Ok, thansk for the facts on Pluto.. It still didn't make my origianl question any clearer
Hi Northernstar,
If you had posted your query regarding Pluto in the MODERN Astrology section, some replies you have recived would not have been allowed.
As you didn't, I feel that you are entitled to a reply by those of us who do consider Pluto a major part of astro. symbolism.
I can't see from the replies an answer to your query, quote:
I understand the optical illusion-explanation. What I find harder to swallow is the fact that the ephemeris list the APPARENT location of the planets as they appear to move backwards. I always believed the degrees listed were hard facts.
You are rightly querying one of the most subtle effects of astrological interpretation.
Now that you understand that planets do not go backwards, as well as the theory behind retrogradation, does it make the 'optical illusion' easier to perceive?
If you remember that astrology is based upon and practised from the view of planets
as seen from Earth, their background cloth of the zodiac degrees places them according to Earth's own position at any given time. This is what the ephemeris shows. The outer planets spend more time retrograde than direct because of their distance from the sun that creates the phenomenon, yet every planet undergoes retrograde motion according to its speed of motion in relationship to that of Earth. (Thinking of runners in the lanes on a circular track can help.
)
Which means...?
That we should not fear Pluto's power in our charts after all?
The 'fear' towards Pluto's meaning in a chart depends upon the person's idea towards what its reputation signifies. Within a normal life span no one gets by without it affecting chart positions in one way or another. One man's meat is the other man's poison, as the saying goes. Personally, I believe that Pluto in its modern rulership of Scorpio goes beyond the meaning of Mars' rulership of the same sign.
For instance, Pluto is now crossing my DC, was 0 degrees March 11th, at 19 degrees Cap, and moving on. In May/june it apparently is retrograding, exactly hitting my DC once again. ..................
I kind of feel relieved that Pluto is not actually hitting my DC thrice after all?? (Is that a sound argument?)
You are lucky that it actually stations (direct/retrograde) on 19* Capricorn, meaning it doesn't go through 2 separate passes of the degree! It crosses 19* Cap. directly again in Jan. 2018, is in the retrograde position from July-Sept., and makes its final direct pass towards the end of 2018.
You could say that the retrograde position indicates a period of introspection, or, 'how am I feeling about this situation that is occuring?'
A first pass is usually indicative of 'the situation at hand', the first retrograde period of either dismissing or acknowledging its existence. Second direct motion brings about a further development of the 1st stage, which through retrograde motion also has to be either dismissed or acknowledged. The final pass sees the result of the preceeding period in its totality. Pluto will bring about a time of transition into a future because it gets rid of that which is no longer of a necessity to it.
Many say that they can feel the effect of a Pluto transit up to 5* degrees before it actually occurs. Many don't use and consider the effect of other major transits and progressions which may offer the real reasons towards forthcoming change.
1-1.30* degrees applying and separating from exactitude is the usual norm for a transit. This would suggest that Pluto's influence upon a Desc. on 19* was occuring whilst still in the 6th house, which it then 'carries' into the 7th house.
Hope this may make things a little clearer for you.