Pluto Transits: A Need to Come Undone

Recently, I received an email from an acquaintance that has been concerned and rather confused about the behavior of a mutual longtime friend. It appears that our friend, who for privacy purposes shall remain anonymous, has dropped off the map; refusing contact with either one of us. While I share concern for our beloved comrade, I decided some time ago (namely after a couple of failed attempts to reconnect) that I wasn't going to go beating down her door anytime soon. Why? I suspect she's going through a major Pluto transit.

Pluto transits to key planets or points in a birth chart can make a person feel as though the very ground itself is being torn out right from under them (largely in solitude--Pluto is a behind the scenes kind of guy).  Associated with the zodiac sign of Scorpio and the Eighth House of Sex, Death, and Transformation (add other people's possessions in here too); Plutonian energy roots out whatever "ugliness" we try to repress, deny, or hide about ourselves and draws it out into the open by way of upheaval. Reality gets tested. People around us cease to recognize who we are, the old us, and wonder who we've become. We will wonder if we're losing it, and more than likely we are.

But what exactly are we losing?

Pluto forces us to get rid of what no longer works. Weak, faulty structures that we built up in our lives come crumbling down when The Dark One shows up; a nasty breakup, the loss of a job, disillusionment are all side effects of the Plutonian cure. Working with extremes, Pluto helps to heal us by testing our mettle. We feel as though we are both living and dying at the same time (Folks that have ever befriended or betrothed a Scorpio, probably know just what I mean. Life or death. LOL.). Whatever doesn't survive in the process of this trial by fire period either has served its purpose or wasn't really meant for us in the first place. A Pluto transit isn't solely about losing things but about finding a clearer path to our personal source of power.

Currently, Pluto is transiting through the sign of Capricorn and making a tense aspect with Uranus in Aries. However, both essentially are on the same mission: to put an end to stagnation. People who have major planets or points in their chart between 5 to 10 (update: 12-14) degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Libra or Aries have been learning how best to work with this energy as they've been feeling it most intensely. Personally, I have had both planets rocking and rolling their way all over my little Mercury in Capricorn which at times has been supremely frustrating (and a little frightening) but has led to improved perception and a shedding of outworn beliefs.

Having already been made familiar with Plutonian energy what  I have learned thus far is this: 1) the best way to work with the flow of this transit is to get comfortable with leaving your comfort zone and 2) how important it is to have a space to privately fall apart and then rebuild. With Pluto we come undone, then find the strength to pull ourselves together.