February 2024: Horoscopes for Moderns
More signals of Pluto's encroachment into Aquarius. And some good news.
You’re reading WOODRUFF. I cover the convergence of pop culture, psychology, and astrology. I’m happy you’re here! Join my entourage of subscribers—the party won’t start until you arrive.
SEVERAL NEWS EVENTS in January caught my eye, each resonant with Pluto’s recent ingress into Aquarius.
Pluto and toxicity (or rot). The latter is a natural process that occurs in nature. The former (unless we’re talking about things like mushrooms) is associated with human beings making ill-informed (or consciously bad) choices that might impact large numbers of people (see the movies Erin Brockovich or Silkwood for primers).
Aquarius is associated with trends that become huge and spread everywhere. Connectivity is the purview of all the air signs (Gemini with language and Libra with relationships). Aquarius symbolizes the true universalist, indifferent to castes and prejudices, just like, well, oxygen. It is the sign associated with humankind en masse as an expression of cooperation.
• You’ve now doubt followed or heard about the Stanley Cup mania (Pluto) that’s been ramrodding through social media (Aquarius). Yesterday, I caught a Tweet about lead (Pluto) showing up in the composition of the popular containers. Not the healthiest of additives in your water or coffee dispenser. (Although Stanley claims this is ‘perfectly safe’ because of some sealing engineering they employ). Still—it’s a hard pass from me.
• Pluto also has a porny side. This weird story appeared in my newsfeed this morning about a New York Times bestselling author who approached social media (Aquarius) influencers (ugh) to create sexually suggestive (Pluto) videos to promote his book (ew.)
• Pluto is also associated with penal systems and how capital punishment is administered within institutions. Last week, the state of Alabama chose a particularly barbaric manner of execution on a convicted murderer. Kenneth Smith was subjected to an untested method of ending his life. Some experts deemed it too cruel to use on animals. This is a bleak picture of the darker, draconian measures human beings devise to kill other human beings. (Interestingly, one of Pluto’s prior transits through Aquarius coincided with the invention of explosives—gunpowder, etc., allowing for more aggressive, technologically advanced means of murdering.) One of my hopes is that the current 25-year-long transit will transform penal systems across the globe.
• And what about this news from Crazy Town? It's a Pluto/Aquarius event that has the potential to devolve into another January 6 melee. As I’m writing this, a ‘God’s Army’ convoy (Pluto) of truckers is preparing to head to the US border with Mexico as the standoff between Texas and the federal government intensifies. Aquarius is associated with what unifies (but also defines via borders) countries and states across the globe.
• And finally, a positive spin on Pluto in Aquarius:
’s Substack Social Media Escape Club. Killer stuff.Some educational and fun possibilities for you this month
• Astrologer
is offering a fascinating course called Astrology-Informed Family Constellation Sessions.In keeping with this post’s theme, considering one’s family matrix instead of just the individual’s horoscope is very much a Pluto-Aquarius merger. To survey how the whole influences the part is an exciting approach towards self-knowledge.
As she wrote in her Substack the other day:
After years of study and practice work, I am now introducing systemic family constellations sessions into my roster of services. And I couldn’t be more thrilled since it’s a healing approach that has such incredible transformative power!
You can find out more information on her website. And also on her FAQ related to the course.
• And finally, some shopping news to put on your calendar. My favorite publisher, TASCHEN, is preparing for their annual New Year’s sale, with inventory slashed from 25% to 75% off. And if you don’t already own copies of their spellbinding tomes on astrology and the Tarot, now is the time to grab them. I return to both volumes over and over again for inspiration, both intellectual and artistic.
