Pluto conjunct the Ascendant in a natal chart is a strong indicator of power. More specifically, the power over others. This force is not always perceived by the person who has it and exercises it; the whole procedure can be done subconsciously, especially if Pluto lays in the 12th house. If Pluto is in the 1st house, then this power can be consciously used, making the person influential even over the masses. Pluto is a slow-moving planet and its transformative nature makes the person a catalyst to other people’s lives; in other words, such a person will change you radically when close to you, for better or worse.
With Pluto being positively aspected, the results can be very beneficial; one can have great abilities to concentrate on a goal and to focus without distraction. There is a possibility of complete abstention from alcohol or other substances, due to the strong urge of self-control. Also, it gives a rather charismatic personality, able to convince and lead, many times involved in secrecy and strategic second plans though.
There is a natural psychic ability, yet it often estranges the native and makes him an aloof loner. They can express deep loyalty, while they can also love to death. In case that the aspects of Pluto to other natal planets are difficult (opposition, square and sometimes conjunction), the native tends to use its power for manipulation and control, which of course can have an adverse effect back on him. Strong obsessive behaviors can occur and a large part of his time and effort can be dedicated in seeking power over others, over people close to him in particular.
These compulsive behaviors are especially strengthened when the Moon is present at a distance less than 5 degrees, which can also lead to hysteric outbreaks – especially if it is in a woman’s horoscope. When Pluto conjunct the Ascendant and Mars too, provided there is an influence of other difficult planetary aspects, Pluto can make a person extremely violent; it usually signifies a difficult early childhood, with a lot of emotional scars.
Physical abuse during early years projects back and feeds a circle of violence. This type of people can show extreme jealousy, which can even lead to abnormal fetishes, stalking, crimes of passion, and in the worst situations, rape. In case that Pluto is located in the 12th house, which is also the house of conviction, there are strong possibilities of imprisonment, and the subject could experience this type of violence cast upon himself, while when in the 1st house he usually is the one who emits it. The presence of a planet on the Ascendant has a physical effect on the person: Pluto can give a slightly crooked nose – exactly as a Scorpio Ascendant has unless its effect is blunted by the presence of another celestial body. The most important body effect though is noticed in the subject’s eyes. Curiously, they usually are not black or dark brown, as someone would assume that the God of the Underworld would provide.
They usually contain some mysterious shades of green, utterly mesmerizing and so intense that a Pluto on the Ascendant person can be easily recognized. Such kind of dark eyes pierce strongly and other people can feel violated by them. It is very difficult to lie to such a kind of person. Sexuality and sex drive can also be visible in the face and be difficult to hide. Politics and positions in power or in governmental structures are a natural gaming board for the natives with Pluto conjunct the Ascendant, and they can do very well in this field. Power struggles and strategy games are in their blood, and they have a natural instinct for choosing the right patterns and foreseeing the outcome of possible movements.
Pluto is a generational planet, meaning that a whole generation of even 20 years difference can have Pluto in the same sign. This allows the native with this Pluto position to dig into the collective environment easily, perceiving secrets and desires of the masses effortlessly. An adverse effect is that other people can sense these abilities, making them back away from this potentially dangerous encounter. Pluto rising individuals must learn to tame themselves and this enormous power, and to use it for constructive means. In case that Pluto is in the 12th house, and not very close to the Ascendant, one can be totally unaware of his strengths and passions, which will be functioning subconsciously or even unconsciously.
This can sometimes lead to self-victimization, fear of the unknown and self-undoing, while self-imprisonment and harsh isolation could also occur. The best way to deal with such kind of problems is to learn the art of detaching the ego from the desire of power and control, preferring to assist the empowerment of other people. Healing the lives of others will, in the end, have a huge impact on one’s own reality, and blunt the hidden destructive desires. Pluto rising personalities function a lot better in the limelight; being the center of attention is definitely not their favorite condition.
It is also very common for them to either repel other people or magnetically attract them at the first glance; the Plutonic person cannot just pass unnoticed. Have in mind that all these attributes affect not only the people that were born with Pluto conjunct the Ascendant, but also those who currently have Pluto transiting it. Of course, the eyes of a native will not change color, but the dark light of this planet will still shine in them. As Pluto transits are very slow, a person might find himself operating as a native with Pluto conjunct the Ascendant for quite a few years, which will be a very transformative period and will change him permanently. Pluto transits to the Eastern Point of the chart, will be analyzed deeper in a future article related to Pluto transits.