People love to talk about Generations - and I love to find the Astrological Correspondences of the Generations. In my previous post, I pointed out that the "Baby Boomer" generation could be divided in half - the first half (born from 1946 - 1956) have Pluto in Leo and Neptune in Libra.
After 1956/1957 - Pluto moves into Virgo and Neptune moves into Scorpio - and therefor astrologically, these are a different breed of Baby Boomers. (Remember there is some crossover and the outer planets often go back and forth between a sign because of retrogrades, so for a person born in the year that a planet changes signs - check the birth chart to be sure which sign it is in)
Baby Boom Round 2: 1956 - 1965. In 1956 it has been over a decade since WWII ended (1945). There is still a population boom happening in the USA, but it is different than the boom that happened right after the War. As discussed in the previous post, The Pluto in Leo babies were a result of a sense of celebration and victory - the war heroes came home and set to making a family, restoring the post-war economy, and living the "American Dream". Ten years later this sense of victory and confidence isn't what is driving the population growth anymore. There is still population growth - but we've been in a Cold War for some time now - the threat of another world war and Nuclear attack looms at the front of the American mind and media. We are just starting the Space Race (1955), and the conflict in Vietnam has also just began in 1955. The American Mindset around having children in the second half of the Boomer Era is more about preservation and uncertainty, along with a certain sense of Duty and Sacrifice.
Early Generation X: 1965 - 1972 This is the Last 5 years of the Pluto in Virgo Transit. These people were born during the height of the Vietnam War - some even had a parent who was drafted and sent to war while they were just a baby. The Cold War and Space Race are strongly a part of the Collective Consciousness - and these people are young children at the time of the first Moon Landing in 1969 (or born in the 3 years after the moon landing). Astrologically, these people have more in common with the Younger Baby Boomers as described above. (Though I know, you've been culturally indoctrinated to hiss and cringe at the thought of being grouped in with the Baby Boomers - don't come at me! I'm pointing out the difference between the older Boomers and the younger ones - Pluto in Virgo is NOT the same as Pluto in Leo!) *
Pluto In Virgo; 1956 - 1972 Pluto is in Virgo for 15 years - it is moving a little faster now compared to the 19 years it was in Leo. (Pluto moves faster through each sign as it approaches Scorpio - the sign that it spends the least amount of time in.) The Baby Boomer Generation is considered to be ending in 1965, when Generation X begins. However, keep in mind the Generations are decided by population trends in the United States - it is very much a USA Cultural definition of population groups and demographics. I know that quite a few Gen X people would scoff at the idea of being called similar to Baby Boomers - but the Astrological Generation of Pluto in Virgo is quite distinct. In 2022, the people who were born under Pluto in Virgo are between the ages of 66 and 50 years old.
Pluto - while a small and distant Dwarf Planet - astrologically relates to great power to bring change. Pluto in astrology relates to the archetypes of Power, Intensity, Death & Rebirth, Suffering, Transformation, Depth, Energy, and Explosiveness. It brings this intensity and transformation to our conscious experience through whatever sign it is moving through. People born under a common Pluto sign share an energetic signature as a "generation" of people who will collectively continue to bring Pluto's Intensity, Depth and transformative power in a specific way or through a specific expression of energy.
Virgo is Analytical, Discerning, A Perfectionist, Grounded, Critical, Detail Orientated, Logical, Bright, Obsessive, Fussy, and Intelligent. As Pluto expresses Power and Transformation through Virgo, it is changing our collective views on Work, Service, Daily Routine, Health, Sexuality, and just how we THINK in general. You can see the difference in the collective culture and a shift as Pluto moves solidly into Virgo, and then the difference that the people who were born under this Pluto sign carry into life with them beyond this time period. Pluto in Virgo brought a new age of computing and mathematics and science - leading to incredible feats such as the Moon Landing.
It is also notable that from 1961 to 1969, Uranus was also in Virgo. Uranus is the planet of Rebellion and Revolution, known as "The Awakener". Uranus has a way of turning a sign upside down, or "corrupting" it - Virgo is a sign associated with Purity, hard Work, and Service to others and Uranus in this sign brought a sexual revolution, a rebellion against working for "the man" or the government, and an art and music scene that was "shocking". Uranus brings a stronger element of change to the Realm of Virgo during this time period, joining with Pluto to revolutionize the collective daily life and attitudes about health, sex, service, knowledge, and information sharing. A large chunk of this "second phase Boomer" Generation has both Pluto and Uranus in Virgo
These are the Baby Boomers who were in their teens to mid 20's in the 1980's - entering the work force just as Computers begin to change the workforce and how we collect and store data or information. These are the people who are in their 20's as the "War on Drugs" is launched, and as the AIDS epidemic begins to sweep the nation.
The last 5 years of the Pluto in Virgo Generation are still young children in the 80's - but those born between 1965 and 1972 are considered Generation X. - but astrologically I would argue that they are part of the same Generation.
Neptune in Scorpio: 1956 - 1970 This is a 14 year transit which mostly coincides with Pluto in Virgo.
Neptune - astrologically this planet relates to the Subconscious - the Dream World of Human experience. Therefore it relates to a Search for Higher Meaning, Spirituality, Dreaminess, a Search for Unity, Self Sacrifice, Inclusiveness, Sympathy, Illusions, Fantasy, Artistic Expression, and Delusions. As another distant and slow moving planet, we generally see the influences of this planet emerge in the collective through pop culture, social spiritual movements, and collective beliefs (or collective fantasies and delusions)
Scorpio relates to themes and energies of Death and Rebirth, Violence and Fears, Sex and Sexuality, Occultism and Mysticism, and life's Secret or Hidden things. Neptune in Scorpio marks a time where the search for harmony and bliss was manifest by people losing themselves in drugs, music and sex. The ideals of free love and drug experimentation and music festivals were seen as "Ultimate Freedom" for the youth of the 1960's - when Pluto and Uranus were also pushing for change and rebellion against the Virgo norms of Society. Generally it is acknowledged that the early idealism of this period ended towards 1970, as Neptune left Scorpio, where the consequences of multiple partners, sexual diseases and hard drugs came to crash the party.
The people born under the influence of Neptune in Scorpio have to face the sometimes dark consequences of self-gratification, while being drawn to discover and experience the hidden, taboo side of life. Growing up in the Cold War and Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights movement era also had these people thinking about Fear, Death, and Violence from a very young age - creating a generation that had a very young loss of innocence and being people who "grew up" very fast.
Celebrities born with Pluto in Virgo and Neptune in Scorpio: (Baby Boomers)
Michael Jackson Madonna Barak Obama Michelle Obama
Princess Diana Brad Pitt George Clooney Tom Cruise Jim Carrey Whitney Houston Ellen DeGeneres Demi Moore
(Gen X) Bjork Jennifer Lopez Nicole Kidman Jennifer Anniston Kurt Cobain Julia Roberts Will Smith Gwen Stefani
*I don't know about you, but I feel like the Boomers vs Gen X on this list have more in common with each other than the Boomers on this list vs the Boomers of the Pluto in Leo Generation. It is one reason that I feel like there is a strong difference between the two kinds of "Baby Boomers". The Pluto Generations make a more distinct division in my eyes - whereas the cultural "generations" are simply decided by American population trends. This is why I think we argue about when certain generations end and begin, because we can instinctively feel that the generation divide doesn't accurately show the cultural differences. Whereas the Pluto and Neptune generations give us a clearer picture of time periods and collective consciousness.