The Return of Pluto
A Second Astrological Analysis by Rick DiClemente
Entities can have several birth dates. For example, one may say that a business is “born” on the day that it is named, or incorporated, or takes in its first dollar. It is not always clear which date lives. Such is the case with the City of Pittsburgh.
I recently found that Pittsburgh was founded on November 25, 1758 when General Forbes’ forces flew the British flag over the burnt remains of Ft. Duquesne. What was I to do with this “Sagittarian” birth date? I had already written an article in the Spring edition of this magazine detailing the city as a Pisces, born on March 18, 1816, fifty-eight years later (exactly two Saturn cycles).
With this new 1758 chart in hand, I was quite surprised when my computer showed me that the city had five planets out of ten in “Sag”. Working earlier with the Pisces chart (derived from Pittsburgh having been incorporated in Harrisburg in 1816) was difficult. I kept feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
It now makes perfect sense to me. It was born as a Sagittarian and incorporated legally later as a Pisces. It is both. The State sees it as a Pisces, but it is essentially a Sagittarian. And, keeping with the common self-effacing nature of Pisces, explains why Pittsburgh is seen as the Prodigal Son in Harrisburg’s eyes. I believe that the State gives The Steel City lip service, with little respect. Notice how the money stays in the East; the roads around Philadelphia and Harrisburg are always newly paved and up-to-date; and here…
Now, even without a birth time, I had a real sense of what makes this city tick. The generous Sag/Pisces combination will give you the shirt off of its collective back but at the same time can be looking for the easy way out of jams exemplified by this fire sign’s motto: “If it’s not fun, I’m not doin’ it.”
Also the sign of excess, some of Sag’s basic keywords are: expansion, optimism, freedom-loving, honest, straightforward, and philosophical. In the past, this Centaurian city expressed its basic function of expansion as it fulfilled the vital role as the “Gateway to the West”. The Archer loves fun, is idealistic, outgoing, and loves sports. Pittsburgh loves its honest, blue-collar image and won’t stand for phoniness. On the other hand, the Centaur can be blindly optimistic, arrogant, blunt, careless and irresponsible. The Achilles heel of this Jupiter-ruled sign is a reputation for sometimes promising and not delivering. It rules education, higher-mind, philosophy, travel, language, and law. This “good luck” sign somehow always gets saved at the eleventh hour due its benevolent nature. The toughness of the city is clearly symbolized by the close conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto in the chart. This powerful combination typifies fiery determination (think of the steel mills and watching ”The Bus” with the football).
When a planet completes its orbit, it symbolizes the death of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one. Uranus (the planet of modernism and technology) completed its first revolution in 1842 when magnate Henry W. Oliver migrated from Ireland. His steel company evolved into one of the largest iron manufacturers and he built large transportation systems. Also, in 1842 Duquesne Light revealed plans to build the most modern power plant ever and groundbreaking took place on the Cathedral of Learning. Uranus’ next return in 1926 established Pittsburgh as a major industrial center. Uranus (The Awakener) transited the chart’s Neptune (fog) in 1958 at the same time that
Pluto (The Transformer) went over the chart’s apex. Pluto often brings powerful forces and people as it did that year when Mayor David L. Lawrence led the city through a major rebirth, built Point Park, revitalized the Steel City both physically and psychically, and birthed a Renaissance from its reputation as The Smoky City.
Neptune commonly brings about slow and steady erosion. Crossing our main Sagittarian planets in the early 80’s, it augured the loss of the steel mills which was blamed on a lack of foresight by the industrial community’s part. Humanistic Astrology says it was due to spiritual bankruptcy.
Remarkably, Pittsburgh is now having its first ever epic Pluto return. No planet compares in power and significance to Pluto. Along with Neptune, Pluto is one of the great enigmas (and Great Enema). It symbolizes death and rebirth through regeneration and transformation. It coincides with hard times and commonly foretells of fundamental crises. It can shake an entity to its core, insisting on more purposeful living, paying the price for past weakness or corruption.
Slow-moving Pluto started affecting the city’s chart in 2004 and has two more planets to cross over, Mars and Jupiter (sports). [During its approach it has given rise to two new stadia, and is exerting its make-or-break theme for a new hockey arena. It usually brings financial trials. Translation: Astrology’s Big Bad Wolf is hovering near in this Dark Budgetary Forest.] This cold, most distant planet can threaten any entity’s very existence. Its world is the survival of the fittest. Over its head in debt, the city pleaded for financial help and filed for bankruptcy. Finally, Harrisburg instituted an oversight committee and now monitor’s the city’s spending. Pluto has spoken.
Other Plutonian influences have manifested: The proposed merger of the City and County, transportation issues (US Airways’ bankruptcies & Port Authority’s fiscal woes), and to symbolically top it all off, a huge waterline break right downtown. Yes, Pluto rules plumbing and the underground.
In the Zodiac, Sagittarius has the least downside. Yet, it can be irresponsible, looking for a quick fix (a gambling panacea?). Neptune, activated now, offers us a spiritual challenge: if the city is to rebound it must do so first from within, and do it alone (Pluto). We must start by transcending apathy. The spiritual, new-age movement is alive and growing in this fine city and we must infuse the city with new enlightened energy.
How do I counsel a person going through a Pluto period? “Don’t hang on to the old. Let go - you know what has to change. Get used to feeling alienated, be brave and willing to have more purpose. You must exercise your will now because the very power you need to rise like the phoenix out of the ashes has arrived.”
What we have buried under the rug will continue to surface now and demand solution.
There will be continuing decay before there is rebirth. Some entities never recover from Pluto times – I’ve seen it. I don’t think that will be case for this quintuple Sagittarian city however. 2006 is critical as Pluto crosses our ruling Jupiter. We will be challenged to think bolder and assume stronger roles. The Archer succeeds because he has faith, is optimistic and aims high. We have great cause for hope. As Uranus heads for its third return in 2010 (in Pisces), we can be encouraged to look forward to another Renaissance - a spiritual one. This heralds a future of hope, expansion, and fulfillment. We must collectively (Pluto) rekindle this fire (Sagittarius) from within.
Hopefully we have learned that we can no longer rely on exterior saviors. Pluto forces us to reach deep, be resourceful, and stand on our own. Our time has come where we need to dig into our spiritual reserve and summon enough strength and optimism to propel us into a new age.
As I finish this article on November 9, 2005, a new mayor, Bob O’Connor was just elected yesterday. Today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quotes him: “We’ve got everything going for us, but we have to get a better attitude. We’ve got to believe in ourselves.” Oh, his Sun Sign – Sagittarius - a coincidence, right?
