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This post is about Tr. Pluto square Na. Mercury using Spiritual Astrology – that is Western Astrology as seen through a lens of choice-centered, frequency-based astrology with a touch of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions thrown in for good measure.
I am writing these posts to educate others and for my own good. How often have I personally overlooked aspects to my Natal Mercury saying to myself, “oh, it is just Mercury, what large issue could possibly arise due to this configuration?” He he… Well, we shall see! Even mere mental constructs can have significant ramifications in our lives. And, as we will notice, Mercury has rulership over some physical areas of life too.
What do these two planets involve on their own? (Who are they?)
Mercury is the swift messenger of the gods. It orbits the sun at approx. 30 miles a second, due to being so close to our giant star. Therefore Mercury is the butterfly of the Zodiac, constantly flitting from flower to flower and drifting about on the breeze. I like this metaphor because Mercury is very impressionable – it takes on characteristics of whatever environment (wherever and whoever) it presently finds itself in (or with).
Like Gemini, the diurnal sign of Mercury, there is an element of “monkey mind” to this planet as well. Mercury is extremely witty and intelligent. It is also the prankster of the Zodiac, occasionally tying grandpa Saturn’s shoelaces together. The fiery Mercury (and Mercury in its home signs of Gemini or Virgo) can be very busy, full of nervous mental energy, however the primary characteristic of a well-placed Mercury is curiosity. A child-like sense of wonder and excitement at new mental adventures is what sets Mercury apart from the other, typically more stern planets.
Mercury, along with its higher octave reflection in Uranus, rules the nervous system in the body. So therefore in my opinion, a well-aspected earthy Mercury speaks of having a slower metabolism and less nervous energy, whereas a fiery or airy Mercury may reflect more nervous energy which requires an outlet. Mercury also has to do with the small tubes in the body – and since the body has an enormous amount of tiny tubes, you must look at the sign and house placement to see what if any effect this may have on the Medical Astrology (health) outlook. For instance, Mercury in Libra might reflect the tubes of the kidneys (Libra’s rulership) vs. Mercury in Aries reflecting occasional issues with the tubes of the sinuses (Aries rules the head).
Pluto is the furthest planet from the sun. (Technically it has been reclassified as a dwarf planet, but to me, it stills packs its old punch.) It is one of the three outer planets, which, along with Uranus and Neptune, are generally seen to indicate transformation. Pluto has not gotten the best reputation though, because as the Lord of the Underworld in myth, it can indicate extremes of emotion. And the emotions under Pluto’s rulership are not pretty – jealousy, intrigue, manipulation, seething suppressed resentment, venomous hatred, etc.
Like Pluto’s abduction of Persephone in Greek myth, erupting out of the earth to grab her, the planet reflects surprising eruptions. Whether eruptions within (violent expression of pent up anger) or without (Pluto actually ruling volcanoes and mines). Pluto is also associated with death, procreation and transformation – degeneration, generation and regeneration. It has association with the 8th house of death in the astrology chart, which is also the house of deeper thoughts regarding sex and our philosophy of what happens after we die. And I think the French get it right when they refer to the orgasm as the “petit mort” or little death (uniting these concepts).
Now let us leave the lower frequencies of Pluto behind for a moment. What else does Pluto represent? We have all discovered the primal urges of our lower selves, which Pluto may or may not reflect in the astrology chart, but have you heard of Minerva the goddess of wisdom? When the Oracle declared Socrates to be the wisest of all men, it was not referring to a specific god or goddess. Socrates seemed to be beyond the pantheon of quarreling gods and goddesses (and priests and priestesses). He believed in wisdom and in a supreme being, but he knew that mankind could not analyze or know what was happening in the mind of such an omnipotent being.
Similarly, wisdom does not dawn immediately for most of us when we are young. Generally speaking, we have to go through several cycles of the lower frequencies of Plutonian anger / jealousy / covetousness / lust before we begin to realize that the roller coaster of emotions is really quite tiring. We can choose to get off that roller coaster whenever we want, but we typically require a strong mentor or role model to lead the way. In other words, wisdom does not come swiftly to most people – when we are younger, our hormones play a larger role in our decision making than we might like to admit. So who / what then is this Minerva or goddess of wisdom?
The goddess of wisdom was the Roman equivalent of the Greek Athena, although Minerva seemed to be more about music, medicine, arts and wisdom versus the typically Athenian association with war. Minerva was the daughter of Jupiter and Juno, and when represented with these two, Minerva brings out the wisdom seeking side of her father and the wise crone of her mother. Why is Minerva in the conversation with Pluto?
Some metaphysicians and spiritual astrologers, myself included, see Minerva as being the Light behind the Shadow of Pluto. Once we scrub away our afflictions, and if we can prevent the causes for further affliction from arising, then what are we left with? Wisdom and compassion I should think. But most of us are so attached to our lower self egos, that we do not even realize what is possible with (Minerva) authentic spiritual practice. But it is possible to pierce the veils of confusion and ignorance and arrive at an altruistic, inclusive, interconnected realization of our role in the universe. But it takes time, appropriate effort and a willingness to see it through to the end.
Therefore Pluto rules the worst of the venomous emotions and the best of the altruistic mindsets. Pluto / Minerva represents the best of what is possible in transformation and growth in wisdom. Pluto is the dark, murky swamps of the lower self, while Minerva is the humble light of wisdom which is always ready to shine forth when called upon.
And finally, I just want to clarify, the cycles of the lower frequencies of self-oriented ego and Pluto can take many years to sort through. Depending on how much conditioning we choose to re-pattern and how fast we are willing to go to find deep, stable embodiment and broader awareness, perhaps by the time we are 30 or 40 we might start to see Minerva’s Light. Otherwise, we might be more the type of person who believes that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Then we would hold on tightly to old patterns and be resistant to change unless a crisis forced it upon us. Therefore, we must discern our own or our client’s frequency before we can predict exactly where we or they are, and what Pluto’s dance with Mercury will look like.
Thank you for reading and soon I will post more about what Pluto square Mercury might actually look like.
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