Pluto Transits
and the
Generations
Arwynne O'Neill
March 13, 2014
What defines a generation?
In 1991, William Strauss and Neil Howe's book Generations
"helped popularize the idea that people in a particular age group
tend to share a distinct set of beliefs, attitudes, values and
behaviors because they all grow up and come of age during a
particular period in history."
"History creates generations, and generations create history. This
symbiosis between life and time explains why, if one is seasonal,
the other must be."
Sounds a bit like astrology, no?
Generations
Generations last approximately 20 years according to the StraussHowe model, most recently the Silent, Boomer, Generation X and
Millennial generations—the last of which ended in 2008, the year
Pluto entered Capricorn.
Do the models agree?
In terms of timing, it's close—but what we can say is that the
generational archetypes line up with astonishing consistency.
For further study, Astrologer Alan Meece has mapped every generation in the StraussHowe model to the outer planets, but that's a talk all its own.
Outer planets and the Generations
Astrological Generations (1937-1995)
• Pluto
– 248 year orbit
– Spends an average of ~20 (11-32) years in each sign
• Pluto in Leo (1937-1956) ~ 19 years
• Pluto in Virgo (1956-1971) ~ 15 years
• Pluto in Libra (1971-1984) ~ 13 years
• Pluto in Scorpio (1984-1995) ~ 11 years
• Neptune
– 165 year orbit
– Spends 14 years in each sign
• Uranus
– 84 year orbit
– Spends 7 years in each sign
Pluto in Leo (1937-1956)
Pluto in Leo Part 1: The War Babies
The War Babies: 1937-1941
• Pluto in Leo (1937-1956)
• Neptune in Virgo (1928-1942)
• Uranus in Taurus (1934-1941)
Pluto in Leo/Neptune in Virgo
"The War Babies"
• Most generational studies start the Baby Boom at 1946, but
Pluto in Leo accounts for the first spike in the chart
• More tradition-bound than the post-war cohort, more original
and pioneering; includes many leaders of the counter-culture
Pluto in Leo (Part 1: 1938-1945)
"The Baby Boom generation, if it only
included the post-WWII years, would exclude
Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Mick Jagger*.
Pluto was in Leo from 1939 to 1958. [This]
helps to account [for their influence and
affinity with this generation]."
– Philip Brown,
Cosmic Trends: Astrology Connects the Dots
Pluto in Leo/Neptune in Virgo
"The War Babies"
• New Deal in the US—FDR's plan for economic recovery from the
Great Depression, totalitarianism in Europe & lead up to WWII
• Larger-than-life leaders face off for global dominance; FDR, Hitler,
Stalin, Mussolini and Churchill (England was symbolized by a lion)
• Neptune in Virgo; women take over wartime factory jobs and film
• Atomic age: Manhattan Project "harnesses the power of the Sun"
Pluto in Leo/Neptune in Virgo
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John Lennon
Bruce Lee
Joan Baez
Tina Turner
Bob Dylan
Muhammad Ali
George Carlin
Stephen Hawking
Raquel Welch
Martha Stewart
Aretha Franklin
Jane Fonda
Newt Gingrich
Jim Morrison
Grace Slick
Pluto in Leo Part 2: Baby Boomers
The Baby Boomers – 1942-1956
• Pluto in Leo (1937-1956)
• Neptune in Libra (1942-1956)
• Uranus in Gemini (1941-1949) and Cancer (1948-1956)
The Baby Boomers – 1942-1956
Pluto in Leo/Neptune in Libra
"Baby Boomers"
• Post-war era of optimism and consumerism
• Raised in idyllic, cookie-cutter suburbs, the products of
post-FDR/WWII prosperity, GI Bill and cheap oil
• Technicolor "Golden Age" of Hollywood, feudal
"studio" system (MGM lion)
• Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley ("The King"), teenagers
Pluto in Leo/Neptune in Libra
"Baby Boomers"
• Kids born now "epitomize the cultural change of the sixties...
