Clarification about Pluto
The separation experienced by the study of the stars that led astrology and astronomy to become two separate disciplines, has not only divided a community that practiced both as one, but it has also changed the perspective each of them has about some subjects.
The term "planet" derives from the Greek word planetes, which means "wanderer" and it was originally used to name big celestial bodies orbiting around the Sun. However, some astrologers use the same term for the Sun and the Moon for convenience (I prefer the term Luminaries, which was used by classical astrologers, alluding to the fact that those were the brighter bodies in the sky).
Since nearly three decades ago, some astronomers disagreed about Pluto's classification as a planet because of its size and the eccentricity of its orbit. This situation was emphasized by the recent discovery of another celestial body of greater dimension than Pluto, as this fact posed the question of how to classify such object (2003 UB313).
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided to review the definition of planet and it published a resolution in August 2006 that distinguishes three categories for the celestial bodies in our solar system, which are indicated below:
* Planet - is a celestial body that
a) is in orbit around the Sun.
b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape.
c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
* Dwarf planet - is a celestial body that
a) is in orbit around the Sun.
b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape.
c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
d) is not a satellite.
* Small Solar-System Bodies - all other objects except satellites orbiting the Sun.
Pluto lost its status as a planet astronomically speaking and it became a "dwarf planet" as a consequence of this new classification, because "it has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit". However, nothing has changed about Pluto as far as Astrology is concerned.
Beyond Pluto's classification as a planet or a "dwarf planet", its essence and vibration have not changed. Consequently, in Astrology, Pluto continues symbolizing deep regeneration and transformation processes, no matter the category the astronomers put it in.
Pluto may be small when compared to other planets of our solar system, but its influence is deep and powerful, both at the personal and collective levels.
Pluto's discovery was not a fortuitous fact, but an event that expressed the need to bring to our consciousness the ability to go deep into our psyche and human development, in order to help us in our own regeneration process ... to rose from the ashes, just like the phoenix.