Posted by: Donna Cunningham | April 23, 2010

Money and Pluto in the 2nd House—The Haves vs. the Have Nots

©4-23-2010 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 The house Pluto or Scorpio occupies in the birth chart can represent areas of life where we fail for spite. That is, we may chronically set ourselves up to fail in those areas in ways that are painful, frustrating, and mystifying to us on a conscious level. On the unconscious level, the motive is often to get back at potent childhood figures who considered that area crucial. The behavior is self-destructive, like the scorpion’s sting.

For some Plutonians, however, extracting vengeance is more important than doing well.   With Pluto in the vocational houses, failing in the career can embarrass the parent or other authority figure, a form of revenge. (“You said I’d never make anything of myself. Well, I’ll show you….”.)  Parents can’t control whether their offspring succeed or not, and the more parents demand success, the greater the sting when their offspring fail.

Pluto in the 2nd–Games of Hard Ball over Money

Scorpio symbol from Animation Playhouse People with Pluto or Scorpio planets in the vocational houses or aspecting the Midheaven are prone to dramatic career turns, for better or for worse, especially under transits to the Midheaven, natal vocational-house planets, or natal Pluto.

Many of them glory in intensity, exist at a life or death pitch, and view work situations in terms of extremes—black and white, good vs. evil, shadow vs. light.

If they engage in spiteful, self-destructive rounds of hardball, they may crash and burn publicly, even repeatedly, under transits or progressions to planets in vocational houses or to the Midheaven.

If they’re evolving past those negative patterns, they’re capable of amazing turnarounds—the Phoenix rising from its own ashes.

Pluto or Scorpio personal planets in the 2nd denote an emphasis on shared resources in much the same way as 8th house concentrations of planets. To find out exactly whose resources are involved, look at house rulers.

If the ruler of the 7th is in the 2nd, the partner’s money is important, and these individuals may well marry or stay in a bad marriage partly for financial reasons. (Pluto-Venus natives may have similar dynamics.) If the ruler of the 10th or 4th is in the 2nd, family money may play a role.

 Many with Pluto or Scorpio planets strong in the 2nd house suffered from painful early experiences around money that led to troublesome adult financial practices. The experiences include bad role models and dysfunctional financial dealings that the individual copies.

Often, parental purse strings were used to control and bind the person. Typically, this was not open-handed generosity. No matter how financially comfortable the parent is, money is often doled out begrudgingly in dribs and drabs and costs the receiver plenty in humiliation. Often, being remembered in or written out of The Will is dangled as a way of keeping control.

2nd House Pluto–The Haves vs. the Have Nots

Pluto in the 2nd natives may or may not have money depending on which role they choose to play in relationships—the Haves or the Have Nots. The Haves are typically compulsive about making money to use in controlling others, especially in close relationships. If the ruler of the 2nd is in the 7th, the native may be bankrolling the partner’s enterprises or luxuries. If it’s in the 5th, the native’s money may be a factor in codependent relationships which bind adult children to them, yet subtly undermine the offspring’s will to become independent.

 The Haves learned to use money to buy love—or at the very least to avoid abandonment. Such people are not usually into their work as a career or calling, but instead are motivated by money, which they equate with control.

They can heavily resent what they have to do to earn it, yet can overwork compulsively because they fear abandonment if they don’t have anything material to give to their partner, family, or friends.  People with Pluto in Virgo (the adult children of the Baby Boomers) can especially resent having to earn money in jobs they consider menial.

People playing the opposite game (the Have Nots) don’t get their money act together because not doing so means some significant other has to keep rescuing them. (“See, you can’t abandon me, I won’t survive!”) They may give away their power, becoming deliberately though unconsciously self-destructive, so they can’t be expected to provide for themselves. In such cases, the person perennially messes up where money is concerned because of enmeshment in a relationship.

Failure as a Form of Revenge

 Chronic financial failure can be a form of revenge in which a reduced or perilous financial status is an embarrassment to the family. In order to appear more affluent—and thus more important—they may also run up huge debts on luxury items and vacations they couldn’t possibly pay for and then declare bankruptcy. (That’s different from running into, say, huge medical or legal expenses that you couldn’t help.)

Plutonians who are hooked on playing this sort of game can find it difficult to give it up for a healthier pattern of self-support. My sense, from working with long term therapy or astrology clients, is that if they’re grown—e.g. in their thirties—and still receive regular financial supplements from their family, it may be quite difficult for them to change, though it can be done. There are simply too many perks for being broke.

Their benefactors’ seeming gifts have a shadow side, for there can be emotional blackmail on both parts.  “Givers” wield control through money and manipulate in treacherous ways to undermine the receivers and keep them dependent so they won’t be able to leave the giver. “Takers” may involve themselves in increasingly self-destructive failures in order to justify their need for support. The interaction becomes more and more tainted, as the increasingly resentful and often abusive “Giver” has to keep paying the bills.

Beating the System?  Think Again!

 The Plutonian person is not always relying on an actual, living individual but still may be doing so on a symbolic level as a form of revenge. Sometimes the parent in question is long since dead, but the native still plays out the support issue with financial institutions. For instance, they may maneuver themselves into some sort of financial assistance that they’re not strictly entitled to, concoct law suits, or may be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to the IRS.

Others with Pluto or Scorpio prominent in the 2nd or with a strong 8th house may be saddling themselves with massive debts to Mommy Master Card and Daddy Visa.

Under very difficult transits—like this long Pluto-Saturn square and the coming Cardinal t-square—these strategies can fall apart, with disastrous effects. Still, the phoenix lives to rise again from its own ashes, so this need not be a permanent state.

In years of intensive work with incest victims around the time Healing Pluto Problems was published, I often found a connection between a history of sexual abuse and compulsive shopping that runs up ruinous debt. Especially where the ruler of the 10th is in the 8th, incest survivors may have been seduced into the abuse by money and gifts or were given special treats to silence them.

