The First-Ever United States Pluto Return

How This Once-in-a-Lifetime Event Will Revolutionize the Social and Economic Fabric of a Nation

The current United States Pluto Return is getting a great deal of attention from astrologers, thought leaders, and historians. This first-in-a-lifetime event will occur when Pluto returns to the same degree of the zodiac that it occupied when the United States was officially founded in 1776. Some astrologers claim that the United States Pluto Return foretells doom and destruction. 

I feel that this view is too simplistic. Although the United States Pluto Return has the potential to dramatically revolutionize the social and economic fabric of the nation and the larger global community, it may also bring positive changes to the world. In this article, I will share some of my interesting historical research about previous Pluto Return cycles that occurred in other parts of the world. I will also discuss my own vision of the transformative events that may transpire during this time.

The United States Birth Chart

Several different birth charts exist for the United States, and the one I prefer to use is set for the date and time of the official adoption of the Declaration of Independence at 6:30 PM on July 4, 1776 (known as the United States Kelleher Chart). Since Pluto takes about 248 years to move through the twelve signs of the zodiac, the United States has never experienced a Pluto Return before now.

Some confusion exists about the timing of the United States Pluto Return. This is due to the differences in calculation between the tropical and the sidereal zodiacs. The natal positions and transit dates for Pluto are very different between these two systems because of the divergent starting points of the two zodiacs:

The sidereal system calculates twelve zodiac signs based on the observable sky, and the tropical system considers the beginning of the zodiac (zero Aries) to coincide with the March equinox. The difference between them is currently around 24 degrees of longitude.

In the case of the tropical system used by most Western Astrologers, the Pluto Return already occurred in 2022. According to the sidereal zodiac system, in use by Western Sidereal Astrologers and traditional Vedic Astrologers, the exact Pluto Return will occur throughout 2024, but also had a growing influence in 2022 and in 2023.

Clearly, the correct calculation system to use is sidereal, based on the exact orbital period of Pluto which is 247.686 years (1776 + 248 = 2024). At the same time, slight variations also exist within the sidereal system, which are dependent on an astronomical calculation known as ayanamsa. At least 20 different ayanamsas are in use, and I employ the most common one in Vedic Astrology known as Lahiri Ayanamsa.

Understanding the Outer “Trans-Saturnian” Planets

According to Vedic Astrology, the navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities (grahas) that influence human life on Earth. They include the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Rahu and Ketu (the Moon’s nodes). The grahas are typically used to understand individual matters and ordinary states of awareness and the routine workings of the mind.

The trans-Saturnian or “outer planets” exist further out in the solar system and include Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. They move much more slowly around the zodiac than the inner planets, and are thus known to have a transpersonal quality. They represent mysterious and unconscious urges within human consciousness, as well as larger, collective, generational, evolutionary, and epoch-making forces.

In Neo-Vedic as well as modern Western Astrology, the outer planets are considered to be significant predictors in Mundane Astrology. This is the branch of Astrology whose subjects are the events of geographical regions, places, countries and the whole world (as opposed to individual Astrology). One way of forecasting major events in the evolution of a nation is to follow the planetary returns of the outer planets, as with the United States Pluto Return.

Understanding Pluto’s Role in Astrology

Modern Western Astrology describes the outer planets as higher octaves of the inner planets. As an example, Pluto is a higher octave of the intense and fiery planet Mars. Pluto refers to what lies beneath (the underbelly of life), and is thus the modern ruler of Scorpio, the sign of disease and healing, mysteries and lies, taboos, military action, strikes, mining, floods, secret weapons, sewage, garbage disposal, taxation, welfare funding, sex, debt, insurance, death, Machiavellian political plots, scandals, underground movements, organized crime, and so on.

Pluto governs power itself, and when afflicted, it relates to catastrophes (major natural or human-made disasters), dictators, totalitarian governments, the Plutocracy (rule by the wealthy), atrocities like mass murders, global wars, socialistic political movements, terrorism, treachery, propaganda, assassinations, revolutionary upheaval, mob fury, secret agendas, death, transformation, and so on.

Pluto indicates the elimination of the old and also represents the power needed for this process. Pluto is akin to Kali, whose dual nature is of destroyer and creator. Pluto brings matters to the surface in order to transform old outworn ideas and attitudes.

