Dixie’s Daily Tarot, August 30, 2010: Graceful Pluto Transformations
Astrology Meets Tarot
Nobody can tell me Tarot doesn’t have a sense of humor. I talk about how much I love the Death card from Shadowscapes, and naturally, it’s the card I ended up with today. No surprise, although it still made me smile. But it only came out because it had something to say.
Death, XIII of the major arcana, is obviously Pluto’s dominion. This is a lovely Phoenix, not as scary as many Death cards. But no matter how pretty I prefer to spin it, it’s still Death. It’s necessary and natural, but not especially easy.
Yesterday, I described this bird as “just having arisen” from the flames. Taking a closer look today, I realize this bird is actually in the process of transformation. She’s singing her death song. Her death provides the spark of life to the embryo below, waiting to be set free. She surrounded by Irises (Goddess w/Underworld ties), Deadly Nightshade (lethal) and sumac (surviving change).
It’s still a beautiful card, although the full picture is more bittersweet than my “triumph accomplished” initial read. That’s my bias. This is a truer picture of the experience of Pluto transits. And that is the other thing about Pluto—if it’s going to burn down, it will burn down. There’s a point for every fire that is the point of no return. Some part of your life is burning critical mass, you can either surrender to the process or you can run around and continue pretending you’re putting it out.
I’d recommend surrender if you can manage it. The other approach just drags it out and wears you down. If you accept, it goes down easier. You feel your pain, cry your tears, process and integrate. In the process, you get your power; you faced what you thought would kill you, and after a while, you realize it didn’t. You’re still here!
Eventually you’re tired of the crying and the mourning; it’s tedious and doesn’t change anything. And you’ve already thought ever thought there is to think on the subject anyway. So maybe you just say, “Okay, this is how it is. Sucks but it’s survivable.” And you know, some things are a lot clearer. Facing the reality feels lighter and more honest, anyway. And you start to feel better.
Or maybe I’m just projecting. I’ve been known to do that.
Death indicates complete, transformational change, utter destruction of the old which gives way to the new. Death reminds us where we find devastation, we also will find rebirth and renewal. Both are inherently linked; you couldn’t have one without the other. We’ll transform more gracefully if we fully embrace the reality, seeing both the bitter and the sweet of transformative power.
Are you quick acknowledge death, or do you fight it?
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Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law |
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12 Responses to “Dixie’s Daily Tarot, August 30, 2010: Graceful Pluto Transformations”
I realized my expectations in relationships are completely unfounded. But…given the chance to explore what really exists, I’m giving them the chance to be even better than expected. My death experience was watching my fantasies die a slow, horrible death. And being ok with what I saw rising out of the ashes…
Thanks, Dixie 
“Do not go gentle into that good night…Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.” ~ Dylan Thomas
Perhaps we’re wired to fight any type of death. It’s hard to give up a dream, a role, anything we love or have identified with for so long. But the bottom line is that we all must go, we all must change and ride Pluto’s transformational wave. The gift is the birth of new life, with better understanding, devoid of bitterness, and full of hope.
If that were easy, we’d do it every day.
After learning that fighting doesn’t work for me, a quick surrender for transformation and self awareness has been my choice. Me and the Phoenix have visited quite a bit and have become really good friends these days.
“Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others’ faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.”
— Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi
“Some part of your life is burning critical mass, you can either surrender to the process or you can run around and continue pretending you’re putting it out.” Damn, Dixie. You have a way with words that absolutely makes my heart and head and spirit let loose an audible click. Even to a deaf chick!
With Pluto in my first house, conjunct to almost my whole chart, this is a recurring theme in my life. I have to let what doesn’t work go – even if it hurts me terribly – to reach a new, stronger place. Then I breathe easy…until I face it again. And again.
***
Along similar lines…When my mother was facing her final weeks after a long battle with cancer, her favorite Hospice Nurse was talking to her one day when Mom said she was so afraid to die. She didn’t know what was coming next.
Meem said to her: “Pat, don’t you think babies in the birth canal are afraid? Death is birth into a new kind of life.”
I wish, these 20 years later, that I could remember that woman’s last name so I could tell her how much that meant to Mom, and to me, even all these years later.
Having Pluto as my chart ruler, and seeing it in action throughout my whole life- I’ve learned that rebirth and renewal takes a lot of energy and so it’s senseless to waste that energy fighting it.
