Although ‘New Age’ optimists suggest Pluto transits are transformational, generally people experience them as a prolonged nightmare, which ultimately change the person but they are often crushed, and sometimes utterly devastated in the process which may bring surprises, good and bad, upsets, explosions and ructions in a person’s life. Pluto can also show someone who explodes others’ beliefs and certainties. Iconoclasts pay a high price for calling out what they consider to be absurdities. Jordan Peterson is a case in point. Love him or hate him, he certainly rattled a few cages, and we find Pluto centre stage .
Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Peterson has become a beacon for the right-white and a bête noir to the left. He describes himself as an ‘old fashioned liberal’ and indeed it can be hard to place him on some issues. What does his chart say? As you would expect for a consummate debater, writer and educator, he has a lot of Air in his horoscope; Sun Mercury in Gemini, Moon in Libra and Saturn in Aquarius forming a Grand Trine. He was an early adopter (in academic circles anyway) of social media and this has been the catapult which brought him worldwide fame/infamy. Sun Mercury in Gemini loves a debate and has a puck-like tendency to irritate, niggle and play games with their arguments. Moon in Libra, often mistakenly assumed to look for peace, is one of the more combative signs, again via argument-they love an intellectual contest which is why this sign is often found in barristers, journalists and politicians who thrive on verbal debate and are extremely good at it. Saturn in Aquarius can show the wise father (Saturn) but also the Airy ideologue (Aquarius).
His strong Saturn (ruler of Aquarius the feminine expression of the planet) is involved in another major aspect, a Fixed T Square comprising Saturn in the 10th, Mars in Taurus in the 12th and Neptune in Scorpio in the 6th. The North Node in Leo makes a fourth arm (making a Fixed Grand Cross) should you care to count this. Fixity, as the term suggests, roots a person down, they bed in and can get stuck or rigid. Fixed signs build on the inspiration of the Cardinal signs, which precede them. They make ideas real, ground concepts and are practical. Mars in Taurus is in detriment showing massive energy and work ethic, but also a blinkeredness, think of an ox pulling the plough, trudging on, not looking where it is going. Peterson’s Airy nature is grounded in its practical expression, he turned his You Tube channel into a massive financial success, but perhaps he got lost in the work without checking his direction (I may be being generous here).
This is a busy chart. There is another T Square, mutable this time. Mercury in Gemini square Jupiter Chiron in Pisces in the 11th of the collective (more of this later), square Pluto in Virgo in the 5th. People with several major aspects like this often have lives which operate on the level of the collective, which is surely the case here.
If you don’t know who this individual is let me fill you in. Peterson was a professor of Clinical Psychology who was beloved by his students for his interesting lectures, these can be found on You Tube and elsewhere. He certainly has an engaging, if a little provocative delivery, but in his early lectures there is little that is controversial or offensive. However, in response to law Bill-C16 in Canada which insisted people might gender themselves and it would be illegal not to respect this (this is one interpretation anyway). Peterson released several videos on his You Tube channel railing against this law. Peterson declared it was ‘compelled speech’ and was part of identity politics and ‘political correctness’. He was filmed on campus in October 2016 and the video went viral, shooting him into the public arena. From there, like topsy, his fame/infamy just grew and grew.
So what did his transits show in October 2016? Neptune was at 9′ Pisces that month so it was energising that Mutable T square. Neptune conjunct any planet brings confusion, and sometimes mystical experience. Neptune conjunct Chiron will show the wound, in the collective (11th house) and the deep pain he is articulating. Neptune was opposite his Pluto. Transits between the slower moving planets are generational effects expressed through individuals. Whether you agree or not, Peterson’s views are sincerely held and others of his generation might agree with them. Saturn was at 13′ Sagittarius so exactly opposite his articulate, cheeky, Mercury. His words had weight (Saturn) and he was seen as a wise father (Saturn) figure by a lot of ‘lost boys’ (Mercury in Gemini). Mercury rules the media showing how his speech went viral on social networks. Part of Peterson’s argument is that men have be de-masculinized by leftist politics (especially in universities) and arguably some men do feel that way. The final aspect was Jupiter at 10′ Leo picking up his North Node, this was the work he was here to do (like it or not) and opposing his Saturn at 11′ Aquarius, ultimately this had an effect on his career (Saturn in the 10th and ruling the MC).
