By Catherine Carlson
On the morning of Thursday, March 23, 2023, the very first babies will be born with Pluto in the sign of Aquarius ushering in an astrologically brand-new generation. Pluto will remain in Aquarius until June 11 when it retrogrades back into the previous sign of Capricorn a couple more times before crossing over into Aquarius permanently on November 19, 2024.
The eldest group of people living right now were born with Pluto in Cancer. Since that time, Pluto has passed through seven more signs, defining seven different generations, each with their own unique identity. Aquarius will be the eighth.
Generations:
Generations are considered to be groups of people that align with certain periods in history respective of when they were born. We have grouped and labeled different generations irrespective to their astrological placement, so there is some overlap between signs in each of our well-known group names such as The GI Generation, Generation X, or The Millennials, as shown in the table below.
A few years ago, I saw generational expert, author, and PBS documentarian Chuck Underwood speak on the topic of generations. He insists that we don’t pre-name generations because members are not actually a part of that generation until they age out of school. He says that each generation is shaped by their “core values.” These would be what the group comes to value based on what they experienced growing up. For example, Generation X was the first to experience dual-career parents on a large scale as well as divorce. This group aligns primarily with Pluto in Libra, the sign of balance and relationships. This reflects Gen X’s desire as adults to have lasting partnerships and be present in their own children’s lives.
Underwood says a generation doesn’t come into their leadership until that group ages into their 60’s and 70’s. The Pluto in Leo group is in this phase now and largely consists of Baby Boomers. Due to their massive population and the dramatic Leo energy, the Boomers as a group have been watched and studied on a grand scale since their youth. Leo has a strong connection to children. We can see this exhibited in their role as primary caregivers to their grandchildren, something seen much more with them than in previous generations. This brings things back around by making up for what many missed as parents. I believe this group is helping us bring a new level of respect toward the elders of society. The Boomers have enjoyed good health overall which will give them greater longevity than past generations. Their career and educational backgrounds, combined with varied interests, have made them engaged and reliable members of our families and communities. I believe there is still much wisdom from this generation yet to be seen.
The Previous Generation Aquarius 1777-1799:
The last group of children in the United States born with Pluto in Aquarius began in April of 1777. These initial Pluto in Aquarius babies came approximately nine months following the birth of a new country—America.
Aquarians are futurists and this previous generation was birthed by people who were shaping a new nation into something substantial right before their very eyes. These kids grew up as the US Flag was created, the Constitution drafted, and the first US President elected.
When these babies entered their prime leadership years in their 60’s the term “Manifest Destiny” was coined and contested. Supporters thought it meant the destiny of Americans was to expand across North America. Unspoiled land preserved by Indian tribes began to be completely transformed as Americans spread across the U.S. both south toward the Gulf waters and west to the Pacific Ocean. The babies that made it to age one hundred would have seen a full 38 states added to their new country.
A primary significator of Aquarius is technology. One of these Aquarian generation babies born in 1791 was Englishman Charles Babbage who first came up with the concept of the digital programmable computer. An actual computer was some time in coming, but this generation did see modern inventions such as the first telegraph, the first “mechanical” reaper: a horse-drawn machine capable of harvesting wheat, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad.
This previous Aquarius generation in the United States was birthed from rebels who initiated the creation of a brand-new country, in this case, where it did not exist before. How might this parallel what is happening today?
The New Generation Aquarius 2023-2044:
The new Aquarian children are arriving post-pandemic. (I sincerely hope we resist the urge to call them the pandemic generation or the Covid babies). Speaking of labels—this generation will shun them as well as any other attempted definition. What happens in our country and world over the next 10 to 18 years will set the tone for this group.
As a generational energy, the Aquarians will bring us into the future with the potential for a quantum leap. (“Quantum Generation” anyone?) Without a doubt this group will be the one to rebel against the status quo, think outside the box, and come up with far-out ideas—anything from unique ways to dress, style their hair, or live. Generation Aquarius kids will likely want nothing more than to detach from restrictions and anything that prevents their freedom. They will step out of the group and their humanitarian efforts will be toward the collective.
This rebellious nature might be seen as a threat to the established structures that we, of previous generations, have built our worlds around. Timing is everything and I believe this next wave of kids are coming at the exact right moment to help move us along in our evolution. They will arrive without attachment to outgrown systems, an indication that the systems are no longer needed. Einstein was an Aquarius, and we can expect advancements and inventions in science, medicine, and technology to occur with this group beginning when they are children and continuing well into adulthood. The sign of Aquarius rules astrology and these kids will have an innate sense of the cosmos and their place in it. These are the children that will grow up on earth, but they aren’t going to be restricted to it.
In the book Children of the Fifth World by PMH Atwater, she gives all the generations one word. Gen X are “Survivors,” Millennials are “Fixers”, and she calls this new Aquarian generation “Connectors.” In addition to all the Aquarian qualities already mentioned, she says this generation can expect to see less government controls and more individual responsibility and there will be an “overall awareness of the coming Age of Enlightenment.”
Generation Aquarius is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Leo generation (Baby Boomers) and this polarity can tell us something about the nature of this group. Where Leo shines. Aquarius rebels. Where Leo is creative, Aquarius is genius. And where Leo loves attention, Aquarius is all too pleased to say “No.” Leo wants to be admired. Aquarius doesn’t care whose watching, but they will most definitely be watched because they will be so different.
The path that we have walked up until this point will not be the one followed by this new Aquarian generation. Similar to those born in the late 1770s, they are arriving at a time that is historically quite unique. Like all generations, theirs will be a shared experience of witnessing the next series of shifts, changes, and events in our world as children and growing into adulthood having been shaped by them. This Aquarian Generation will come into their leadership in the year 2083 bringing those values from their childhood forward. I can imagine at that point our world will look 180 degrees different from where we are today. Will we finally live like The Jetsons? Or perhaps our lives will be like nothing we have ever dreamed.
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