Mars at odds with Pluto will be the unwelcome spirit of the times until next April as Mars retrogrades and then advances across the zodiac from Pluto moving out of Capricorn into Aquarius. The first exact opposition is tomorrow, with another on January 3rd and finally April 27th 2025.
Understanding the nature of this most intractable opposition may offer clues about how best to negotiate the challenges ahead.
Mars Pluto operates in three arenas. Firstly in personal and event charts. Secondly in relationship dynamics. Thirdly out in the cosmos as a general trend affecting everyone.
The simplistic interpretation of Mars Pluto highlights force, brutality, fanatical and obsessive ambition, ruthlessness, excessive effort with resulting violence and calamities. The ultimate expression of power, with domination and submission being two sides of the same coin. The individual either becomes a bully, as a result of mirroring the behaviour of a dictatorial father, or remains a submissive and powerless victim, continually attracting Mars Pluto experiences and relationships from outside.
In extremis, Mars Pluto results in events like the savage and barbaric Hamas attack of October 2023 with targeted, hate-filled killings and rape, which occurred on a close Mars Pluto square.
Though it would have to be emphasized for most when these influences come around the prevailing sense is of being stuck, acutely frustrated and on occasion enraged about facing immoveable obstacles in the way of progress.
In relationships in a composite chart it is a supremely challenging dynamic to handle. There is such a strong power drive in the dominating partner (coercive control) that the other is forced to continually give away their autonomy and freedom of choice to allow the partnership to continue. Confrontation won’t work and could result in physical violence. There is a faint hope that the relationship could be creative rather than destructive if love is allowed to mellow the need for control. “Where love rules, there is no will to power, and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.” Carl Jung.
Robert Hand shines an illuminating light on Mars Pluto in relationships and elsewhere. He says Mars has to do with ego drives. Pluto is a more cosmic energy, bringing intense and fundamental transformation. ‘A cosmic power is subjected to purely personal and selfish drives.’ Buried in that profound thought is the reason why Mars Pluto can be so immensely destructive.
Driving Mars, the warrior, forward with its aggressive and competitive need to win is an almost supra-human Plutonic power. Although Pluto is essentially about transformation, it can resist change with extraordinary stubbornness in a bid to maintain control. So there is something almost mythic in the conflict and cooperation between the two – human and inhuman, man and the god of the underworld – anger and power combined.
Hand says in order to deal with the energy constructively, it is necessary to reverse the roles of Mars and Pluto so that the ego-drives are transformed by the cosmic power of Pluto. He says (hopefully) ‘You must let this relationship change and transform you without resistance.’ Though it does take two to tango so not too sure this would work in most individual Mars Pluto partnerships.
But again there is a glimmer of a solution to handling Mars Pluto in general – use the experience to become aware of where your Mars (ego-drive, assertive, competitive instincts, has to win) requires to transform.
The standard response to Mars Pluto aspects celestially is to feel blocked and frustrated with less chance of forward movement. Accepting that the Mars energy (anger) is backed up for good reason – in order for a new awareness to develop and necessary changes to take place – may make it easier to handle.
John Townley adds his thought from Composite Charts – Mars merging with the intractability of Pluto. Don’t fight it. That sounds defeatist but in a deeper sense may be what allows Pluto’s transformation to work its magic – if it is allowed to, which is a fairly large IF as below will indicate.
Recently I have been keeping a tally of Mars Pluto types in the news. Twitter X launched in 2006 on a Mars opposition Pluto, perhaps one reason why it has fostered an echo-chamber for hate-filled rants. Mike Amesbury, UK Labour MP involved in a much publicized physical brawl has a Mars square Pluto. Nicola Sturgeon’s 2014 elevation to the Scottish premiership (now on the skids) came on a Mars Pluto conjunction. Tommy Robinson, the far-right, anti-immigrant, ranting and raging activist, jailed for contempt of court, 27 November 1982, has his Mars square Pluto and Saturn. Richard Dawkins, with a new book out, a forceful exponent of his scientific viewpoint which allows little leeway for nuance or tolerance has a Mars opposition Pluto. The loopy Russell Brand with a Mars opposition Pluto as well, is involved in a village squall over his plans for a local pub. Angelina Jolie, ditto, is still ongoing in an endless divorce squabble with Brad Pitt.
The latest prime example of Mars Pluto’s inability to let go is Rebekah Vardy, a nonentity, who is fighting an eternal legal battle with a footballer’s wife over who leaked what to the press. Vardy, 17 February 1982, no birth time, has a ferociously difficult chart with a Mars, Saturn, Pluto conjunction in Libra trine an Aquarius Sun. She was abused as a child, abandoned by her mother and ended up homeless at 15, suicidal, with a brief early marriage, upgrading to a footballer and after a few years of spending his money moved, onto her present even wealthier footballer spouse.
She did have brutal experiences early on which toughened her up. Given the choice between becoming a doormat and letting life/anyone tramp over her, she refuses to give in and fights for the upper hand. Mars Pluto is known as do-or-die determined. For this temperament, the opposite of ‘do’ is annihilation. Accepting failure or submission would mean her personal autonomy was eradicated so she embarks on a desperate fight not only to regain control but at some fundamental level to show she exists. [See previous posts: Rebekah Vardy – a hard start in life left its mark, 30th July 2022; Rooney v Vardy – sound and fury signifying nothing, 11th May 2022.]
Letting go is the hardest thing for Mars Pluto types. Which may be understandable given what has moulded their defences but it does not make them easy to handle or necessarily likeable and often makes their actions self-destructive.
Where Mars Pluto excels is in coping with crises since it endows courage and its iron grip on control means panic is kept at bay in situations where everyone else is getting hysterical. It does give tremendous strength; and operating in the right context, usually where there is risk and emergency or calamities it does flourish. In an ordinary life not so much.
Anyways some rambling thoughts on a celestial companion over the next six months.
The post Mars Pluto – I want versus Letting go first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
