Pluto at 29° Capricorn – The End of an Era

Pluto is now at 29° Capricorn. Pluto is in Capricorn for the last time ever.

We will never experience Pluto in Capricorn again unless we somehow live another 230 years, when Pluto next returns to Capricorn in 2255.

This is truly a unique moment – not only because this is the last time we’ll experience Pluto in Capricorn’s energy, but also because Pluto spends the last leg of the 16-year Capricorn transit at the 29° of the sign.

The 29th degree, also known as the anaretic degree, is a critical point in astrology.

An anaretic degree represents the peak, the point of maximum expression of the sign. Just as 29° Aries is the most intense and purest form of Aries energy, 29° Capricorn is the epitome of Capricorn’s archetypal qualities.

A planet at this degree has gained a wealth of experience in the sign, and at 29°, there is nothing left to learn.

A planet at 29° is like a seasoned scientist who has completed all the experiments and is now writing the final conclusions.

The role of a planet at the anaretic degree is to distill the essence, the ultimate wisdom of that sign’s lessons.

When a planet reaches this point, we often gain clarity and understanding about its entire transit. In a way, everything that has happened leading up to this moment prepares us for this point of maximum intensity.

It’s a moment of retrospection, when we gain a deeper understanding of a transit and its lessons. This is when we have a revelation: “Ah, THIS is what all this was about”.

The 29th degree of a sign is also an ending. The planet has nothing more to accomplish in that sign – the mission is complete.

After fulfilling its task, the planet is reborn in the next sign, bringing new lessons and challenges.

Pluto At 29° Capricorn – The End of an Era

Pluto at 29° Capricorn signifies the end of an era – one that began in 2008 and is now concluding, never to return.

Pluto in Capricorn has been about learning the lessons of “adulting” – taking responsibility, developing maturity, and establishing control over our lives.

As this transit comes to a close, we have collectively learned some difficult but necessary lessons about responsibility, authority, and how to navigate power structures.

Pluto achieves its goals through a 3-stage process: disempowerment, awareness and transformation. It’s through an initial experience of disempowerment that we discover our inner strength and power.

During Pluto in Capricorn’s transit, we’ve seen various forms of disempowerment, such as the overreach of institutional control – whether from family, state, corporations, or other hierarchical systems.

Increasing societal pressures, like the weight of mortgages, career demands, and bureaucratic structures, have forced us to grow up, become autonomous, and ultimately, evolve.

Pluto At 29° Capricorn – The Transits

One good thing about Pluto’s current transit is that it forms sextiles to two other outer planets, Neptune and Uranus, creating what’s called a Minor Triangle.

The Pluto-Neptune sextile has been active for a long time – decades, in fact – so we’ve become quite accustomed to its energy.

Despite the challenges we face now, and there are certainly major difficulties in some parts of the world, – in the last decades, the Neptune sextile Pluto decades, we’ve had relative stability.

We can thank the Pluto-Neptune sextile for some of that. Historically, when Pluto and Neptune have formed tense aspects, times have been much harder.

But what makes Pluto at 29° Capricorn particularly noteworthy is that it sextiles not only Neptune (now at 28° Pisces), but also Uranus (now at 27° Taurus).

To have all three outer planets in harmonious alignment is rare, and it’s a very positive thing.

That being said, astrology is complex. Just because the three outer planets are aligned favorably in the sky doesn’t mean everyone will experience this energy directly.

We are much more likely to feel the influence of a Sun-Saturn transit than the subtle workings of outer planets like Pluto.

However, outer planets still have profound, if subtle, effects. The fact that Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus are aligned favorably indicates that there are underlying forces at work, shaping long-term developments.

These alignments often influence advancements in technology, progressive policies, or societal shifts that we might not notice right away but will benefit from in the long run.

The supportive influence of Pluto, now at 29° Capricorn, also suggests that the transition into the Pluto in Aquarius era will be relatively smooth.

Relatively smooth. Because we know that nothing worthwhile comes without blood, sweat, and tears.

And when we say blood, sweat and tears we immediately think of Mars in Cancer. Currently, Mars is in the early degrees of Cancer and is not in direct aspect with Pluto.

However, in early November, Mars will reach the critical 28°-29° of Cancer, forming a challenging opposition to Pluto.

This opposition will likely bring some intense confrontations and struggles.

The message? We can’t fully realize Pluto in Capricorn’s lessons without also fiercely protecting what is sacred to us (Mars in Cancer). The final message of Pluto in Capricorn might be: “You’ve come a long way, but never forget where you came from.”

