Ten Tips for Traveling with Pluto and Living to Tell the Tale

Excerpt fromHarness Astrology's Bad Boy

by Hazel Dixon-Cooper and Bridgett Walther

Whether we like it or not, Pluto always has the upper hand. And he won’t go away until he teaches us what we need to know. Although he can be a grim guy, he’s also the god of buried wealth—wealth he’s willing to share. But you have to pay attention to the signals he sends, just like you’d pay attention to the path drawn on a treasure map.

Think of Pluto’s energy as a series of cosmic wakeup calls. The first is subtle like a firm hand quietly nudging you. You’re annoyed and try to shake it off, but it returns like a drunken ex who keeps calling after the bars close. The second sounds like the insistent buzz of your alarm—except when Pluto’s buzzing, the noise steadily increases until you feel as if your head’s caught in a wood chip- per. The third cuts to the chase with a bomb blast to your psyche. Depending on where you are in your personal journey with Pluto, you could receive one or all.

Ready to dive under the bed? Hang on a second. Working through your Pluto issues isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. You already have the power to succeed within you. And here are ten tips for traveling with Pluto and living to tell the tale:

1. Be mindful. Most days, we walk around on autopilot. Being aware of what you say and do begins the process of change. Here’s a suggestion—start by eliminating the word fine from your vocabulary, and see where that small change takes you.
2. Grow a backbone. Digging into the deepest part of yourself takes guts. It may also take therapy and perhaps a drink or two. However, Pluto’s transit isn’t all destruction and mayhem. Most of the time, it’s a steady pressure that attempts to make you conscious of what’s no longer working in your life. Facing it can be frightening, but ignoring it can lead to disaster.
3. Be honest. Admit your part in your problems. Once you do, it’s easier to stop attracting the same negative situations. Of course, you don’t have to publicly confess either. This should be an inward journey, not reality TV.
4. Take control. No is a powerful word. Use it when you really mean it and you’ll start simplifying your life in amazing ways.
5. Forgive yourself. Using your guilt against you is a manipulator’s favorite weapon. When you refuse to step into passive-aggressive land with an emotional blackmailer (including yourself), give yourself twenty Pluto points.
6. Forgive your bullies. Revenge may taste sweet, but it’s self- defeating to hang on to a grudge. While you’re wallowing in hatred, that jerk you despise is out having fun somewhere.
7. Ditch your inner victim. What’s the opposite side of the hubris coin? Self-effacement taken to the level of self-destruction. During a Pluto transit, you’ll find more than one person who wants to crucify you. Don’t hand them the hammer and nails.
8. Work that body. Pluto’s sometimes-stressful energy isn’t easy to endure, but exercise is a great emotional release. So is sex, a totally Pluto activity.
9. Chill. As scary as Pluto can be, his mission is to help you purge the ghosts of the past and live a true-to-you life. Don’t feed your fears by imagining the worst-case scenario. Pluto transits can be decades long which gives you plenty of time to make permanent changes.
10. Be open. Pluto’s the universe’s hard case, but if you want to change, he’ll show you how. Forget the pep talks—you don’t even have to believe in yourself at first. You just have to do the work. With each step forward, you’ll become stronger.