In 2017 he closed his clinical practice and concentrated on lecturing and social media. By May 2017 he had 80,000 subscribers on Patreon and had earned more than $50,000 by July 2017. Neptune was conjunct his Jupiter throughout that year at 12′ Pisces and so was continuing to energise that Mutable T Square. Peterson began a series of lectures on the Bible stories in May 2017 which were a sell out success. Jupiter/Neptune have been associated with Jesus: water into wine, fishers of men etc. I give the establishment of the Church to Saturn which is more about dogma and hierarchies.
Peterson published a popular book, 12 Rules for Life in January 2018 which cemented his popularity/notoriety it became a best seller. Again, there is not much that is offensive in the book, but in typical Gemini fashion his words are provocative and can be read in a variety of ways.
Here are some quotes:
‘It’s very hard to find your own words-and you don’t actually exist until you have your own words.’
‘the idea that women have been oppressed throughout history is an appalling theory.’
‘The masculine spirit is under assault. It’s obvious.’
‘The truth is something that burns. It burns off dead wood. And people don’t like having the dead wood burnt off, often because they are 95% dead wood.’
In January 2018 Pluto had moved to conjunct his MC at 22′ Capricorn. His book was a best seller (Pluto can show great wealth). Throughout that year Pluto and Saturn aspected his MC and Jupiter was opposite his Sun. In March 2019 Cambridge University rescinded his visiting fellowship as ‘he did not uphold the inclusive environment of the university’. Pluto was still conjunct his MC at 22 Capricorn and the North Node was conjunct his chart ruler Venus (ruler of his Taurus Ascendant) at 24′ Cancer. This must have been a massive blow, Cambridge visiting fellowships are prestigious and infrequently offered.
Pluto was crushing his academic career (MC), while his popularity skyrocketed. Between 2019-20 personal tragedies devastated his life. His daughter became gravelly ill, his wife was battling kidney cancer from April 2019 and at one time it looked like she would not survive and then Peterson’s health broke down. He was prescribed benzodiazepines for acute anxiety due to a serious autoimmune reaction to food. Unaware he was addicted, Peterson unsuccessfully tried a ‘cold turkey’ withdrawal that summer and then went to rehab in September 2019. Besides the personal tragedy, the public exposure of the ‘weakness and frailty’ of dependency, belie Peterson’s philosophical stance of stoicism, self-reliance, willpower. In his lectures he states, ‘No one gets away with anything, ever, so take responsibility for your own life’. It was argued by his critics that being a ‘victim’ of medical practice was at odds with his stated beliefs of the hero’s journey. This is classic Pluto terrain, death, extreme tests of our strength, wipe out, exposure, helplessness. In February 2020 Peterson went into a medically induced coma in Moscow for 8 days to try to deal with his dependency. After weeks in intensive care he was unable to speak or write, again classic Pluto territory, we are rendered mute, powerless, unconscious, all reminiscent of Inanna’s descent into the underworld where she is stripped and hung on a peg until her flesh turns green. Peterson was trapped in his own Hades.
Peterson did have a rebirth though. His wife didn’t die, he is in recovery and lecturing and podcasting again. In January 2021 he had 3.4 million subscribers to his You Tube channel which has had over 200 million views. Pluto had moved to oppose his chart ruler Venus at 24′ Cancer and the Jupiter Saturn conjunction (the zeitgeist and herald of a new epoch) at 00’19 Aquarius was closely conjunct his 10th house Part of Fortune at 00’14 Aquarius. Like it or not he speaks for the age. At the time of writing, Peterson is on a sold out worldwide lecture tour and if you wish to use Pluto terminology, he has been reborn as a celebrity.
Astrology, Karma and Destiny- Lefkas Greece September 7-14th 2022– last few places
Your birth-chart shows your Soul’s journey, how you chose to come in to this life. The Sun, Moon and planets illustrate how different aspects of your destiny work out in your everyday life. Working with your own chart, and those of famous people, you can begin to understand how to maximise the gifts of your horoscope and how to the issues and challenges of your personal astrology appear both in your life and those of loved ones. This offers you the opportunity to discover creative ways to surmount challenges. Knowledge is power, understanding our deepest motivation allows us to live the best life possible.
During the course we will study:
*Karmic Lessons of your Sun, Moon and Ascendant
*The North Node and its Karmic lessons
*The Part of Fortune
*Transits and Solar and Lunar returns as signposts
The course cost £345.00 for 17 hours of tuition over 4 days, leaving plenty of time for exploring the island and beach time. Accommodation and travel are extra. see https://joannawatters.com/greek-island-summer-school/ for more details or message me at elisabethbrooke209@gmail.com
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Elisabeth Brooke 