What do you get when you bring the two most hated planets in Astrology together in a chart? I don’t know because I wasn’t Hitler in a past life. The story of today revolves around edgy teenager Pluto and uptight boomer Saturn. As you can very well imagine, they don’t get along.
You can expect some inner turmoil the size of a generational clash whenever you see Saturn Square Pluto in a natal chart. It’s like Gen Z and skinny jeans, but worse. Yet, you can also find some beauty in this aspect if you look close enough.
Today, we explore how these two energies play out in natal, synastry, and composite charts.
Side note: I recommend this suspicious piece of music to put you in the mood for what’s to come.
Saturn Square Pluto In Natal Chart Meaning & Experience
Any aspects to Saturn in a natal chart must be closely examined, as this planet plays a massive role in our lives. Many astrologers consider it the planet of Karma due to its many challenging facets. In its essence, Saturn deals with restriction, structure, limitations, fears.
As the ruling planet of Capricorn, it teaches us responsibility, resilience, discipline. It tells the story of our obligations and our fears. So, needless to say, it’s not the guy you want at your party. In fact, the Saturn Return, which happens for everyone when they’re around 27, is said to be one of the harshest periods of your life.
Ask Kurt Cobain. Or Amy Winehouse. Or all of these people.
At the other end, Pluto isn’t quite the sweetheart, either. In Greek mythology, Pluto was another name for Hades, which was the God of the Underworld. It deals with matters of power, destruction, evolution, transformation. It also rules death and rebirth, primal instincts, taboos, depth. He is quite the intense, brooding fellow.
When these two planets meet in a harsh, edgy square in a natal chart, Pluto usually gets the upper hand, as it is the slowest moving planet. Which means this murky, intense energy will collide with a person’s very sense of structure, their foundations. So, let’s see how this aspect would play out in a natal chart.
“Il ratto di Proserpina,” Rome, Italy – The kidnapping of Persephone (by naughty, naughty Hades)
Saturn Square Pluto In Women, Personality Aspects
With this aspect, a native might have had a parent who expected them to conform to their idea of success strictly. With Saturn involved, it usually represents the father. As a result, Pluto comes in to destroy these traditionalistic views and allow the natives to discover their own power.
The transformative power of Pluto will put a lot of pressure onto Saturn’s rigid, stern way of viewing the world. Its main goal is to shatter the fears, the binding obligations we received through a conservative upbringing.
This square will make the natives feel restricted by their social and environmental constraints, which will make them want to revolt. Pluto wants to unroot, and it has no issues resorting to violence to accomplish that.
At the same time, it also challenges Saturn’s tendency towards hard work and responsibility. Women born under this aspect might feel a compelling need to achieve wealth and status but won’t want to commit to the hard work needed for that. The dark side of Pluto overshadows Saturn’s love for humility for servitude.
As a result, these women might try getting on top through manipulative tactics. At an extreme, they might want to marry for social status or try to achieve career recognition through Plutonian tactics, such as offering sexual services or causing discord.
However, when they become engulfed in something meaningful, they will never perform a job superficially. This square gives them maximum endurance and determination. They can be unbending in their way to achieve their goals.
Saturn Square Pluto In Men, Personality Aspects
In a man, this square can sometimes make for unmatched ambition to achieve success. Just like with women, they won’t have any issues resorting to morally questionable topics to reach the top. With men especially, there’s a tendency towards tyranny or cruelty.
Without them realizing it, rampant forces of self-destruction might surface from their unconscious mind. If they don’t notice them as powerful cravings to transform themselves for the better, they can create unbearable feelings of frustration.
It can almost feel like the entire weight of the world is on their shoulders; they can feel personally responsible for every bad thing happening on Earth. As a result, they can try to silence these feelings through substance abuse or even violence. Their difficulty in controlling their impulses can make them quite reckless, which, in turn, will only feed their powerlessness.
Eventually, this will lead to emotional blockages and coldness of feelings. These men won’t accept that others might know things better than they do. It’s pretty common for them to be skeptical of therapy, as they believe no one can ever understand the depth of their psyche.
Unconsciously, they will be torn between a desire to become a victim or brutally suppress other people. Unfortunately, the blazing fire of Pluto burning in their bones won’t allow them to find a middle ground, which is why they often end up destroying themselves.
Saturn, representing restriction. Much like it is, itself, restricted by its own rings.
Saturn Square Pluto Anger & Violence – Can It Be Dangerous?
Dealing with a square aspect between two malefic planets can be quite a rollercoaster ride. It’s impossible to determine whether someone will be violent off of this aspect alone, but it does paint a picture about these natives.
It’s not that they’re cold-blooded criminals who will do anything for power and fame. In some cases, it’s quite the contrary. These people can be empathetic and warm. The influence of Pluto can make them very concerned with the needy, with the rejects. They can feel personally responsible for every cruel thing they see in their environment.
But there will be violence, without a doubt. If this violence is not outwardly expressed, you can be sure that it is directed at themselves. It’s almost like they’re trying to punish themselves for the cruelty of the world without them even realizing they’re doing it.
