It’s a Metamorphosis


When we were in NZ the other week, my friend showed us this really cool website that demonstrated the earthquakes in Christchurch as they were happening. It showed in timelapse the quakes in real-ish time.

Quakes are, of course, a very Pluto phenomenon- ultimate destruction from deep below the surface of the Earth. Power at its’ absolute uncontrollable ultimate level.

In astrological terms, Pluto is a big hitter. The equivalent of the boss who draws a great big red line through the white paper you have spent countless hours of unpaid overtime on with the words “a few suggested changes” or the Building Inspector who decides that the entire house is not compliant with regulations because you encroached 2cm into a boundary and therefore the whole thing needs to be torn down.

Pluto is currently stationed ready to go direct. And he isn’t happy. All of his rage and loathing has been building and turned within for the last however many months he has been retrograde and now it is ready to spew out. Delightful.

If you happen to have a natal planet or chart point at or around 3-5 Capricorn, Libra, Cancer or Aries or even in Taurus, Virgo, Pisces or Scorpio, you may be looking down the barrel at enormous change or, as the Pet Shop Boys term it, a metamorphosis: it’s all about change, it’s a metamorphosis.

OK, in the case of that song, it is about coming out, but in Pluto terms, there may be incredible and powerful, all encompassing, absolutely complete and inescapable personal change.

Every astrologer has war stories about Pluto stations and direct hits. Great big scary and hairy war stories. It doesn’t need to be that scary and hairy. Depending on the relationship you have with Pluto natally, or the relationship you have with the planet Pluto is hitting, will depend on how you cope with the change.

As an example, a few years ago I had (amongst other stuff) Pluto squaring my natal Moon. All sorts of really manky stuff was supposed to happen (if I had been studying astro at the time, I may have been more concerned). And yes, some painful emotional brown stuff did hit the proverbial fan. But it wasn’t as bad as t could have been. Why? Because I live with a hard Pluto/Moon aspect every day of my life. I have integrated Pluto.

The harder aspect was when Pluto crossed into Capricorn and squared Saturn. OMG- walls came tumbling down. Saturn is the least aspected and worst integrated of planets in my chart. Get the idea?

Also, not every transformation or metamorphosis has to be shitty. Think of the wisteria in my photo. One minute it’s bare branch, the next, simply gorgeous. Think also of the Strawberry Cloud Cake (Annabel Langbein’s recipe from The Free Range Cook) I made tonight for my weekend visitors. Who would think that 2 egg whites, some sugar and a punnet of strawberries could transform into something so light and completely delectable as it does?


Now don’t get me wrong, Pluto transits, especially at the station need to be taken notice of, in fact, you ignore these at your own peril. Obsession, manipulation, power struggles and control issues are absolutely the order of the day. This is one of those times where therapy and coaching can be really worthwhile.  A heavy Pluto influence may have you emerging as a different person. But is that necessarily something to run from?

Pluto pushes us towards our souls purpose- whatever that happens to be. And anything that happens under a Pluto transit happens for a reason. Pluto only kicks down that which is not right and pure and integral to the fulfilment we are seeking…or not. That isn’t to say that we should be all sado masochistic and get off on the pain of it all, but rather that we consider why.

On a personal note, Pluto is station direct trine my progressed Sun and north node, and is tracking through the 10th house in my chart. Even I know that my lifes’ purpose and career is being tweaked with here. Power will come and go, I will attempt to control the uncontrollable- that is just what I do. But at the end of the day, if Pluto wants to kick something over, that is exactly what he will do.

All I can hope is at the end I get something gorgeously purple like the wisteria from the deadness or gloriously pink and fluffy and sweet like the cloud cake. It’s all about change- it’s a metamorphosis.