Mr. Phillips' article began with this statement: "Let no one underestimate the millennial wave that will sweep the West over the next three years. Our coming psycho-voyage to the year 2000
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A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer by political journalist
and author Kevin Phillips,1 concerning the millennium, caught my
attention. In reading this article, I saw parallels between what he
said about the millennium and how I felt this corresponded to the
planet Pluto.
Mr. Phillips' article began with this statement: "Let no one underestimate the millennial wave that will sweep the West over the next three years. Our coming psycho-voyage to the year 2000 |
stands to be among the world's most important cultural, economic and political phenomena." He made reference to an intensification "of the end-of-the century pandemonium that has been present on so many dimensions in past 'nineties.'" "Since at least the 1490's the ends of centuries have been times of speeded up history, events and consciousness in the West...." He also cited the last three years of these end of the century decades as particularly intense and called them a "jumping-off point."
| I am confident that this reference to
"speeded-up" history corresponds to Pluto's
close orbit to the earth in 1989 and the tearing
down of the Berlin Wall, the end of the cold
war and the collapse of communism in
Eastern Europe. I think this close approach to
earth also accounts for the rapid technological
advancements that the world has experienced
-- especially in the last ten years.
What caught my eye in particular in reading Mr. Phillips article was a descriptive phrase he used -- "acceleration-of-change consciousness." This is what started me thinking about the parallels to Pluto. The article goes on to say that "[i]f we were simply in the final decade of another century, the chances for the acceleration of change consciousness and upheaval over the next |
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several years would be significant enough. But with the added millennial ingredient the ticking digital clock of history is certain to bring a lot more fireworks than anybody has yet imagined."
Getting back to the reference of a three year jumping-off point, the journalist said it stands to reason that in the United States the "anticipation of a millennium was incompatible with serious discussion of whether Bob Dole had a national future. Now President Clinton is riding a wave of national optimism, which makes for a perfect transition into the potential importance of the 21st century and the third millennium."
This article further states that the American culture may see a speeding up of economic, cultural, and political change. He says this "is only an 'x factor' rather than a clear map..." "Still another possibility is that the United States is heading into an era of political upheaval and reform." He notes that potential upheaval is everywhere. "Canada [for instance] could break up over independence for Quebec. Australia has been having an on-off discussion of shedding the British monarchy and becoming a republic. Even the British have growing doubts about the monarchy and could change it -- with talk of abolishing the House of Lords in favor of an elected Senate or requiring a nationwide, popular referendum as the vehicle for any such sweeping change."
He asks, "Could anything like this happen in the United States?" He answers, "Not without a multiple crisis of confidence -- in the nation's political leadership, its ethics and the current system of elections. But elements of that crisis are already recurrent news headlines."
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In the late 70s Pluto's orbit started to shorten, bringing it inside Neptune's orbit and closer to the Earth in 1989, and it won't be back to its original place in the solar system until the end of this century. During this time it was moving faster through the signs. Think about the advances that have been made and how quickly things have changed since the 70s. People had computers in the 70s, and more people acquired them in the 80s, but in the 90s they really took off. Now they have |
become a learning tool in the schools and are used for e-mail and faxing. And note how many people today travel with cellular phones in their cars compared to 10 years ago. Everything seems geared to speed.
As we approach the millennium, technology is racing ahead. I understand there is a tourist attraction in Washington called the Millennium Schoolhouse and another called the Technology Pavilion.
Before I get into what Pluto symbolizes and why I see a parallel between that and the forecasts made by the political journalist I would like to quote a few passages from Marc Jones' books.
In Astrology, How and Why It Works2 Marc refers to Pluto's transits through the signs as "epochs." (I tend to think of Pluto as setting the tone for world events.)
In Fundamentals of Number Significance3 he refers to Pluto as a "prime significator of exceptionally radical changes in human history." In the same book he uses the keyword "obsession" for Pluto "to establish identification for the new human dimension of electronic and similar miracle of the entirely new endowment of the human race."
In The Sabian Symbols in Astrology4, he uses the terms "cosmic advisor" and "eternal priest" for Pluto. He also speaks of spiritual stewardship in terms of "a conscious responsibility for human integrity." The latter is based on the degree reading in The Sabian Symbols for 19 Cancer (A priest performing a marriage ceremony), which is the degree Pluto was on at the time of its discovery.
