PLANETARY ENERGIES

So Pluto is slowing right down for its station and shift retrograde in early April, and as it does so the Bear Stearns bank collapses, the markets tumble, and we see major jitters in the financial world. Welcome to the revolution of capitalism represented by Pluto in Capricorn.

But on a more frivolous note, here are some thoughts from the last newsletter on Pluto in Cap and fashion and food. Followed by some musings on the world role of Cuba over the coming decade.

Here’s an I-told-you-so moment. Remember a while back I said Pluto in Capricorn was going to mean a shift in fashion from anything-goes, boho-chic towards more adult, structured, practical, and smart clothing. Here’s a recent quote from the Guardian: “There’s a new mood on the high street, says Imogen Fox. And it heralds a welcome return to sophisticated, sensibly priced clothes for grown-ups.” Perfect Pluto in Cap!

The key here is to remember that Saturn rules Cap, and Pluto rules Scorpio, so try combining all these flavors (as if cooking with astrological symbols) and see what kind of dish you get. Certainly sensible and nourishing, but nonetheless slightly prestigious food. This is grown-up British nursery food with rich, deep tastes: curried parsnip soup, home-cooked steak and vegetable pie, apple and blackcurrant tart, Stilton and grapes.

And then if the dish became a mood, we find we’re talking businesslike, perceptive, and thinking for the long-term. It’s not necessarily flashy, but it is meaningful and intelligent, paring down the unnecessary and getting things done. Everyone I’ve known with a strong Cap/Scorpio combination in their chart is successful in their chosen career, and usually well off. They’re not always easy to deal with, but they know what matters. Pluto is going to shake up the places Cap gets stuck, especially when it gets caught in materialism, but it is also going to flavor this era with the Capricorn strengths of practicality, common sense, and good management.

Along these lines, I think we’re going to see Cuba become an inspiration to the rest of the world in terms of sustainability and low-impact living. Over the coming decade I think our collective attitude is going to radically change towards this country. Not surprisingly, Cuba’s 1902 national chart (Independence 20 May 1902) shows a Scorpio Moon and Saturn dignified in Capricorn (interestingly, conjunct the US Pluto). The other chart we can use for Cuba, the 1898 Treaty of Paris chart, also has a Scorpio Moon, and Mercury in Capricorn.