The Mars transit over my natal Pluto provided the perfect opportunity for me to complete reading Into the Darkest Corner: A Novel (classically one of the aspects associated with abuse, violence, jealousy and control). The book may easily be classified as one of those Pluto taboo issues that we want to ignore in order to maintain our illusions. The statistics are shocking: 75 women are raped in the United States every hour, and a woman is battered every few seconds, according to the latest figures.
Synopsis: “Catherine has been living the single life for a long enough period of time to recognise a good catch when she sees one.” Lee appears to be almost too wonderful to be true: he is handsome, charming, and spontaneous. Her companions, too, are plainly under his charm, as each of them falls under his sway in turn. Lee, on the other hand, has a more sinister side. With his unpredictable, dominating, and at times terrifying behaviour, Catherine has been increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. She has been driven to the most dangerous part of her world, and she has no one to rely on except herself. She has meticulously planned her escape. Four years later, Catherine is still battling to conquer her problems, but she has begun to feel that she may be safe from harm. Until one phone call alters the course of events. ‘This is an edgy and compelling debut novel, absolutely realistic in its depiction of obsession, and a tour de force of suspense,’ says the author.
The novel is comparable to the film, Sleeping with the Enemy, with the exception that the theatre instructor is replaced with an equally adorable psychologist as the new love interest, and the plot follows a similar path to the film. The plot revolved around the difficulty of moving on to a new romance because the past usually has repercussions on new relationships, and in this type of situation, it frequently involves the woman’s low self-esteem and fear of trusting someone again after having been so badly hurt in the previous one.
The book’s third chapter introduces some of Catherine’s friends whom you will come to despise, and it seems like the ultimate betrayal to tell close friends what has occurred in terms of the control and abuse and then have them accuse you of being dramatic. There is a great deal of sex and violence in the novel, thanks to the influence of Mars and Plut (my transit), which can make for unpleasant reading at times. The female lead is usually seen out having a good time, drinking excessively, and bringing men home. Several chapters later in the novel, her older self recalls that period as being thoughtless and naive, and she has gained a great deal of wisdom since then, which is generally one of the most essential lessons that Pluto imparts to us all. As every woman struggles to make the tough journey from innocence to womanhood, the myth of Persephone looms large in the backdrop, almost as if it were the most difficult test we could possibly face in life.
The trauma of the connection resulted in Catherine developing OCD, which manifested itself in an extreme manner in which she would check all of the locks and bolts on the door repeatedly, nearly mimicking Lee’s hypervigilance over the relationship. Survival, power, and weakness are all aspects of the horoscope that are controlled by Pluto. Obsession and compulsion are also ruled by this planet. We get a vague idea of what this man is actually capable of at the opening of the narrative, which makes it all the more horrifying when this young, happy-go-lucky lady begins dating him.
We are completely aware of the situation she has found herself in, and we know that it will be difficult for her to get out of. Toward the beginning of the book, she inquires as to whether he is a good man or a bad man, to which he responds: “Well, that depends on whether you are a good girl or a bad girl.” By making that declaration, he demonstrates his commitment to his words, and the green-eyed monster commits his most heinous acts under the all-pervasive influence of this all-powerful force when he believes Catherine has betrayed him.
A person’s jealousy and control are rooted in the fears of desertion, early humiliation, the prospect of losing a meaningful connection, and the need to maintain the tie, which are all represented by Pluto’s keywords. Abnormal jealousy results in hatred, poor self-esteem, despair, suicide, violence, and domestic abuse, among other negative consequences. When it comes to astrology, Pluto represents all that is dangerously out of control, and an abusive spouse is comparable to a hurricane: dangerous, powerful, and unstoppable in its path and outcome.
There were a few instances reading this book wherein I suddenly got hyper-alert and swear I saw a shadow move in the corner of my eye, which I attribute to the author creating paranoia (Pluto) in the reader throughout the novel. It is a fantastic thriller and page-turner, and it tells two storylines at the same time, almost as if they are being told by two distinct characters. Since the incident, Catherine has grown two personalities: the younger, innocent version of herself and the older, wiser, and more powerful counterpart that has formed since the attack. It entails a significant shift in her personality and metamorphosis, as well as the necessity of starting over and rebuilding her life from the ground up (Pluto).
The old Catherine died on the floor during one of the most recent brutal attacks, and the new Catherine emerged from the ashes with greater strength, determination, self-esteem, and personal power. We continue to suffer alongside her until she reaches this tipping point and refuses to be terrified of him anymore, so regaining her power. As with all excellent Pluto stories, there is a final reckoning in the conclusion.
It is difficult to pinpoint which components of the natal chart and transits are inclined to fall into aggressive, abusive, jealous, and obsessive relationships, but there are certain indicators. In most cases, transits serve as clocks for when these types of events are likely to occur for a person. The aspects are often Sun-Pluto, Moon-Pluto, Venus-Pluto, Mars-Pluto, Pluto in the 5th or 7th house, planets in Scorpio, and planets in the 8th house, without exception.
Psychology argues that these partnerships do not just happen and that there is a conscious decision involved, which means that whatever motivates the individual’s choice of partner is communicating something about their romantic image to them. As a significator of the female psyche and relationship aspects, Pluto provides us with the key to understanding why women fall in love with a particular sort of gentleman.
Psychiatrists firmly believe that jealous people have more traumatic experiences, are more damaged, and have memories that hold a tremendous deal of emotional energy. These memories are often reliving childhood traumas, and they have had previous experiences of jealousy, loss of love, and catastrophe. If you take a psychodynamic perspective to jealousy, you believe that the unconscious forces (Scorpio, the 8th house, and Pluto) are at work. Assuming, therefore, that people have an active (even if unwitting) role in the development of these sorts of interactions and circumstances.
In other cases, jealousy may be beneficial, as it can infuse energy and passion into a relationship, demonstrating that we do not take the other for granted and that we desire the individual while being dedicated to the partnership. It becomes an issue when the jealousy is of an unhealthy nature and has the potential to ruin everything.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, the Jealous Type is as follows:
When the central theme of the person’s delusion is that his or her spouse or lover is unfaithful. This belief is arrived at without due cause and is based on incorrect inference supported by small bits of “evidence” (e.g disarrayed clothing or spots on the sheets), which are collected and used to justify the delusion. The individual with the delusion usually confronts the spouse or lover and attempts to intervene in the imagined infidelity (e.g. restricting the spouse’s automy, secretly following the spouse, investigating the imagined lover, attacking the spouse.