Pluto in Capricorn vs. Pluto Aquarius

Now that Pluto is preparing to leave Capricorn, what’s next?

We’ve already gotten a taste of Pluto in Aquarius. As soon as Pluto entered Aquarius in March 2023, we saw the first major public debut of generative AI, with the release of ChatGPT.

It’s now clear to everyone that Pluto in Aquarius will revolutionize technology, especially AI and the ways we interact with information.

On paper, Capricorn and Aquarius seem very different, but they actually share an important connection: both are traditionally ruled by Saturn.

This shared rulership means that the shift from Pluto in Capricorn to Pluto in Aquarius will have some continuity.

It won’t be as dramatic a change as, for instance, when Pluto moved from Libra (Venus-ruled) to Scorpio (Mars-ruled), where the generational gap between Gen X (Pluto in Libra) and Millennials (Pluto in Scorpio) was quite pronounced.

That being said, Aquarius isn’t just the “air” version of Capricorn. Aquarius is also linked to Uranus, its modern ruler. This brings in an entirely new dynamic.

With Pluto in Aquarius, the focus will shift from Saturnian concerns about structure and resources (Capricorn) to Uranian concerns about information, technology, and social innovation (Aquarius).

In Capricorn, Pluto was about mastering the material world – how to use and control resources (Capricorn being an earth sign). In Aquarius, Pluto will be more about mastering the flow of information and human relationships (Aquarius being an air sign).

If Capricorn is symbolized by the mountain goat, moving upward toward goals and ambitions, Aquarius is represented by the water bearer, symbolizing the flow from the sky (heaven) back to the earth.

Where Capricorn is about striving to become something greater, Aquarius is about giving back – sharing knowledge, wisdom, and contributions for the collective good.

If Capricorn is our aspirations, what we want to become, Aquarius is what we give back. If Capricorn is our desire to find recognition, Aquarius is our need to find a sense of accomplishment.

If Capricorn is the human striving to become god-like in power and achievement, Aquarius is the godly impulse to become more human and connected.

As Pluto moves into Aquarius, we will likely see major developments in technology, but paradoxically, we may also feel a growing sense of alienation and a desire to return to simpler, more human connections.

Some predict that Pluto in Aquarius will push society deeper into AI and the metaverse, where we become increasingly detached from the physical world. But the opposite may also happen – we may become so disconnected that we crave to return to our roots, to reconnect with our humanity.

The transition from Pluto in Capricorn to Pluto in Aquarius will highlight an ongoing tension between two individuation processes.

One, the continuous striving to become the best versions of ourselves (Capricorn). The other, ensuring that whatever we achieve serves a larger purpose and contributes positively to the collective (Aquarius).

We all have a deep need to ‘fit in’, to find our place within the greater whole – to feel connected, to play a meaningful role in this vast web of life.

But in order to find this Aquarian sense of interconnectedness, we must first have a deep understanding of our own unique expertise – what we’re good at (the wisdom gained from Pluto at 29° Capricorn).

Pluto in Capricorn 2008-2024 Retrospective – Drawing the Line

Now that Pluto is at 29° Capricorn, it’s very important that we do a retrospective – reflecting on what Pluto’s transit through Capricorn has meant for us, both individually and collectively, from 2008 until now.

What has Pluto stripped away, transformed, and completely reshaped?

Pluto spends more time in a sign than any other planet. Pluto’s transits are so long, that we can’t just ‘hide’ and wait for it to be over. We have no choice but to change and evolve.

The greatest gift of any Pluto transit is humble wisdom and quiet confidence. At 29°, the mature Pluto in Capricorn no longer needs to prove anything. It no longer seeks validation and power, because it has become that power.

During these last weeks of Pluto in Capricorn, take some time to reflect on what these 16 years have taught you. Take some time to draw a line and do a retrospective of your own journey through this transit.

If you have some astrological knowledge, you can reflect on two key areas:

a) How Pluto in Capricorn has revolutionized the house in your natal chart where Capricorn resides. b) How Pluto’s transits through Capricorn, as it interacted with different planets in your chart, have shaped your personal growth and life experiences.

Now that Pluto is at 29° Capricorn, it’s time to ask yourself: What have you learned? What parts of your life have been irreversibly transformed? What will never be the same? Where have you grown and become better, stronger, or more resilient?

If you were to write the title of your “life thesis” summarizing your personal evolution from 2008 to now, what would it be?