Since Pluto transits produce a long-haul, from-the-roots-up type of effect, we might not necessarily connect their results to every day life the same way we would with, for example, Mercury retrogrades.

However, we currently have access into an amazing, if tragic, glimpse into Pluto’s function. The Deepwater Horizon well explosion on April 20th of this year was extremely Plutonic in nature (oil, uncontrollable explosion, subterranean depths). And in a few short months, it has completely transformed BP, a very Saturnian entity (large, British corporation). It is up to us to imagine just how this will change the United States, a country whose entire infrastructure is intimately entwined with the oil industry.

It is questionable whether BP will survive this experience, and many people who live along the Gulf Coast are wondering what else is about to die. Industry, livelihoods, marine ecology and biology are all on the chopping block, like it or not. Due to the intricate nature of the planet’s ecosystems, we may not see the total tally of damage and change for quite some time. Another function of Pluto. No one understands its full impact until its transits pass completely.

That information-blunting effect is compounded by the corporate-owned nature of media and government in the U.S. It is difficult to know what information is correct when the “powers that be” often have a vested interest in preserving the status quo. It is also very frustrating to watch politicians and scientists on both sides of the Atlantic scramble, yet with all the power and money at their disposal no one has the necessary technology to stop the still-gushing well.

All these Capricorn-type entities will have their time of examination. Only what is functional will be left and consolidated. No stone is left unturned by Pluto.

As the fabric of America’s identity shows its wear-and-tear, we are also becoming aware of similar abuses that have gone ignored until now. Facebook exploded with cross-posted links about the various atrocities related to Deepwater– endangered turtles burning alive in the Gulf, a BP charter-boat captain who committed suicide in despair– but then related stories began to trickle out about how in some places, economic and environmental devastation is nothing new. (Read about how in Nigeria, oil spills are a daily occurrence.) It is a small but significant silver-lining that as we suffer, we can become more aware of the suffering of others– and work to end it!

The USA’s chart is being transited by Pluto in Capricorn/Saturn in Libra in a way that will change both the face and the heart of the country. I find the Deepwater Horizon explosion an introductory lesson in the intense changes we can expect to undergo through the early 2020′s. I also will be writing more about how this affects my chart personally, as I currently have Pluto conjunct my Sun at 5 degrees Capricorn right until it hands off the baton to my first Saturn return in Scorpio.

On a microcosmic level, you can expect to see changes happening to the structure of families and employment. The other night, a friend and I talked about how the bugs are crawling out of the woodwork in her paternal history for the first time in her whole life. Deadbeat dads won’t get a pass any longer. Companies that abuse their employees, the environment, or the rules will collapse from the inside-out, as BP has demonstrated. If you have the urge to escape the corporate machine and be “self-made,” work that Capricorn energy. It’s in your corner, and it’s the right time.

The best way to deal with all the coming change is to embrace it, work with it. No, it doesn’t mean flying to South America and stripping off your clothes to dance around a bonfire naked on December 12, 2012. The world is probably not going to end during Pluto in Capricorn. It is, however, going to change significantly. Remember that it is changing for a reason. Whatever you choose to contribute and however you decide to be part of it, you are adding to the foundations of a world being reborn. See it as an opportunity, and enjoy the ride.

What do you expect to see with Pluto in Capricorn?