Pluto in Capricorn Review (2008-2023): A Shakeup to Traditional Authority

Because Pluto dipped into Aquarius briefly for the first time in 250 years on March 23, 2023 to June 11, 2023 (GMT), we've started hearing talk about what it will be like to live in a world where Artificial Intelligence reigns supreme and space ships with "non-human biologics" are discovered on Earth.

Yet, our Aquarian space ship is not ready to take off just yet. 🚀

Pluto in Capricorn Retrograde 2023 Ends on October 11, 2023 but Remains in Capricorn until January 21, 2024

Due to the yearly Pluto Retrograde, Pluto went back into the last degrees of Capricorn on June 11, 2023, and is remaining in Capricorn until January 21, 2024 (GMT) when it moves into Aquarius for 20 years, save for a two-month backslide into Capricorn (September 2, 2024 to November 19, 2024).

In short, we are closing out a 15-year cycle of Pluto in Capricorn energy that we will not feel again for another 250 years!

With 3 months left of Pluto in Capricorn, and the benefit of a reflective Pluto in Capricorn retrograde right behind us, this is an ideal time to integrate and solidify all that Pluto in Capricorn has been trying to teach us before we move on into the next 20 years of Pluto in Aquarius.

So let's take a look back at what we've learned, to help us move forward with consciousness and clarity.

A Look Back at Pluto in Capricorn via the lens of U.S. History

In sum, since 2008, Pluto in Capricorn has been asking us to examine the sources of authority in our lives, break them down to the ground when outdated, and rebuild them in a manner more fitting to the lives we want to lead, now and into the future.

During the Pluto in Capricorn era from 2008 until 2023, we have seen

• the first Black American President elected (Barack Obama) in 2008
• a major reform in U.S. healthcare that made it more available to the citizenry, through greater accessibility and affordability (Affordable Care Act) in 2010
• the first female candidate almost elected to President, Hillary Clinton, winning the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million people in 2016
• the election of Donald Trump, a media personality and businessman rather than a politician, to the U.S. Presidency in 2016
• a calling of attention to police brutality against minorities with the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement (founded in 2013), the murder of George Floyd, and the sentencing of his murderer, Derek Chauvin, to 21 years in prison on July 7, 2022
• the arrival of COVID-19 in 2019, which led to widespread debate over school and business closures, mask-wearing, and vaccination, as well as the death of more than 6.9 million people worldwide
• the mainstreaming of Indigenous People's Day and the appointment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021 by U.S. President Joe Biden

Central to all of these events were a shaking up of traditional authority.

The older, White men who had traditionally served as U.S. President were supplanted by a Black American, and almost displaced by a female president.

Although 2016's presidential winner, Donald Trump was still White and older, he was a political neophyte who had never held office and was known instead for his career as a real estate businessman and media personality on NBC's "The Apprentice." His election was a shock to the traditional political system.

Then there was the COVID-19 pandemic of late 2019 and onward, and the way it divided the U.S. as a country.

Regardless of which side of the debate you aligned with when it came to masks, vaccines, and school and business closings, the conversation, at its core, was all about authority--whether the government had the right to tell you to shutter your business, wear a mask, or get vaccinated.

Lastly, the recognition of Juneteenth and Indigenous People's day as U.S. holidays took back some authority from the dominant culture and restored it to previously marginalized members of our society.

It was not a panacea for ongoing discrimination and civil rights issues, but it allowed a revision to the narrative that had been written since White men founded the modern United States of America during the last turn of Pluto in Capricorn.

1762-1778 was the last time that Pluto was in Capricorn. This is when the American Revolution took place and the Declaration of Independence (of America from Great Britain) was authored.

Although the United States was founded at that time on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, it wasn't until this most recent era of Pluto in Capricorn from 2008-2023, that we were able to move our country closer to those ideals, and even now we haven't fully succeeded.

The upcoming 20-year era of Pluto in Aquarius should help us make more progress toward enacting those ideals, given Aquarius's call for equality, accessibility, and inclusion.The journey there may be an extreme one, given Pluto's extreme nature, but it will be a worthwhile one.

As time moves on and we look back at history, it will likely become even more clear how this round of Pluto in Capricorn catalyzed the breaking down of old authority structures to allow for the building of more modern and useful ones.

Let's turn now to how traditional authority structures broke down in your life over the past 15 years, and how you chose to rebuild them.

How Have You Taken Back Your Own Authority during Pluto in Capricorn (2008-2023)?

As Pluto wraps up its current journey through Capricorn since 2008, it is a great time to ask yourself how have you claimed your own authority over the past 15 years because we are at the tail end of the Pluto-in-Capricorn cycle.

Here are five questions and journal prompts that will help you to see how far you've come and to consciously claim your authority as a strong foundation for the future.

• What used to have power over you that no longer doesn't?
• What boundaries and/or systems have you put into place to ensure you can remain the authority of your own life and live it on your own terms?
• Now that you have authority over your own life, what joyful, meaningful, soul-aligned vision of the the future are you working toward?
• What systems, structures, routines, programs, and/or disciplines have you learned that will help you stay on track to achieve this vision?
• What final work do you want to do over the next three months to strengthen your own authority, and put systems and structures in place to help you maintain it?

By answering these questions, you will have an understanding of what Pluto in Capricorn has taught you since 2008, as well as a solid foundation and set of tools to keep you on track for the future.

And if you are not clear on your vision for the next 20 years, take some time now to outline a draft vision so you know what you need to safeguard as you move forward.

Looking Back at Pluto in Capricorn (2008-2023) to Move Forward into Pluto in Aquarius (2024-2044)

When Pluto moves into Aquarius on January 21, 2024, Pluto will continue to ask us to transform deeply, because that is always Pluto's invitation. Yet, Pluto will assume we know what our vision for the future is and that we have the structures and boundaries in place to implement it and safeguard it.

Things could get a little weird out there once Pluto moves into eccentric, radical, and surprising Aquarius.

By taking a look back, now, at how you have learned to align with your own personal authority over the course of 2008 to 2023 rather than giving your power away to external authority, you can ensure you have the strength, commitment, and willpower needed to stay on track to realizing your dream vision for the next 20 years.

When things get weird and wacky during Pluto in Aquarius (from January 21, 2024 to January 2044), you will have your own inner voice of wisdom to turn to for support.

Want to learn more about how to benefit from the wisdom of Pluto in Capricorn 2008-2023 in your life? Listen to Episode 43 of the Soulful Living Project Podcast.