Our Shared World Transit of the Neptune-Pluto Sextile
In fact, you’re far from alone. My brief examples above of crazy / adventurous times in our lives are analogies to the current sextile connection between Neptune and Pluto. Both names—Neptune and Pluto— are Roman names for the god of the oceans and the god of the underworld respectively. Our experiences with these planets do reflect their mythological roles. The depths of the underworld meet the expanse of the seas of consciousness. To help you navigate, here’s what you’ll learn about this important Neptune-Pluto sextile transit:
- their long planetary journey
- you and the collective;
- what it means;
- and astrological maps.
PART 1: THE LONG PLANETARY JOURNEY
Everybody’s been experiencing the long-term world transit of a sextile (60º) between Pluto and Neptune since we were born. Because it’s been there every day of our lives, the transit can seem like background or white noise; be barely noticeable like off-white paint on rental apartment walls. That is, until one or more planets currently in motion connects with the specific Neptune-Pluto sextile in your natal chart. Then, whoa! Things change—maybe like an uncomfortable, dispiriting, and static situation begins to get seriously confining; or cozy assumptions are now falling apart in revelatory or painful ways; or a major life crossroads that you saw as a possibility months or years ago is now in your path.
When something similar appears in your life, it’s confusing to know if there’s some reasons or meaning behind it all. Especially, if others around you aren’t facing a big learning curve or challenge. Double that if that if you feel like you’re suddenly getting soaked in a rock-strewn, but beautiful, river journey, or like you inexplicably ended up on a super-windy steep road that’s not showing up on your GPS and it’s getting dark.
You’re experiencing the Neptune-Pluto sextile. Again, everyone alive right now is part of a Neptune-Pluto sexile transit. This world transit is SUPER LENGTHY. It started in 1939! And it’ll continue to about 2039[i]. (More about this later.) Bottom line—we’re the generations who apparently signed up for cosmically wild rides. Plus, this transit is specifically geared to challenge us, change our individual and collective psyches/consciousness, and level up our emotional/ mental awareness in order to get really skillful at living our personal and collective lives.
[i]These dates of 1939 to 2039 are based on a larger orb of 5-7º for the sextile transit.
PART 2: YOU AND THE COLLECTIVE
And . . . to answer to the question in your mind, “But, do I have a Neptune-Pluto sextile in my chart??” YES.
It’s all of us, including you. There is no “them,” or “others”; no “insiders” vs “outsiders.” We’re all in this. (Hmm, can we actually embrace that concept?) Cool—safety in numbers, shared experiences, a unified field. True, and in the midst of this collective experience, it’s also really personal because you’re an individual and your chart reflects that too.
Astrologer Erin Sullivan named this transit period a time of “evolution and revolution.” The Neptune-Pluto sextile we’ve received gives us grand or quiet lifetime quests on the seas of consciousness through the dark yet glittering underworld. We can choose to jump into the adventures in order to grow up and transform into our best selves, or we can try passively to not participate. In the latter case, if that’s been your decision up until now, the outer planets may serve up more dramatic journeys for you.
Also, on the personal level, each of us experiences our own specific generation’s sextile. Neptune and Pluto remain in the 60º dance with each other as they both transition from one astrological sign to another. For instance, if you’re 29 this year (2024) you and your older generational peers have Pluto in Scorpio sextile Neptune in Capricorn. Neptune in Capricorn is being asked by Pluto in Scorpio to dig deep and dance into vulnerability and raw intimacy while never sacrificing integrity or downplaying honest efforts. However, if you’re 52—41 years old this year, your Pluto in Libra beautifully but clearly shreds antiquated perceptions of being relational in order to grab the hand of Neptune in Sagittarius who’s trying to live the truths of undefended adventurous hearts.
Take a look at the chart below that shows the progression of the Neptune-Pluto sextile.
PART 3: PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THIS ALL MEANS
No problem. Let’s start with the sextile—a 60 degree connection. That means that Pluto and Neptune, traveling along in their orbits, are aligned within approximately 60º. They’re in relationship with each other for this decades-long time period. Sextiles often show up as working with a sweet lingering excitement, jangling stimulation, or nervous anticipation. Sextiles want you to lean into new flow or churn in order to experientially learn courage and resilience. The experience of a sextile may seem exciting or a little edgy, but the symbol itself is tied to the hexagon—an incredibly stable structure (think honeycombs)! And there are more edges! Six to be exact. As ecosystems teach us, more edges lead to more growth, experimentation, diversity, life, and interdependent environments. Explore your Neptune-Pluto edges! You are building new stable structures that can hold and store the honey of your life.
The planet Neptune represents the very broad spectrum of consciousness. The seas of Neptune are metaphorical, but no less real: the emotional, the psychological, the spiritual. Therefore, some of Neptune’s meanings contain unconsciousness, stupor, addiction, fixation, delusion, illusion, confusion, bewilderment, zoning out, attention, focused mind, emotional intelligence, intention, awareness, focus, dreams, intuition, imagination, inspiration, vision, and enlightment to name a few possibilities. Neptune can also be altered states or realities, experiences of greater consciousness as well as spirituality—ideas, experiences, rituals, and beliefs regarding what’s sacred, holy, divine.
The underworld experiences that Pluto represent are slow and inexorable changes that usually require tough transformations. That’s because Pluto ultimately serves life. It’s the process of life that breaks down the debris in order to continue the natural order of being. A Pluto transformation concerns both your and our emotions, events, experiences, beliefs, etc., that have been buried, repressed, or suppressed. It shows up in structures or systems that are dying, unstainable, crumbling, or broken. In Jungian terms, this is Shadow stuff. It’s the secrets, the wounds, the fears, the garbage, the soul-crushing beliefs or actions mixed with all the unconscious cultural/social/family conditioning that no. longer. serves.
PART 4: THE MAP
Pluto presents to you/us the emotions, actions, behaviors, perspectives, policies, traditions, etc., that are sucked dry of life. This is the energy of the goddess Kali in her aspect of standing in the charnel grounds. Death as the natural ending to anything that has been emptied of its life force. To meet Pluto well, we need to act with courage, decisiveness, and clarity and not scurry through a Neptunian escape / escapist route. That’s because whatever is coming up—for you individually and for us collectively—needs to be faced honestly, to dealt with fierce compassion. Feel the fear, see the rot, smell the stink, and don’t turn your heart away. Face it bravely, engage with curiosity and care, and learn from the suppressed wounds in order to heal & transform.
The outer planets always show up in our lives with impact! Let’s have conversations about this big, slow, yet transformative transit with each other. When we know about this transit and how it’s unfolding in our lives, we can show grace to /show up for anyone we know (including ourselves) who get thrust back in the trenches of this transit at any given moment. Your life wants to vibrant, beautiful, and full of sweetness. That takes some hard work; work that often involves digging into the dirt of your soul. Every generation has its own specific signs for Neptune and Pluto and every person has Neptune and Pluto in particular houses in their birth chart.
Astrology can and does provide you a map or inner action plan regarding your particular Neptune-Pluto sextile. It can also provide you a timetable showing you when your life is engaging with this transit and the deep work it brings with it. Astrology brings tools, knowledge, and light.
Thanks so much for reading! To see and understand your personal map of the Neptune-Pluto sextile, book a transit reading with me here.
If you’d like to share this post—hooray and thanks! Please credit Margaret Merisante and provide a link to this post or Awestrology. Sending hugs and love for spreading my work with others and your support. I truly appreciate you!
About the Author
Margaret Merisante, PhD, is the founder and astrologer of Awestrology. She’s also a comparative mythologist whose research centers on restoring women and girls back into the myths of humanity.
