Since December 7th, dwarf planet Ceres, named after the goddess of agriculture, the harvest and fertility, has been engaged in direct negotiations with Pluto, the lord of the underworld, at the beginning degrees of Aquarius. Lasting until December 18th, the meeting of Ceres and Pluto has a somewhat confrontational tone. 

As the Greek myth goes, Pluto kidnapped Ceres’ daughter, Persephone, from a field where she was picking flowers and made her queen of the underworld. A distraught Ceres sought help from the council of gods at Mount Olympus and Zeus sent Mercury, the messenger god, down to the underworld (aka Hades) to bargain a time for Persephone to return to the outer world with Pluto on behalf of Ceres. 

During this week’s meeting with Pluto, Ceres doesn’t have an intermediary here in Aquarius, the zodiac sign that rules science and technology, media broadcasting, revolutions and rebellions. Aquarius also represents humanity and the idea of the collective. With the Sun now squaring Neptune at the last degrees of his nativity, water sign Pisces, there is an added sense of urgency. We are now able to peek behind the deceptive curtain of the authority that has been used to divide us – realizing that we are no longer in need of an intermediary to maintain our sense of personal freedom.

The Ceres-Pluto conversation will more than likely end in compromise. This is particularly interesting to me because the results could show up in the beginning of 2025 as: 

• technological advances in food production

• major transformations in the way we feed and nourish ourselves

• transformations in self-care using harvesting biotechnology

• a peak in the rise of food prices 

• a continuation of global economic inflation  

• monumental developments in financial security in the digital landscape

• a shift in global wealth distribution

• an aggressive increase in personal data harvesting to promote a digital ID system and the collective resistance to it

• the increased use of satellites for space based surveillance programs around the world

• revolutions in fertility treatments and the growth of the fertility care industry

• a dramatic turnover in the world population 

Well, the ingress of Pluto in Aquarius signals the ending and beginning of a major cycle of our humanity. Those of us who were born with Pluto in Leo, on the opposite side of the zodiacal wheel, are known as baby boomers. At their birth after World War II, there was a huge swell in the global population and fertility was at its peak. This generation, now in their 70s and 80s, currently represent the largest age group–and longest living–in recent history. Having their Pluto in Leo, the boomers are also the wealthiest generation ever. According to Money.com, 

Since the baby boom, the world’s population has experienced a consistent decline. Here’s where I believe the compromise between Ceres and Pluto lies: In order to fix the growing list of problems on our planet, a monumental transfer of power and a shift in how we use it will occur. Along with the transfer of power, we will see not only a generational wealth gap but also a sharp drop in the population which has been steadily declining for the last 60 years.

The Sun enters Capricorn during the winter solstice on December 21st. This celestial event marks a ‘changing of the guards’ not only in world governments, but also in generational influence. On the same day, the Moon in Virgo is opposing Capricorn's ruler, Saturn, in Pisces. In this stand-off, the Moon represents the people or the masses, and Saturn represents incumbent leaders and elders leaving their long-held positions of authority. This opposition echoes the dynamic between Pluto and Ceres that ends just a couple of days before.

After every harvest, Ceres grieves the departure of Persephone to the underworld during the cold months of winter. Ancient rituals acknowledge this seasonal shift as a cyclical renewal of nature. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year when the Sun reaches 0° Capricorn. It was when Ceres was at this same degree that she planted her seeds in February of this year. 

The weeks leading up to the winter solstice are a time to nourish oneself and store up energy. We retreat, as Mars moves backwards through Leo into Cancer, the zodiac sign of the abode in which we seek refuge and hibernate. This perfectly signals the rest mode that our minds and bodies need to recalibrate our intentions for 2025.

To discover the Sabian Symbols reflecting this week’s energies, follow @astrologosreadings on Instagram and Facebook.

12/7-12/18 Pluto Conjunct Ceres

Sabian Symbols:

Aquarius 1 – An Old Adobe Mission in California (also seen on 12/4/24)

Aquarius 4 – A Hindu Healer Glows with a Mystic Healing Power

12/21 Moon at 13° Virgo Opposite Saturn at 13° Pisces

Sabian Symbols:

Virgo 14 – Finely Lettered Names and Mysterious Lines are Seen; It is a Family Tree

Pisces 14 – A Woman Wrapped in Fox Fur

12/21 Sun Enters Capricorn

Sabian Symbol:

Capricorn 1 – An Indian Chief Claims Recognition and Power from the Assembled Tribe

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