One of the most common keywords describing Pluto is transformation. When I think of transformation I can’t help but imagine shards of light breaking through an individual at the time when a permanent and rewarding change is happening. In the book - Relating by Liz Greene she refers to a Pluto mythologem where the king must descend beneath the earth, to consummate a union, and at the moment of ecstasy, he dies, and is torn to pieces and devoured by the dark woman with whom he has united. Astrologically Pluto transits can change our lives significantly, but then again transformation is a Pluto word and it’s much bigger than change. Even so, no human being can progress without change, and under difficult transits of Pluto there may be a necessity for change and alteration in personality and character.

Sometimes the process of transformation involves undertaking a journey into the underworld, and this may involve the darker aspects of life and psychological being. The return to the upper world suggests renewal and transformation has taken place. But does meeting trauma naturally lead to growth and development? Pluto is the “giver of wealth and involves some final letting go, and moving on. By entering "The Dark Night of the Soul" and journeying to the very depths – a journey which is inevitability painful, for it forces us to confront our psychological complexes. Pluto challenges us to penetrate our being until we find renewed strength, but through-out this process we are left emotional, vulnerable and exposed and enduring an intolerable amount of pain. Yet these are the characteristics believed to be present when a transformation is imminent.

Pluto sweeps everything clean and when the whole thing is removed it offers us the chance of starting a new life. Pluto says “Let’s get rid of it all and start all over”. Matters involving Pluto’s natal house and aspects become too intense and passionate because it usually matters so much. Pluto needs to merge and uniting our energy fully (not superficially) is an important part of the process. Deep impenetrable changes cannot really happen in Pluto’s house unless we really want them. We need to feel an urgent desire behind the need for transformation, and sometimes it takes a massive trauma and underground eruption to bring us to such a turning point, crisis and resolve?

Pluto is associated with the extremes of life, death power, and sex. The process of life, death and rebirth is the ultimate transformation. In death our body decays and soul emerges from it, and soars above the material world. Pluto represents the deeper will at work in all of us; there is a sense that we are freed from one form into a new life. The positive aspect of Pluto’s transformation is living a more deeper and enriched life. Pluto is a fixed planet and is focused, intense and determined and changes are lasting and profound. There might be a quality of depth that is needed beyond superficial layers, bringing a new stage of life. Something about our former lives will change, and we draw upon latent abilities that have always been present all along but were undeveloped, hidden from view, and repressed. Pluto represents the area where we are blocked, and need to be freed by developing a new attitude and relinquishing old structures. Pluto can feel like some kind of fate, and make us believe that we are stuck in an inevitable situation with no way out, when it fact, Pluto is the bearer of transformation, and is saying that it’s time for change.