QA178 QUESTION: A few weeks ago I asked you a question about the meaning of the planet Pluto, because this is the newest planet and it was discovered as recently as 1930.
ANSWER: Yes. I can say several things here. The end of an old era and the coming in of a new era is symbolized by the discovery of this planet, Pluto – there is a connection here. Now, there are only a few aspects of this planet I can give here, but eventually I will say more.
First of all, this planet signifies a strength – but a strength of a new kind. Until now, in the old era, strength was always connected with a harshness, perhaps even with brutality – and very often strength and brutality were confused in the deeper consciousness of man. The strength that Pluto symbolizes is a totally different kind of strength. It is a resilient strength. It is the strength of flexibility; it is the strength of conciliating opposites, while the old strength is one extreme versus the other.
The new strength combines opposites, as is always to be found in absolute truth. Pluto, therefore, also symbolizes combining, unification, conciliation, transcendence of opposition. I would say these are the most important aspects, as Pluto manifests at this time. More will reveal itself. Does this at all conform with what you already know about it?
QUESTION: It does in the sense of the Scorpio. I understand it’s symbolized by an ego, perhaps that kind of strength you’re talking about.
ANSWER: The true strength of the spirit can only come when the ego strength is established, but in a healthy way. Now, ego strength in the wrong way leads to a brittleness of character, to a rigid personality, and often to even brutality and cruelty. But the strength in Pluto is not that kind of strength – and that would be the higher developed strength.
QUESTION: I’ve always associated Pluto with a probing quality like detectives.
ANSWER: Now you see, this is very true. Although the probing I would say is not an actual quality itself of Pluto so much – although you may apply this actually to every spiritual manifestation in a planet or otherwise – but the probing would be more true in a sense that it requires a great deal of probing and open-mindedness in order to unite opposites, in order to conciliate duality and bring a unification about. Without probing this is not possible.
QUESTION: Could you say something about the negative aspects of Pluto?
ANSWER: Well, of course. The opposite would be true then. If this brittle strength is coming out, it may turn into the opposite – it may turn into a sort of brittleness or into a chaotic confusion. Instead of uniting opposites in a meaningful way, it may create confusion and chaos. You see, everything that is inevitable in the birth of a new era and a new evolutionary phase of development, the same qualities may first, very often, manifest in a negative way.
This was also asked in the first question about absolute truth. Why do these opposites today exist so blatantly? That is precisely the distortion of this quality that is personified or symbolized in the discovery of this planet, which is one of its specific attributes. That is the distortion.
QUESTION: A heightened separation of the opposites?
ANSWER: Right! Or the opposite extreme, which is chaos and confusion and combining opposites in the wrong kind of way – in a confused sort of way.
QUESTION: Could you say that the aim of Pluto is to get to the deep center?
ANSWER: Yes, absolutely. It isn’t always necessary to get to the deep center in order to affect such a conciliation of opposites. In the past, questions were very often settled in a very superficial way. Now, the new era will bring the possibility of probing deeply, every issue, to the deep center of every single question – not only to the deep center of each individual and of mankind as a whole, but every issue, every question.