In adulthood, buying themselves presents on credit was unconsciously connected with this form of compensation—they felt entitled, especially if they were currently enmeshed in situations or relationships that evoked the childhood shame. As they tackled healing the remnants of the abuse, many of them spontaneously cleared up longstanding debt.

 Healing the  Scorpion’s Sting

People with Pluto or Scorpio in the 2nd generally can’t clear up their money problems unless they clean up their Plutonian motivations and behaviors. They often need to work on releasing resentments and their attachments to power struggles. Coming clean about their motives helps, as does getting honest, at least with themselves, about what they’re getting from such games. They may also benefit from structured debt counseling and debt reduction programs, where they can avail themselves of professionals who are healthier role models for financial management than their parents.

As difficult as this healing work can be and as hard as it can be to get solid in terms of money management, the results are well worth it in reducing the harrowing stress and emotional turmoil bad money management creates for these individuals and those close to them. Remember, the keywords for the 2nd house (Earnings) and for Pluto (Power) show that people this placement have great potential for Earning Power—they can be money magnets and do very well financially.

If this article rang bells for you, you’ll want to read  the followup pieces: Pluto Transits to the 2nd or 8th —Money Issues Get Murky  and The Unsuspected Role of the 8th House in Fiscal Fitness .

Readers:  Do you have Pluto or Scorpio in the 2nd–or does someone you’re dealing with have it?   Tell us about it in the comment section. Does this article ring any bells for you–or, conversely, make you indignant?  Sorry about that–readers have been pestering me to publish this for the past week, and for some of you, it may fall into the category of  “be careful what you wish for!”OPIL v1-2014 sm

There’s some consolation to be had in the Plutonian version of the Lord’s Prayer:  “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Even though the bastards don’t deserve it!”

(If you suspect you’re a Plutonian, or if one lives or works with you, you’d want to read the rest of this chapter about Pluto as a career indictor from my ebook,  The Outer Planets and Inner Life, volume 1: The Outer Planets as Career Indicators, available at moonmavenpublications.com.

More Articles about Pluto on Skywriter:

Articles in the Astrology and Finances series:

Posts from A Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit:

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Art Credit:  The animated Scorpio is from a collection of zodiac animations at the Animation Playhouse Free Animated Gifs, Jpegs, Clipart, & Graphics.  Other images are from Clipart.com.


Responses

  1. Both my husband and I have Pluto in the 2nd house. I am the better money manager.
    The ruler of my 2nd is in the 1st. The ruler of his 2nd is in the 10th

    But, we do have the dependcy issue, mine on his income, and he has had the failings with money as he was very much in debt when we met.

    I am right now going over all my financial papers as I do not want the upcoming Pluto Saturn sq/or Cardinal T Sq. to catch me off guard..even though I am still not sure how they will affect me. LOL

    I save money to give me security…Cancer. And so I won’t be dependent on someone else. And yes I feel like money gives you power. If only in small ways like getting better interest rates. 🙂

    I think my husband uses money to give him power over me. I don’t like this, but that is how I see it. He knows if I can’t afford to be on my own I won’t leave him. He’s the Libra and wants to hang on to his other half any way he can.

    • What I find so inspirational in your various comments on this blog, Susie, is your degree of insight and willingness to tackle tough parts of your chart and your life. Pluto, in particular, is a long and often demanding part of the chart, but it IS doable, in part because we can be so devoted to healing those things. Donna

  2. Hi Donna:

    This is some intense stuff! I live in south florida (playground of the rich, escape from the cold, lala land for those wanting an escape), and this column shed light on a lot of things I see around here.

    With that, I’ve noticed how money/power often work in relationships of friends and colleagues. It’s been pushing me to revisit issues of authority, autonomy and money in my own life/relationships, and also how they are often attached to the heartstrings…

    …one of the things I’ve been seeing is that people do use money to have the upper hand in relationships. Once that stops working (usually when the oppressed find their way to thrive independently of the other person), they don’t like it and try to find other ways to keep that control.

    I’m really surprised to see that a lot of people do not like being in that position where their authority is usurped, and those are the situations where it is best to resolve what can be resolved and leave. It’s not that different from being in a physically abusive relationship; it’s just a different type.

    • Hmmm, thanks for sharing those observations on the wealthy, Kristy. Especially that about how it’s not so different from being in a physically abusive relationship…it’s certainly demeaning enough. I only dated one wealthy guy in my life, and I left it very quickly because I found out that rich guys expect to call all the shots. He then proceeded to try to bait me back with money, slime, slime, slime. Donna

  3. I have 0 deg saturn/5 deg sun conjunct in scorpio in the 2nd. Neptune in libra is at 24 deg in my 2nd as well.

    Money has always been an issue for me. I learned early on that it was a trigger point for rage with my dad. He definitely controlled the money. He was against giving us allowances. He said he could buy for us whatever we needed…the caveat was that we had to ask for it, which I also learned rather quickly sets off his rage. I was once beaten for keeping $1.23 in change from when I ran a grocery errand for my mother.

    I learned to always pick the cheapest item on the menu whenever we went out to eat (which was rare). When it comes to eating out these days, my dad always insists on picking up the tab, usually in a grand gesture and pulling out a wad of cash to pay for it.

    Emotionally my dad was/is cold and totally blocked. Through much therapy I learned that when he does give us money (without us asking for it), it was/is his way of expressing love.

    As we grew up we children were expected to have respectable jobs/careers. Two of us wanted to be musicians/artists…’how are you going to make any money doing that?’ was/is his reply. I’m currently building my art career and have been for the last 10 years. Thankfully my husband (1 deg cancer sun in my 10th trining my saturn/sun) has been very supportive in all respects; although he’s eager for me to be more financially successful which I’ve managed to turn into guilt on my part.

