The Pluto Eris Experience

Pluto, Eris and women’s rights have mind-blowing synchronicity. This post explores Pluto-Eris alignments from the Pluto-Eris conjunction in 1756 until their square in 2019-2021.

Astronomers discovered Eris, a gigantic Pluto-sized Dwarf planet, in 2005 and dubbed it Xena. Then they settled upon Eris, the Goddess of Strife. In the stories, she seemed to be in a perpetual snit because of not being invited to some patriarchal event. Screw that. Some pushed for it to be called Persephone but that name was already in use, attached to an asteroid 399.

But I see Eris as Persephone, the victim turned Queen of the Underworld. The most modern version of her story – where she was carried off by Pluto – is but the latest version. In ancient times, she was a Change Goddess, a chthonic deity like Pluto and one of her many titles was “the Mistress.”

For Eris, Think Persephone, Queen Of The Underworld

When you see Eris, at least here on this site, think Persephone.  It is a catalyst for next-level feminism and women’s rights. I actually typed ‘rites’ but corrected it.

As Pluto moves slowly and Eris even more so, their alignments are rare.  Here they are and alongside the significant historical events that occurred with them, at least the ones pertaining to women.

Note that these alignments are in effect for the years surrounding the exact dates. Pluto and Eris are slow-movers, whose cycles play out over decades, if not centuries.

Pluto-Eris Aspects Timeline And Dates

Pluto Conjunct Eris – @18° Sagittarius – December 1756:  The last (official) witch execution. Veronica Zeritschin was 19. Rest in power, Veronica, rest in power. The only hell was that created in this world by the Inquisition. And their abuse in the name of religion was the evil.

Pluto Square Eris – @24° Gemini/Pisces – January 1909: It was the first International Women’s Day, Marion Dunlop became the first imprisoned Suffragette to go on hunger strike and the Women’s Tax Resistance League was formed. Refusing to pay tax without direction political representation, their slogan was “No Vote – No Tax.”

Pluto Opposite Eris – @13° and 14° Libra/Aries – August 1978, March 1979 and May 1979: Feminists made history with the biggest march ever (at that point) in support for the Equal Rights Amendment. Women opened the world’s first Rape Crisis center. Britain elected a female Prime Minister.

The U.S.A. passed legislation making it illegal for employers to discriminate against women for being pregnant or at ‘risk’ of becoming pregnant. Judy Chicago’s epic feminist art installation – The Dinner Party – was put on display. It was significant, a symbolic herstory of women in Western civilization; ancient Goddesses, silenced sages like Hypatia, healers, witches, scribes, inventors, rebel Queens, and so-called whores.

Pluto Square Eris – @23° Capricorn/Aries – December 2020: What will this bring? Given the themes of the previous alignments (and the #MeToo movement that ignited in recent times with Uranus conjunct Eris), I think it will be revolutionary and female-themed. FYI Rahaf al Qunun has Eris-Persephone conjunct her Mars in Aries. And she made her bold bid for freedom from the repressive regime of her birth on a Solar Eclipse, conjunct – yes – Pluto.

Thoughts?

Image: Georges Merle – The Sorceress – Detail

98 thoughts on “The Pluto Eris Experience”

  1. The influence of the interactions between Eris and Pluto extends for over 4 years. The most recent square aspect began in 2019 and concluded in 2023, with a 3-degree orb considered. This phenomenon can pose significant challenges, particularly if you have planets located within those positions. Personally, I have never encountered such an intense and prolonged phase in my life before. This square alignment directly affected my natal Mars-Pluto square, with Mars positioned on the cusp of the 10th house. This type of intense and enduring situation has been unprecedented in my life. Despite consulting various prognosis (primary directions, secundary d, atazir, etc), only the study of transits and the interplay between Eris and Pluto provided insight into this unique process.

    1. Interesting! I think we often underestimate Eris as it is such a slow-mover – you know, practically everyone has it in Aries – but it’s clearly impactful in some cases. Does it make it more/less resonant if you think of Eris as Persephone? That was the original and obvious name but the IAU had to nix it due to asteroid 399 having already been dubbed Persephone.

