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Saturn and Pluto Transits  
 from a Spiritual Perspective

 
Saturn
 
Sometimes life just isn't fun and when this gets to be our experience for long periods of time, it can feel like we're being forced to face the harsher realities of life head on, without a safety net. Sometimes, we think to ourselves in total disbelief: Wait a minute, why am I not happy all the time? Why can't I have what I want? Why must I learn these lessons? What did I do wrong that I am experiencing this now?  Why am I dissatisfied?  How can I avoid this suffering?   
 
Saturn has a long list, if not a legacy, of bringing us experiences we would rather avoid.  Some of these include experiencing deep dissatisfaction, feelings of separation and/or loneliness, frustration, emotional stuckness, powerlessness, depression, loss of energy and interest in life, and so on.  Saturn transits are like a deep spring cleaning - what a good idea when we have the time, energy and inclination, or better still, let's have the housekeeper do it.   
 
In my astrology practice over the years, clients have not been shy about letting me know what they think about Saturns' sojourn through their lives. I've been told:    
 
  • I run a Million dollar company, I don't have time for this!
  • I've done so much work on myself, why is there still more to go?
  • I don't think I'll get another astrology reading, I'm not sure I want to hear this!
  • Maybe I'll just go and live in another country until this is over.
  • Why can't we just focus on the positive things?
  • Why does Saturn always mean dealing with 'heavy' situations? 
 
Do you remember Gandalf's great 'one liner' from Lord of the Rings: "All we have to do is to decide what to do with the time that is given to us."  This striking statement could be linked to the role which Saturn plays in our lives for he has been given the titles of "Keeper of Time" and "Lord of Karma".  You get the feeling that nothing escapes his scrutiny and that he's not known for treading lightly.  
 
It doesn't help that we've grown up in an "instant gratification" culture which insists we should be happy all the time.  Just look at all the smiling faces we're exposed to on a daily basis in magazines, television and the internet.  We could easily believe that if we're not happy, there is something terribly wrong with us.  A well known Jungian analyst and astrologer, when asked why she lives in the U.K. instead of the U.S. (where she was born), commented that there's just too much pressure in the U.S. to be happy all the time.
 
Saturn transits are also synonymous with focus, self effort, patience and perseverance, attributes which add to our repertoire of what is required to build and sustain anything of value in our outer and inner lives.
 
 Tarot Hermit
In Tarot, the Hermit  represents the quest for self-understanding, the journey which involves alone time, introspection, and we, the seeker, must don the cloak of self-inquiry and spiritual protection and begin the process of turning our attention inward.   
 
In our fast paced, outwardly oriented culture, we could easily look at this picture of the Hermit and believe it depicts a lonely old man who is somehow removed from society, uninterested in the world, without material means.  If we have experienced long periods of alone time in which we faced ourselves, either by choice or by circumstances, we may feel the wisdom inherent in this card, showing us that there are times in life in which we must be willing to distance ourselves from the distractions of the outer world, at least to the degree we are able to, quieten ourselves, and begin the process of turning our attention within, to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the inner work at hand, for the soul is beckoning to us. 
   
As Frodo Baggins, the main character in Lord of the Rings says to another member of the party on the quest to return the ring, and after he himself has realized the immensity of the task at hand, "There is no other way.  This is our path." 
 
Pluto
 
Pluto, like Saturn, is connected with the deeper processes associated with loss, purification, death and rebirth and may call upon us to sacrifice or relinquish something close to us, which seems so unfair to us and for, which we must grieve.  To complicate things further, we cannot know Pluto through the intellect or through practical observation for Pluto lives in the realm of the emotions. 
 
Pluto is connected to the dance between power and powerlessness, obsessive/complusive behaviors, the power of our desires and the passion with which we pursue them, attempt to serve them and/or save them.  Pluto transits are often experienced as 'fate', for we find ourselves involved with a set of circumstances, which we would gladly step away from, but the course appears to be set, with or without our choice, we must go the distance without any certainty of the outcome.  During Pluto transits we are sometimes faced with what appears to be negative, harsh, or abusive traits within ourselves or others.  At the very least, Pluto transits often trigger emotional upheaval, which leads to experiencing a crisis in consciousness, for these themes are evident with Pluto's transits: destruction, transformation and rebirth.  
 
The inner work associated with Pluto transits involves the stripping away of our identification with outer layers (and masks), which we have carefully constructed to help us feel confident and self-assured within ourselves, to give a solid foundation for our belief systems, to know our place in the scheme of things and build the foundations of a respectable, accomplished life; to assure stability, security and continuity in our associations with the outer world.   
 
  Tarot 9 of penticles
In Tarot, the Judgement card, associated with Pluto, carries a message of the need to let go of the past, release, a total change in position, renewal, resurrection.  However, if we take the card at face value, the images could be depicted as begging for mercy or waiting for a higher judgement to be meted out, hence the old addage, "don't judge a book by its cover!"
 
As with our associations with the transits of Saturn, Pluto is not a welcome visitor into our well ordered lives, either.  The sophisticated, ego-centred, polished aspect of ourselves cannot relate to, and often feels uneasy and squirmish with the raw, instinctual, darker energies associated with Pluto.  
 
In Lord of the Rings, the wise Gandalph, lets Frodo decide which path the group with take to reach Mordor, where the ring of power is to be thrown "into the fires from which it came."  Frodo decides the group will go underground (associated with Pluto) via the mines of Moria.  There is a scene  earlier in the movie which eludes to Gandalph's fear of what lays hidden deep in the mines, for he suspects he may face his own death there.  However, he accepts the choice of Frodo, and also demonstrates his absolute faith in the Divine power, as he acknowledging "So, be it!" 
 
What is the purpose behind Pluto transits?
 
The outer planets, of which Pluto is one (Uranus and Neptune, being the other two), act as powerful agents of major transformative energies which impact the individual psyche with emotional experiences, often resulting in a crisis in consciousness, which leads to a spiritual awakening or deepening.  To grow spiritually, it is often necessary to undergo processes which destabilize the ego and create considerable emotional and psychological discomfort.  Through the writings, teachings, and personal interaction with spiritually awake teachers (Gurus), we come to understand that it takes a force of tremendous power to shake loose the impact of societal conditioning upon us so that we might wake up to the realization of our true Self. 
 
The Plutonian 'process', (especially when Pluto is transiting our personal planets), essentially breaks open our outer shell, propels us to release our attachment to old "programming" and "conditioning" and puts us back together again, with a new understanding of who we are and what our purpose is.  Once a portion of the "old programming" is removed, we find that we are purer vessels for carrying "inner light" and "inner fire". It is common for our interest in spirituality to grow, as we feel an overwhelming desire to live authentically, from our "spirit", having been freed of the illusion of who we thought we were, and our need to "conform" to what society expects of us and to pursue material gain exclusively, without attending to the needs of our spirit. 
 
If we are to measure our success at all, in terms of how well we managed to integrate these powerful transformational forces within ourselves, perhaps it should be in how much we remembered to give ourselves compassion, nurturing, self-acceptance and unconditional love during the process.