Jeffrey: On Wednesday, April 27, we have strong Pluto energy going on. We both have Sun making a 120 degree angle—a “trine”—to Pluto from Taurus and we also have Venus making a 90 degree angle—a “square”—to Pluto from Aries.
Michelle: Let’s start with Venus square Pluto, because we may find the solution to Venus square Pluto in the trine from Pluto to the Sun. Venus in Aries is cardinal fire energy, and it is squaring Pluto retrograde in Capricorn, which is cardinal earth energy. For people who are new to astrology, a square aspect is just a 90 degree angle between two planets, and it often sets up at kind of dynamic whereby you didn’t see something coming at you, almost as if two cars arrived at 90 degree angle at an intersection, and one of them goes through the light. There is this potential of an “out of nowhere” collision. Because we are talking about Venus in Aries—which is new energy, and Venus is about relationship—for some people this could represent someone new coming into your life whether as a romantic partner or perhaps a work colleague, and you get far more than you bargain for. It may appear so you don’t see eye-to-eye, which is often how that square aspect feels like, or someone just rubs you the wrong way. What is really going on there is a need for both people involved to really look within, since Venus in Aries and Pluto retrograde both support being able to look at self. If you look within, you can get to the root of the block because chances are it’s internal. It is actually coming from you, and if you are willing, you could ask yourself, “Where is this block really coming from? Why am I not wanting to relate to this person and yet I find that I have to because they are in my face?” You may come up with a solution that you had not thought of before or you may have some kind of an “Ah-ha!” moment that would not have occurred if this so-and-so hadn’t been irritating the heck out of you in the first place.
Jeffrey: I associate Venus-Pluto connections with obsession and driven desire and compulsive love—just being totally taken over by the thought of somebody. There is also a lot about power, domination and control. Just becoming so enamored with somebody that you literally feel consumed by the thought of them, whether it’s more on an emotional romantic level or more on the sexual, sensual desire level. Not being able to let go. This could depend on some degree on gender, whether it’s out there or in your own fantasy world, because Venus-Pluto is the archetype of the femme fatale, that mysterious woman who will ultimately bring you down. It can be a woman getting in touch with her own sexual power, her ability to elicit desire in others. It could be a straight man being totally obsessed with a female—many variations on that theme.
Michelle: Wherever Pluto shows up reveals where we tend to do a lot of obsessing, so that’s a really good point. The thing is, if we put Venus and Pluto together with the square aspect, it forces some kind of shift, because somebody’s going to have to give ground and that is not an easy thing for Venus in Aries to do. Remember, we are talking about the sign of, “It’s my way or highway,” bumping into Pluto which is the same kind of deal, “Yeah? Well it’s my way or the highway!” Probably in Pluto’s case, it’s, “My way or the low way.” Some kind of shift or transformation is required in order to deal effectively with that 90 degree aspect.
The Solution to the Square
We look for the solution and we are presented with one through a lovely trine. Yes, Pluto is squaring Venus, but Pluto is also trining the Sun.
A trine is an angle of 120 degrees. For our readers who are new to astrology, think of the triangle, its easy flowing energy. The trine offers some kind of creative outlet for the tension that you may feel with the Venus square Pluto.
Jeffrey: Sun in Taurus trine Pluto is definitely a smoother, “earthier” energy, since both planets are in Earth signs. I associate Sun-Pluto with a sense of more personal or ego power, feeling that your sense of purpose or will is being driven by this deep energy that gives you the ability to literally move through any obstacle, just because Pluto is like a bulldozer…
Michelle: You know that is true, that’s a good image for Pluto, it can be a bulldozer. Astrologers love to talk about how Pluto will completely regenerate you and transform you, and it will! But after it’s kind of pummeled you into powder and your molecules had been rearranged—”Yeah! Low and behold, you’re a new person!”—it’s a really tough energy, but when you have a trine, it certainly makes the ride much more graceful.
Jeffrey: So what would you suggest to someone who finds herself in some interaction where some degree of power struggle or compulsive obsessive energy enters a relationship … how to take that energy and express it through the Sun in Taurus?
Michelle: The Sun in Taurus helps to slow things down a little bit. We still have five planets in Aries—that is why currently people are feeling like time is ridiculously fast and they can’t slow down. The Sun in Taurus helps put the brakes on some of that. The nice thing about having the Sun in Taurus making this trine to Pluto is that it helps you slow down for a moment and ask yourself, “How important is this for me? Do I need to truly dig my heels in over this?” Taurus is earth energy, it’s also fixed energy, so people with the Taurus persuasion, I’m sure you can identify with the fact that once you get fixated on something, you stick with it, right? I like the slowness of this, the Sun in Taurus, it offers the chance to reconnect with the body—which doesn’t lie—and say, “How important is this power struggle to me? Do I need to win this? Is this really the thing that I need to stake my claim on, or can I move on? Can I regenerate myself from this?”
Jeffrey: One can opt out of that more egocentric Venus in Aries square Pluto energy and go, “How do I value my energy? Where do I really want to fight the fight? This might not necessarily be the fight that I want.” Or it could be, “Now I have the endurance to actually [work through this] and see how it ends.”
Michelle: That’s a good point. Endurance is a very strong thing with the Sun trine Pluto. I mean we are talking about self-regeneration to some extent because the Sun, just like Aries, is about Self. Mind you, I tend to say that Self with a capital ‘S’ when we are talking about the Sun. I think of the Sun as where our highest beings can show up for us. How about you, Jeff?
Jeffrey: The big ‘S’ and the little ‘s’ issue?
Michelle: Yes.
The ‘S’ in Self
Jeffrey: I see the Sun as our ultimate expression of our sense of purpose in life, you know … the hero’s journey. As much as some Sun sign astrology has a negative connotation to it, the Sun is the center of the solar system and it is the center of our being. It’s what we have to live out in order to feel satisfied; you can’t just ignore it. If you are not living out your Sun’s purpose through its sign, its house and its aspects, then you are not going to feel a sense of meaning and purpose in your life. So if that’s what you mean by big ‘S’ in Self … yeah!
Michelle: Yes. That ‘s what I mean. I think of the Sun as pointing to the most radiant part of your being, where the most beautiful potential can come shining through. And that’s another reason that it drives me bats, that people like to diminish Sun sign astrology. No it’s not the absolute answer to everything, but remembering that the Sun is our life-giving star, it’s really silly to dismiss.
What I really do like about having the Sun in this fixed Taurus earthy energy trining Pluto is that, if you want to ground yourself, if you have been finding that life is moving faster than the speed of light with all this Aries energy, here’s your moment to just reconnect, reconnect with yourself, reconnect with the earth if that helps you get grounded again. If you have been trying to affix a situation into place, now is your chance. If you are trying to rejuvenate your relationship you have with yourself, seeing as we are talking about Self, whether with a little ‘s’ or a big ‘S’—Sun trine Pluto is a really nice energy to do that.
What else do I like about Sun trine Pluto? Concentration. You’ve got a lot of tasks that require you to stay focused for long stretches of time. Sun in Taurus trine Pluto in Capricorn helps counteract that kind of ADD effect of all the other Aries energy going on.