  2. Interesting even more so now with the abortion ban in TX and the overturn in Afghanistan. Something is amiss and come February of 2022 with the ushering in of Pluto’s return in the chart of the USA I’m in high hopes we will see some fascinating turn of events…

  3. Love this. I also think “rite” instead of “rights” was spot on (Eris in the 1st) 😉 Contemporary Feminism barely scratches the surface of what it means to BE a woman in the world, as not only a strong and capable force (masculine energy), but also as goddess and creator. Eris is not only about destruction, same as Persephone. There is also life. While Aries might go out and cause, it seems that nature brings it about simply by being (hurricane, tornado, earthquake etc). Just some thoughts. Excellent article. I really enjoyed your perspective and your links to past history! Righteous Rage.

  4. I was a child in the 1978 and 1979 transits, and this happened on my natal Venus in Libra. In my life at that time, I recalled seeing instances of where the women in my life were badly mistreated and some were cast as outsiders (classic Eris). My mother experienced both and we had little choice but to leave our home. I never thought of how these transits could also bring formative experiences!

  5. I was born in 1979 with the Pluto/Eris opposition and have a close Mars/Eris conjunction. My mother joined a militant feminist group when I was kid and I wasn’t allowed in the house as I was a boy (left outside like Eris), made friends with the dogs instead. My grandmother was also a danish feminist apparently and most of my female friends have been pretty strong women. Personally I feel feminism has gone too far and that this square will be showingthat and will result in a backlash rather than even more special rights for women. On the other hand muslim countries and places like India might see more rights for women. But women in the west have lost their way and are expressing the more negative side of Eris. Eris/Mars opposite Pluto is super intense, feel I understand this energy pretty well now.

    1. I m 77. Right now mar. 03 theres an emphasis yod 15 sabian libra which talks of source. Libra bal. Source. In 1974 ish I met a yoga teacher 60 ish background Danish war resistance and 1979 backpacker Europe. Much to much. But squares are position of breakaway which releases creative tension and pluto hierarchy and end of Capricorn earth materialism as has been. Maybe earths karma soon done.

  6. Wish Upon a Star

    I have Eris conjunct Black Moon Lilith 2 degrees apart. Saturn in Aries conjuncts Eris by 1 degree.

    Any suggestions as to what this means?

    1. Wish Upon a Star

      So I cansulted the Oracle and it said to read Mary Angeles poem: But still I rise.

      I read the whole poem and then I watched Mary Angelo on YouTube speaking her poem.

      I could feel my mother and my woman ancestorss cheering as I finally get it. The oracle spits this out alot you see.
      But previously I have been too stressed to appreciate it.

      I can understand why Angelou stops laughs and cherishes her words. When she mentions the moon and sun always Rises my will becomes resolute.

  7. My natal Sun is exactly conjunct transiting Eris – and now Pluto is also exactly square to both (and Saturn is close-by). Feels intense and I also wonder what the Eris energy is at a more fundamental level. Pluto is transformation, Saturn is responsibility and karma, Eris is …?

    1. I’m Aries sun 21/22 deg. I think she’s been there for years. Yeah I’m a rebel and I’m never going to be any good 😘

  8. Wish Upon a Star

    Thoughts? Fuq yes: Many.

    The book I want to write about my life will have a Persephone theme.

    And last week when I was under immense stress and feeling trapped I had a flashback to me in a previous life along time ago. I was about 19 years old. Young, blonde and willowy. LOL.

    Yes I was trapped and so distressed. I think I was being accused of being a witch. The pain was intense.

    1. Hi yes cause you see from the mid pt third eye higher up.
      The spirit reveals. In terms of 4th chakra the dove has been trapped in the cage of the heart and is set free opening the remaining higher chakra s for development.

  9. My part of fortune and Eris sit conjunct in Aries my first ? Bit of a minx Moi ? And transmitting mars is conjunct them.

  10. For some who didn’t know, in the 70’s and up into the 80’s a woman could not get a loan for a house even if in well paid work and deposit unless she was married or her parents went guarantor.
    Know a few women who married gay men just to be able to buy a house!
    ALL bank managers were men then and believe me they made very difficult if you were an independent working woman with an overdraft or wanted a business loan to expand.
    My bank now is all women and my medical clinic has all women doctors.
    We have come long way so glad to say.
    Although it’s been written that women won’t get equal pay for another 15/20 years!
    Eris is such a beautiful name 🙂

    1. Wow that business about working women needing a man or parents to buy is house in the 70s is kind of unbelievable.

    2. Women have equal pay in the west, they just don’t work as long hours on average and so it’s been made to look that they aren’t paid the same. It’s a statistical manipulation that should have run out of steam a long time ago.

