Pluto on the Natal Ascendant

I was asked recently about Pluto conjunct the Ascendant. Pluto has a number of meanings and all apparently can be applied when Pluto lies natally on a person’s Ascendant. Let’s start by looking at some examples. I looked at well-known individuals, who would have enough public information about them so that you could look them up and see how this really works. I also chose individuals for whom there is an accurate public time of birth. This left very few people…

The orb I used is 3°. Each day the earth rotates so that Pluto is conjunct the Ascendant for several minutes. It works out that about 2 people in a 100 will have a tight (± 3°) conjunction of Pluto and the Ascendant.

However Pluto moves very slowly, taking about 250 years to go through the twelve signs. Thus, these examples all are in six signs, Taurus through Libra. Pluto has gone through Scorpio, Sagittarius and is now in Capricorn, but individuals with this aspect are so young that they have not got public reputations. And their Pluto-twins from 250 years previous are not well represented in my files.

Pluto was in Taurus and conjunct the Ascendant of Diamond Jim Brady who was born in 1856. Brady was a bon vivant in New York City, spending big, owning jewelry, making bets and large financial transactions that today would be against the law. He was one of the ideals of the Gilded Age of prosperity before WWI. In short, Brady exemplified the man of the era, a self-made multi-millionaire who lived large in the largest center of finance and culture in the US. Taurus is the sign of sensuality and physical appetite, after all.

With Pluto in Gemini, and conjunct the Ascendant we have more individuals and more meanings of Pluto: Clyde Barrow, Wernher von Braun, Joan Grant and Knute Rockne. Gemini is an intellectual sign, of thinkers, writers and thieves. Gemini moves quickly and is clever. Clyde Barrow is the famous Depression-Era bank robber who was killed along with his paramour Bonnie Parker, note that Gemini is a sign of a sibling or sibling-like relationship. Wernher von Braun is the Nazi rocket scientist who made a deal with the Allies and came to American to build our space program; he demonstrates the “clever” part of Pluto in Gemini. Joan Grant is the reincarnation-themed author, whose haunting stories seem to reflect actual glimpses of previous lives. Grant shows another meaning of Pluto which is in-depth, in biological cells, inherited, and innately human—the connection to a biological or spiritual part of ourselves that lived before us. Knute Rockne was a Norwegian-American football player and later coach at Notre Dame. He is considered the greatest, or among the greatest college football coaches of all time.

Pluto conjunct a Cancer Ascendant is a whole different kind of person. Pluto rules Scorpio, and Cancer is another water sign. Both are emotional and given to indirect (some would say manipulative) action in the world. Among individuals with this aspect are: former Mexican president Miguel de la Madrid, leader of the PLO Yassir Arafat, entertainer Desi Arnaz, newscaster David Brinkley, jazz musician David Brubeck, Black Power leader Eldridge Cleaver, guru Ram Dass, and singer Judy Garland. Yassir Arafat probably best exemplifies the dark side of this Pluto conjunct Cancer Ascendant. Wikipedia points out that “Arafat remains a highly controversial figure whose legacy has been widely disputed. He was ‘revered by many Arabs,’ and most Palestinians, regardless of political ideology or faction, viewing him as a freedom fighter who symbolized their national aspirations. However, he was also reviled, especially by many Israelis, who viewed him as a terrorist responsible for hundreds of bombings and deaths. Critics have accused Arafat of mass corruption, secretly amassing a personal wealth estimated to be USD $1.3 billion by 2002 despite the degrading economic conditions of the Palestinians.”

Pluto conjunct a Leo Ascendant is a sunnier person, but no less desirous of power. Among those with this placement are entrepreneur Richard Branson, rocker Lindsay Buckingham, actress Glenn Close, counselor and astrologer Donna Cunningham, Judge Lance Ito and actor Steven Seagal. Both Donna Cunningham and Seagal are healers, who use their Pluto insight and heritage and depth to work for the physical and mental health of others. Cunningham, a LCSW, has written a book specifically about Pluto, “Healing Pluto Problems.” Seagal has mastered martial arts and starred in many movies, tweaking the plot to include some of the healing philosophy behind Asian martial arts.

When Pluto is in Virgo and conjunct the Ascendant, we have another change. Virgo is far less dramatic than Leo, and operates at a smaller scale. But Pluto still seeks intense connection with others. Thus we have one of the world’s most famous lovers, Giacomo Casanova, who was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, Histoire de ma vie (Story of My Life), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century. Casanova was so famous for his often complicated and elaborate affairs with women that his name is now synonymous with "womanizer." During Pluto’s 20th century transit of Virgo, we have the following individuals with Pluto on their Ascendant: heavy-metal-suicide Kurt Cobain, actress Shannon Doherty, actor Will Ferrell, singer k. d. lang, actress Lucy Liu, actor Keanu Reeves, survivalist-bomber Eric Rudolph, actress Sharon Stone. Stone was the star of the “erotic thriller” Basic Instinct. Even before its release, Basic Instinct generated heated controversy due to its overt sexuality and graphic depiction of violence. It was strongly opposed by gay rights activists, who criticized the film's depiction of homosexual relationships and the portrayal of a bisexual woman as a murderous sociopath. Despite initial critical negativity and public protest, Basic Instinct became one of the most financially successful films of the 1990s; grossing $352 million worldwide, which shows just how popular “basic instincts” are!

I only had one example of Pluto in Libra and conjunct the Ascendant, the unfortunate Laci Peterson, who was murdered by her husband at Christmas time when she was 7 months pregnant with their first child. It turns out that I had used the wrong time for her chart. Her corrected chart, though, has Pluto conjunct the Descendant, the opposing degree to the Ascendant and signifying her husband. Pluto is intense, and Libra is partnership. Both applied to the relationship between Laci and her husband Scott Lee Peterson who is now in prison.

Good luck with those individuals in your life who have the unforgettable Pluto/Ascendant combination!

Lalia