    In looking at my dad’s chart, his aquarian sun conjunct mercury in my 5th, squares my scorpio sun in the 2nd. His libra saturn is right on the cusp of my 2nd house. His cancer moon in my 10th trines my saturn, while his cancer pluto in my 10th trines my sun. I understand that while a part of him wants me to be practical another part wants me to be successful.

    My mother on the other hand who loved to spend money much to the grief of my father, has her 2 deg leo sun conjunct my moon in the 11th which squares my 2nd house saturn/sun conjunction. I can see that just in my chart alone, having the moon squaring my 2nd house sun/saturn brings about emotional issues with money.

    Added to this mix is growing up in the catholic church where during the mass, we had to say out loud “Lord I am not worthy’. Yikes! Nowadays if I go to mass, I say “Lord I AM worthy” with a heavy emphasis on the ‘AM’. 🙂

    Over the years I have done a lot of therapy and of late have been digging deeper and deeper into my issues with money and self-esteem issues…that one does not equate with the other and that being an artist is a viable career.

    What’s interesting is in a couple of weeks I’m going to an art licensing trade show in NYC to see about taking my art to the next level. As part of that trip I’m visiting my dad in CT.

    My motto through all of this: in spite of everything keep moving forward

    Thank you for letting me share this. I could have shared a lot more however this has become way too long as it is. Writing this has helped me to understand even more the role my parents played with my money issues.

    • Thank you for sharing, Maureen. It documents some of the type of dynamics where money/deprivation is used in an abusive form and as emotional blackmail. Donna

  4. Fascinating article, Donna. I have Scorpio at the cusp of my 2nd house, but no planets in the house, and this is the first time I’ve felt grateful not to have planets there! Mars, the traditional ruler of Scorpio, is in my 8th house, and Pluto is in my 10th house.

    My parents didn’t play money games with me to any extreme degree, but my mother-in-law absolutely does. I’ve been cut out of her will, then put back in. It’s very hurtful, but fortunately, I’m more strongly motivated by things other than money, so I don’t get too enmeshed in these sorts of games. I’ve never had a great deal of money, and though there have been times when it would have been nice to have more, I have usually had enough to pursue the interests that are really important to me.

    • Hmm, I forget what house represents the mother-in-law via the system of derived houses. I guess it would be your husband’s parents, so therefore either the 4th or 10th house from the 7th. I think the 4th house from the 7th would be the 10th–right? And that’s where you have Pluto. Anyone know for sure? Donna

  5. I have Pluto in the 2nd house in the Koch system but it falls just inside the 1st in the Porphery. Would you look at it as being in the 2nd?
    Thanks Donna.

    • See the long explanation about house cusps in comment section for the article, “Readers Ask: Q & A about the 2nd House.” Donna

  6. Thank you Donna for your comments regarding my 2nd house Scorp. in yesterdays article on the 2nd house. I did take the Neptune and Pluto tests. You were right on, I’m very Neptune.

    As a child, my single mother was very neglectful. She refused to get a job. (She was a Scorp Sun). We rarely had food in the cupboard, electricity was constantly cut off, never had birthday or Christmas presents, or even cards for that matter. I remember, even as a child, being constantly worried whether it would snow and if we would have electricity. I became the “parentified child.” If anything was going to get done, I felt like I had to do it. She resented me for it too. (I have Cap. and Chiron in the 4th).

    As an adult, I’ve spent my career in law enforcement and child advocacy (Neptune, Jupiter, and moon in Scorpio in the 2nd). I don’t make a lot of money (working for the State) and money is not what enriches me. (For the record, I would LOVE to make more money!) But I learned the lesson early in life that you have to have a job and work.

    But with that being said, it freaks me out to not have food in the cupboard. My husband teases me about “what army am I planning on feeding.” The theory that society is 9 meals away from anarchy, doesn’t fly at my house.

    It’s interesting how astrology is influenced by our life experiences, and visa versa. Also, how as parents, we can really mess up our kids!

    • What a rough time you had of it, Terri. No child should have to worry about keeping food on the table for the family…except maybe in 3rd world countries where everyone has to work at raising the food. Donna

  7. the title of this essay reminds me of the ruins of Pompeii, in front of one of the richest houses there was this placque in the pavement stones :

  8. Hi Donna – I have three planets conjunct in Scorpio: Neptune/Mercury are in the 2nd (but just barely), and Jupiter is in the 3rd. Neptune rules the 7th, Mercury rules my Ascendant and MC, and Jupiter rules the 4th. I don’t know if it matters, but my Mercury is sextile and in mutual reception with my Pluto (in Virgo) in the 12th.

    From the time I got my first babysitting job at age 12, I’ve used money as a way of gaining autonomy . . . my money, my choices. Earning money made it less likely that others could define me and gave me a sense of self-worth. Whether they meant to or not, both of my parents made me feel pretty worthless growing up, so I think earning, managing, and sharing money has been my way of proving them wrong. (Saturn in my 4th sits at the midpoint of a tight square between my 2nd house Mercury and 5th house Moon.) It’s always been important that I pay my fair share; if I don’t, I feel guilty.

    Throughout my life, I’ve had to take on numerous responsibilities involving the management of money. I’ve often found the weight of it to be overwhelming, knowing that others (mostly family members) were completely dependent on me to make wise financial decisions. And in my career (when I had one – LOL!), I handled the money (AP, AR, payroll, benefits, insurance). Fellow employees used to joke that I ran the place (“the power behind the throne”). Now that I’m not earning money, it brings up all those old issues of self-worth.

    Ironically enough, I also see how money and power have become synonymous with worthiness in our society, and I’ve tried to advocate on behalf of those who’ve become (or could easily become) marginalized because of this way of thinking.