individualistic, free spirited and social cause oriented." (Wikipedia)
• Youthful optimism, creativity and charisma offset by superficiality,
narcissism, destructive appetites and the cult of youth and beauty
• Advertisers lock onto this target market early and never let go
• In the 1980s just as they began to hit 40, a new face lift technique
was pioneered and plastic surgery soared in popularity
Pluto in Leo/Neptune in Libra
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Bill Clinton
Hillary Clinton
Bill Gates
Steven Spielberg
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Steve Jobs
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Elton John
Robin Williams
Meryl Streep
Goldie Hawn
Stevie Nicks
Bill Clinton: President Pluto in Leo
• Pluto in Leo in the 11th
house
• Conjunct Mercury &
Saturn
• Sextile Venus, Mars,
Neptune, NN & ASC
• Libra Stelium in 1st
house
Pluto in Virgo (1956-1971)
Pluto in Virgo Part 1 – Late Boomers
The Late Boomers: 1956-1962
• Pluto in Virgo (1956-1971)
• Neptune in Scorpio (1955-1970)
• Uranus in Leo (1955-1962)
The Late Boomers: 1956-1962
Pluto in Virgo/Neptune in Scorpio
"Late Boomers"
• US Bus Boycott ruling (1956) desegregated buses in the south
• Civil Rights Act (1957 protects African-American voting rights
• "Camelot" era of JFK's presidency
• The Pill (1960) is approved for sale in the US
• Cold War technology; Space Race, science fairs & science fiction
• Cuban Missile Crisis; brink of nuclear war but cooler heads prevail
Pluto in Virgo/Neptune in Scorpio
"Late Boomers"
• Pluto in Virgo and Neptune in Scorpio but Uranus is
still in Leo (1956-62)
• Egos are a match for Pluto in Leo; both feel they're
on a mission from God but the Pluto in Virgos feel
they're on a humanitarian mission
• "Less optimistic" than Pluto in Leo with a "distrust of
government and general cynicism" (Wikipedia)
The astronauts
of Mercury Seven
(get it??) in
1960.
Pluto in Virgo/Neptune in Scorpio
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Barack Obama
Michael Jackson
Madonna
Princess Diana
Tom Cruise
Bono
Sean Penn
Ellen Degeneres
Eddie Murphy
RuPaul
Steve Irwin
Arundhati Roy
Pluto in Virgo Part 2: Generation X
Generation X: 1962-1971
• Pluto in Virgo (1956-1971)
• conjunct Uranus in Virgo (1961-1969)
• Neptune in Scorpio (1955-1970)
Generation X: 1962-1971
Pluto in Virgo/Neptune in Scorpio
"Generation X"
• Rise of science: Green Revolution increases yields in
farming (1968), the Moon landing (1969)
• Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in
space; Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique
launches women's movement/2nd wave feminism
• Hippies, anti-war protests, environmentalism, animal
rights, back to nature
• Assassination of political and counter-culture heroes
Pluto in Virgo/Neptune in Scorpio
"Generation X"
• Uranus conjunct Pluto in Virgo and Neptune in
Scorpio reflects the revolutionary spirit of 60s;
thoughtful, idealistic but deeply disillusioned.
• A time of extreme change; racial tensions, war,
battle of the sexes, assassinations, upheaval
• When Pluto in Virgos began entering their 40s,
"neuroplasticity" was all over the news.
Pluto in Virgo/Neptune in Scorpio
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Johnny Depp
Jodie Foster
Kurt Cobain
Charlie Sheen
Whitney Houston
Quentin Tarantino
Will Smith
Björk
Michael Jordan
Robert Downey Jr.
Jon Stewart
Chris Rock
Kurt Cobain: Voice of a Generation
• Pluto & Uranus on the
AC, Opposite
Mercury-ChironVenus-Saturn-DC
conjunction
• Neptune in the 3rd
trine Mercury, Venus
& Saturn, square Sun
• Moon in Cancer in 10th
–love of millions vs.
mother's rejection
isn't enough
Pluto in Libra (1971-1984)
"Men and women are equal. Gays
and straights are equal. Humans and
animals are equal. Everyone has the
right and responsibility to get
married. This is the new civil rights
movement.
