Plutocracy - The Progression of Power

Welcome back (again) to Plutocracy - The Progression of Power! As we shared earlier, we are revisiting this series that began last year in the hopes of, well, actually finishing it. 2025 has been a whole thing and sometimes we just need to extend ourselves grace.

On November 19, 2024, Pluto left Capricorn for good (well, at least in our lifetime on this marble) and moved into Aquarius, where it will remain until January 18, 2044. Yup, we’ll be in this sign for 20 years. 1 down, 19 to go.

Let’s look back at the first installment of this series and see how the predictions have held up (or not) over the past year!

Starting with the basics, Aquarius is represented by the Water Bearer, but despite that hydric association, it’s actually an Air sign. However, it often does feel like the wateriest Air sign you’ll ever meet!

Aquarius is a fixed sign, sitting between cardinal Capricorn and mutable Pisces. It is associated with the 11th House of dreams, goals, friend groups, and community in a natal chart, and the masses, legislative branch, and organizations in mundane astrology. However, this can also be a house of “mob mentality” and unrealistic idealism that can lead to revolutions and upheaval, something we definitely explore in this series!

Aquarius is co-ruled by restrictive Saturn (traditional) and unconventional Uranus (modern), a true study in dualities. Saturn is considered a malefic and referred to as “the hard taskmaster”. In its best expression, it can give us the structure and discipline to achieve our goals. However, its shadow side is constricting, controlling, and beholden to convention. There is a fine line between the maturity of restraint and the psychopathy of dominance. 

If you’ve looked closely at our logo, you’ll see that Uranus is a planet we are particularly fond of. Uranus rules electricity, invention, and those “eureka” moments, but it can also be a planet of rebellion, unafraid of using force to achieve its egalitarian ideals. This can give Aquarius a reputation for being detached, unemotional, and “out there”, although like the Sphinx, their emotions are simply processed more logically than others. This can be both a blessing and a curse, as they can justify their actions regardless of the harm inflicted so long as “it makes sense”.

These two planets may seem like unlikely partners in rulership, but they share one thing in common: an unwavering commitment to doing it “their way”. For Saturn, that means following a hierarchy and everyone “knowing their place”. For Uranus, that means tearing down the powers that be and redistributing authority amongst the people. Good times!

This opposition between restriction and freedom, convention and invention, conformity and rebellion will play out over and over again in these transits. Saturn is also the ruler of Capricorn, the sign that Pluto has now left, so expect to see a continuation of many of the themes we experienced over the past 16 years, even as we struggle to reinvent society.

Speaking of opposition, each zodiac sign works against the themes of its opposing sign, creating a tug-o-war ying-yang battle. In the case of “power to the people” Aquarius, our opponent is regal Leo, the sign of kings and potentially dictators. It’s a conflict of the “royal We” versus “We, the People” as humanity continues to examine its relationship to power and hierarchy.

It’s no coincidence that many older authority figures still at the helm during a Pluto in Capricorn to Aquarius transition are themselves members of the Pluto in Leo generation (1939-1956). Their time of wielding power and influence is drawing to a close, yet many cling to their perceived crowns. Others have worked to ensure a peaceful line of succession, putting the good of the realm above their own mortal desires. Unfortunately, that means the megalomaniacal menaces are now the ones with the loudest voices. Well, at least for the time being.

UPDATE: Holy bananaballs… was this ever on point! The struggle between freedom and restriction has been real AF and that has been especially true from the shenanigans coming out of Congress. With Saturn in Pisces, the structures we have relied upon has disintegrated - SCOTUS, social safety net programs, USAID, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, DOJ/FBI, etc. We have had to take a long hard look at what it means to be in community. Do we segregate ourselves into an echo chamber or do we do the hard work of building connections where they may not seem obvious? And as for the dictator nonsense, well… we fucking told you so. Hell, THEY told you so! They wrote a book about it. He even said he would be a dictator. “It was a joke,” my ass. Elections have consequences and this is what we get when too many folks remain disengaged. Moving on…