Great post Dixie! And I agree with your assessment of Pluto.
I’ll fight for a short time, but usually surrender soon and see what comes out the other side.
For those of us who have gone through painful Life experiences, I think we have learned to mourn quickly, cut our losses, and move on to the next step…
Scrying on the Moon (for Brigid)
By sibylline light
images I recognize,
creviced captures of my life.
I know her judgment to be my own.
“Nourished by Moon rivers
mythical cavern blooms
unseen by sunlight
glow green.”
Thus she sets the scene;
becomes the prophecy.
“Purest white simplicity
curved to suggest fragility
faith fed maiden ready for
plucking,
given in bondage to womanly woes,
hard rows to hoe
for that human hug through
crying of night.
Fate of mortal soldiers, sacrificed to lust.
Seeking relief, beg for the boon of drama
high adventure
sneaking into sad hotels
for a fix or a tumble.
Laughs,
deadly play,
danger, a real chance.
Barefoot in the snow
icy roads
winds so strong
I could not make you hear.
I thought you were my destiny.
Crazy thoughts, far from clear;
but I believed
song lyrics from Saturnine deities
would not lie, leave me
dying, fading into winter’s grey
drifting clouds,
endless sorrow endured for naught.
Lost on this careless corner,
dreaming of oblivion, intent on visions
like rain
tapping against eternity’s
vast windowpane.
Scenic serenity.
Nature’s gradations of green
soothe tired eyes,
trembling nerves, throbbing veins.
Slivers of moonlight reflect
in withered refrains, unearth secrets
embedded in song
effervescing through cool pure air
cleansing the uprising nestling
set aflame
resurrected
tempered mettle,
pure, wise, tested
engorged with the will
to rise”
revised February 1, 2010
Dear Dixie,
I have Pluto in my first house, sextile Neptune, Venus, Sun and trine my midheaven. It’s like I have been transforming my whole life, and it’s been painful sometimes, but ok. The biggest transformation was when my marriage imploded back when I was 30 years old, pain doesn’t even begin to describe it, but somehow out of the ashes, a new me was born and I built my lovely home and named it …… Alpha Phoenix!
There’s metaphorical death going on with me the past couple of years (stellium in Cancer) and it’s been hard – I was only thinking this morning that these episodes get harder as you get older (am 42 now), it’s like the energy expended even in letting go and trying to re-build drains your soul.
No going back though, be nice to rest the bones a while though.
You’re posts are absolutely brilliant – they give me hope.
Thank you
DeeC
I’m one of those rare ones that tends to get a kick out of Plutonic energy, transformations, death/rebirth phases. I actually get bored between them. It might be my Scorpionic Mars, I know that Mars is all about action and energy (I like to think of Aries pals since Mars rules them – they’ll jump into anything!), seems like Mars would run at/into Scorpionic things with courage!
And life has tossed me things that are all about the phoenix myth. It’s as if life tests my will all the time. Abuse, chronic illness that nearly killed me, car accidents…I guess in a sense fighting it is fighting against the potential for growth.
I have so much Libra I have to give everyone and every situation another chance, and another chance, and another…
You know… maybe the beast ~isn’t~ dead…
So I alternate between… feeding it, in case it just needs help “coming back”… and stabbing it, “to put it out of its misery”… back and forth between the two…
But then again, I have strong Uranus and mega Scorpio, so when THEY have had enough of the Libra back and forthing, Uranus steps in with its Lightning Bolt of Death and Scorp nods in agreement and relief.
SF, I’m totally feelin’ ya on this one. *fistbump*
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I think I initially “fight it”. When my daughter was given her diagnosis, I was in denial for awhile. Then as time went on, I had to accept it, and figure out how to help her as best as I can. I know my hard work with her made a difference – but I had to accept things were never going to be “normal”. I still push her into many situations/experiences, because I think I am obligated to push her, as her parent, no matter what her limitations are. But I do pick my battles with her, and walk away from things that clearly are not going to work with her.
I had a health crisis this year, which caused me to completely overhaul my diet, and give up caffeine, to which I was addicted. So definitely a “death” in how I functioned every day – the other side is I lost 15 pounds (and counting), and look and feel so much healthier. I have and can transform, and I think I attribute that to my Scorpio Stuff (moon, rising, and Neptune).