In the chart most astrologers use for the United States, Pluto is in the ninth house. One of the things the ninth house rules is foreign countries. This could be interpreted as the United States being a role model or an inspiration to the rest of the world, or that the United States represents an ideal to many citizens of other countries.
| Obsession and enlightenment are two of the
keywords used for Pluto. The obsession is
with an ideal which represents the philosophy
of a group or a particular generation. The
enlightenment is an awakening or a
heightened awareness for seeing things in a
new or broader perspective. Because of this
enlightenment and heightened awareness, it
could be said that Pluto signifies that segment
of society whose ideas are ahead of their time.
Pluto is a planet of transition, the endings of cycles and new beginnings, transformation, |
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and reforms. It rules technology and global consciousness. The changes that correspond to Pluto are subtle or gradual. Because they are subtle, there is often no recognition that changes are happening until something of great importance occurs -- which sometimes can be a real eye-opener or a jolt. In retrospect you realize that the components of change existed all along, but the pertinence of that didn't hit home until some event brought it to sharp focus. Two things most concordant with these changes are reorganization and reorientation, both on an individual level and for society in general.
The changes that occur under Pluto's umbrella are the kinds of changes or transformations where things are never the same again. Pluto represents evolutionary developments in the sense that it's a step forward and upward and never a regression to what was or what used to be. Basically the changes that correspond to Pluto are changes that affect our lives and the way we live. Even winning big in the lottery is a Pluto event, and that certainly changes a person's life. Pluto rules megabucks and people with lots of money like tycoons, industrialists, capitalists and plutocrats.
Because of the dual potentials of Pluto there can also be unpleasant transformations such as losses in bankruptcy or any loss that changes the way one lives. Pluto is associated with death -- literally and figuratively. In the latter sense it means the death of a particular situation or way of life.
This obsession with an ideal can also have tragic consequences such as was seen in the Jim Jones mass suicide incident at Jonestown and other deaths involving large numbers of people.
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When Pluto's orbit brings it closer to earth it speeds up the process of change. Or, as the writer said, it speeds up history. In the past ten years technology has really taken off, but if you reflect on that, it was a gradual process. It didn't happen overnight. It only seems like it did. You can almost imagine that we're on a time schedule in our evolution and at appointed times in history a cosmic alarm clock |
goes off alerting a cosmic messenger (Pluto) or advisor as Marc called it, that it's time to move in closer to earth and raise the consciousness on this planet to a higher level on the evolutionary scale. Pluto's orbit will bring it closer to the earth again somewhere between four and five centuries in the future.
Pluto's transit through the signs measures to change in perception, according to the nature of that sign. Pluto's transit through the houses measures to change in the circumstances ruled by that house, whether in an individual chart or a nation's chart. It is change that may well entail sacrifice of some sort. Sometimes it's a willing sacrifice. At other times the sacrifice can be painful.
Ideally the change represented by Pluto is to make way for growth or improvement. This is probably what many companies have in mind with the recent trend in downsizing and mergers, but in the process many jobs are being sacrificed.
In terms of sacrifice, the things I see being sacrificed with all the new technology are privacy and confidentiality. Most of one's private affairs and information can be accessed by computer, and people can listen in on your conversation on cellular and cordless telephones and even steal your phone numbers. Hackers are breaking into military records, medical records and bank records.
More people own video cameras today than ten years ago and this has proved to be a valuable resource for television stations, insurance companies seeking to weed out fraudulent claims and law enforcement surveillance.
| One astrologer referred to Pluto as "concentrated power." This brings to mind the atomic bomb and nuclear energy. And look how much information is concentrated in a tiny computer chip. I believe that "concentrated power" is a very apt description of Pluto. Since Pluto indicates endings and new beginnings, and usually not without some upheaval and uprooting, I can easily relate this to the potential changes this political journalist wrote about when he described the potential for "a break-up in Canada over independence for Quebec, |  |
Australia shedding the British monarchy, the British abolishing the House of Lords, and possible political upheaval and reform in the United States."
The negative potential of Pluto is radical actions, megalomania, fanaticism and terrorism. Note, for example, the recent burning of Black churches in the South, the bombing of abortion clinics and the Oklahoma City bombing. An obsession with an ideal motivated these actions but contrary to the more rational way of living, these people are pursuing their ideals through violence and obsession.
| Pluto rules the endings and beginning of cycles. All of nature is cyclic, but Pluto's cycles have a longer time span. In terms of reorganization and reorientation some examples of long cycles might be Hong Kong which will soon be reverting back to Chinese rule. This will undoubtedly require significant reorganization and reorientation. Japan's new prime minister is trying to reverse the decline in the number of that country's financial |  |
investors with major reforms in its financial system. He proposes deregulation in insurance premiums and brokerage commissions.
