Points of Friction ~ Mars square Pluto

Planetary cycles form the backbone of astrology’s understanding of how events unfold across time. They are the great cosmic clocks by which both personal and collective history can be read. For millennia, astrologers have tracked the repeating rhythms of conjunctions, oppositions, and alignments to interpret the rise and fall of civilizations, cultural turning points, and the subtle shifts in human consciousness.

Even in modern times, this celestial framework remains surprisingly practical. Archeologists, for example, will sometimes date ancient structures by calculating when a particular planetary configuration, one encoded in the architecture or aligned with sightlines, would have been exact. By identifying the moment when the sky matched the design, they can estimate when a temple, monument, or sacred site was originally constructed. In this way, the heavens continue to serve as a historical archive, preserving the memory of human activity across thousands of years.

One such cycle is when Mars squares Pluto which occurs roughly every 1-2 years. Mars makes a square to Pluto when Mars is about 90 degrees away from Pluto in the zodiac. Even though these squares occur every 1-2 years there is a sub-cycle occurring that reflects changing of the signs and degrees in and at which they recur. In the case of faster moving Mars and slow-moving Pluto (the time during which they respectively complete an orbit around the Sun), once Pluto changes zodiac signs it remains there for approximately 12 - 32 years, with the exact length depending on where it is in its orbit. The shortest being through Scorpio (11.5-12 years) and the longest being Taurus (around 31 years).

Pluto is currently in Aquarius where is entered on March 23, 2023, briefly, then returned for a 20-year transit through Aquarius. The last time in recent history that it was in Aquarius was from roughly 1777-1778 to 1797-1798. This period included the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and early industrial and political shifts. My focus in this article is to look at the times during which Mars was in Taurus square to Pluto in Aquarius, which most recently occurred on June 11, 2024, kicking off a new cycle of squares that will persist through July of 2041. The next one will be on May 26, 2026, and be the second of what will be 12 occurrences between 2024 - 2041. Below is a table of the exact squares that occurred between Mars in Taurus and Pluto in Aquarius during the period between 1778 - 1795:

Exact square date	Likely historical context nearby	Main developments in that span
Apr 6, 1778	American Revolutionary War intensifies; France enters the war alliance period	France formally aligned with the American cause in 1778, widening the war and shifting it from colonial rebellion into an international conflict. reddit+1
Mar 20, 1780	War continues; revolutionary state-building deepens	The war was still active, with the American side moving toward institutional consolidation and European involvement shaping the conflict. aquariusmood+1
Mar 2, 1782	Endgame of the Revolutionary War	Britain had already suffered major setbacks, and peace negotiations were moving toward the eventual 1783 settlement. aquariusmood+1
Feb 4, 1784	Post-war reorganization	The U.S. was in the fragile early republic phase, struggling with governance, debt, and the practical reality of independence. facebook+1
Jul 28, 1785	Early republic experimentation	The Articles of Confederation era was exposing structural weaknesses that would soon push reform and constitutional redesign. facebook+1
Jul 5, 1787	Constitutional crisis and reform	The Constitutional Convention had already begun in May 1787, signaling a major attempt to replace the weak confederation model. facebook+1
Jun 17, 1789	French Revolution erupts	The National Assembly and revolutionary transformation in France were underway, with old regime authority visibly breaking apart. aquariusmood+2
Jun 1, 1791	French Revolution radicalizes further	France was moving deeper into constitutional conflict and social upheaval, with revolutionary polarization accelerating. aquariusmood+1
May 15, 1793	Reign of Terror era	Revolutionary violence and state purges were intensifying in France, marking one of the most dramatic Pluto-in-Aquarius themes: power reshaped through crisis. astrologyfromthesoul+1
Apr 30, 1795	Post-Terror instability and restructuring	France was still in the turbulent aftermath of the Terror, with governance and public order undergoing another reset. astrologyfromthesoul+1

By analyzing the placement of Mars and Pluto in the signs of Taurus and Aquarius, we can gain insights into the essence of this collision. When Mars resides in Taurus, traits like aggression, forcefulness, combativeness, and actions in general become more persistent and obstinate. Mars adopts an unyielding determination. Given Taurus's connection to security matters such as resources like food, currencies, financial assets, and various possessions, Mars has the potential to incite anger and conflict around these themes. After all, Mars, or Ares, is the god of war and is thus ready to engage in battle.

When Pluto, the great transformer and archetypal symbol of death and rebirth, enters Aquarius, it adopts the guise of revolution and innovation. Pluto seeks reform of society and rejects traditional structures and methods during its voyage through the sign of the water bearer. Liberation is the mantra. Given Pluto's connection to power and how its wielded, this is a period where humanity revolts against established rules and control and freethinking revolutionaries organize and disrupt the status-quo.

So, as you might imagine, when a square forms between a Taurus Mars and an Aquarius Pluto, expect the unexpected. In the world of astrology, the square represents tension that pushes for some of action to occur. In the world of stories, there is a protagonist and an antagonist. The antagonist exists to create conflict and tension by resisting the protagonist’s desires, whether as a person, a system, nature, or even the protagonist’s own inner flaw. In this case the antagonistic energy between a determined and dogged Mars in Taurus and a disruptive and reform seeking Pluto in Aquarius has previously resulted in societal conflicts.

The table below offers a comprehensive overview of the period from 1778 to 1795, highlighting the total of 10 squares summarized in the previous table. It also covers the upcoming period from 2024 to 2041, which will feature 12 squares. The event on May 26, 2026, marks the 2nd square of this current cycle.

Cycle	First exact square	Last exact square	Occurrences	Historical tone
1778–1795	Apr 6, 1778	Apr 30, 1795	10	Revolution, war, constitution-building, Terror, post-revolution reordering aquariusmood+2
2024–2041	Jun 11, 2024	Jul 4, 2041	12	Pressure on systems, technological/social disruption, power struggles, reform nightlightastrology+1

Regular readers understand that we are currently experiencing an unprecedented era from an astrological standpoint. The alignments occurring in 2026 have either not happened for many millennia or, in some instances, have never been documented before. Even without considering astrology, most people would agree that it feels as if everything is turned upside down, with significant change and disruption underway. Technological advancements are progressing at an incredible speed, disrupting our peace in the process. The presence of Uranus in Gemini suggests that this may accelerate to rapid advancements, some of which could be truly remarkable and beneficial for humanity, while others might pose a threat to the sovereignty of our souls.

It's an amazing and demanding era to be living, aware, and witnessing current events. While it's tempting to lose hope during extreme situations, the human experience appears to require such challenges, akin to a refiner's fire. Gandhi inspired us to “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. Upon researching this quote, I found that he actually expressed it differently, yet similarly.

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do."

Spread the word, we are the change that is needed.