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The Pluto-Mercury Interface
with Bill Streett
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Scientists have identified that our minds are literally not one,
that is, we are of multiple minds. This discovery is analogous
to the supposition that depth psychologists have made for
decadesthat we are not the master of own house, that below
the threshold of consciousness lies the unconscious, a powerful
reservoir of instincts, drives, feelings, and ambitions.
Commensurate with this understanding is the anatomical
structure of the brain. Below the neocortex lies the limbic
system and the reptilian complex, or r-complex. This threetiered structure, often referred to as the triune brain, may be
seen as the physical corollary of the models of the psyche
developed by depth psychologists.
We may liken both the physical and psychological strata of the
brain and mind to be analogous to the archetypes of Mercury
and Pluto in astrology. Mercury, like conscious thought and the
neocortex, is affiliated with the rational centers of the mind.
Through the use of the neocortex, we may think abstract
thoughts, we may self-reflect, we may write and
communicate. The limbic system and the reptilian complex are
responsible for the autonomical functioning of the human, the
tasks that occur without conscious effort. Secondly, the lower
strata of the triune brain are responsible for the more
emotional, more powerful states of mind. Through the lower
strata of the mind we feeloften intenselythreats from the
environment. It is through the reptilian mind that fight of flight
mechanisms are often brought to the surface of
consciousness. The lower strata of the physical mind may be
likened to the archetype of Plutothe source of the powerful,
yet often unconscious, material of the psyche.
Given Mercurys and Plutos affiliations to the structure of the
mind, it is easy to suggest that Mercury is a higher, or more
evolved, archetype. If we are strictly to adhere to the
sequence of evolution, this is true; the neocortex evolved after
the formation of the lower brain. However, rather than look at
the mind in terms of an evolutionary sequence, it is perhaps
more illuminating to see the strata of the brain and mind in
terms of relationship. The neocortex may help us to
understand and repress, when necessary, the knee-jerk,
instinctual reactions of the lower mind. However, the
neocortex may also be the handmaiden or henchmen of the
lower mind, building weapons of destruction and chaos that
lower evolved life forms could never create. The alligator or
lizard cannot create or detonate an atomic weapon when it
feels the threat of its enemies; it simply reacts automatically
to the impulses of its brain when danger is sensed. Thus, it is
more productive to view the divisions of the mind and brain as
a dynamic system rather than a hierarchy of evolution.
This relationship is the subject of this essay and it is best
elucidated through the interplay of the archetypes of Mercury
and Pluto. Mercury, the archetype of letters, thought, and leftbrained analysis exists in relationship to Pluto, the symbol of
primitive, evolutionary drives and deep-seated emotional
material. Within astrology, this relationship is highlighted when
Pluto and Mercury are in significant angular relationship to
each other in the birth chart. That is, when this pairing are in
aspect, the instinctual reservoir of energy of Pluto meets and
informs the thinking and communicative centers of Mercury.
Through Pluto and Mercury, the depths of the human
unconscious meet rational and civilized discourse. Thus, with
this pairing, Pluto informs the thought patterns of Mercury, as
Mercury acts as a mouthpiece or conduit to the primal,
evolutionary power of Pluto.
As with any planetary combination, the meeting of Pluto and

Mercury makes for a multi-faceted expression. The interface is

a complex one and can lead to a number of different, thought
ultimately interrelated, manifestations. The following five
patterns arguably represent the core of the archetypal
complex, although certainly other expressions may be as
evident.

The Power of Persuasion:

Pluto-Mercury individuals are innately attuned to powerful use
of language. They know that how you say something is as
important as what you say. Pluto-Mercury individuals are
either very powerful speakers or attract very power use of
language into their lives. Sometimes this powerful drive
around language can come through in a love (sometimes an
unconscious love) for heated intellectual debate or arguments.
For Pluto-Mercury possessors, the intellect is a source of
passion and power, thus, there can be an extremely intense
desire to hold onto ones intellectual positions at all costs. In
fact, since Pluto is often the seat of the unconscious, there
may even be a sense of threat if ones intellectual authority is
undermined. Regardless, there can be a very intense, powerful
drive around the mind and intellectual issues with this
combination.
Pluto also signifies where there can be power struggles in our
lives, where issues of domination and subjugation occur. With
Pluto-Mercury, there can be a need to be top-dog in
conversation, seeing everything as a possible argument to win.
Or, on the other side of the spectrum, one can be very easily
dominated in conversation with others, taking on the position
of a child where we allow others to steamroll over us with
arguments and positions which arent congruent with how we
view reality. So, Pluto deals with power issues, how it
manifests is different for every person, but with the PlutoMercury combination, power games and strategy are often
intimately bound in communication and speech.

