pluto’s stay in Capricorn. Three of those conjunctions occurred in 2020, under the scope of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic ties into Pluto in Capricorn because of its relevance to global policies, legislation, conspiracies, societal division, deconstruction, and much needed wisdom-gaining— the clarity and transformations that could be described as “a long time coming”— all major focuses of Capricorn.
Jupiter, in a nutshell, can be described as bringing expansion and growth. The first conjunction of the two planets (April 2020) marked a ten-fold increase in less than a month of global COVID cases, raising the number to an astronomical 1 million.
Jupiter is also a certain wisdom-bringer and mentor. During its retrograde conjunction with Pluto over the summer of 2020, attempts at re-opening the economy led to more cases. Talks of safe return strategies for students begin.
Jupiter, because of everything mentioned above, also signifies things that flourish with longevity. Or in regards to COVID, it lingered. So finally, Jupiter’s separating conjunction with Pluto (we won’t see these two together again until 2033) occurred in late November of 2020. This holiday season was marked by a re-entry into isolation as policy makers urged the public to avoid gatherings, while scientists shifted their focus to understanding the potential long-term effects of COVID.
Mars, on the other hand, conjoined Pluto every other year while it was in Capricorn. These marked different points along our global journey to peace… Mars is the planet of action, assertiveness, and decisiveness. With Pluto in Capricorn, Mars is the driving force that brings ideas outward and takes action upon its desires and goals. Notice how, with each conjunction, action was taking place that supported Pluto‘s endeavor into Capricornian themes…
DATES OF MARS / PLUTO IN CAPRICORN with examples of corresponding events:
28 Dec 2008 - The U.S. government and federal reserve take unprecedented action in attempts to remedy the Great Recession
14 Dec 2010 - The climactic suicide attempt by Mohamed Bouazizi strikes as the impetus to the Tunisian Revolution
27 Nov 2012 - Barack Obama becomes the first African-American U.S. President
10 Nov 2014 - One World Trade Center opens as the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere
19 Oct 2016 - 150 nations at the United Nations Environment Programme’s summit agree to an ozone-priotizing amendment that aims to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
26 April 2018 - Kim Jong-un becomes the first North Korean leader to enter the Demilitarized South Korea since its creation in 1953
23 March 2020 - Intense COVID lockdowns begin worldwide
03 March 2022 - After a 33-year reign and 12 months of mass protests, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh transfers power to his vice president
Pluto’s entrance into Aquarius
On January 20th, 2024, Pluto moved into Aquarius for the final time (it had crossed the cusp a few times in recent years while in and out of retrograde motion). Now, this is where it will stay until the 2040s.
Aquarius is also ruled by Saturn, and as the Water Bearer, it expresses this by embracing its eccentric and unique perspectives. It, despite its mythological association with liquid, is an air sign, and as such uses it’s brain and eyes to navigate its experiences. From its place in the clouds, Aquarius can view the entire world, taking on the broadest of perspectives. It’s this type of witnessing that drives the sign to be the unconventional and innovative humanitarian we know and love.
When Pluto is here, it focuses its transformative efforts on things like societal advancement, technology, and progress. With today’s context in mind, this probably looks like the evaluation of the power of technologies and the delegation of collective responsibility. While Aquarius loves embracing and investigating new ideas, it will also assist in the removal of illusionary thought constructs that are holding up our advancement. Aquarius’ unconventionality is Pluto’s secret weapon in its newfound quest for clarifying our boundary-transcending universal truths.
This will generally be a time of heightened emphasis around collaboration, community, and collective intelligence. We, both as individuals and a collective during this time, may be navigating the intricacies of our advancing technologies like AI, having to discern its capabilities from its pitfalls. Technologies may also be advancing particularly in favor of global initiatives, with industries like science and health experiencing a shift in mentality. We may also be faced with societal revolutions and breakthroughs within civil rights as we pursue greater global equality and freedoms, pushing activism platforms further into the spotlight.
Conjunctions with Pluto in Aquarius
Now, when a planet conjoins Pluto in Aquarius, it’s energy is amplified in a whole different way. Pluto’s still looked at looking at long-standing embedded constructs, but with an emphasis on intellectual freedoms and collective consciousness.
Let’s take another look at Jupiter conjunct Pluto under this lens. The last time the two were together in Aquarius was in the 18th century. Observe the ways that the themes of the two conjunctions can be linked together. Jupiter, remember, is a signifier of growth, optimism, and wisdom.
late 1783/early 1784 - George Washington resigns his commission and retires from his role as commander, sealing the young country’s commitment to the idea of a civilian-controlled military.
1796 - George Washington is voted out of Presidency by a democratic government, and his peaceful transition of authority sets a precedent for elections to come
We will see Jupiter and Pluto come together once in Aquarius, on 04 February 2033.
Mars conjunct Pluto in Aquarius
On 14 Feb 2024, Mars will conjoin Pluto for the first time since it’s entrance into Aquarius.
Their rendezvous in this new place emphasizes the merging of assertive and transformative forces (Mars) with innovative and visionary thinking (Pluto in Aquarius); The combination brings a powerful motivation to explore new and unconventional approaches to our ambitions and actions. Collectively, we may be experiencing events around this time that are globally triggering a shift in thought and an amplified need for societal reformation.
Overall, when these two planets come together, it can interpersonally result in a heightened sense of personal power and intensity. It can also bring forth a strong desire for change and a willingness to confront and overcome obstacles. Here in this sign, we may be feeling extra eccentric, creative, and mentally ablaze.
The action we’re seeing is also stimulating abstract and creative problem-solving, inventive strategies, and a progressive mindset. The conjunction behind it is inviting us to break free from (perceived) limitations and embrace new possibilities.
Mars and Pluto last conjoined in Aquarius during the 1780s and early 1790s. This period is widely regarded as an action-packed transitional time, where we collectively shifted focus from the Age of Enlightenmnet to the Industrial Revolution. This was also a global period of conceiving modern philosophies while innovations were on the rise in realms like science, technology, and politics.
