I had been wondering in Thursday's posting (Celebrity Reality-Check) if the Paris Hilton affair etc might be part of Pluto’s entry into Capricorn, as well as part of the Saturn-Neptune opposition, but now I think perhaps not. It has more to do with Saturn in Leo, restraints (Saturn) on royalty/celebrity (Leo), opposite Neptune (excess, fantasies).Capricorn and Leo are both about the Father archetype, and therefore both about leadership, but in different ways. I think that Leo is more about the leader who stands for something, who is archetypal royalty that connects us to the Source of life; whereas Capricorn is more about the leader who rules wisely within the limits of what is possible. Celebrities don’t usually govern us (though some make the transition), they are just there, rightly or wrongly, to fill our need for archetypal royalty. So it is a Leo issue rather than a Capricorn one.
When Pluto entered Leo in 1938/39, the western world was dominated by several major historical figures – Hitler, Roosevelt, Mussolini, Stalin, Churchill (a year later). This is what we remember about this era: the leaders themselves, which is very much a Leo thing. Churchill, for example, was in many ways not very Capricorn, not very good at actually running things, though he had people who were. He had plenty of ideas about military strategy, but the generals had to do their best to keep his hands off, because his ideas weren’t always very practical. But his ability to lead the nation, to stand for something and draw the nation behind that, was superb. His leadership strength was Leo. As was Hitler’s. His actual running of the Reich was apparently quite chaotic, but he could certainly stand for something, something Divine even, or what was felt to be Divine. Mussolini was a Leo anyway, so no more need to be said. Perhaps in wartime this emphasis in needed, and hence Pluto was in Leo during this period.
A good leader needs some of this Leo quality, which is why the next UK leader, Gordon Brown, the Invisible Man who is good with the books, won’t be a good leader, despite his Capricorn-leadership qualities. (He has Moon in Leo, but its conjunction to Pluto seems to make it hidden and manipulative, rather than empowering and shining). Margaret Thatcher, who has Saturn Rising and Moon in Leo, had both. I think at heart she was a bookkeeper, and a much needed one, but she also managed to stand for something, while on the birth of her first grandchild she famously announced “We are a grandmother.” It was Ronald Reagan’s criticism of his successor, George Bush Snr, that he didn’t stand for anything, even though he had the Capricorn sense not to go for regime change in Iraq. Unlike his son, who is all Leo and no Capricorn as a leader.
The last time Pluto was in Capricorn was from 1762-1778, and the most notable leadership event during that period was the American Revolution and the creation of a new and very well thought through system of government, and the world’s first full democracy (kind of). (Note the French Revolution took place later under Pluto in Aquarius). Yes, the American Revolution has its hallowed leaders (Leo). But the real achievement was this new type of government.
So with Pluto coming into Capricorn, although we will of course continue to have well-recognised leaders, I think there will be more of an emphasis on good government, of ruling within the limits that are there. This is the nature of Saturn/Capricorn: it involves an initiation into life through the world, through embracing its limitations and learning to function through them, so that our dreams become real and contribute to society.
And more than anything, the limitation now is the earth herself, our leaders functioning within the limits of what the earth has to offer. This is something we have forgotten how to do and forgotten is necessary. Limits, we feel, are to be transcended through new technology. So Pluto in Capricorn is coming at just the right time, as the environmental issue becomes politically mainstream. What we now need are leaders who know about Capricorn rulership, who know about functioning within limits, and not just because of the environmental issue, but also (in the west) because we no longer have the world to ourselves - China and India are also coming on board in a big way, and with huge populations.
