Dredging Your Shadows

How February’s Death-To-Rebirth Energy Could Alter Your Entire Life.

Two weeks ago Pluto - the planet of destruction and regeneration, power and intensity, manipulation and self-mastery - moved into Aquarius. 

It’s been teetering on the knife-edge between Capricorn and the sign of the water bearer for around a year and is now at 0 degrees Aquarius. This means that any planet to enter this constellation must first pass through its shadowy veil.

Pluto brings intensity like no other celestial body (and for the sake of astrology, we’re still calling Pluto a planet). In mythology, it’s associated with Hades, god of the underworld. In our birth charts, it indicates where we will need to undergo the most transformation; it is linked with our own experiences of death, and it provides clues as to how we must shed an old version of ourselves in order to evolve. We can assess the House, zodiac sign and aspects of our natal Pluto to discover where our true power lies, and how we can embrace innate Phoenix Rising energy. Pluto shows our potential for incredible influence but also harbours a dark side: manipulation and a craving to control. 

Transit Pluto - meaning Pluto’s movement in the cosmos right now - turns our attention to rebirth. It shows us where our most profound transformations will occur.

As a slow-moving planet, the effects of Pluto (which remains in a sign and House for almost twenty years) aren’t felt violently - they’re more of a slow burn and a gradual nudge towards destruction, shedding and purging. It is where we will slowly need to confront and accept our shadows, face our fears, and bring our darkest emotions such as shame, jealousy and anger, into the light. 

However, the next few weeks can be seen as a portal towards radical transformation. This is because the three inner planets - Mercury, Mars and Venus - are all going to enter Aquarius, and must first pass by this shadowy gatekeeper. 

Therefore, February has the capacity to change the entire dynamic of your life, if you work with the demands of intense Pluto. 

The choices you make, the patterns you break, the mindset you shift and the transformation you commit to have the potential to be the incredible catalyst you’ve been waiting for. 

Yesterday, Mercury entered Aquarius and met up with Pluto. What needs to be changed in your communication? Where do you need to drastically change a narrative that is destructive to your journey?

Below I have given you specific prompts based on your Rising Sign, as this will tell you the area of your life to focus on as a way to make way for dramatic new beginnings. 

Imagine Pluto like a Dark Knight, situated just before you enter an incredible kingdom where there are opportunities for innovation, excitement and revolution. Before you can enter this kingdom, you are required to shed the demons that have attached themselves to you. 

Since Mercury is the planet of communication and our cognitive processes, then you are being asked to release some kind of unhealthy, destructive or insidious way you think. It could be an attitude, a mindset, or a daily habit. Perhaps it’s a style in which you sometimes communicate or your reactions to other people’s words. Maybe it’s the approach you have to planning your day, the written word, the way you share ideas, or how confident you feel in your intelligence. 

Mercury is the narrator, so think about how you assess and process the information the world provides. How do you allow this information to shape your reality? Where is this not serving you? 

Pluto is not a planet that offers change via comfort. Resistance may come up over the next few days. Shame. Fear. Anger. 

Notice where these shadow frequencies arise. Treat them with an investigative eye (Pluto scours below the surface and Mercury analyses, so staying curious about your reactions and triggers is essential). 

When you do the work to shed the limitations and negativity, then you can pass through into the Kingdom of Aquarius and embrace a brand new way of thinking. Remember Aquarius is associated with rebellion, revolution and innovation - perhaps a completely new way of approaching your goals is revealed.