    I’ve been debt free for many years (I don’t like anyone having that kind of power over me), just as it’s been many years since I allowed myself to be used by friends or significant others – genuine reciprocity is something I’ve grown to value. I did spend quite a bit caring for my mother (my Scorpio planets square my 5th house Moon), even using up a small inheritance, but it was the right thing to do. Money has always held a lot of power for me, so by giving it up to care for my mom – and without her even knowing I was doing it – I had to give up the illusion of being in absolute control (and of getting anything in return.) It served as an important spiritual lesson.

    This post made me think back and look at things from a completely different perspective. Thanks Donna!

    • A lot of lesson learning, LB, but it’s so good that you’re at the place of knowing how to keep those financial ties clean. Donna

  9. Well, my younger teenager boy (16) has Pluton, Mars and Merc in Scorpio 2th house..lovely! he is always thinking about “how much its cost”, he always has money in his pocket (first he ask for and i learned to say no, i don’t have and wow “he remembered” that “may be i could have money in my jeans”.and keeping in my “NO” he starts working in saturdays (as he plays Polo he take care of the horses or for instance as he speak english when turists comes he helps them) anyway he never has enough!

    • Hi, Rosario, it’s cool that you’ve taught him to earn the money he wants so early–he’ll always want it, with a stellium in the 2nd. And with Mars and Pluto conjunct there, I’ll bet he always has plenty. (Look for an article on this blog about Mars-Pluto aspects that explains why it’s the aspect of a magician due to their ability to manifest things.) Donna

  10. I have Pluto in Virgo in the second. To be honest the current Saturn Uranus opposition (Saturn Virgo Second Uranus Pisces eigth) seems to be triggering a healing push here. I have progressed mars on top of my north node in Virgo conjunct my virgo Pluto – so it is a life lesson.

    It is an issue – has been – and for me connected to the formlesses of Neptune. Schulmans book on the nodes has been helpful. I also have Path of Fortune conjunct the whole shebang – so a lot of push to get my feet on the ground.

  11. Saturn may be oppose Uranus now – but so far for me it has been an eye opener and kind. Saturn is trine my Taurus Sun and Uranus is sextile my Taurus Sun. Over the last year my poor Sun has had the square from Chiron, Neptune and Jupiter repeatedly from Aquarius. I feel like I finally can think clearly again.

    http://space.about.com/cs/astronomyhistory/a/herschelcar.htm

  12. I have Pluto in Virgo in the second. Years ago I was asked to lend a substantial amount to a dear friend (as a bridging loan whilst they sold their house). She set up the repayment schedule which was not kept, and this caused a rift between us. I thought I was helping her out, but it did not help and at the time I was dismayed at the ravages it caused to our friendship. The lesson I took away in all of this is that nowadays if someone asks to borrow cash, I don’t lend it, I give it to them if I can.

    • Me, too, Alison, I give whatever I can as a gift and make certain they understand it’s not a loan. Donna

  13. Pluto in the 2nd here too (Scorpio), so Libra “rules” my second house – Venus – in the 9th. Makes sense – money always comes willingly from institutions of higher education

    “failing for spite” totally rang true. I did this a lot. Sometimes I still do it.

    Both my parents controlled money, both use it to control each other/control me. Pluto squares my Moon at the top of the 12th – Mom often is the one who feels the need to control my actions/movements through money/ career. Overprotective of me would be the right word.

    as I’m in my early 20s, I really hope once I graduate from school I can just get a job or grants from institutions and completely free myself.

  14. ALSO – astrotheme.com has a criteria search for Pluto in the 2nd, and apparently, Bill Gates is on that list.

    so, Power to Earn is about right. 😀

  15. I don’t have Pluto or any Scorp Planets in my 2nd House, but Scorp rules my second house and in my household, growing up, the arguments and tensions were ALWAYS about money.
    My parents even argued about money across my hospital bed once when I was sick!
    My dad stole from me and my mother seemed to think money (what little of it there was) could be used to keep me close to her.
    My dad was emotionally and physically abusive but when my mother condemned him, it was always about his lack of financial support, not about his brutality and infidelities.
    I often wonder if he had paid the bills and had been financially stable if my mother would have been a-okay with his abuse of both of us.
    What this all did to me is make me HATE dealing with money because in the back of mind my mind, I see money as only a way to control others and a source of friction.
    It makes me feel as if I will only be loved if I provide enough money.
    This has borne out in many of my relationships.
    However, I am now doing work on the issue and trying to comes to terms with money as a neutral thing, something we need as a medium of exchange, something I am worthy of and not something that people use simply to exploit others.
    Of course, on a universal level, right now in the US, we are all dealing with this issue front and center what with all the financial problems and crimes that are rife in our system today!

    • That is totally true, Meloh–we are in what I call the Cosmic Soup, and the issues that we individually are working on tend to reflect the issues for the world as a whole…sustainability vs. exploitation and greed In short, the issues of Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra. Keep processing as you are doing now. Donna

      • I found yet another very good Daily Om course called “Heal Your Money Karma”. It deals with the very topics covered here such as your familial and ancestral money patterns and how it impacts your current life and how to heal the problems and move forward in abundance.

      • It sounds like a good course. Thanks. Donna

  16. Donna thank you again for hitting the nail on the head. I appreciated your last comment on Uranus here btw. I have Pluto in this house as well (!!) – in Virgo. With the Sun ruling this house in the 9th – the situation with my parents was ‘clean’ – there was an awareness of the value of money and working etc. but nothing dysfunctional. My dad retired from business in his early 40s and took us all to the UK & Europe for a year (from New Zealand) – which was quite unusual. He always worked for himself – as my brothers have done also. I have that ‘gene’ too…. BUT – I am interested (and concerned) about this ‘Plutonic wound’ I have around money & security. THe need to be ‘free’ (Uranus) doesn’t fit well with the fear (shadow) around being ‘self-supporting’….
    It feels like a very deep wound that, at 49, I am struggling to heal. I instinctively look to relationship to help me out. I don’t seem able to believe in my own capacity to survive financially…
    It can be healed, as you say, I do believe that. Oh, I have north node exactly conjunct Pluto – my destiny in linked with the Plutonic power – maybe one day I will make lots of money!!! (?)
    I’m always regretting my ‘career choices’ of my younger days – all part of this complex I realize…. It is fascinating – and at least, through astrology we have the first step to healing our wounds – conscious awareness! Thanks Donna.

