We often hear about Plutonians (those with Pluto, the 8th house, or the sign of Scorpio dominantly emphasized in the chart) cast in the role of “villain” by their detractors. It’s not a new story and the whole “Plutonian as evil-doer” astro-aphorism certainly is a tired old trope that could benefit from a revamping of sorts. While it’s true that Plutonians do look good in black, I’d like to put a slightly different spin on this energy and talk instead about the Plutonian as The Anti-Hero.

My perspective on this topic was spawned from once hearing someone utter the words “Be a hero”, as if it were a call to arms meant to inspire us toward superhuman feats of goodness & purity. Now any Plutonian reading here is probably having some sort of bile-inducing reaction to this proposal right about now, LOL, as this is probably about the worst thing you could say to one of this ilk. You see, Plutonians are not the sort to portray the image of the gleaming White Knight – their version of the best possible lead is usually much more reminiscent of an anti-hero than any of that Sir Galahad business! The Plutonic star is considerably darker, possessing strength of character as well as considerable depth & complexity but often a certain moral ambiguity that make them richer and more compelling as protagonists. Now it’s possible these character traits may stem from some sort of trauma or they may not, but for those who don’t see the world entirely in black & white and who appreciate grayscale and nuance, the Plutonian anti-hero provides something to really sink your teeth into. We might consider the original Dark Knight himself, Batman, as a muse of sorts – particularly as portrayed in the recent Christian Bale -era reboot of this series. Or perhaps if the whole “fighting crime” thing still lands him a bit too far in the “goody-two-shoes” category for your personal liking, consider some of these other fictional characters that also resonate strongly with this archetype:

Captain Jack Sparrow, Jason Bourne,“V” in V for Vendetta, Tony Soprano, The Bride in the Kill Bill series, John Constantine, or – from TV – Don Draper, Cullen Bohannon, or Gregory House, M.D. just to name a few.

Now one could argue these characters are villains in their own right, as we have liars and thieves, vigilantes, killers, and those looking to sate a burning vengeance among this cast of characters. But such an attempt to boil it all down to a common denominator amounts to painting with a very broad – and very black – brush that completely disregards how popular the anti-hero archetype has become and why it’s so resonant to our collective consciousness. Many find a bona fide “hero” challenging to relate to, and although we may still cheer when we see one, the squeaky-clean persona this entails often denies the reality that life is messy and that it’s real easy to get your hands dirty somewhere along the way. The anti-hero seems more relatable, as they make no bones about their shadow – they own it and it is precisely this kind of self-possessed authenticity that makes this archetype so appealing. Few are willing to gaze at their own grimy underbelly, and as a viewer/reader it’s particularly intriguing to watch when an anti-hero struggles against their darkness or wrestles with scenarios where they have to make the ends justify the means….

06/12/2014