Step into your Pluto

We occasionally refer to Pluto as the Darth Vader of planets - seemingly dark and ruthless, ruling the underworld and hellish experiences. Yet transformed Plutonian energies carry power and integrity in a way that only those who have been through intense fire experience can hold. One must be shredded to the bone and yet returned to life as a completely transformed being to step into Pluto.

Pluto in Capricorn went retrograde (reversed apparent direction) last Tuesday. I have to admit I wasn't paying attention to the dates. Life was busy and I'm not one to micromanage life. But I certainly felt the shift. I felt twisted with an array of thoughts coming to the surface that I would wish not to have. Meditation and mental clearing was essential, as was lots of exercise. Then I discovered many clients had a dark or emotionally painful experience on Tuesday, often related to childhood wounds surfacing in the form of difficult emotions or negative thought habit patterns.

For the next five months we deepen and transform with Pluto through a review of our lives in a structured way. We have no need to be afraid of Pluto when we become Pluto, willingly walking into the fires we've been avoiding for fear of pain. Pluto demands transformation. We can move powerfully in that direction or wait for the fire to come to us. My experience has been that the conscious participatory approach to Pluto transits generally produces much gentler results.

This is the time to make the changes we've been realizing we need to make since the fall. It's a time to face our fears and wounds, looking our demons directly in the eye and allowing our old structures to burn up to ashes.

Sitting in meditation with an intention to see where we're holding fear can be one good step. Whatever we're most afraid of is often where we most need to explore. The fear is the dragon guarding the gate to our power.

When we step into the fires of Pluto we create the fertile ground for the phoenix to rise from the ashes.