    • Linda, I believe that we never take a false step on our life path, that even the choices others might label as mistakes are part of the total curriculum. Recall the old story about how Edison made dozens of “mistakes” as he tried to find the right filament for a light bulb, but it only took one right filament to complete the invention. Donna

      • Donna, thank you for that timely reminder……
        I agree – it is all part of the learning, of the refinement of character.
        I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t made those choices – and I often can see the positives in that. Other times, like when the money issue looms large, I struggle a bit more. ‘We find ourselves where we need to be,’ is a truism I’ve oft repeated and believe in.

  17. EVERYTHING is right on the money…. and rings so true. Your article is a really good reminder for me to thank the Universe for having shown me the way to transmute big karma … but the work still goes on !
    Thank you very much and thank you for a wonderful site that i am just beginning to discover

  18. I have pluto transiting my 2nd house – a big house, so it will be there until 2024! Cap is intercepted, sag on the cusp. It’s trining a stellium in Virgo, and Jup in pisces (9th/3rd). Will a transiting pluto apply to some of the things said here? I can’t really see it, but perhaps it just hasn’t started yet …

    • Yes, when a planet that is as slow moving as Pluto or Neptune transits a house, it is there long enough that the situations and conditions during that era gradually come to resemble the description of that planet there in the natal chart. In your case, over time it will be similar to Pluto in the 2nd natally. Donna

  19. Donna, I have Pluto in Virgo in 1st house two degrees away from 2nd house which has Mercury as its ruler. I have Neptune in Scorpio in the 4th house. How would that affect me? However, my real concern is my son who has venus conjunct pluto in Scorpio in the 2nd. He seems obsessed with money and is studying but wont get serious enough about passing and getting qualified to make it. He has committed himself financially that he now cannot afford to cover and doesn’t seem concerned enough to get a menial job to meet his expenses as he has a list of jobs he will not do. I feel pressured into keeping him afloat so he doesnt crash and burn. Not sure how to approach this.

    • A planet in the 1st within 5 degrees of the 2nd usually affects the 2nd house as well. So you and your son both have a Pluto influence on the 2nd, and that may be part of what keeps the two of you entangled financially this way–it’s harder to say no to him when it triggers some of your own 2nd house issues. It could be helpful for you to explore your own issues, and I’d suggest working with someone with a good grounding in finances who could step outside the family situation enough to help you see it clearly and could support you in developing some strategies for dealing with him. Donna

  20. Thanks for this timely article Donna. I have natal Pluto in 4deg Libra, squaring my Venus/Saturn in Cancer and Capricorn Moon. I have seen the extremes of finances – repeatedly over the years, I’ve started to develop a sense for preparedness for these fluctuations. One thing I’m really good at is managing other people’s money as a finance controller for huge corporations. Unfortunately, I’m not that good with my personal finances, probably because I’ve always managed to get by even with a literally empty pocket. What rings true for me is that the bulk of my earnings goes into the welfare of my family and friends and never for myself. I prefer a spartan and sometimes hermetic existence. I have always indulged that one person who deprived me in a lot of ways – my mother. I grew up without her and maybe in a weird subconscious belief that I have is that I have to “buy” her attentions so that she won’t leave me again. Definitely your article is very eye-opening, revealing and truly healing on my part.

  21. Hello there,

    I have Pluto in Scorpio, in my 2nd house… so the 2nd house ruler is in the 2nd 😀
    I am an aquarius sun (5th house) , libra rising, capricorn moon (4th house).. Tough combination i’d say. My aries jupiter in the 7th house gives good partners, but i seem to have some trouble with the venus in the 6th in aries and the squares it makes with the moon, neptune, saturn and uranus (6 deg). Mars in saggitarius in the 3rd, and mercury in aquarius in the end of the 4th house.
    Talking about finances, what should i consider ? Pluto has good aspects with neptune, and moon and a square with mercury..

  22. wow..this article was disturbing to read.
    I feel like so much of it sounds true for me, although, my Pluto is normally in the 3rd house…in Placidus, and Whole Sign, which are the only house systems I consider. But in Equal House, my Pluto is in the 2nd house..

    I am not sure that I would have to go so far as to say Equal House must be more accurate, because..my 2nd house ruler, Venus, makes a 1 degree orb trine to Pluto…I would have never thought that a friendly trine can be the root of self-destructiveness.
    Venus is also conjunct my DC, from the 6th house(3 degree orb). If that wasn’t enough, Pluto in 15 Scorpio quincunxes my MC in 17 Gemini.
    I am 22 now and have never had a job, still living at home..I definitely felt the “self-destructive to get back at my parents” thing all my life, very intensely..

    In fact, it was so compulsive and intense that I only became conscious of this tendency about 2 years ago, when, being desperate on the lookout for revealing articles on the web that might explain my extreme emotionalism and long-lived depression, I came across a psychology article that said “some children hate their parents so much that they unconsciously keep failing in life to get back at them”. In the following few seconds after reading that sentence, a light lit up in my conscious mind, and for the first time in my life, I was able to lift myself from a strong current of unconscious living, and try to look calmly at the facts of my upbringing(won’t get into that, long story).