    3. 1994 my younger male friends father my age 50 ish is mind blown after his divorce that many of the women he’s now meeting own their OWN houses.

  11. Hi Mystic. I am trying to get my head around the square relationships between Pluto and Eris. How do we account for such a long first quarter from 1756 to 1909; followed by waxing square to opposition 1909 to 1978; then from opposition to third quarter square is 1978 to 2020? The time periods go from about 150 years, to 70 years to 40 years approx. I would appreciate your comments on this. Thanks.

    1. Eris’s orbital path is elliptical and this very irregular. It spends more time in some signs than others, I believe the most in Aries and the least in Libra

  12. my thoughts are that you’re amazing, and thank you for joining the dots on the pluto/eris-persephone square. Combined with Uranus in Taurus, I forsee much change and genuine female empowerment, grassroots, inside out. I have Eris-Persephone in Aries conjunct my rising, along with Lilith in Aries (not conjunct), so I am on board.

  13. LOVE THIS! Love Judy Chicago! So proud of Canada for taking Rahaf in! Can’t wait to see what happens!!! MM more historical things like this would be VERY welcome!!

    1. Canada and New Zealand are way ahead in the times compared to many other places. Good government is probably the reason.

      1. How we in the uk long for good government ! I watch with interest as it pulls itself apart. Interesting times and long overdue I feel.

  14. Empancipation and liberation of Saudi women and millions of others still the property of fathers, brothers, husbands would be grand. The end of forced child marriages across the USA and myriad other countries. Liberation from post modernism squashing us back into the box of enforced partriarchal gender roles and stripping woman from women. Liberation of female thinkers at universities who have been no platformed and silenced for the last 5 years. Liberation from media that infantalises and turns women into headless objects. The establishment of laws that actually protect women in their homes. A return to respecting the devine feminine etc. A female prime minister or president or minister who makes real headway for women rather than being one of the boys (pushing it but a woman has to dream). Etc. The wish list is very very long…

    1. Yes I found that tv showing police protecting women infected my psych positively so that my psych would could threaten abusers with police action on my behalf. But no overuse of arms. !
      I am so wanting more ways for single womans protection in housing situations. More advocates for seniors and those in care homes.

  15. This is such an interesting and amazing post. <3 I have heard "bad" things about Eris (primarily from male astrologers) and so I love this recasting/reclamation of her as Persephone, Queen Of The Underworld, Shadow Boss and Change Goddess. <3

    1. Women leaders are historically 26% more likely to bring their country into war based on the last 500 years. So many illusions surrounding women and perpetuated by women who love the idea of having a dark side when it denotes power but ignore it when it denotes misuse of power.

      1. Taken from 2012 the whole dna universe cycle has transformed to making a change from a war like god to a peace loving one. If u need an image. During eclipse s or solar withdrawal into Milky Way Galactic Center the outer areas affected dissipate old energies incl. Wars. The sun then returns from source with new pure clean energy.
        Lets just say it could be different this tjme.

  16. The three pillars of the patriarch.

    1). Exclusion. Exclusion from clubs, opportunity, employment, education, travel, heroines, history, priesthood, venerated dieties, power positions in every sphere and the like.

    2). Ridicule. Mother-in-law jokes. Old wives’ tales. Body shaming and ridicule—breasts, mensturation, pregnancy, Emotional shaming: hysterical (testerical over Gillette much?) belittling of physical characteristics and stereotypes of stupid. Lexicon filled with misogynist terms for which there is no male equilavent.

    3) Violence. Intimidation, threats, murder, rape, assault, mayhem and general physical power over. Taking up space like manspreading.

    1. As I develop this, there might be a fourth, and that is of labor ownership. The conventional housewife’s labor was owned by her husband—unacknowledged, unappreciated and not compensated while “his” earnings were all his to walk away yet she is Mrs. — the other half.

