The Pluto in Scorpio generation, born approximately 1984-1996,
is developing its own generational personality. It is a generation
whose older members—teenagers and very early twenty-somethings—are
the subjects of much stereotyping: “They’re so profane—every
other word has just four letters…and what’s up with
all the black clothing…the ‘hoodies’…the
dark sunglasses…the car window tinting…the scowling
countenances?”
Today’s Pluto in Scorpio generation can be quite off-putting
to many older adults. Every generation has its ways of rebelling.
The challenging Pluto in Scorpio square to Pluto in Leo (those
who were born approximately 1939-1958) means that Baby Boomers—a
huge swath of the population—find this generation especially
troublesome and difficult.
Raised
on R-rated movie dialogue and rap lyrics, the Pluto in Scorpio
generation sometimes come across as excessively profane. Most
have been exposed their whole lives to a media culture which
promotes sex, violence, and celebrity. They are helping to re-invigorate
poker gambling and other addictive pursuits. Of course, this
is not the whole story. This generation also has--among many
other positive qualities--an intense and selfless need to share,
perhaps related to Scorpio’s association with the 8th
house of shared resources.
The Pluto in Scorpio generation is hooked into the 8th
house (a Scorpio house) ideal of shared resources, just as the
Pluto in Leo generation embodies the positive 5th
house ideals of individuality and creativity. The resources
the Pluto in Scorpio generation are beginning to share are their
own self-created networks, often connected through digital technology.
Digital
networks and online groups like MySpace are a Uranus-Neptune
trend. Their use by the Pluto in Scorpio generation aligns
with that generation’s emphasis on shared resources. The
digital world allows for a shared information resource, in the
form of e-pinions, e-mails, text messaging, instant messaging,
etc. Today, new music bands and trends are launched via these
Pluto in Scorpio digital networks.
A recent New York Times article probes this part
of the Pluto in Scorpio generation, whom the reporter refers
to as the millennials (a term coined by Neil Strauss and William
Howe in their 2000 book, Millennials
Rising). In the article, one high-tech company executive
stated, "With the technology, the Internet - in terms of being
able to facilitate the social networking, which is a big part
of this younger group - there's just so much ability to quickly
transfer information." A problem with the almost obsessive need
to share via instant messaging, text messaging, cell phones,
and blogs is that personal identity can become lost. As one
young person commented in the article, “It's like, if
you don't check your e-mail and you turn off your phone, it's
almost like you don't exist." If you go to a movie at the local
multiplex, note the number of teenagers engaged in silent text
messaging on their cell phones during the movie. The subject
of the text messaging is often the movie they are watching—
how it’s going, how they like it, etc. Although many adults
may find this activity to be a public annoyance, Pluto in Scorpio
kids are always connected, always sharing.
Projecting ahead, one can envision other shared resources which
may figure prominently as the Pluto in Scorpio generation gets
older and assumes positions of leadership: economic resources,
ecological resources, etc. Since Pluto and Scorpio are both
attuned to crises, we can expect that these shared resources
will become important as the result of a future generational
crisis or series of crises.
I
recently read David McCullough’s new book, 1776.
Although in 1776, Pluto was in the late degrees of Capricorn,
some of the soldiers who fought, led, and died for both sides
in the Revolutionary War had Pluto in Scorpio. In 1776, anyone
between the ages of about 28 and 40 would have belonged to a
Pluto in Scorpio generation. General Nathaniel Greene and Thomas
Paine, both with Pluto in Scorpio, feature heroically in McCullough’s
book. The third U.S. President and primary author of the
Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, was also a member
of the Pluto in Scorpio generation.
We’ve
come almost full circle now and the oldest of today’s
Pluto in Scorpio generation, those born starting in November,
1983, are 22 years old. Some are already old enough to be in
Iraq or Afghanistan.
They
bear more than a passing resemblance to the scruffy and ragtag
1776 militia that was chased out of Boston and New York by the
British—a militia which eventually coalesced into the
smart, tough, and incredibly resourceful army that went on to
defeat the British and win American independence. Of course,
the British also had their good Pluto in Scorpio soldiers. One
difference? A tall, regal Pluto in Libra, Sun in Pisces commander
named George Washington whose greatest teacher was, according
to McCullough, not military history but rather his own experience.
See also: Rock
Band Arcade Fire and the Pluto in Scorpio Generation; Astrology
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