The Dark Side of the Mind:

Where Pluto is in the chart is the symbol where we are willing
to confront, often courageously, the dark side of lifethe
murderous, the licentious, the scatological, or the demonic.
Thus, with a Pluto-Mercury combination, there can be an
innate fascination with dark intellectual subjects. Some
individuals with the Pluto-Mercury combination report a
paradoxical fascination and repulsion to horror books, mystery,
crime novels, gothic literature, or any subject that is
considered taboo. Thus, with Pluto in aspect to Mercury is
where we see the dark side of life, and there can be a lifelong
dalliance with intellectual subjects that carry this shadowy
material.
Another way this combination can be witnessed is through
constant or incessant usage of vulgar language; the need to
express ones self powerfully through obscenities or offensive
language, especially if one is feeling threatened in some
capacity. Often a Pluto-Mercury individual has to contend with
more unrefined, darker sides of speech and thought.
Obsessions of the Mind:
Plutos position in the birth chart can be where we tend to
obsess over things with an air of compulsivity. With a PlutoMercury combination, one may be an innate stickler for correct
use of language. This may express itself through a very strict
adherence to the rules and syntax of language or it may
express itself in a fear of self-expression since one may fear
that one can never live up to an internal standard of perfection
in use of language. Pluto can fuel a sort of fixated sensibility
over subject matters or ideas. When the aspect is activated in
ones life, there may be a sense of fixating or ruminating on
one subject or a set of ideas. Although this may not sound
comfortable from an outsiders perspective, this type of
obsessional activity can lead to extremely positive outcomes,
such as intense problem solving or idea generation.

The Heart of the Matter:

The Pluto-Mercury possessor is often the individual that can
talk most earnestly, bluntly, and openly about subject matter
that may make others squeamish. Both attracting and
manifesting intellectual discussions which may be brutal,
frank, and utterly honest, the Pluto-Mercury individual is often
the individual that may be most able to discuss things with
complete honesty and directness. This quality can be both
refreshing and liberating as it can be too blunt and harsh.
Those with this aspect may learn when it is necessary to
discuss matters in a deep, honest, and direct manner and
when it is necessary to appropriately pad their talk with
superficiality, cordiality, and diplomacy.
Deep Research:
In a similar vein, the Pluto-Mercury individual may be an
individual who is most able to penetrate deeply and profoundly
into any subject matter. Thus, the Pluto-Mercury possessor
often makes an extraordinary researcher, investigator, or
examiner, delving more profoundly and more deeply than
others are capable. Both in terms of sheer quantity and level
of penetrating insight, the Pluto-Mercury individual can stretch
beyond normal capacity to reach extraordinary levels of the
mind. Plutos evolutionary power can be the fuel that allows for
superhuman achievement, stretching and pushing an
individual to the utmost. When connected to the mind, Pluto
may press an individual to extraordinary lengths and pursuit.

Examples of Individuals with Pluto-Mercury Aspects in

the Birth Chart:
Sam Kinison (December 8th, 1953; Pluto square Mercury)
One needs to merely summon the guttural roar of deceased
comedian Kinisons peculiar style to get a sense of Pluto
inflecting the archetype of Mercury. Known for both a raw, inyour-face brand of comedy and for monstrous rasping, yelling,
and bellowing, Kinison represents a particular expression of
the Pluto-Mercury interface. With Kinison, we observe how
Mercury as a mouthpiece can serve to express the primal,
instinctual, and passionate archetype of Pluto. That is, Mercury
allows one a sense of understanding how the realm of Pluto
manifests itself through the conduit of verbal and vocal
expression. Kinison allows one to see how an unrefined,
unrestrained Pluto can convey its energy through the conduit
of voice, thoughts, and ideas.

Bret Easton Ellis (March 7, 1964; Pluto opposite Mercury)

Born with Mercury tightly opposite Pluto, Elliss fiction has
been thoroughly punctuated with Plutonian themes:
corruption, decadence, depravity, decay, and murder. This
generation x novelist has distinguished himself as the arch
observer of the territory where bourgeois meets the
Underworld. In his most famous novelsLess than Zero and
American PsychoEllis documents the slow dissent of
privileged, disaffected individuals into very dark terrain. With
Ellis, we see crosshairs of where the yuppie psyche meets the
dark topography of the murderous, licentious, and wicked. Ellis
has received critical and popular condemnation for his work,
as the graphic and explicit content of his novels are not for the
faint of heart. Elliss brand of fiction is merely one particular
expression of how the Pluto-Mercury interface can manifest
itself.
Gary Kasparov (April 13, 1963; Pluto trine Mercury)
Champion chess player, Gary Kasparov represents several
expressions of the Pluto-Mercury interface. The Armenian-born
competitor represents the extreme powers of concentration,
mastery of mental strategy, and sheer mental effort of the
Pluto-Mercury combination. Kasparovs most famous match,
the game where he took on IBMs Deep Blue captures the
evolutionary quality of Pluto, where mind is pitted against
machine. Kasparov also symbolizes the often extreme mental
competitiveness of the Pluto-Mercury combination.

Kitty Kelley (April 4, 1942; Pluto trine Mercury)

If Kasparov represents several facets of the Pluto-Mercury
combination through chess, then Kelley symbolizes numerous
qualities of the combination through the writing. To some,
Kelley is a deep researcher who is uncanny in her ability to get
her subjects to open up, confess, or otherwise talk explicitly
about challenging or secretive material. To others, Kelley is
nothing more than a trash biographer, exploiting and
manipulating her subject matter for personal gain. Both
expressions show the lofty and low expressions of PlutoMercury.