    I do remember that right then and there I thought I had to get away from my family, otherwise I would waste my whole life on vengeance..I have managed to cool off, a bit..but it’s still a strong reflex.

    However, sadly, I also have strong insecurities about being able to stand on my own two feet…my parents definitely showed little emotional support when I was growing up, taught me little about the “real world”, but supported me materially, which, obviously, was very damaging to my confidence and self-esteem. I remember growing up I was absolutely convinced that I could not do what most people could do…so I basically dug my own grave by being convinced I was helpless. I have only started to let go a bit of my extreme insecurity, for the past 2 years or so(after reading that article, I guess)
    I can’t tell if my parents are crazy or if they were just completely not interested in raising me, because they still feel they did their job to their best ability..never giving me any chores, never encouraging me to stand up for myself, and basically just keeping me like a pet.
    I remember trying to confront my mother about it, and I tried telling her how I felt growing up, and she just answered “what do you mean, I never respected you, kids don’t have to be respected”. Oh, and she also told me she finds it natural to put your husband’s needs above those of your child(he was an alcoholic when I was growing up)

    • Thanks for sharing your story, Mermaid. You’ve done a lot of deep analysis, and your insights are spot on. What may be a missing piece of the puzzle is the alcoholism of your father and your mother’s codependency on him, a very very powerful influence on a growing child. There were a lot of really good books for Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) years back that you may be able to get on the web or in http://www.freepaperbackswap.com.

      And check to see if there are any meetings of ACOA in your area–you’d learn so much from them and get support in breaking the codependency on your folks. Another possible help would be a good Life Coach to help you set goals and keep moving toward self-support. Donna

      • Hi, Donna.
        I am not sure if there is anything about that around here..I live in Romania. I have read before about adult children of alcoholics, and the issues they may have to deal with..I have read some brief articles I found online, and I suppose some of them are very fitting, while others are not. I guess the only thing that I feel does not apply to me is having to mature very fast, because I did not have to act like a parent for my parents. My father, although an alcoholic, had a pretty good position working for the military, as an engineer, so money was not an issue while I was a kid, although we were far from wealthy, we didn’t struggle to make ends meet, because my parents were both good professionals, and intellectuals.
        I guess the biggest issue of ACOA that fits my story is the denial of reality/learning to lie from a young age thing, because my mother never actually sat me down to tell me that my dad was nuts, or abnormal, so I grew up with this idea that my family was perfectly normal, and that anything I might have to complain about was just me being whiny/weak/making excuses.
        It made it really bad because I actually grew up trying to cover up the fact that there might be anything wrong with my family, and actually never told anybody that my dad had a drinking problem, until after I read that article I was talking about earlier..I told my best friend, after that, and she was very surprised, and I was surprised that she never suspected anything..Now I am getting this feeling that maybe people are going to think I’m making things up, if I start telling them.
        I also was encouraged further to think that my parents were not just normal, but great, intellectuals and stuff, and the fact that I had an older sister, by 13 years, who was very good in school only made me feel more inadequate growing up, as my parents were always comparing me to her.
        Of course, it was only until my late teens that I actually started to ponder all those things and realized that my sister had a completely different upbringing..that she was suppported by my grandparents who were real intellectuals and encouraged her studies and were loving and patient towards her..these same grandparents died by the time I was 3, so I had no other adult figures in my life apart from my parents..so anyway, like I said, it’s a very long story. sorry to have taken up so much space, but wanted to give a clearer picture.
        I also wanted to ask..would you say that this picture fits my Pluto situation?
        I also wanted to add that I have a Saturn-Uranus-Neptune stellium in the 4th house.

      • Hello, Mermaid, the coverups and denial of the problem are so confusing to the child. Look online for the Adult Children of Alcoholic program, and I think you will find plenty of material to download. And, I’d imagine the 4th house Saturn-Uranus-Neptune stellium is the biggestg astrological factor. Donna

      • PS. I also wanted to add that, on a conscious, rational level..I can also feel some understanding for my parents. The truth is they both came from rather unstable families, so I guess evil perpetuates.
        My father’s father, again, although not an alcoholic, and although an intellectual and a respected member of his community had one “little” vice-he used to beat my father up pretty badly when he was a kid. And just my father, even though he had a younger brother.
        My mother also came from a family where the father was a problem, but in a different sense-he was mostly absent, being unreliable and not fully able to provide for his family, because he was selfish and spoiled and had a gambling passion.
        On top of all that, my parents have gone through some huge miseries in life, wasting their younth under a communist regime of terror, and on top of which, losing a child. I had a sister who should’ve been 11 years my senior, but she died at age 3, of neuroblastoma.
        I guess that might have added some extra complexes with regards to how they brought me up.
        The one thing I could never forgive though is their ignorance. I mean, they were supposed to be intellectuals, but never read anything on child upbringing, never took any precautions in terms of repeating the same mistakes..or even questioning their own upbringing. Even now they are the types of people who never analyze themselves..I guess it’s because their subconscious streams are too powerful, and they must be frightened.

