Pluto: New Horizons for a Lost Horizon: Astronomy, Astrology, and Mythology

by Richard Grossinger (Editor), Richard C. Hoagland (Contributor), Robert Kelly (Contributor)

Encompassing astronomy, mythology, psychology, and astrology, Pluto offers a wealth of knowledge about our most famous dwarf planet. First observed in 1930 and once defined as the ninth and final planet in our solar system, Pluto and its discovery and reclassification throw a unique light on how we generate meaning in science and culture. This anthology, timed to appear in concordance with NASA’s New Horizons's approach to Pluto in July 2015, shows that while the astronomical Pluto may be little more than an ordinary escaped moon or tiny Kuiper Belt object, it is a powerful hyperobject, for its mythological and cultural effigies on Earth incubate deep unconscious seeds of the human psyche. 

Certain astronomical features pertain to Pluto in terms of its distance from the Sun, coldness, and barrenness. These also inform its mythology and astrology as befitting a planet named after the God of the Underworld. Among the issues central to this collection are the meanings of darkness, loss, grief, inner transformation, rebirth, reincarnation, and karmic revelation, all of which are associated with the astrology of Pluto. Pluto also embodies the meaning of true wealth as being nonmaterial essence instead of property, conventional accolades, ego identity, achievement. It is the marker of negative capability. 

Table of Contents
Dana Wilde: Pluto on the Borderlands
Richard Grossinger: Pluto and The Kuiper Belt
Richard C. Hoagland: New Horizon … for a Lost Horizon
J. F. Martel: Pluto and the Death of God
James Hillman: Hades
Fritz Bruhubner: The Mythology and Astrology of Pluto
Thomas Frick: Old Horizons
John D. Shershin: The Inquisition of Pluto
Stephan David Hewitt: Pluto and the Restoration of Soul
Jim Tibbetts: Our Lady of Pluto, the Planet of Purification
Shelli Jankowski-Smith: Love Song for Pluto
Robert Kelly: Pluto
Dinesh Raghavendra: Falling in Love with a Plutonian
Steve Luttrell: Dostoevsky's Pluto
Philip Wohlstetter: Ten Things I'd Like to Find on Pluto
Jonathan Lethem: Ten Things I'd Like to Find on Pluto
Robert Sardello: Ten Things I'd Like to Find on Pluto
Ross Hamilton: Ten Things I'd Like to Find on Pluto
College of the Atlantic Students: Ten Things I’d Like to Find on Pluto
Jeffrey A. Hoffman: What the Probe Will Find, What I’d Like It to Find
Nathan Schwartz-Salant: Ten Things I’d Like to Find on Pluto
Charley B. Murphy: The Ten Worlds of Pluto
Timothy Morton: Ten Things I’d Like to Find on Pluto & The End of the World
Robert Phoenix: My Father Pluto
Ellias Lonsdale: Pluto is the Reason We Have a Chance
Rob Brezsny: Pluto: Planet of Wealth


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Astrology, Science, Nonfiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2015

Reviews

[May Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A great mix of topics all related to this weirdly unique planet. I enjoyed the science and astrology of it in particular as these are huge interests for me.

It's interesting how this planet is interpreted in astrology vs what it is in science. This book is more science and myth than anything astrology. Still, I was able to incorporate it into my practice as the planet does really match the way it's portrayed in mythology.

P. 11 - "Meta-Pluto stands for our cardinal node and cosmic key. By its dual existence it expresses our split emanation: self and cosmos. In a realm beyond our understanding, it is generating the zodiac, the starry heavens, and the terms for this world. It is pulling souls into the current universe."

p. 35 - If Pluto can be redefined, so can energy, so can money, so can value and meaning, for mythologically and etymologically the god whose oracle is at 'Pluto' happens to be the source and derivation of all wealth, material, and valuation - of materialism itself - as well as the mechanism of any extant trove's reversal and negation. We stand to be taught a lesson by Pluto - by any planet - butPluto's exercise is particularly paradigm shattering."

P 41- Yet Pluto's cardinal motifs, equally and conversely, propagate transformation, transcendence, revelation, resurrection, rejuvenation, metamorphosis, heroism, wealth, footing in groundlessness, crucible, intelligible, teleology, meta-dimensionality, numinosity, essense of all beingness, courage, and the basis for moral judgement, the enantiodromia Dreamtime.

p. 42 - We emanating negatively on Earth, Pluto vamps as Hitler, Hiroshima, apocalypse, Mad Max, Boko Haram, the Mexican Zetas, the xenophobia (Pluto the ultimate stranger). It's baleful domain spawns concentration camps, genocides and apartheids, the Hutu interahamwe, and the ISIS's ravaging pseudo-caliphate - all myrmidons of the Plutonian sphinx:

p. 43 - As Shiva/Hades, he is horrific, the most repellent and the bloodiest demon of the lot; his blue throated, snake garlanded, ash-smeared cynosure, remorseless and impliable, heralds the futility and fate of all material existence, yet somehow extends compassion and hope beyond ordinary purlieus. Shiva is an essential healer and therapist without regard for temporal life and death.

p. 46 "The Soul must deal with its innate plight, i.e. its curiousity regarding its own nature, views that engender and emody whole universes under quantam states and monkey minds, that molt Pluto into its aliases."

p. 53 - "Pluto is actually trying to manifest his opposite: if you don't break my compulsion, you will remain in my tidal lock like any orb under gravity, until some other planet comes along and knocks you out."

p. 165 - They talk about the Enterprise "HD/Torsion Field" experiments. These were conducted by Bob Forward, who died in 2002 before he could see his stuff proven out in a very cool way.

p. 178 There is this astroid that looks like it has a city on it. more images throughout this chapter.

p. 246 "But as the Greeks seemed to know, Pluto is also the deepest of counselors - a very demanding one, though: a real hard ass who won't let us get away with anything bu the deepest truth - which is all that might remain, once our deconstructive initiation has gone deep, once Pluto has fully had his way with us."

p. 260 Plutonium is the heaviest metal. They got lucky and pluto was discovered and very popular around the same time, so they could just tag on to the hype with their chemical name.

p. 299 - Cute little diddy about how sad it is to be Pluto, who just breaks free of the way every other planet moves and out of Neptune's orbit.

p. 308 - 10 things I'd like to find on Pluto (this little series of lists... so funny!!!)

p. 317 - The reproductive element of capital, how it by nature as a concept/substance, needs to procreate.... never thought about it that way.

[Dan Zarfati · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving 4 stars because of Hoagland's text, which is quite interesting, the rest of the book didn't interest me.