A fundamental concept in astrology is that the great cyclic rhythms that are so apparent in our external lives, such as the seasons, the tides, the rise and fall of nations, can also be seen in more personal aspects of our lives: our relationships, our health, our work and careers. Some rhythms are daily, like night and day, some are weekly or monthly, like the moon and tides, some are annual, like the seasons. Some cycles, however, are much longer and so it is easy to lose sight of them and forget that they are operating in our lives and the lives of our businesses.

There are three major cycles that astrologers track because these cycles move slowly and have large impacts over long periods of time. In astrology they are symbolized by the planets Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus. Pluto’s complete cycle around the sun is 248 years, Neptune’s cycle is 165 years, and Uranus’ cycle is 84 years. We will look at each of these cycles over the coming days, and discuss the timing and meaning of the cycles in terms of their impact on our businesses.

Pluto’s cycle of 248 years means it stays as average of 21 years in each sign of the zodiac. However, its orbit is highly elliptical which causes it to spend more years in some signs and less in others. Pluto’s cycles’ impact masses of humanity and bring broad sweeping changes to life on the planet. Pluto progressed into the sign of Capricorn at the end of 2007, and its impacts can certainly be seen in the global environment.

As an influence, Pluto is the planet of major change and transformation. In any particular sign, Pluto reveals what is beneath the surface within the realms affected by that sign, whether for good or bad. It has been described as like lancing a boil, in order to let the poison be released and the wound heal. Pluto exposes what is secret and hidden, in some cases great riches and strengths, in other cases castles built on sand. Sometimes the process is dramatically destructive initially, but what is rebuilt is even more true to the purest energies of the sign.

So what are the energies of Capricorn, which Pluto entered a couple of years ago? Capricorn is an earth sign and so is concerned with physical, material reality, the most concrete parts of our world. As such it rules buildings, natural resources, bridges, roads and machinery. It rules the structures people build in order to preserve their physical beings and belongings such as banks, businesses, monetary systems and governments. It is an energy that is likened to a mountain goat climbing step by step up a mountain until it reaches the top. Its energy is careful, conservative, ambitious, and practical.

More on Pluto in Capricorn tomorrow.