The Astrological Pluto & The Soul’s Journey from Life to Afterlife
Pluto in Astrology
In astrology, Pluto is associated with deep transformation, regeneration, and evolution. Pluto is the modern ruler of Scorpio, and the astrological 8th house, alongside Mars. It represents the dark side of ourselves, our unconscious and subconscious shadow and desires, and is also associated with endings and new beginnings, as well as the cycle of life and death.
Pluto is associated with the Lord of the Underworld for it represents our journey into the dark depths of our mind and soul, as well as our rebirth into a new life. Therefore it is often related to the Phoenix, the mystical animal that rises from its own ashes. Pluto is also correlated with Shamans, Witches, and Wizards, for it also represents dark magic, power, and wisdom.
In the Birth Chart, Pluto represents the area of our life where we are prone to crises or events of great impact that lead to profound transformations. Moreover, Pluto represents traumas and taboos, wherefore the place of Pluto in the Birth Chart shows how we deal with crises and dark truths. That said, Pluto shows in which area of our life and psyche we have the courage and ability to go deeper and investigate problems, traumas, and their causes, find solutions and let go of our conditions.
Even though Pluto is correlated with the underworld, it does not necessarily represent death itself, and rather the spiritual and emotional process that lies between life and death. The energy of Pluto is often seen as evil or vile, for it brings everything that is dark and vulgar to the surface, in order to destroy, purify and transform it. Thus Pluto also represents the purification process of the soul before and after death.
The alchemical symbol of Pluto in astrology is similar to Neptune’s trident: a crescent placed above a cross, but with a circle in the center, which represents the spirit hovering above the cross of matter. Thus Pluto also represents the letting go of material attachment, or in other words, the attachment to material life. In ancient cultures, it was common to prepare the people for death and the afterlife, by purifying the body and the soul and accepting death as a part of life, and not as its ending.
Pluto in Mythology
Nowadays the Lord of the Underworld is represented by the Greek god Hades, the first-born son of Kronos, also called Pluto or Pluton, which means “the Wealthy One” or “the Giver of Wealth”. But Pluto was originally associated with the feminine power of the goddess, or the Ancient Mother goddess which represents the power of nature and the cycle of life. These mother goddesses were often depicted by serpents, for they represent the natural power of renewal.
In ancient mythology, the underworld was ruled by goddesses. In Greek mythology, before Hades came along we had the moon goddess Hekate, the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria, and was also known as the goddess of night, witchcraft, and necromancy. In Norse mythology, there is the goddess Hel, which means “Hidden”, who rules Niflheim, and her dog named Garmr guards the underworld.
In Egyptian mythology, there was Osiris, the green-skinned god of the underworld, lord of the afterlife, and judge of the dead, who was the consort of Isis, the queen of heaven. In Sumerian mythology was Ereshkigal, sister of Innana and mighty goddess of Kur (land of the dead), of ancient Mesopotamia. In Hinduism, Mahakali is known as the Dark Goddess, and through her many names is known as the Life-Energy of the Universe, the Master of the art of war, and the One who confronts all the evil of the world.
The Underworld gods and goddesses were often associated with gods of vegetation or nature, which show that life and death are connected in a natural transformative cycle. The relationship to the idea of death, rebirth, and afterlife varies from culture to culture, but one thing is almost always present in the process of spiritual and material purification before and/or after death in let go of material attachment and accepting death as a part of the divine journey.
Pluto in Tarology
In Tarology, Pluto can be associated with the Judgement card, the Death card, and the Devil Card. The Judgement card is associated with the divine Judgement, the process of absolution and rebirth. The traditional image of the card depicts men, women, and children rising from their graves in response to the call of Archangel Gabriel, waiting for their judgment to find out if they will be accepted into heaven or not.
The Death Card represents endings, transformations, and transitions. In the traditional image of the card, it shows a skeleton dressed in armor, riding a white horse. The skeleton represents the part of the body which survives the afterlife has left and the armor symbolizes invincibility. The horse represents strength and power and it is white for it represents purity. Death carries a flag decorated with a five-petal rose, the rose reflecting the beauty of life and the number five representing change.
The Devil Card represents the shadow self, attachment, and limiting beliefs. The traditional image of the Devil card shows the devil as a creature that is half animal, half man. This combination represents the balance between good and evil, male and female, and human and animal. The card is a representation of temptation and what happens when we give in to our desires. On the feet of the Devil are a man and a woman, who seem to be chained but their chains are loose, which shows that they are prisoners as long as they don’t try to break free. The man and the woman also have tails, which represents their animalistic instincts, and they have horns, which shows that they are becoming similar to the devil himself.
Pluto in Religion
In spiritual terms, Pluto represents the power of life and the liberation of material conditionings and attachments in order to achieve divine connection. This power or force is also known as Kundalini, energy in the form of a cord or a serpent. The Kundalini or Adi Shakti Kundalini is an ancient power that is known especially in Hinduism and Buddhism, as it represents divine feminine energy, the ultimate life force, or inner fire.
According to ancient knowledge, the Kundalini is the Divine Mother in us, and it is she who brings us the Kingdom of God. She is full of kindness and is the source of all love, compassion, and forgiveness. Thus, the Kundalini is the wish of God in us, that wish is pure divine love, and the power that arises with the awakening of the Kundalini is what connects the soul to the holy spirit. That moment of connection is called Self Realization.
In an alternative interpretation to the story in the Old Testament, the serpent who offered the forbidden fruit to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was the ancient Divine Mother in the form of the Kundalini and the forbidden fruit was the key to self-realization which represents the power to see the divine truth and the possibility of breaking free of the inherent cycle of life and death.