Pluto may be small, dark, cold, and far away, but its influence is way out of proportion to its size. Though it is not visible to the naked eye, Pluto packs a significant punch. It operates at an extremely deep and often unfathomable level, and with exceptionally concentrated power, like an atomic/nuclear bomb. In fact, Pluto rules all forms of energy, including nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

Why the United States Pluto Return Will Be a Turning Point

Based on my extensive research of previous Pluto Return cycles that occurred throughout history in various empires, I discovered that Pluto Return is not an apocalypse. It is, however, a turning point whose long-range effects may extend for many years before and after the window of exactitude (the period of exact conjunctions of transiting Pluto with natal Pluto).

Previous Pluto Returns have marked periods of important new discoveries. They have also been associated with political and economic chaos, societal breakdown, invasions, civil wars, and revolutions. One size does not fit all. Each chart tells a specific story. But the clear conclusion in all of these events is that the eventual downfalls that came out of these cycles were caused by the mismanagement, arrogance, greed, and corruption of those in power.

No empires in recorded history lasted for more than two Pluto Return cycles. Whether an empire would survive long enough to reach one Pluto Return, or even two, depends on the karmic longevity revealed in the Vedic birth chart, a complex topic that is beyond the scope of this article. I can say that some empires I analyzed had the karmic longevity, and some did not, as shown in the following two slides:

After studying the traditional Vedic Astrology longevity calculations for the United States Kelleher chart in detail, I would suggest that this chart has a significant lifespan. This means that though the basic structure of the United States will continue to change dramatically, the American Empire may last a long time after the current Pluto Return, possibly until the end of the Mars dasha in 2255, and right before the next Pluto Return in 2272 (230 or so years from now). The period of the next Rahu mahadasha (from 2255 to 2273) also indicates the possibility of the end of the empire.

A Return to the Themes That Marked the Creation of the United States

As Pluto transits back to the sign and house it occupies in the United States chart, this symbolically means that Pluto and all that it represents are beginning a new evolutionary cycle. The United States Pluto Return will bring opportunities for tremendous change.

Pluto occupies sidereal Capricorn in the second house of the United States Kelleher birth chart. This shows that the founding principles of the American Republic were forged in response to a significant conflict (Pluto) with Britain over material resources and outworn value systems (Capricorn and second house matters). 

More precisely, the American Revolutionary War was fought, at least in part, to establish financial sovereignty, as colonial Americans were tired of paying financial tribute to the British monarch without receiving democratic representation in return.

Pluto's retrograde position in the Second House of the United States chart shows that the country was founded on principles of self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and strong individualism. In particular, the founding members of the nation created new ideas of democracy and religious freedom. 

The Shadow Side of Pluto in the United States Chart

The shadow side of Pluto in the United States chart reveals an affliction of individual and societal greed and an obsession with material security. As all do not contribute equitably, and as the power structures do not serve the needs of everyone equally and fairly, a pervasive victim mindset exists within the soul of the nation.

There are also those in the United States who continually seek greater power and wealth. In particular, a small group within the larger collective will seek to attain the most power over the others (Plutocrats). These leaders may use any means possible, including subterfuge and propaganda, to maintain power at all costs.

The nation is also struggling to be the dominant world power. Continual war is needed to maintain the economic status quo and global hegemony. Pluto in Uttarashadha Nakshatra is ambitious and worldly. It wants to be the number one nation that is forever undefeated. The country pulls many different types of people together but also is under the control of a wealthy elite ruling class. The elite ruling class is mysterious because Pluto indicates hidden forces (a secret government).

Uttarashadha is ruled by the Sun and Saturn who are enemies (Saturn is the shadow of the Sun, so what you see is not always what you get in terms of the goals and values of the nation). Pluto is in the nodal axis and squaring the MC (Midheaven), which indicates that hidden power-hungry extremists control and manipulate the government and the money supply.

Pluto is opposite Mercury in the eighth house, which points to the fact that the media and the government have created a charade of political propaganda and economic manipulation that serve the interests of the Plutocracy while misleading the public. In the second house of speech, Pluto Return retrograde also points to the heightened assault on free speech and the heated battle against censorship in recent years (which is just one of many aspects of the decades long relentless attack on the United States Constitution).

In the navamsa/ninth divisional astrological chart, Pluto occupies the zenith at one degree of Pisces in the heinous Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra, symbolizing a tendency for government tyranny, political subterfuge, manipulation, and oppression (and Saturn transiting in conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn in 2020 activated this tendency at a whole new level beginning at that time).

A Pluto Return Timeline

The Pluto Return will be within an effective orb of influence until early 2025. It will be strongest throughout all of 2024, during which time Pluto will make three separate exact conjunctions to its natal position. These exact conjunctions will occur on February 22, July 16, and December 30, 2024.

