Published originally in THE MOUNTAIN ASTROLOGER (December/January 2005). It was posted on the Astrology Weekly web site, in the Astrology Forum, on December 4, 2005, with permission.
Note: Henny Rückert is the author of “Power and the Collective” in German. Suzanne Duarte enriched the English translation for American readers, restructured the article and put it together in its present form. Used here with permission from both authors.
The most powerful man [sic] in a country or nation will always personify the average level of consciousness in his nation. The powerful leader will be elected or chosen by his fellow citizens, who identify with him and expect him to rule in accord with their notions of governance. The citizens of a nation are distinguished by widely different levels of consciousness, divergent tastes, and a diversity of opinions. Therefore, in order to recognize the personification of the “average level of consciousness,” we must also consider the times and the developmental stage of the collective. A period of time is astrologically stimulated by cosmic influences; it offers all human beings the opportunity to take certain developmental steps. This is what we try to experience with the current transits of the transpersonal planets through the zodiacal signs.
Since the United States is the world’s most powerful nation at present, the president of the U.S. is the world’s most powerful man and thus personifies the average consciousness of the entire collective. In this instance, the “collective” is not restricted solely to American citizens but includes the entire human species during a time of unusual crises and challenges.
What did the two most recent U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, reflect to the world, and what did the world reflect back to them? At this time in history, we the people are taking a big step. During the Taurus Full Moon in 2000, the Earth received a tremendous surge of power that accelerated our evolutionary development.1 The peaceful time with Bill Clinton had allowed the incorporation of certain elements within the collective, including the experience of smart, fast-paced, confident power. Through the media, everybody in the world became aware of the potential for that kind of power. Since we all experienced what that was like, then we also had to learn how that kind of power manifests in us and through us and is projected into the world. So, we got George W. Bush, who showed us the other side.
Never before have we been able to see so clearly what is behind the curtain of power — what is behind and within the machinations of politics. Now we can recognize the shadow of political power, and that shadow mirrors our own shadow. The power behind Bush’s actions belongs to this shadow, and everybody can now see it on display. Whatever we don’t want to see in Bush’s use of power is what we don’t want to face in ourselves. Seeing the shadow of power has forced us to realized our own power; each of us has to stand on our own two feet and be accountable for our words and actions. The more responsible we become, the more conscious we will be of how we use our power, how to use it positively for our evolution, and how to work with our own shadow for the sake of the greater whole.
The current planetary energies are enabling us to expose and dispel these shadows. Pluto in Sagittarius, Uranus in Pisces, Neptune in Aquarius, and also, at the moment [January 2005] Saturn in Cancer. But first, we need to understand the generational influences under which the American presidents and other national leaders were born. Any power holder who was born between 1938 and 1957 has natal Pluto in Leo. Most of the contenders for power in the United States also share the generational influences of other outer planets. After considering what this means, we will contemplate the current transits that are having an impact on the leaders among this generation and affecting the evolution of the collective.
The Generational Imprint of Pluto in LeoHow can we recognize a generational group within our society? When we turn to astrology to identify and understand an entire generation, we look for strong influences that are activated by the transpersonal planets (Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus) and by Saturn, the integrator of the six personal planets, during their passage through the zodiac. Fundamentally, Pluto indicates the transformational energy, power (and impotence) of the collective. Pluto also represents the collective itself. Thus, Pluto signifies the thoughts and opinions of a particular generation that is demarcated by the sign that Pluto occupied at their birth.
Pluto in LeoIf we assume that Pluto impels transformations that correspond to the zodiacal sign, then the task for members of the Pluto-in-Leo generation (who are now between the ages of 47 and 66) is to become conscious of their own power during the course of their lives — because Pluto in Leo could be understood as “the power of the individual.”
Let’s look at the course followed by Pluto in Leo from 1938 to 1957. This was the era of the Second World War, which began in 1938 and ended in April 1945. At the end of WWII, President Harry Truman held power in the United States. Delegates from 51 countries met in London on January 10, 1946 for the first full assembly of the United Nations. The U.N.’s mandate was to put the peace plan into practice and provide a peacekeeping forum for the peoples of the world. The Nuremberg Trials were concluded in Germany, and the effects of the “de-Nazification laws” began to make themselves felt.
