Pluto Opposite Mars: Power Struggles and the Possibility of Cathartic Connection

November 1’s New Moon in Scorpio carries complex, conflicting energy. With Mars, the god of War, ruling this New Moon and last month’s Full Moon, we are experiencing some of the most challenging energy of 2024. So, take a breath, take care of yourself, and step back if you need to find your footing amid the power struggles inherent in the energy of the moment. And bear with me; this post is longer than usual as I try to articulate what is at the root of what is unfolding astrologically.

Mars, the god of war and willpower, rules Scorpio and the New Moon. With Pluto in Capricorn opposing Mars in Cancer, this lunation carries the energy of a deep conflict between our desire to feel contained and nurtured by others, to be part of a family or tribe, and our willingness to stand in our authority, to occupy the throne of our lives and take responsibility for our destiny.

When Pluto, the god of the underworld, opposes Mars, we can experience profound dark energy around our will. Rather than hold this explosive energy, we may find ourselves acting it out unconsciously, fearing destruction (Pluto) of our own will (Mars); we may engage in power struggles with others.

Because Mars is in the last decan of Cancer (Cancer III), and Pluto is in the last decan of Capricorn (Capricorn III), the power struggles could relate to our desire to be nurtured vs. our desire to stand in our authority. Cancer is the sign of the tribe, of hearth and home, nurturing, creating a safe space for our creative energy to grow. Capricorn, its opposite, is the sign of ambition to achieve and build something lasting in the world, the sign of the leader, the establishment of authority in the world.

Cancer III is associated with the 4 of Cups in the Tarot deck. The images below of the tarot cards related to Cancer show the different faces of what it is to be nurtured by the world and contained within family and tribe. Cancer I, also called Mother and Child (A. Coppock), is an image of a symbiotic, joyful relationship to being contained and nurtured. In Cancer II, the nurturing becomes a dance, as a safe space is created for the child to prosper. In Cancer III, however, we experience ambivalence about nurturing. How much is too much?

Mars is all about exerting our desire in the world. When Mars is in the last decan of Cancer, we can fight for our share; we may find ourselves fighting to have more than we need, demanding that the world nurture us even though we have enough.

Capricorn III is associated with the 4 of Pentacles. The tarot cards related to Capricorn show the different faces of establishing authority and power. Capricorn I shows a man balancing pentacles, light on his feet, and able to discern where to build his empire. Capricorn II shows the creative dance of pentacles, creating a place of authority on earth. Capricorn III, also called “The Throne,” shows what it is to occupy the throne, our inner authority, in the face of potential threats.

When we experience strong opposing planetary energies in our charts, they can be difficult to contain, especially when they are Mars and Pluto. Because the energy feels tense and destructive, we may act it out by picking a fight with someone. As the New Moon energy unfolds, we may stand on the side of Mars in Cancer and accuse someone in authority (Pluto in Capricorn) of not giving us what we need (Cancer). Or we may stand on the side of Pluto in Capricorn—we may act like the patriarchal figure (Capricorn) who dominates and annihilates (Pluto) anyone who disagrees with their position.

The key to dealing with the opposition between these planets is to hold the energy of each side, to contain the energy, and to allow for a creative solution to arise: a bridge that helps us to occupy our center and hold space for two conflicting truths to exist at once. Holding the energy, rather than acting it out, we may find that the pressure builds to a crescendo, then releases into a cathartic understanding of the situation that allows us to stand in our authority, what we “know” in our bones, our truth. Once we know where we stand, we can occupy the throne of our knowing without demanding, like a child, that others join us in our subjective reality. We can stand in our authority rather than take up authoritarian “shoulds” in our relationships.

Falling in the first decan of Scorpio (Scorpio I), the New Moon plants a seed for us to work with the fallout from the conflict between Mars and Pluto. The Tarot card associated with the Scorpio New Moon is the 5 of Cups. It shows the feeling of loss we may suffer as we stand firmly in our authority and the hidden blessings that may emerge in the aftermath of any conflict.

5 of Cups, Rider-Waite Tarot

In the card, you see a person grieving the loss of three cups that have fallen over. This reflects the grief we may experience due to the oppositional energy of Mars and Pluto. When we act out of our truth, we inevitably encounter opposition. People who may demand that we stay in a symbiotic Cancerian relationship with them—who become petulant or even abandon us if we disagree with them, perhaps imagining that connection is only forged through merging with another’s position.

The card also shows what is hidden beneath the opposition, the 2 cups that remain standing. These cups symbolize the valuable energy that can emerge after we experience the grief and loss that we experience as we establish our separate identities in the world.

On a positive note, the chart contains some energy that may help us work through conflicts. First, the New Moon has a lovely connection to Saturn, the god of responsibility and restriction. If tensions flare, see if you can connect with the ancient wisdom figure within, the teacher who calls you to sit with the discomfort of conflict, who encourages you to be patient as you wait for the solution to emerge.

Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and relationships, opposes Jupiter, the god of optimism, expansion, and abundance. Unlike Mars and Pluto, Venus and Jupiter, the “benefic” planets, do well when they oppose each other. You can imagine the positive energy of love exchanging energy with the open-hearted optimism of Jupiter—creating an opening where new possibilities for relating emerge.

As always, the lunation will affect you differently depending on the placements in your birth chart. If you have planets at or near 9 degrees of the Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius), 29 degrees of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), or if your chart is ruled by Mars (if you are an Aries or Scorpio rising), the New Moon will likely have a more significant impact on you. If you’d like to know more about how this New Moon might affect you, you can book a reading below.