    • You know, Mermaid, I don’t think you know how far you’ve already come. The insights you’ve gained in the past two years, many in your situation never get to. Now what is needed are the tools, and most of all the solid support behind you to take one small step at a time to counteract that parental pattern of treating you like a pet and never having any expectations of you. the support has to come from outside the family circle, maybe from someone your parents age (life coach, for instance). Donna

  23. hey littlemermaid, i am also from romania, same pluto in the 2nd house, neptune conjunct moon in the 4th, but saturn uranus and mars in 3rd (libra rising)
    Lately, i had a lot of thinking about my life going on… Even though i was happy, joyful all my life i had to face for the last months my first depression. i pray to god this period ends as i never want to face these moments again. I tend to blame saturn passing my 12th and 1st house, having hard aspects with my ascendant moon, and all those planets around.
    About this pluto in the 2nd house, all i can say is that i am somehow centered towards making money, and by now (23 years old) i can say i found strange ways making them… If you fell like sharing more of these ideas feel free to contact me. Perhaps we can help each other as i have a feeling that during this hard transit( saturn conjunct ascendant and square moon ) i became too isolated and perhaps my thoughts aren’t as objective they should be.
    Bogdan

    • Hi, Bogdan,

      It can be Saturn passing through your 12th, definitely. I had that when I was around 19, and that was the beginning of my cycle of questioning and I had a kind of identity crises, it was horrible.
      I also had Saturn squaring my Moon, Mars, and Jupiter around the same time…although, I guess for me, it was for the better, because I had been severely depressed since I was 14 or so…so the Saturn transits, although, at first, took me to an even darker place, it gradually helped me sort things out mentally, and put me on a right direction, I think..more in touch with reality, more alive.
      I think I was almost psychotic, before.
      If you wanna get in touch, I’ll need an email address, or something.

  24. girbea.bogdan@yahoo.com
    I’m really curious about your thoughts, hope to hear from you 🙂

  25. Hi Donna

    I just wanted to tell you that I know every astrologer interprets things differently.Now as an astrologer I have to say that my experience of Pluto in the second is quite different to what you describe.It definatly does not have to do with people using money as control at all. What it is is extremes in jobs and money.Then they have nothing then they have a lot.Lessons about overspending sometimes.Sometimes also lessons of being to stingy.These individuals rather than using money to control are actually often being controlled by other people when it comes to money.For example being but out of the will, having other people waste their resources when they do know how to save.Even being hardworking and taking money very seriously and then having the back luck retrenchment.

    -Not like you say at all that THEY are all the ones using money to control,much more than others are controlling them in terms of money.
    I found most of them very anxious about loosing a roof over their head-abnormally so actually!

    So I just wanted to share with you my experiences with this position in clients was very different,and yes I fully believe these people were honest for various reasons…

    • Regardless of which party is doing the controlling–and often it is both, neither as innocent as they’d like us to believe–the issue is still power struggles and a battle for control, with money as the weapon. Donna

  26. Hello Donna, and thank you for your site, I just found it today and have been reviewing a lot of information that you have posted which has been
    very helpful. After reading about possible money issues being a Pluto influence, I do not have Pluto in my 2nd house,however I can not seem for the life of me to find out what my blockages are surrounding my financial flow being blocked. I have had potential gold mines in front of me several times and my spiritual calling is one of them but what is blocking me or where am I blocking myself?!?!?!? I would greatly appreciate any assistance that you can give me, I sincerely thank you (DOB 8/3/58).

  27. So I have plito in 2nd house. I have never overdrawn my bank account, never owes money IRS, I do not like borrowing money form bank or someone else it is always me who borrowes. One disadvantage is that i sometimes forget to return my books to liberary 🙂 but that it is. I have never consider money as a power issue and used money as an authority.I know that money may ease your life and sometimes make it smiple and they give me independence but that is it. I like to spend them but I know when to stop. But I have been denpenden on my parents loong time, till i graduated from uni. Since I have started to work I think I’m dealing with responsibilities very good. I know where to look form money, how to undertake job that will financially satisfy me etc.
    Sorry for my english, it is my second language. 🙂

  28. I have forgotten to add my pluto is in libra 🙂

  29. Hi Donna,
    Your comments on the sabotaging potential of Pluto in the 2nd house have stunned me. I have Pluto at 9 degrees Leo in my second house and I have been dogged by the inability to lift my head above financial difficulties all my adult life.
    I have tried so hard to be successful – getting lots of degrees and qualifications, studying hard, working hard, being ethical and painstaking.
    Yet something keeps happening to wipe away all that effort, and I’m back struggling in debt again and with practically no material assets..
    I’m super intelligent and have helped so many people with useful advice and assistance-but I cannot seem to see clearly what I need to do to change this pattern for myself.
    I don’t feel I have any particular resentments, etc., that I haven’t worked through. I have no time for people with a ‘poor me’ victim personality. Nor do I despise rich people.
    I have a trine from Pluto to my Sun in Aries at 6 degrees at the Midheaven in the 10th house. So I should have been clear about my purpose, and a successful leader. I feel like an extraordinarily unused resource.
    Would anyone be so kind as to suggest what I could do to dig myself out of this confusing, baffling hole.
    Thanks,
    Regards,
    Luk Carlsen

  30. Luk, your comment brought this post to my attention again at a really significant time in my life, because I am just becoming involved with someone with Pluto in the second house, so Donna’s excellent analysis has been really helpful. In my own case, there’s a grace involved in the timing of this new relationship that is going to get us off to a much better start than if we had met at an earlier time in our lives. Suffice it to say that apparent disasters may actually be blessings.

    It’s impossible, of course, to do a proper analysis of your financial situation and its astrological underpinnings without doing a full study of your chart. But because the universe sent me your comment at this opportune time, I will throw out an idea which you can take or leave, as may seem appropriate to you. Is your disaster also in some way a blessing? What destructive life pattern might you have slipped into if your Pluto in the Second had endowed you with wealth instead of poverty? (Read Donna’s post carefully for clues.) What work can you do to heal your psyche so that you would not be tempted to use wealth in a negative way? It may be that if you do this work, the universe will no longer need to bless you with poverty.

