If we witness the horrors that exist in life, we are endlessly changed by our traumatic experience. The events may be so overwhelming that it impacts both psychological and biological coping mechanisms. We numb our feelings by hitting the emotional off-switch, and the psyche’s way of coping is to shut-down. Plus it can be difficult to integrate such an experience, and at times it is much easier to disassociate, withdraw, hide and take cover. 

Pluto describes soul-growth and transformational periods in a person’s life, and if we refuse to deal with an ordeal we may miss out on the opening for healing. Generally “transformational” experiences come about after some kind of symbolic death. The experience of loss, divorce, death of a loved one, rape and abuse are all examples of these kinds of events. Sometimes victims of trauma develop a “get them before they get you” attitude”, and does this remind you of Pluto? Long after the experience of trauma we still go to war with our psychological monsters. Pluto rules paranoia, distrust and suspicion and the panic alarm keeps ringing even when there is no present danger.

I believe Plutonian experiences that are triggered natally or by transit can be compared to PTSD, and sometimes the real response to such events are delayed, until the person becomes possessed by an image or event. Psychic trauma involves intense personal suffering, and we can suffer flashbacks like those experienced by war veterans. An individual may continue to live in the emotional environment of the traumatic event, and they may even become fixated on what happened. The traumatized carry an impossible history within them, and it can pull them into destructive patterns of behaviour. Typical childhood experiences of the Plutonian can force him to take back his lost power.

The Plutonian wounded by life can still be raging over their abduction into the underworld, and remain in the shadow of that experience. Liz Greene views Pluto as our fate, and his law was final and absolute and could not be overturned. Though, the psychological damage resulting from uncontrollable, terrifying life events is what we have to learn to survive after it has long happened. We have two choices in this life we can continue to mourn the loss of our old selves, and remain frozen and powerless, or else we can choose life and take back our power. Trauma can check out all of our emotions and leave us feeling emotionally bankrupt (8th) and despite our trauma’s we are not “damaged goods”, but we might have to dig and delve to find ourselves again, and what our destiny is, and then find our way out again and experience the fullness of LIFE.

LIFE-DEATH-REBIRTH.................