Pluto was in Sagittarius in the early part of 1995. It went retrograde, back into Scorpio, then moved back into Sagittarius late in 1995 where it will stay until 2008. During this Sagittarian epoch, as Marc calls these transits, it is a time for putting one's best foot forward.
The potential areas of change, transformation and reforms with Pluto in Sagittarius are education and educational institutions, the military, religion, the law, the judicial system, politics, airline industry, space industry, publishing, pensions, social security, and insurance. These last areas represent financial value and security from past experience. There can also be changes in our foreign policy and anything to do with foreigners and immigration.
It's interesting to note the O.J. trial started in January of 1995, shortly after Pluto entered Sagittarius, and has been dubbed "the trial of the century."
Sagittarius is a sign that rules people of rank, fame, nobility, the clergy, heroes, ceremonies and rituals. It also rules morals, ethics and conduct. Any violation of the latter, or illegal activities or violating a trust, will come to light or be exposed with Pluto transiting Sagittarius. Violators won't be able to get away with covering things up.
In respect to bringing things to light recall the events at the Citadel. If I'm not mistaken there were some situations at Annapolis and West Point as well. For the most part, these events involved "conduct unbecoming."
Another recent situation linked to Pluto is the recent investigation into hazing in the military, which was the result of a long investigation, and other recent information indicates that the F.B.I. mishandled evidence in the Oklahoma bombing. These are all things that have been going on and are now becoming public knowledge.
Pluto is also a planet of precedents. We have the first woman ever to be appointed to the office of Secretary of State and Clinton will be the first president to hold office during a millennium.
Because the planets, signs and houses have so many levels of meaning it is very hard to specifically pin down a precise interpretation. Even Marc said there is an overlapping of reference in using keywords -- that similar keywords are used in reference to planets, houses and signs. (How and Why, Foreword)
But I would like to return to the parallels that struck me in the article I spoke about - particularly this acceleration of change-consciousness.
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Technology in many fields is accelerating. Considering the enormity of these changes and how they are changing the way we live started me thinking. I knew that there was a similar change in Pluto's orbit about the middle of the 1700s. I don't have the exact date when it came closest to earth but it was about 1750. Since this was about the time of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on the way we lived I wanted to get a more specific idea of the dates involved. I felt there had to be a parallel here between Pluto and |
this period of history. I decided to look in my encyclopedia. The dates given there for the Industrial Revolution were 1760 to 1790. But the article also said that the title "Industrial Revolution" was a misnomer. During the 1800s, scholars looking back were struck by the many changes that occurred between 1760 and 1790 and how these changes completely altered man's way of living. Because of the rapid expansion of industrial manufacture, scholars of the day saw it as a revolution. It was, in fact, the beginning stages of mechanization. Later scholars decided that these changes weren't revolutionary because they were the result of long gradual developments, but the title "Industrial Revolution" caught on quickly and was too well established to be changed. Note the words they used -- "rapid expansion." Pluto was in Sagittarius from 1750 to 1763. Not only is expansion an apt description for Sagittarius but it is also descriptive of Pluto's accelerated orbit at that time.
During the late 1800s there was serious discussion about closing the patent office because everything possible had already been invented. This period of history in the 1700s was called The Age of Enlightenment because it was a period of intellectual awakening. I also read something else that confirmed my sense of the parallel between Pluto and the Millennium -- "We now know that what happened between 1760 and 1790 was not merely a revolution in our way of doing things but a speeding up in the rate of change itself." This is the type of change we are experiencing today. Profound changes at that -- at two different times in history, when Pluto's orbit brought it closer to the earth.
If our current period in history does get a name tag it will probably be "The Information Revolution."
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Clyde Tombaugh first discovered Pluto at the age of 24, on January 21, 1930 but its discovery was not announced until February 18, 1930 as the staff at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona wanted to wait until the new planet's existence could be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. Tombaugh was born on February 4, 1906 on a farm near Streator, Illinois. He moved to another farm near Burdett, Kansas, a small town of about 250 people, and graduated from Burdett High School in 1925. He later |
began the astronomy research program at New Mexico State University. He retired as a professor emeritus in 1973 and died on January 17, 1997 at the age of 90 at his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
1Kevin Phillips, "Pre-millennial years are ripe for upheaval," The Philadelphia Inquirer. January __,1997.
2Marc Edmund Jones, Astrology: How and Why It Works (Sabian Publishing Society, 1969), 372
3Marc Edmund Jones, The Fundamentals of Number Significance (Sabian Publishing Society, 1978), 98,168
4 Marc Edmund Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology (Sabian Publishing Society, 1953), 84, 90
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