      Take for example the splatter about Bezos being the richest man and how his divorce will halve his wealth. Ahhh. Wait a minute. Half was hers from the start so he never was the richest man. Or maybe the divorce will cost her half of her wealth. And why hasn’t she been listed as the world’s richest woman for awhile now? (The truly rich don’t list themselves on lists.)

      And why is the First Lady FLOTUS expected yes expected to labor for free? Why do Americans think they own her “volunteer” labor? She is not drawing a salary and did not apply for a job nor was her name on my ballot.

      1. Yes the everyday work of running a household and parenting children so often falls to women. Capitalism needs someone at home to manage this for free, everyone desiring things to minimise labour/enhance sex appeal/get ahead, and everyone nuked into separate households with no communality or shared support. You can’t take down the patriarchy without examining the capitalist nightmare. At the moment my fb feed is absolutely dominated by discussions on the Gillette ad and Marie Kondo. Not a coincidence I think.

        1. But coming from another angle there is the opening to a higher dimension/awareness that develops. Both sexes.
          Without that we may not rise. But I know we will. Its time in the next 3600 yr cycle.

      2. So glad you said this. Above AAC says a lot and I wanted to add something but you have now opened the way. If anyone else tells me we abolished slavery way back when I can’t help pointing out that slavery is still alive, well and thriving in many communities and countries. Women all over the world are still subject to this barbaric practice and the sooner the globe can realise the better.
        There said it.

        1. I took in so much more in black history month than ever before. Today I m adding to Eris knowledge. I m being put thro the wringer. Relating to others.

      3. She didn’t labour in creating Amazon and even though she was completely undeserving of all that money Bezos was pretty good about it. In contrast look at when rich women are forced to split their wealth with a poorer husband, they nearly have a breakdown at the injustice.

  17. Here to express my regard for all the powerful, strong, vulnerable, wise beings here and elsewhere that support and guide and protect. In my natal chart Eris is on my NN and she has by transit been trining my Sun. Such interesting things to wonder about and investigate.

  18. Mystic, I humbly submit that you may be perpetuating the exclusion of Eris from the pantheon party, by calling the planet Persephone and applying that mythology, rather than the dynamic, independent, confrontational, mischievous, deep cultural-level sh-tstirring energy that is Eris goddess of discord. Of course no one likes her. She wrecks parties and illusions 🙂

    Eris is conjunct my MC and opposite Pluto.

    1. I agree with you, i am born in may 79, and i sort of liked thinking of her as a female Mars. A fire energy restless, proud and fearless. I see Persephole as a more regal and dark undreground character.

    2. Respectfully I disagree, a planet the same size or bigger than Pluto, discovered lurking in the shadows on the edge of the galaxy – on the same orbital path as Pluto (basically behind him) but she had always been there – astronomers wanted to call her Persephone as the naturally occurring name. To be pedantic, Prosperina – the Roman name for Persephone- was the appropriate name. There was even a vociferous attempt to de-name either asteroid Persephone or asteroid Prosperina. To me, it fits on so many different levels, and conquering hell is arguably a more ‘fearless’ endeavor than disrupting a party. Even the fact that she was there and always had been there, the whole time fills me with awe.

      1. When you put it that way it makes sense. I didnt know about the orbital paths, and i love the poetry of that image. Thank you Mystic!

      2. <3

        ooh you know this is interesting. planet discovery / naming astro / stories are so good.
        you know though, another Eris story is as the 13th fairy / uninvited guest. So maybe all of this is actually all aligning?? Except for any actual mythological connection between pers and eris. ? a theory.

        1. Hang on. She was Xena. Warrior queen ! Taken from the TV show. I can’t help think that she’s a real female force, a trickster, a goddess, a mischief… come to think of it listen to our conversation? She’s even making us squabble and prove our points. I like her. She’s a minx what ever we want to call her !

          1. Yaah…. Right now i have Mars sitting atop my natal Eris-Gary conjunction. Which might be why I did something very hoonish last night involving paint, gaffer tape, law courts property, and an ars*hol* misogynist judge’s name. Also a weird random hankering for bundy & coke.

            1. You did what ?!?!? I wrote to the courts today. Rather more formal but same idea. Listen up bro ! Was basically the gist.

