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“Do not make enemies by accident.” I loved this quote from the Dowager Countess on the first season of Downton Abbey, which I recently got into. I also think it is the perfect quote for people who have Transiting Pluto making a hard aspect to their Natal Mercury.
I do need to start off an article like this by saying that our personal Mercuries are all unique. Sure there are similar degrees – I have Mercury in 8 degrees of Aries, while someone else might have their Mercury at 9 degrees of Aries, and you would have a serious question if you asked “So what’s the difference?!”

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Well here’s the thing: Mercury is the connection between head and heart and it is the planet of communication. It is also the most fickle planet in the Zodiac, as it takes on characteristics from whatever environment it finds itself in. In my opinion, in addition to being the butterfly of the Zodiac (Gemini especially), Mercury has some shapeshifting / chameleon-like traits. And this is why two people having the “same” Mercury could experience an entirely different result / situation as Transiting Pluto makes a square to their Mercury.
Let me go a little more in depth here. As Mercury is the planet of connection between head and heart, and it is the Throat Chakra of the Zodiac as it were, the curious communicator, it depends greatly upon what is in said head and said heart as to what comes out of the mouth. This is another reason this transit will look different for all of us. We are at differing frequencies – we have made different choices in our lives to get where we presently are. You could call it karma, or you could say it is Divine Fate or whatever, but we have some choice in our lives, and our choices influence who we are.

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With this said, I will try to nail down some generalities about Tr. Pluto making a hard aspect to Mercury. But do keep in mind that for someone who is well-balanced, who generally is able to speak their mind and who seems to have a practical head on their shoulders, this transit might not be a big deal. It might just be a few days or weeks of added intensity with communication or issues with relatives or in-laws, etc. However, for others, specifically people who are naturally pleaser types or people who placate others with ease or people who are too soft and you might call them push-overs, then Pluto making a hard aspect to Mercury might get a bit messy.
Generally speaking, what can happen when the power-hungry planet of the Underworld meets the busy-body, messenger of the gods? Righteousness. That’s right – we can suddenly (or because this aspect will last for at least a year or two off and on – gradually) notice that we are picking fights with people because we feel we are right. Although, Pluto is a very insidious energy – we will rarely ever notice our own righteousness. Unless we have a habit of reflecting on our words and comments and actions and unless we are open to the truth of a situation, rather than what we want it to be, Pluto will blind us for a few months. We might become more picky about someone not doing their job – pointing out the tiny details where they can improve, or we might respond to people in a new, intense and steamy way, because we feel they are somehow wrong and someone has to point it out to them. Really? In the long run will it really matter?

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This is because Pluto does seek power and control. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, pointing out someone else’s flaws can be fun (especially under this ill-fated transit). But does it help anything? Are we just picking fights for petty reasons? Pluto can and will bring whatever is hidden to the surface, so if you find that you are becoming a monster under this transit, saying “crazily awkward” or “intense fighting” words, then you should know that that part of your nature has been there all along. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I noticed this in myself. At first it is hard to swallow. You might say, “this is not who I am?!!” Well, we have news for you – that is who you were in your unconscious and now you are more conscious of your lower self honey… Ooph!! Yep, this transit can shed a lot of light on our personal fallacies. Where do we want control in our lives? Where do we need to stand up for ourselves in our lives (appropriately)? Where are missing the forest for the trees – being so concerned about every little detail that we miss out on the beauty of life around us? Any of these things are possible with Pluto making this challenging dance with Mercury.
Generally speaking, Pluto’s transit over any planet forces some type of transformation. As I mentioned above, for someone who easily speaks their mind and is not afraid to speak their truth to power (this is a rare trait I should add), then Pluto’s passage may not be that transformative. Like I mentioned, Mercury also rules local travel, relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings) and communication. So there are other facets of life that could be “stirred up” as it were. But for any of us who do have some lingering fear of upsetting people in power – whether we are projecting old stuff onto the present, or whether we need to keep our mouths shut to keep our job, Pluto will begin to press for us to transform and to step into our truth and empowerment. As you know, this can be a messy or a sticky process, but it is well worth it in the long run.
Pluto’s ability to bring to the surface stuff that has been hidden can also have another effect. There is a small chance that during this transit, we will realize that we have been deceiving ourselves in a certain area of life. And of course, if we are deceiving ourselves, then it follows that we are deceiving others. And this would be a time when our deception gets noticed by others and we have to start cleaning up our act. You see, Pluto demands or provokes confrontation. This can take many forms, and Pluto / Scorpio energy people are very good at finding the right angle to approach an issue or to open up a potential sticky conversation. But the most difficult person with whom we might have a conflict is with ourselves, especially if we are older and / or set in our ways. Pluto might be asking us to change (for the better, even though most of us fear change in one way or another).
Finally, there may be jealousy and / or resentment which crops up around a situation, and this situation must be confronted. If not confronted, the body / mind could be affected by mysterious maladies (which would actually be the inflammation of resentment turned inward on the body). Do not expect this situation to be an easy fix – there may be complications or sticky entanglements to peel apart first.
And as always, Pluto’s and Mercury’s house positions play a large role in determining what will actually come up during this transit. Also, is Mercury well aspected in the birth chart? Does it make an aspect to Saturn or Pluto natally? Is it a Singleton – a lone nomad planet without any aspects? These will all play a role in determining what this time will look like. And, right now, Uranus is also in this mix, as it is making a Transiting Square to Pluto in the sky, which means if these two transformative Giants affect one planet in a hard aspect, we will have to deal with both planets making a change-filled aspect as well. Therefore, I will end this long post by suggesting that if you have some planets in the 6 to 12 degree range of Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), then you should have your chart interpreted by a competent astrologer, because there will probably be some significant changes ahead for you.
But this too shall pass. 🙂 So take a deep breath and know that we are doing the best we can with the resources at our disposal. And it never hurts to ask for support.
Have a great day! And thank you for reading.