When someone points that out, they won’t even admit it to themselves. This is where the transformative power of Pluto blossoms, once again. Swinging between being a victim and a dictator, these people have the ability to completely remake other people’s lives.
A good example of this would be a drug addict, completely destroying the life of a partner who sees the kindness in them and tries to help them quit. As they can’t accept anyone’s opinions over their own, they will play into this “victim of the world” dynamic while silently enjoying that their partner is having such a hard time in the relationship.
This is the kind of violence you can expect from someone born under this aspect.
Saturn Square Pluto Synastry, Relationships
In a synastry chart, a Saturn-Pluto square can play out in wildly different ways, depending on the other parts of the chart. The couple will definitely have an intense mental connection, almost like they can read each other’s thoughts. They will most likely be attracted to non-traditional things and will constantly look for ways to reinvent the wheel when it comes to romance.
Both persons are looking for life-changing things; they want to be transformed. The Saturn person wants to grow into their full potential, while the Pluto person wants to shed everything that doesn’t serve them and be born anew. They might just find this life-changing experience in each other.
They both want to help the other person transform, but the power dynamic is quite stubborn. While they’re more than eager to satisfy each other’s needs, they won’t want to change for the better. Even if they both feel the need to change, they simply won’t do it.
As expected, this breeds a lot of fighting, as they both want to be the ones in control of the relationship. But, deep down, this need for control stems from a crippling fear of change and restriction. These power plays come with a lot of frustration for the couple. However, considering the planets involved, there’s a sick little twist involved.
The Pluto person will find these challenges exhilarating, while the Saturn person will see them as something to fix. As a result, this feeling of frustration makes them feel excited and useful. It gives both of them some purpose. Ultimately, they can both settle their differences between the sheets.
Saturn Square Pluto For Sex & Sexuality
The power dynamic in this couple breeds explosive passion. The rigid, binding Saturn person will come along and try and control the wild energy of the Pluto person. And since we already know Pluto won’t easily accept that, they end up exerting their raw power even more.
The square aspect makes for a lot of tension, but we all know that when it comes to sex, tension isn’t the worst thing to have. The lack of trust gives them both craving for control, and this craving for control revigorates both of them; it gives them something to race towards. When this pressure becomes too powerful, they can both blow us some steam in the bedroom.
Here, Pluto can finally become submissive to the Saturn person, who will enjoy finally being able to boss them around. Over time, this maddening passion they share will help both of them learn important lessons.
The Saturn person will learn to loosen up and only exert their dominance in the bedroom, while the Pluto person will learn that surrendering control is a form of power in itself.
NAIA Terminal 2, Control Tower, Philippines – Or, what a relationship with this aspect kind of feels like.
Saturn Square Pluto Composite Chart
In a composite chart, things aren’t as rosy as in synastry. While the tension caused by the Saturn Square Pluto aspect can be flaming hot for a new couple, it can wreak havoc for a long-term relationship.
Both partners can be supremely attracted to each other, even to the point of obsession. The mind-games and covert manipulations will do wonders for them in the bedroom, but a couple must leave the bed once in a while.
Out in the world, these two will start finding the other’s need for control maddening. The Pluto person will constantly try to break free of Saturn’s reins and express their wild power. In turn, the Saturn person will find that they can’t renounce their need for control and try to stifle Pluto’s independence.
This constant back and forth can bind them together like no other force, but their relationship will be highly volatile. It’s important to remember that the power struggles come from their insecurities and lack of trust.
Before this relationship can turn into something stable, they both need to practice patience. Both partners will need to be encouraged to open up and be vulnerable. They need to learn how to relax around the other person and try to let go of their obsessive need to control the other’s behavior.
Saturn Square Pluto Transit Meaning
During such transit, you can expect a period of massive transformations regarding the most important areas of your life. Your foundation, if you will. You will find it impossible to repress these energies, as they will create an intense feeling of restlessness.
It will generally cause strong confrontations, especially with older people in your life. Family secrets could make it to the surface, or there could be some massive changes in your home life. Some of these could include your parents falling ill and having to move with you so you can take care of them. Death shouldn’t be ruled out, as it is the very realm of Pluto.
On the other hand, the death of a relative could come with an inheritance for you, which will completely reshape your life. In ancient Greece, Pluto was also known as the “Wealth Bringer.” Issues regarding debts and taxes could arise, or some of your obligations could suddenly disappear.
Orpheus in the Underworld, by Jan Brueghel the Elder (or, one of the few times when Pluto wasn’t a bad guy)
Conclusion
I am painfully aware that this article was quite grim. It’s hard to focus on the sunshine and rainbows when talking about these two planets. Yet, in themselves, they both represent the most feared and repressed areas of our lives.
When these two are involved, you can be sure that someone will not be too happy. But that’s Karma for you. It’s important to remember that no energy is actually “malefic,” in the true sense of the word.
Both Saturn and Pluto strive towards spiritual evolution; they want to make us better persons. Of course, they have a very harsh way of doing that, but gym bros have a saying: “no pain, no gain.”
Or, if you’d like a more poetic approach, here’s one to summarize the way Saturn and Pluto interact in a chart.
The gradual unfolding journey leads to deep-seated truths, hidden information lying at the roots.