Meanwhile, birth control is about to
become illegal and Guantanamo Bay
is still in business, but that's okay as
long as everyone has the right to get
married."
– Planet Waves.net
Pluto in Libra: Gen-X Part 2
Generation X Part 2: 1971-1984
• Pluto in Libra (1971-1984)
• Neptune in Sagittarius (1970-1984)
• Uranus in Libra (1968-1975)/Scorpio (1975-1981)/Sag (1981-1988)
Generation X Part 2: 1971-1984
Pluto in Libra/Neptune in Sagittarius
"Generation X – Part 2"
• Legal victories for women as result of Pluto in Virgo-era activism:
ERA, Equal Pay Act, Roe v. Wade; Women leaders in UK, Israel,
India, South America, Africa
• Diplomacy: Nixon visits China (1972), Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty
• Watergate hearings, Iran hostage crisis 444 day standoff; cold
War, civil defense/ MAD strategy of nuclear deterrence – dark
side of Libran balance)
• Oil crisis, "stagflation" followed by Reaganomics and 1950s
nostalgia, hyper-consumerism
(The Towers, born with
Pluto in Libra, did not
survive their Saturn
Return.)
Pluto in Libra/Neptune in Sagittarius
"Generation X – Part 2"
• Divorce rate hits all-time high; first gen raised by feminists; Alex P.
Keaton conservatives/ post-hippie backlash
• Egalitarian urges tempered by apathy, entitlement and comfort
• Raised on MTV and video games (last gen allowed to play outside)
• First gen of women to earn more than male partners
• Gender-bending and colorblind; marriage equality
Pong (1972), the first
computer game resembles
Libran scales in perpetual
act of re-balancing.
Pluto in Libra/Neptune in Sagittarius
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Angelina Jolie
Leonardo DiCaprio
Charlize Theron
Gwyneth Paltrow
Kate Winslet
Idris Elba
Russell Brand
Neil Patrick Harris
Larry Page/Sergey Brin
Beyonce Knowles
Eminem
M.I.A.
Angelina Jolie: Mother, Goddess
• Pluto opposite Moon
(chart ruler) & Mars
• Venus conjunct ASC
in Cancer – mother
of 6, 3 adopted from
3rd world; UN
ambassador
• Aries on MC +Moon/
Jupiter/ Mars –
action heroine using
fame to fight for
humanitarian causes
• Double mastectomy
in response to breast
cancer risk diagnosis
Pluto in Scorpio (1984-1995)
Pluto in Scorpio: Generation Y
Generation Y – 1984-1995
• Pluto in Scorpio (1984-1995)
• Neptune in Capricorn (1884-1998)
• Uranus in Sagittarius (1981-1988)/Capricorn (1988-1996)
Generation Y – 1984-1995
Pluto in Scorpio/Neptune in Capricorn
"Generation Y"
• AIDS/ HIV virus identified in 1984, "Silence=Death" campaign, US
crisis in peaks in 1995, when AZT treatment proves effective
• Cold War ends with collapse of Soviet Union
• In China (1989), student democracy movement crushed in
Tiananmen Square, organizers arrested or driven into exile
The Scorpion's courtship ritual is an
elaborate dance taking anywhere from
1 to 25 hours and its sting can
immobilize would-be predators many
times its size. (Wikipedia)
Pluto in Scorpio/Neptune in Capricorn
"Generation Y"
• AIDS, abortion rights, the War on Drugs and Gulf War 1.0 bring
once taboo topics into the classroom
• Drug war crime wave; crack, gangs peak in early 90s
• Manmade disasters: Chernobyl, Piper Alpha, Exxon Valdez
Pluto in Scorpio/Neptune in Capricorn
"Generation Y"
• Post-apocalyptic styles; "Terminator," "Mad Max: Beyond
Thunderdome," "Tank Girl" (95)
• Alternative music; punk, metal, rap, goth, grunge, techno and
underground raves/fetish parties
• Extreme as a prefix (sports/ makeovers/ close-ups)
• Childhood bookended by Sep. 11 and "financial meltdown" 2008
Pluto in Scorpio/Neptune in Capricorn
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Scarlett Johansson
Pvt. Chelsea Manning
