The underworld is ruled by Pluto, and it is often the place that we are “psychologically” dragged to hell. Astrologically the planet rules the bowels of the earth, and so it deals with our innards, guts, and takes a long, dark, intense look at our insides. Many Pluto experiences have been described as the devil and hell rolled into one. Saturn is also another planet associated with Satan, both have to do with man’s desires, lusts, cravings, and rules over the things that we keep suppressed and denied. Both planets have a relationship with the human shadow. Saturn and Pluto rule over our deepest emotional fears, and we desperately try to keep a lid on these aspects of ourselves in case of rejection. Pluto can represent all the things we stuff into a black box and label it: secret, private, frightening, or painful.
The goal of a Pluto experience is to cross a threshold into a new resurrected life. We let go of our old selves and transform into something new. Through Pluto experiences, we face the darkness of the soul, and it challenges us to confront a part of our own nature. Hell is thought to be a place of purification, and this makes sense when we understand the meaning of Pluto in the astrological chart. It involves opening up old wounds, healing, and when the desire to no longer suffer becomes powerful enough. The fire continuously burns, issues are forced, people are confronted; secrets are revealed.
During a Pluto phase, the planet demands a lot from us. This is why Pluto is psychologically, physically and mentally exhausting – or to use my favorite term since Pluto rules the 8th house of taxes – Pluto is taxing on us. It will plunge us into the darkest experiences and we will come out the other side a little different from when we went in…