1. The first occurrence on February 22 shows the direction we are heading, and the chart reveals a great deal of societal and political disorder, economic uncertainty, and the possibility of disgrace and dramatic events related to public officials. However, during May and June, transiting Jupiter’s trine to Pluto suggests some creative and innovative solutions and some slight potential for positive movement toward economic or social reform.

2. The second activation point occurring on July 16, 2024 represents the likelihood of setbacks, a darkening national mood, forceful authoritarian agendas, and foreign disputes.

3. The third and last activation will occur on December 30, 2024, when Pluto will be moving forward swiftly, revealing some old structures breaking down. The key expressions in this chart reflect a need for greater individual responsibility along with hope for a new future. Yet at this time, retrograde Mars in Cancer will be opposing Pluto, suggesting that ongoing subversive and authoritarian elements, crime, inflation, economic crises, and issues with immigration, the workforce, and taxation will continue to be a threat.

Because of the Pluto transit and the way in which it aspects the United States birth chart, there is the possibility for a significant economic crisis in 2024. Other associated events may include what is shown in the following two slides below:

A Mixture of Difficult Astrological Events 

In addition to the United State Pluto Return, other intense astrological events will occur at the same time:

• The challenging Rahu Mahadasha is in place now. It began in 2015 and will continue until 2033. It points to extreme imbalances in all areas, societal divisiveness, financial irresponsibility and chaos, enemies within and without, foreign invasion, terrorism, lawlessness, wars, and deception. But also on a positive note, there will be breakthroughs and advances in science and technology.

• A solar eclipse occurred over the United States on October 14, 2023, and another will occur again over the United States on April 8, 2024. This indicates an unpredictable year of upheaval, possible disasters, terror threats, conflict, and change. The two eclipse paths will intersect to form an “X” over the United States. Note that the center of the X lies in South Texas. This is currently an area of unprecedented geopolitical instability which will likely continue at least through 2024.

Solar Eclipses NASA - Using observations from different NASA missions, this map shows where the Moon’s shadow will cross the U.S. during the 2023 annular solar eclipse and 2024 total solar eclipse. The map was developed by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) in collaboration with the NASA Heliophysics Activation Team (NASA HEAT), part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio. Credits: NASA/Scientific Visualization Studio/Michala Garrison; eclipse calculations by Ernie Wright, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

• Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the Vedic Lunar New Year, will occur on April 8, 2024, along with the Solar Eclipse. This event will set the stage for major upheaval globally and in the United States especially. Please stay tuned for my future articles about the 2024 eclipses.

• The 2024 election year looks like it will be a wild ride with revolutionary forces at play. An unexpected candidate could become a great source of hope for many. Around the time of the election, a weakened transiting Mars will oppose Pluto, while transiting Saturn will square the United States Uranus and transiting Jupiter. These aspects can reflect dictatorial or subversive forces, intense battles, and possibly election interference.

• From June 2024 to April 2032, Uranus will transit in Taurus. This is a transit indicating the total transformation of the nation’s financial system. Uranus will transit in the sixth house of the United States chart, suggesting labor and public health issues, as well as international conflicts and civil unrest. The last time Uranus transited here in Taurus was from 1940-48 (during WWII), and before that, from 1856-64 (during the American Civil War).

A Time of Hope and Change 

My hope is that the Pluto Return will trigger a positive rebirth of our nation and the world through the transformation of money and energy via the mass adoption of Bitcoin, a digital currency which provides a brilliant alternative to the world’s central bank-controlled fiat money system, given that it is war-proof and inflation-proof.

I feel this transformation is possible for many reasons, in part because Pluto relates to transformation, hidden energy, money, and all material resources, and it is located in the second house of money in the United States birth chart. Hades (Pluto) means “hidden riches,” and Bitcoin is “hidden money,” in that it runs on a virtually invisible digital network on the Internet. There is so much more to say about this, but I will have to leave it for another time, or feel free to read my previous articles titled The Astrology of Bitcoin Series: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four.

I hope that you have enjoyed this in-depth discussion of the United States Pluto Return! As you can see, while this transit represents immense challenges already underway for the United States, it also offers the potential for positive changes and exciting new developments.

Please note that this and all my other forecasts are based on the sidereal zodiac used in both Vedic and Western sidereal astrology, not the tropical system used by most Western and a small number of Vedic astrologers. All the astrological charts that I work with and share are calculated according to the sidereal zodiac and Lahiri Ayanamsa.