You Say You Want a Revolution? Pluto Enters Its Age of Aquarius Until 2044
By Krista Roman
The last time Pluto transited Aquarius was between the years of 1777 to 1798. Those transformational two decades brought forth the American Revolution, the French Revolution and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This timespan also encompassed The Age of Enlightenment.
Pluto, a planet known for its ability to completely dismantle the status quo, will journey through the progressive sign of Aquarius through 2044, promising to deliver a radical rebirth of the world as we know it.
When The Beatles sang the words “You say you want a Revolution?” it’s natural to imagine this is exactly the sort of astrological alignment they were envisioning.
As Pluto reacquaints itself with forward-thinking Aquarius for the next generation, rapid advancements in technology and the rearrangement of societal structures is nearly guaranteed. Social paradigms will shift. Humanitarian causes will become paramount. Rules will be broken to make way for the new order of the Universe.
It is often said that those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it. With Pluto requiring roughly 248 years to complete its odyssey through the wheel of the Zodiac, let’s explore a few of its previous transits in Aquarius throughout the millennia:
795-819. English theologian, Alcuin, establishes a liberal arts university under Charlemagne (who is crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800). This expands knowledge and creates a renaissance in the realms of art, music, and architecture.
1041-1063. With Pluto in Aquarius at the dawn of the second millennium, many churches are built in England including the famed Westminster Abbey. Movable printing type is invented in China, and Christianity is divided between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
1532-1553. Protestants and Catholics are at odds as Henry VIII breaks from Rome to marry Anne Boleyn and establishes the Church of England. In France, John Calvin starts the Protestant Reformation. Copernicus publishes Of the Revolution of Celestial Bodies, which posits a heliocentric theory of the solar system, much to the dismay of the Pope. The predictions of Nostradamus are recorded in France while the transatlantic slave trade begins in Africa.
1777-1798. The Enlightenment is at its zenith as Pluto most recently transited Aquarius. The American Revolution occurs and the United States Constitution is established, followed by the Bill of Rights. In France, their own Revolution takes place as the monarchy is overthrown with the abolition of the feudal system and the declaration of the ‘Rights of Man.’ The radical Reign of Terror cements its stain on history. The Industrial Revolution sees steam power revolutionize transportation and the textile industry. Invention is rampant with creations such as the first hot air balloon taking flight. Classical music is composed from genius artists such as Beethoven.
As we welcome Pluto in Aquarius into the third millennium, we expect technology to transform our very existence— but it may provide a wrecking ball of a different sort. This evolution could be far different than what we are currently imagining.
Aquarius asks you to look ahead but in a way that hasn’t been done before. Irreverent and stubbornly unique (if only for the sake of being different), the water bearer has a reputation for surprises. We may discover that these years ahead bring about a complete rejection of technocracy rather than its explosive propulsion into foreign terrain. As history has documented, Aquarians are far more likely to rise against dehumanization and overthrow any sort of corruption of power. The people will ultimately reign supreme and the revolution will not be televised— podcasted? Probably.