Of course, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are relatively recent additions to astrological lore. Before their discoveries, astrologers assigned membership of Aquarius/11th house, Pisces/12th house, and Scorpio/8th house to Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, respectively. Some astrologers still observe these classifications, particularly in horary and electional work. But when you’re used to looking at things through a Plutonian lens, it’s almost impossible to stop; it’s like the NYC security guards you mentioned in your Thursday Thirteen entry (readers: follow Nancy’s website link from her comment): they’re seeing the world through post 9/11 eyes, and there’s no going back.

Pluto’s discovery was made at around the same time as the splitting of the atom, when violence and aggression took a leap beyond the bloody, but simple and comparatively individual experience symbolized by Mars. Mastering the psychological forces that compel us to violence became a collective responsibility, because the consequences of failing to do so are also shared. Pluto serves as an eloquent astrological symbol for this collective process.

Of course, as Einstein said, “It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.” Maybe the attempt to declassify Pluto is the collective unconscious attempting to reverse progress and move to a psychologically simpler, less threatening time. But we’ve looked into the abyss, and it’s changed us… no matter what we call Pluto.