Here’s Pluto’s boatman and the representative of consciousness. ‘Charon and Psyche’ by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope 1882 {{PD}}

A little weekend reading for you, a sample from my latest, ‘We Are All Vessels: VESTA IN THE NATAL CHART’ with Vesta indicating what we revere in life and dedicate our energies to, as well as describing the attitude toward the home and the mate:

Vesta in Aspect to Pluto—power is what’s really revered, though in hard aspect the individual may rebuke power or see those in authority as abusive—but still be striving to hold some form of power, if only over him- or herself. They may be genuinely interested in reform, or could simply overthrow the current system and install one of their own. This person could truly understand and embrace the idea that change is the way of the Universe—and they could act as a powerful example to others because of it. Sex may be especially intense for and with these individuals, even when it’s casual.

These people may create major transformations, either through their own agency or by changing elements within their environment; witness the impact of ‘Father of the Atom Bomb’, nuclear physicist Robert Oppenheimer (22 April 1904 8:15 AM-time may not be correct- New York New York USA/ Whole Sign). Pluto and Vesta are only 39 minutes apart in Gemini; transformative ideas, ones in this case involving actual generation of power, the splitting of the atom, is what this man was dedicated to. Not enough symbolism for you? Ceres opposes this pairing and Saturn trines it (and that trine contact is exact, to the minute, to Vesta); that puts Oppenheimer tuned-in to reality but in opposition to Mother Nature, at least in terms of her relationship to humans. She’ll split her own atoms, thank you, in our Sun and other stars—not in a lab, or a bomb.

An interesting side note: The natal Sun is in Taurus, square Aquarian Chiron and quincunx Pallas in Sagittarius. This suggests a Soul Purpose (the Sun) that may have compelled him to do things he didn’t actually think wise (Pallas) or far-sighted (Sagittarius) in terms of effect, intellectual exercises (Aquarius) made reality, that may wound (Chiron) the earth (Taurus) and possibly Oppenheimer’s own psyche (Aquarius, with the sign also holding Black Moon Lilith at 29 degrees=things hidden or ignored are uncovered under stress, and Juno-Saturn as mentioned previously, which makes the empowerment Oppenheimer accesses literal). Of course, this is read with hindsight—it’s unlikely we could’ve discerned this possibility before the Manhattan Project—but after seeing the explosion of the first atomic bomb, mid-July 1945, Oppenheimer said he thought of words from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” An appropriately reverent thought for Pluto-Vesta.

A Pluto-Vesta contact could also make for an individual who reveres renewal and re-birth, and so someone who either takes on the unpleasant tasks of destruction for the Collective (anything from trash collector to mortician) or who compulsively destroys situations or relationships, not from a lack of Self-esteem or a penchant for Self-sabotage, but because for them a sense of a ‘clean slate’ carries something of the holy about it. This person may also be too quick to honor a ‘might makes right’ mentality, or to use extremes in temperament as a mechanism to exert control over people or situations. It’s like a statement: “My temper is a sign I’m dealing with sacred territory, therefore what enrages me must not be questioned or ignored”.

Order VESTA and all my books here, and if you’ve already got it, consider a rating or review at Dog & Sunflower or at GoodReads–thanks! Have a great weekend!