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Thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, we now know that Pluto has three moons:
Charon (which it rotates with rather in the fashion of a binary star), Nix and Hydra
(photo credit: NASA, JPL, HST Pluto Companion Search Team, 2005)
Facies is a point in our sky which has a not-so-nice reputation. And there’s no doubt but that this year’s Pluto conjunction of fixed star Facies has brought out many things in many people. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen people enjoy acting so badly. I've also never known of so many people dealing with so many complicated problems which at this point really just have to be dealt with!
Of course there’s been the personal level of Pluto-Facies and the more global effects. War, social strife, economic or natural upheavals...they all strike me as very Pluto-Facies.
I don’t know anyone who hasn’t faced some sort of pronounced personal challenge this year. It's been tough. And yet, if we meet our challenges and through that learn more about who we are, I can only hope this will mean better things and better times for all of us moving forward.
Do hard times have to come? I tend to think yes. They may be individual they may be societal. Whatever they are, they seem to be how life causes us to learn about ourselves as people and for the unique potentials we each hold. Perhaps part of the reason the generation which came to adulthood in the 1920’s and 30’s is known (in America at least) as ‘the greatest generation’ is because this group of people (and not just in the United States) went through so much. First came a wave of economic world-wide recessions and depressions in the late 20s and early 30s. Then came World War II - which was a disaster no matter where you lived or what side you were on.
In weathering terrible difficulties, people learn how to weather difficulties. And in getting past huge challenges, they become far less daunted by lesser challenges. That seems a cycle in human life and times, and if you look at the etchings of history, one of those cycles indeed seems to come every 240-plus years or so as Pluto conjuncts Facies.
But no, it isn't simple. Pluto conjunct Facies is about anything and everything which gets a response out of us. That can come from within...or through provocations or problems with others. Or the environment. Or the seeming winds of fate. With Facies involved and Facies being a nebula, whatever happens involves ‘a lot of separate things’...which together usually tie us up in knots.
So this year hasn’t been easy. But it probably wasn’t meant to be easy. If life wants us to learn, life is going to throw at us whatever we need to experience. And as one thing leads to another and complications build, first we grow more fractious and more defensive-aggressive.
Then we figure it out. Back when I used to do tech support and teach people production accounting software, I'd warn newbees that until they got to the point that they wanted to throw 'that fool computer' out the window, they probably hadn't reach that point when it all would gel.
Nobody threw a computer out the window (that I know of) on my watch.
So we all see more, we're all forced through exposure to experience more. Through having to take the good with bad and the 'what we don't like' with what we do like, we eventually come to something which will stand us – and others – in good stead.
That's the theory of the process.
If you're standing on Earth and looking up at the night sky without a good telescope,
M22 (Messier 22, otherwise known as Facies) looks like a single star - which this
photograph reveals as hardly the truth of it. But it's an interesting thought...something
we think of one which has a myriad of 'little pieces' or factors we have to sort through,
understand and think through if we're to affect the greater 'whole.' The difficulty of this
is probably part of why Facies has gotten such a nasty reputation in astrological
terms - but that doesn't mean we should give up!
(photo credit: Hewholooks, June 2009)
Pluto began its build-up to this year of Pluto/Facies conjunction starting back in 2009. And now, as Pluto sits in conjunction with Facies for a full month we will be challenged to gain, hold and learn from a greater perspective on others, on life…and most of all on ourselves.
Is this beyond your ability? Probably not. But beyond your willingness? Maybe so.
That’s the Pluto/Facies test.
The date of exactitude with regards to this conjunction is December 7th…an echo of the same date in 1941 which in American history ‘will live in infamy’ as the day when American was summoned to join WWII.
Here in 2012, this conjunction at 8 Capricorn will have Europa and Nemesis just ahead and Medusa somewhat behind. Since Europa is ‘getting carried away’ and Nemesis is ‘standing up for the unpopular thing’ it may be easy to overstep our boundaries.
Then again, with Medusa at 0 Capricorn this seems a time when we need to face things. Particularly things which we would like to ‘put behind us’ which for whatever reason refuse to go away.
The key to how to handle matters probably comes from Saturn, which at 7 Scorpio is in a near-perfect sextile to the conjunction. There would seem to be an opportunity to move ahead now, and communication is required. But it’s important that we don’t just say what we think someone else wants to hear, as that will surely backfire. Reaching out is favored now, provided we take the aims, needs and feelings of others into account. Basically, if we respect and care about them, they’ll respect and care about us.
And if they don’t, what you’re likely to see is the dark side of their Pluto-Facies nature. You may not want to see that, but maybe you should. This is in keeping with the idea that Saturn in Scorpio always asks us to face our ‘social fears,’ but don’t think in limited terms here.
Also, given that Pluto symbolizes such formative and powerful life experiences, a special shout-out goes to those who have birthdays during this month-long (November 22nd – December 22nd) period, as well. Your solar chart is going to have Pluto-conjunct-Facies in it. That makes your ‘birthday year’ 2012-2013 a very important and powerful time. I hope you’ll make the best and most positive use of it!
(On yes…the same comment applies to those whose birthdays fall between December 24 and January 3rd. Why? Because your natal Sun conjuncts Facies. So 2012 has been a year of challenges and changes and 2012-2013 will continue that trend.)
M22 (which we know as Facies) is positioned 'just offshore' from the main body of
the constellation Sagittarius
(sky chart for December 7, 2012 generated using Stellarium software)
Since Pluto has a 248.09 year orbital cycle, we’re not going to see this transit come by again during our lifetime.
Well…except for a few days during 2013 when Pluto will retrograde back into 8 Capricorn. That period starts on September 14th. Then Pluto will take its station at 8 Capricorn and go direct there on September 20th, after which it will finally exit the degree on September 26th.
Does this mean that things of this moment will ‘echo’ back to us next September? They can, yes. But for those who set out on a resolute path to sort and deal with the ‘many parts’ of whatever their challenge is, this November/December 2012 though September 2013 period may well outline the period of time it will take to get new things moving, reorganized and into gear.
This is hardly what I wanted to post on Thanksgiving Day, but the job of a metaphysician is not always jolly. To all those celebrating today, as a fellow American I wish you and yours all the fulfilling best. To everyone regardless of where you live or what your day will be occupied doing, I wish you insight and perseverance.
May we all learn to grow more peacefully.
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