          2. Eris in aries: “Let me just run that though my bullsh*t-o-meter, Your Honour”

            Alternatively. Has compromising photos of His Honour and upon some kind of outrageously chauvinistic etc judgement, sends them to all media outlets

            Eris-ish characters in film and TV imho
            Heath Ledger’s Joker
            Robin Wright as Wonder Woman’s aunt in that recent film
            Themes in Carrie, the 1980s film (the astro for that film’s release date is fascinating)
            Not Sarah Connor,
            Potentially Geena Davis in long kiss goodnight
            Ok
            Basically they’re existentially not afraid to kill or die or be disgraced, for the thing, cause, issue they’re sinking their teeth into. Because life, death, and disgrace are meaningless when you have cosmic tables to flip

            1. That’s it. It’s NO FEAR. It simply has to be said, done and seen to be done. To alter the enshrined collective mindset. The individual is a worrying thing to the collective.

              1. Yes well if u dream /sense someone u know but can t see tells u he s going to take u where your body will never be found and u wake up wondering which hostile male it is and think of the native womens disappearance its not so easy. I ask myself wheres this going after I retire from this life 10 or so yrs. One has to believe in reincarnation. I do I think but not everyone does. But thats not how I want to die in some horrible end like that.

          3. Haha!
            For the record I do not consider this squabbling 🙂 This is actually a really cool discussion with differences of opinion and new info’s..

      3. you know, i have been thinking about this more. Eris didn’t disrupt a party as such. She challenged the self image and perspective of the goddesses who happened to be at a party. They didn’t have to take up the challenge. But because they were vain and competitive, they did. They actually disrupted their own party by deciding to squabble over who was prettiest. In this way indeed, blaming Eris is unfair. She just knew which button to push and had nothing to lose (I think ‘nothing to lose’ might be a key phrase for Eris).
        Hell is persephone’s business, and persephone is elsewhere in the stars for better or worse. Maybe – despite the amazing coincidence of the planet’s discovery – she likes not being forced to live next to her abductor Pluto… maybe prickly Eris is doing Persephone a favour, no biggie. Maybe, Eris is here just to fuq with Pluto, and there is no static or ill will with Persephone.
        Eris stepped into the breach, so we might as well get a kick out of the discomfort and disruption that’s created, and let it lead us to an examination of our own assumptions and beliefs rather than blame the uninvited guest..

        1. To know which button to push is the role of the psychotherapist in many a way and does lead us to that point of having nothing to lose which therefore makes us fearless. Fearless individuals are not controlled by anyone and I think Eris is just that. A female who asks questions ie makes trouble and is fearless. It is a clarion call to all of us.

          1. EMG yes!! thank you for reading and responding… I can’t express how strongly I feel about this.

            I think your comment about fearlessness, and living beyond control, (re-framing “out of control” ) as a psychotherapeutic outcome is really important, via eris. maybe eris addresses this at a cultural / beliefs level

            Persephone is beheld to her circumstances – her mother struck a deal with her kidnapper (of course perseph is the one who had to actually live it and deal with the daily reality of the underworld) – in a way that Eris – the *perceived* outsider and stirrer – is not.

            The persephone archetype is vital obv and we all have a relationship with this, i am not dismissing it.

            Maybe there is more to be said for not including in the planet pantheon a place for survival and resurrection from the darkest places – it’s one thing to make it through hell, it’s another different thing to dismiss hell as just another address, or something, which is how i interpret Eris’s position.

            I guess Xena is more pop culture relevant, Eris is more timeless.. what would start to be even more amazing is to apply deity names from other cultures and histories – Kali for example. that would require some cool conversations with international astronomical and cultural / religious groups

            anyway maybe that’s another post to comment on some time in the future

    3. In discordia concors. The harmony of/in disharmony. The chaos of life that we cannot understand ( from a limited perspective) but that has a harmony to it apparent to the gods/ sages.

    4. Another fun fact about Eris (the dwarf planet) is that it is one of the most reflective bodies in the solar system – apparently reflecting back 96% of the light that hits it. This got me thinking about Eris (the mythical figure) and why she was never really welcomed at social events. My thought is that perhaps the gods loathed her because she was able to reflect back to them their own shortcomings/shadow selves – and who would be comfortable with someone like that around?

