The Mars / Pluto Opposition
Reform by way of implosion
Functional Astrology || AstroGnosis
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It’s difficult to say what’s the most potentially explosive transit currently in play (or quickly shaping up) in the US chart.
Is it the Pluto return? Uranus conjunct Algol? The Chiron return? The Neptune opposition? The upcoming Saturn conjunction with Neptune? Any of these alone can wreak havoc. But the combo of all them in operation concurrently? And as an already deeply divided nation sailing head-on into a hotly contested election?
Buckle up.
And while I love to talk about the puppy dogs and rainbow situations I see on the horizon, I don’t either shy from the bleak potentials. Guess what gains the upper hand in a hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil world? I for one would much rather be the “warrior in the garden” than “a gardener in war”. Fore warned is fore armed as it’s said, so here we go.
We’ve already discussed the nation’s Pluto return, here. Now, let’s look at that return on steroids. Namely, by adding Mars into that volatile mix.
As this Mars - Pluto opposition unfolds, the United States is entering a critical astrological juncture. This alignment in particular will dredge up to the surface and into the light, unresolved fears, hidden power dynamics, and an urgent push for radical transformation.
Taking place across the U.S. 's 2nd and 8th houses, this opposition is primed to shake up collective resources, relationships with power, and deeply ingrained structural patterns.
Mars in Cancer will be in exact opposition to Pluto in Capricorn on November 3. Using an effective two-degree orb, Mars and Pluto have been in opposition since October 28, and will remain so until November 9.
This particular aspect is in play every two years, of course. But it’s rare indeed to coincide with an already explosive (and rare) Pluto return.
Mars in Cancer opposing Pluto in Capricorn can have a violent, warlike, or ruthless expression. This aspect between Mars and Pluto occurred in the same sign axis in the 1700s during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution. Before that, this combination occurred during the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. The common theme here is upheaval and revolt that ultimately pushed humanity forward.
On a personal level, this transit will have us examine these same themes within our own lives. In your personal chart, of course, this alignment is likely to take place across a different house axis, and likely trigger a unique set of natal alignments.
Note: We cover this alignment in much more depth in our Functional Astrology community. And there IS so much more depth to explore here. For instance, I’m not covering in this article how the Lunar Temples (my reworking of the Nakshatras) are affecting this alignment. And they do, significantly. That said, here is the overview for this alignment as seen through the prism is the United States’ chart.
Mars-Pluto Opposition in the U.S. Chart: Escalating Collective Tensions
With Mars debilitated in Cancer, the positive side of his valiant and assertive nature becomes filtered through the emotional, often defensive and insecure energy of Cancer. Positioned as he is near the cusp of the 8th house as the alignment solidifies, signals potential crises in areas like shared resources, national debts, and psychological undercurrents of collective trauma. As a weakened, defensive Mars goes toe-to-toe with the wrecking ball-like, transformative Pluto in Capricorn, the very structure of the nation’s values, finances, and power dynamics are put in that wrecking ball’s bullseye.
Noting that it’s really easy to craft rear-view mirror astrological stories, I will say this: as Mars has - and will again early next year - be spending a good amount of time in the US’s 7th house, we have (and will see more of) our closest allies being involved in attacks. Both as the aggressor and the aggressed.
However - because Mars will pendulum up to about 12 degrees Cancer, then swing back to 23 Gemini, then back again across and beyond 12 Cancer - the focus here (and because of Pluto’s natal AND transit positions) will be on the 2nd/8th house axis.
So we will continue to see Israel (and possibly other allies) engaged in offensive and defensive aggressions. However, aside from what’s going on with our allies, how will we be affected at home? Let’s look at the house axis affected in this particular alignment.
Mars in Cancer (8th House): Mars here reflects a defensive stance, often driven by subconscious emotional needs or dire insecurities. If Mars is going to show an immature, “toxic masculinity” side, this is where it will emerge. Within the 8th house, Mars grapples with transformation, debt, and power struggles, a combination that can heighten collective anxieties about security and vulnerability. This transit reveals underlying tensions in areas where the U.S. is already facing pressures, prompting a reckoning around power, both domestically and internationally.
With natal Mars positioned at 0 Gemini 41 in the 6th, we have infused within the Mars archetype themes related to public health, labor, workers, and the armed forces. It’s linked to the nation’s service sector, public servants, healthcare systems, and the general workforce. This house also touches on issues of social services, police, and the military (though defense as a broader strategy is often seen in the 10th house). Challenges in this house can reveal crises in health, labor unrest, or issues within public service systems.
In other words, those themes will be carried with Mars’ transit into its 8th opposition with Pluto.
And, as Mars rules the US’s 5th house, this transit will affect what is most important when we consider the 2nd/8th house axis: that being Speculation and Risk-Taking, as the 5th house governs speculative activities like financial investments.Pluto in Capricorn (cusp of the 2nd House): Pluto’s presence here speaks to deep, enduring transformations in the nation’s relationship with material resources, values, and self-worth. Pluto’s role is to dismantle and rebuild, exposing hidden weaknesses in structures that once seemed unshakable. The 2nd house encompasses the economy, natural resources, and societal values—areas already undergoing transformation. Pluto’s influence here demands that the U.S. confront and ultimately restructure its financial and value-based foundations.
Couple the above with the current unsupported market mania and I’ll let you do the math and come to your own conclusions.
Either way, this will be a volatile time in the markets, as we as a collective will be pushed to question what IS of value. *Everything* of “value” will be scrutinized. Precious metals? Fiat currency? Land and real estate? Freedom? Sovereignty? Choice? Are the talents of an athlete or entertainer “worth more” than those of a teacher?
In addition to market wonkiness, this opposition will create a period marked by intensified power struggles and heightened anxieties around national security and identity. Mars in Cancer will react in ways that lack the clarity, maturity, and direction needed in times of crisis. We’re likely to see themes of control and aggression arise in response to perceived threats to stability, impacting national security and reshaping international relationships. Mars here lacks the wisdom required for the momentous transformation resulting from Pluto’s wrecking ball.
As Mars and Pluto activate themes of shared resources and power dynamics, we aren’t simply facing another test of the current structure; we’re witnessing a confrontation with the fundamental inadequacies of these once enshrined systems.
Audre Lorde, a Black feminist writer and activist of the 70s once famously stated, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” In saying this, Lorde highlighted that we cannot achieve true transformation by relying on simply reforming the same flawed systems that perpetuate oppression.
And yet, old systems cling to life as if they were living entities. They must be starved into submission by being made obsolete. This is the energy that Pluto - Mars brings. There is no “reform” agenda with these two. And with Mars debilitated in Cancer, the process likely won’t be pretty.
On the financial front, one could make the argument (and I do) that at least in a currency sense, the “new” that is crypto, that will render the old (fiat currency) completely obsolete. In my opinion, this alignment will be the “decoupling” trigger that has been anticipated by crypto bulls for some time.
Either way, the crypto genie is out of the bottle. And, like AI, it’s never going back in.
And lastly, this particular Mars-Pluto opposition will - just as the same alignment that occurred during the American and French Revolutions - ignite a complete deconstruction of entrenched structures, exposing how deeply ingrained power imbalances have held back authentic change.
As old systems crumble, there’s an opportunity, of course, to rebuild with new foundations that acknowledge and address the shadows of control, dependency, and exploitation—elements that can no longer be ignored if true evolution is to occur.
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