Oscar Pistorius
Katy Perry
Avril Lavigne
Prince Harry
Mark Zuckerberg
Michael Phelps
Jonah Hill
Lady Gaga
Justin Bieber
Jennifer Lawrence
Pvt. Chelsea (Frm. Bradley) Manning:
Collateral Conscience
• (No birth time
available)
• Pluto conjunct
Moon and Mars in
Scorpio
• Sagittarius stellium
(Sun, Uranus,
Saturn, Mercury)
opposite Chiron in
Gemini square
North Node
Current Transits and the Generations b
Pluto in Leo (1937-1956)
• Between 58-77 years old now
• Pluto in Capricorn square Uranus in Aries
• 2nd Saturn Returns in Scorpio
"No age group has been as determined to be special. Obsessed
with youth and the need to stay relevant, we didn't trust anyone
over 30 when we were young, and we refused to grow old... Baby
boomers appear to be driving a dramatic rise in suicide rates
among middle-aged people... from 2000 to 2005, the suicide rate
jumped nearly 30 percent for men and women aged 50 to 59."
(Lynn Hayes)
Current Transits and the Generations c
Pluto in Virgo (1956-1971)
• Between 43-58 years old now
• TR Pluto trine NA Pluto-Uranus (for those with the
conjunction)
"While the past midlife crisis model focused on breaking down
confining bonds... to return to the fountain of youth, Xers are still in
full construction mode. 'I've made a list – it's the "do-better" list,'
[one] character tells her husband in [the film] "This Is 40." Her list, of
course, is exhausting... She's not looking back at what she lost–she's
barely gotten started... There is no rest for Generation X... We are now
the most educated American generation – and the first one not doing
better than its parents." (Sara Scribner, Salon.com)
Current Transits and the Generations d
Pluto in Libra (1971-1984)
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Between 30-43 years old now
TR Pluto square NA Pluto/ Uranus
TR Pluto triggers NA Saturn-Pluto square (1973-74)
TR Uranus opposite NA Uranus/Pluto
"The more men and women try to act like one another, the less
magnetic attraction there is between the two sexes. Men have heard
for years that women want them to be more sensitive, better
listeners... At the same time, women are trying to assert their
independence... What's resulted is a population of people that are
remarkably similar. While that may seem more agreeable, it's
minimized a natural polarity between the sexes that keeps them
strongly attracted to one another." (Research by Leo Burnett, Humans Being)
Current Transits and the Generationse
Pluto in Scorpio (1984-1995)
• Between 19-30 years old now
• TR Neptune trine NA Pluto
• TR Saturn conjunct NA Pluto
• Saturn in Scorpio Returns (1982-83)
"The parallels between financial investments and the investments of
personal resources... in relationships are undeniable. From playing the
field to cyber-stalking potential dates to committing to the long haul,
both the rational analysis and gut emotions that inform financial
decisions translate into determining compatibility of a partner,
whether for the night or for life." (Research by Leo Burnett, Humans Being)
Credits, Inspiration & Recommended Reading
Books
• Cosmic Trends: Astrology Connects the Dots by Philip Brown
• Focus on Pluto by Virginia Elenbaas
• Generations by William Strauss and Neil Howe
• Cosmos & Psyche by Richard Tarnas
• The Book of Pluto by Steven Forrest
Articles/Websites
• The Generations, A To Z by E. Alan Meece
• What's Your (Pluto) Sign? Planet Waves.net
• Kurt Cobain - Voice and Victim of the Collective by Erin Sullivan
• Willow's Web: The Pluto in Virgos Take Position
• Baby Boomers & The 2010s by Theodore White
• Generation X gets really old by Sara Scribner ("about" Pluto in Virgo/Libra)