        1. Yes thanks. Its like Sadguru u tube said 11 is moon 12 is sun and 13 is other dimension. All temples are to introduce other dimension. But objectivity helps as mirror. If this makes sense.

  19. Natal sun Venus Eris conjunction,feeling less victimy by the hour

    I once spoke of outer planet cock blocks, now I’m interested in what they look like making amends for what bs men have done in their names. With the age of reason over, and the internet like a vast field of the uninvited trying to decide if it’s all a hologram or if that’s just dear based conditioning, will those who did the underworld work just develop another lame power over others based scenario?

    I can’t imagine how it is that 60,000 years of homo sapiens and we still judge by appearances and act on vendettas. But since they’re still operating on playground rules I can make up my own.

    Still and always

  20. Eris/Persephone is now conjunct my natal moon (voc). The Sun, Moon, South Node and Mercury and Juno/Venus and Lilith/Uranus look like their supporting this too on the 14th-ish Dec 2020. Mars is almost conj Eris too. Interesting time a comin!!

  21. This sounds exciting.
    But if Eris is in Aries, wasn’t Uranus conjunct Eris when the MT movement started and not square?

  22. This may explain why I decided to post online about the man that stalked me and his return. I’m beyond exhausted from the experience. No where to run except to try and reclaim aspects of my new friend sanity.
    Thank you for this post MM.

    1. Sorry to hear. I m sure it was life exhausting. I have been threatened too. Am.
      Finally I realized his mars 12th gemini square jupiter pisces 9th makes him an uneducated judge. He missed the boat – LAW.
      Saturn in Aquarius is socially responsible feelings mixed with whatever else.

      1. To make it more clear. 12th is secrets in the dark in part and ninth is the truth. Neptune in scorpio. Dig it out.
        I feel I know a little more what I m dealing with and he has learned a bit more of the law and will continue hap hazard.

  23. Rahaf Al-Qunun has attracted my eye to her story over recent time. I was glad she landed in Canada, and not here. It was at the history of the burned girls, but only after seeing this piece of Judy Chicago’s powerful message at the end, that i shivered deeply.

  24. Wish Upon a Star

    Just reminds me of the dream I had many moons ago where I was Persephone. My bedroom was an old ruin of a small rock house. There was a metal bed, the ground was overgrown wild grass, climbing weeds and wild flowers. Snakes were on a ladder beckoning me to the UnderWorld.

    The overwhelming feeling in the dream was peace and quiet power won through conquering and transcending darkness.

    It was like I could visit both worlds and keep my peace and power. That’s how I gained my wisdom.

    The surreal, light and ethereal feeling of the dream was very potent.

  25. I am shivering. I think you all probably know exactly why two 13 yr old girls were abominably disrespected by the witch hunting elder men, and evidence screwed with (scientifically! By toutatis, by the rage of all the Goddesses!) before being utterly shredded, bodily and in reputation.

    O my goodness, we will let the disinfecting Light shine true. We will protect and hold each other firmly, lovingly NOW. Some of the women will have swords and fires, and some little ones will be curled up healing behind the circles of them. And every ring of the circles has the highest strengths that each in their varied gender, experience, hurts is channelling pragmatically and fiercely and even with beauty in their vulnerable strength.

    1. Wish Upon a Star

      Right now I feel like a little one curled up healing behind the circle of mothers and sisters.

      I don’t want to go out, I don’t want to talk in case I get into trouble. Silence and hiding away is my protection. Not very brave I know.

      I did have a dream a long time ago where I was one of many people who were to be burned. But I was on the outskirts of the massive burn and was saved by a male friend on a very small brown horse. The thing is I remember the village trial.

      But this is the clinger. I was was committed to death by the Queen of the Village and she was beautiful.

      I was a woman who grew herbs. I remember picking up the moist, fertile soil.and letting it slip through my fingers. It was very real. I had just been saved, I was tired and fell to the beautiful earth and the sun was coming up.

      1. allowing yourself to curl up IS VERY BRAVE. It means you will not renounce faith in a place, space and people who give you time to carve for yourself. holding fast to that faith is bravery, especially in the face of the propaganda that wants to undo the last things you have, by removing your right to peaceful rest and regeneration. that dream is real, and here you are xx

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