Last year we entered a revolutionary time during which Pluto will be going out of bounds for a few months each year for the next ten years. In 2025 this occurred between 31st August and 22nd November, while in 2026 Pluto will be out of bounds from 12th August to 10th December. And he’ll keep doing this every year until 2035.

Planets go out of bounds (OOB) when they go beyond the ecliptic range set by the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The Earth orbits the Sun with its axis tilted to about 23°26’ and this sets the limit on how far above or below the celestial equator the Sun can appear in the sky, measured in declination either north or south. When a planet goes beyond this range it becomes more extreme and unpredictable in its effects and tends to act in unconventional or exaggerated ways.

In this case, we’re talking about Pluto who is already pretty extreme. So when he goes out of bounds things can get interesting. Rosanne Finn has written a book about what happens during these periods, called Persephone’s Revolution, where she explores the history and potential of these times. She found a difference between what happens when Pluto goes OOB to the north or to the south.

When Pluto goes OOB to the north it represents times when empires expand and power is used against the people in repression and top-down controls. The last time this happened was between 1938 and 1953 during the rise of Nazism and fascism in Europe, World War Two and the start of the Cold War.

When Pluto goes OOB to the south it represents times of chaos, revolution and reformation where old orders collapse and the people rise in power against oppression and control. The last time this happened was between 1775 and 1796 during the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. Pluto dipped in and out of being OOB during this period for months at a time, but also had an extended period OOB from 1776 to 1791.

This time Pluto will be going out of bounds to the south – hence the revolutionary feeling in the air. And he won’t go out of bounds again after 2035 for thousands of years! This seems significant!

Pluto going out of bounds will intensify the themes of Pluto in Aquarius and drive the breakdown of the systems that run society, including the technology we rely on. Hidden patterns of corruption will come to the surface, as well as positive energies that have been repressed that now need to be reintegrated. It intensifies the evolutionary pressure to change and could manifest as a confrontation with fate and nemesis, especially when the demand for change is resisted or denied.

Going OOB to the south means that Pluto descends and goes inwards, digging out truths and secrets and exposing the rotten foundations of systems that are ready to fall. So we’re likely to see the end of the rule of plutocrats and tyrants and leaders who abuse their power. The potential for civil unrest and civil war also rises in places where the people have become disenfranchised, fractured and uprooted – i.e. almost anywhere.

This is already starting to happen in many places and we’re seeing the beginnings of the push back against authoritarian controls, such as restrictions on freedom of speech and the digital ID rollout. There’s a rising awareness that something has gone wrong in the world and widespread anger at abuses of power and the hypocrisy of leaders.

Unfortunately this kind of change never happens smoothly or easily because people always resist, especially those with the most to lose. One way or another, the old system and way of being has to die to make way for the new. That means going through some kind of death followed by a period of emptiness and confusion, a liminal space of waiting as the new world struggles to be reborn.

There may be an increase in political and spiritual awakenings as the people rise in power, as well as lots of new ideas and surprising solutions to old problems. These exciting potentials will need to be acted on in the most conscious way possible. This revolution will only work if the people stop sitting around waiting for somebody else to take charge and tell them what to do.

If you want the world to be a better place, you will have to be a better person and build that better world yourself – with your friends and neighbours and community.

This period of Pluto going OOB is reinforced by the mini triangle configuration with Neptune at the midpoint that we’re experiencing now. The last Neptune midpoint was 500 years ago when Pluto also went out of bounds to the south from 1524 to 1553. This coincided with the end of the dominance of the Roman Catholic Church and the rise of new ideas, including the scientific revolution that has transformed the world. More on that here.

Maybe this time, we’ll see the end and/or reformation of structures that were put in place the last time Pluto was out of bounds to the north (1938–1953), such as the UN, NATO, the IMF, World Bank, Israel, India and Pakistan, China, and North Korea. This restructuring is part of the process of de-globalisation that’s fragmenting the old power structures of the world, reinforced by the Jupiter Saturn conjunctions shifting into air signs. More on that here.

How chaotic things get in the coming years will depend on many other factors, including how people deal with the changes that occur. Since Pluto will only be OOB for a few months each year the chaos and disruption may be intermittent, giving us breathing space to think about what’s happening and adjust.

But there may be a long period of breakdown as the old order begins to fail. Add to that the tendency for those in power to resist by becoming more authoritarian and dictatorial and things could get nasty, depending on where you are in the world. The potential for reformation will come after the breakdown and dissolution of the old system.

Recent violent uprisings may be a foretaste, although much of this was fuelled by the Mars Pluto conjunction in January which has now faded out. But we have the Mars Uranus square building from mid-February. And these alignments will keep coming as the years of this Pluto OOB transit unfolds. The ones that align with Pluto directly will be the ones to watch, especially between August and December each year.

If Pluto transits your chart directly while he’s OOB you could experience rapid change and breakthroughs that accelerate your evolution, but only if you engage with the energy consciously. Use this time to willingly descend in this area of your life and dig out what needs to be purged. This will allow you to release what you no longer need and heal the past so you can make yourself ready for the rebirth. More on Pluto transits here.

You can find out more on the history of Pluto going out of bounds by reading Rosanne Finn’s article on astro.com here. Or get the details on the dates for when Pluto goes OOB on her Substack here, and explore the history of how Neptune in Aries factors into the transformation brought by Pluto here.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy this blog and would like to support my work, please donate below 🍵. Thanks in advance! 🙏❤️