Divorce Astrological Style

Divorce  Astrological Style

Peninsula Woman

Mar – Apr 2004

A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak.

~Michael Garrett Marino

Perhaps one of the most profound shifts in American Culture was the introduction and acceptance of Divorce into our family system. Before the 1950s, it was taboo for a family to break up as a result of Divorce. As we moved into the 70s, it became more commonplace and accepted. From an astrological viewpoint, Divorce can best be understood with the planetary cycle of Pluto moving into the Astrological sign Libra, which occurred in the 1970s.

What is Pluto? Why is Pluto so significant?

Pluto moves through an astrological sign every 15-30 years. Its cycle is comparatively long. Therefore, its effects are collective. The god Hades rules Pluto. Hades are associated with the shadow and the underworld. Hades accepts the darkness and shadows he lives in. He knows the importance of embracing what is suppressed and ugly when held in the light. Pluto went into the sign of Libra in 1972. Children born from 1972 through 1984 were all born with Pluto in Libra. 

Libra’s Importance

Libra is the astrological sign of a relationship. It involves balancing male and female energies, fairness, social harmony, and teamwork. With Pluto’s movement into Libra, the shadow work of the relationship imbalance emerged. In the ’70s, women felt out of balance. They were trying to understand their place in society and hoping to find a balance in relationships. Would getting into the workplace relieve the feeling of powerlessness and imbalance? Perhaps.  But, many women who divorced during that time found new issues emerging. They found a new idea of freedom, but the responsibilities of running a home and a job hold new obstacles. There was still that question of balance.

Children born in the 70’s- Where are they now?

Children born in the ’70s through the ’80s with Pluto in Libra are now between 20 and 30. Perhaps this is why there is such a large percentage of Reality Television Shows related to the issue of relationships, love, marriage, and dating. The collective is trying to work out the shadow issues of relationships through the media. These children are trying to resolve the shift that happened in the 70s. For example, a woman who is now in their 20s can choose between working and raising a family, but many are finding that they have difficulty with so many choices. The lines between what they should and want to do has become highly grey. Men in their 20s also feel confused because women have become much more powerful, and these young men are finding it hard to understand what these women want.

As an astrologer working with many young men and women in their 20s-30s, I have found that these children are the greatest gift to our world for helping us understand relationships. This is because they feel the more profound issues associated with the shadow side of relationships being born with Pluto in Libra.   They are working hard to balance their male and female energies. They are indeed struggling, but that is what Pluto’s energies help us all to do. Finally, they will find the light. Darkness is only the absence of light.