Last week when the U.K.’s House of Commons approved a bill that would ban tobacco sales for anyone born 2009 or later, I so desperately wanted to provide astrological input. Why 2009? Make it 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn: January 5, 2008, to be exact.

Why leave out the people born in the first degree of Pluto in Capricorn?

Like the rest of the Pluto in Capricorn generation, these soon-to-be-non-smokers were born into a world of increasing Capricorn-style structure and control. First (2008) came the global financial crisis and housing market meltdown. Toward the end of this transit (2020) came the global health lockdown. Surveillance (voluntary and involuntary) increased quite a bit during this transit.

And now in the U.K. Pluto in Capricorn can’t smoke.

Outer Planets in Capricorn

From the mid 1990s the outer planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto have all passed through Capricorn which rules social structure including rules, laws, governments, corporations, and ideas of success. Traditionally Capricorn is related to reputation. As a personality it’s a rule-follower and can be controlling. The United States has natal Pluto in Capricorn so is evolving through and with Capricorn energy.

Uranus brought inspiration and innovation to Capricorn (1988-1995). In the US we were in the second term of Ronald Reagan and deregulation and “trickle down” economics which now appear to have been “trickle up.” MBA studies increased.

Neptune brought idealization and glamorization to Capricorn (1984-1998).  In the US, this transit began a few years into the Reagan Administration. Stakeholders, stockholders, business plans and return on investment pushed aside any other type of civic concern. Charles Dickens writing in the mid 1800s on US culture saw the love of money. That hasn’t changed but during this transit “greed” became an archaic word.

Pluto brought destruction and transformation to Capricorn (2008 – 2024). While in many countries there appears to be government chaos, in 2020 the major governments of the world conducted a health lockdown at the same time. That’s a first. And increasingly much power exists outside of government.

Outer Planets in Aquarius

After Capricorn comes Aquarius which is group consciousness, shared ideals, futuristic ideas, technology and rebelliousness. While Aquarius relates to brotherhood, it focuses on the mental aspects and not always the physical or emotional aspects of community.

Uranus brought inspiration and innovation to Aquarius, the sign it rules (1995-2003). I recall the time during this transit where folks came up to me in the airport wondering how I liked my Kindle. The Kindle now looks as technological as a newspaper. Reputation became “brand identity.” Business focused on technology rather than products you can put in the cupboard. Innovative new business models were developed.

Neptune brought idealization and glamorization to Aquarius (1998-2012). The technology innovators bypassed the traditional power structure which had been based on wealth and privilege and became powerful through collecting, selling, and using data. These innovators became the new models of business success. Today it’s difficult to find an interaction that doesn’t include technology.

Pluto has just entered Aquarius. How will it transform technology? While we have 20 years to explore, there appears to be a cyber war occurring that most days is simply background noise. The large organizations like banks and governments are the defenders of our data – Capricorn. What happens if/when Capricorn subsides?

Pluto in Capricorn Generation: Don’t Smoke

While it’s difficult to defend the self-destructive behaviors like smoking, regulating addictions leads economically to black markets and if one bad habit is banned, when the rest?

If Capricorn profit is still the goal of our work activities, how do ban the product and leave the business? Do we ban the business or the consumption?

The Pluto in Capricorn generation isn’t yet old enough to vote so they must abide their elders and a lifelong New Year’s Resolution to not smoke. But as Pluto moves into Aquarius and this generation has more political rights, they may try to change rules they have inherited.

The leaders who thrived during Pluto in Capricorn need to be careful – telling Aquarius not to do something may lead to that the very Aquarian trait of rebelliousness. Remember that last time that Pluto was in Aquarius we called the era “The Enlightenment” a few old political systems were discarded for new political systems.