    • A helpful reply, Margaret. I was only going to say that if the suggested causes didn’t apply but the finances were still chronically difficult, then there still must be some sort of Plutonian pattern operating. Perhaps a read through of my book, Healing Pluto Problems would provide a light bulb moment. Pluto’s placement does sometimes signify a past-life cause for difficulty. Or if there’s a long time series of bad setbacks, I might wonder whether there was interference from a terrible relative who was always a serious problem who died but didn’t relinquish their sense of ownership over you and still lingers. As I write these two things, they sound far-fetched, and yet in working with clients, a story like that often is revealed. Donna

  31. I have Pluto and Jupiter in Virgo in the 10th house (not conjunct), and the Sun and Mercury conjunct in Capricorn in the 2nd. (Moon, Venus, Neptune conjunct in Scorpion in the 12th)

    I’ve just had Pluto transit over the Sun…I thought there might be financial disaster but that didn’t happen, though a few years before I did go bankrupt. Some years ago, I made the connection that one of the men who sexually abused me in childhood (an uncle) used to always give me money…. Somewhere I built a warped belief system about ‘not having money’ or being worth money as it would mean selling my soul. I’m 44 on Dec. 28th and finally coming to understand my worth ~ financially and otherwise.

    Your Pluto book was lifechanging, Donna. Thank you. ~Veronika

    • Thank you for sharing that, Veronika. Your story about your uncle doesn’t surprise me–I spent many years working with incest survivors, and the connection between money management problems (big debts) and a history of being given money by the abuser was so ofen present. It is so fortunate and healing that you came to that insight. Donna

  32. Hi

    I read this blog some time ago but it was only recently (on the full moon at 18 degrees Leo and my Pluto is 17 degrees) while doing research that I read all the comments which have been so insightful and powerful! I have Sun in Cancer (28 degrees) Mercury 14 degrees and Pluto 17 degrees Leo in the second house. Yes my mother fulfilled her constant threat of leaving me out of her will. My home burned down 10 years ago and being uninsured, I lost eveything. I recovered without any financial assistance-in fact others stole a lot from me during that time and managed to move to a beautiful area of the world-without any assistance. Then I got breast cancer from which I have now recovered. My Pluto is trine Chiron in Sag and I now know I have amazing powers of resilience.

    This full moon has really revealed the dysfunctional pattern embedded in me early in life and which I have lived by unquestioned. It also involves my North Node in Aries opposite my stellium of Moon, Mars & Neptune in Libra. and that is” I need others to survive and if they see the real (powerful ) me they wont like me so I must “be nice” to get by”. F**K that I say ! In my practice I have peaks and troughs and at the moment its a trough so I asked a friend if I could borrow $20 for a week. I saw for the first tie that she was playing a role my mother often did: The bully who equated money with control and if you had to ask for any, then that meant you had failed and were in her power. Now I see how she failed to provide for me.

    I really related to Luk’s coments because I too am intelligent and well educated- I won two scholarships but never got to see the money, thanks to my mother.

    I am now about to reclaim my power .
    Cheers Kate

    • Dear Kate, I applaud your courage in facing and tackling this placement. I hope it will be a turning point in your life. Donna Cunningham

  33. I cannot believe how accurate this is… in my case the power struggle with money involves my parents: they abused and neglected me therefore I have the right to demand financial help as an adult. The problem is that the the abuse resulted in chronic illnesses and disability so I’ve spent most of my adult life dependant on welfare because I can’t work. I hate that I’ve never been financially independant but I can see no way out… (except through death ofcourse).

  34. Interesting, difficult, confronting. I have Pluto at 1 degree Virgo in the 2nd house. Rulers 2nd house: Mercury conjunct midheaven Taurus, Chiron in 7nd house Aquarius. Sun sign: Taurus, rising sign and 1st house: Leo. Coming from a financially stable middle-class background, where all ‘normal’ needs were fulfilled, my own individual relationship with ‘money’ is very different than that. After moving out at age 19 I went from ‘rich’ (husband from a multimillionaire family) to doing OK & fine as a student and young professional to ‘moderately rich’ (owning my own succesfull company) to ‘poor'(bankrupcy) to paying my debts and building up a new life which took me a long time (8 years). I aspire to be someone who is detached from materialism and posessions, and wanting to ‘have’. At the same time I enjoy ‘quality’ and ‘beauty’ very much, and I struggle with my obsession to buy these. All my life I long for a non-possessive and materialistic way to enjoy the material world, esp the part where I see ‘quality and beauty’. I can reach this state almost, and just when I’m finally there, when I can almost grasp it or get it, I loose it. My life is about loosing what I can almost reach, as if I don’t deserve a satisfying, stable life. Now, at age 52, I have a ‘burn-out’ from my job as a teacher, and I strongly feel I have to research deeper into the ‘talents’ aspect of the second house to overcome my second house issues. I never did that before. Difficult time.

    • A life lesson, it sounds like. “My life is about loosing what I can almost reach, as if I don’t deserve a satisfying, stable life.” It sounds like you have some major thought forms to clear out. Thought forms are ideas and beliefs that we repeat until they become nearly-solid blocks in our outer aura (energy field) and attract the very experiences we fear. There are several articles about thought forms on this blog, including some healing tools to use. (Go to the on-site search engine on the top right hand corner of the front page and type in “thought forms.” When I worked on my own thought forms about money, there was a profound, positive shift. Donna Cunningham

  35. I’m 20 years old. I have pluto and the moon in my second house in scorpio. I’ve been horribly abused my entire life by both of my parents in a number of ways. I’ve always known my dad was an asshole but my mother’s betrayal was the worst. Money has been a huge part of my abuse. My mother threatened me with poverty if I ever told CPS about what was happening. Because of the vacations and moderately expensive gifts, most people don’t believe that I’ve been abused. They don’t care and I often feel guilty for feeling like I was abused. Right now I’m still living with my dad who verbally abuses me on a daily basis. I practice witchcraft and EFT so I’m now able to relax and keep my calm way more than I used to be. I’ve never lived on my own and I can’t afford to move out because of the economy and the fact that someone my age could never make enough to support myself, not legally. I don’t know what to do. People keep telling me to just move out and live a really destitute life, but I’m WAY too sensitive and artistic and creative to do that. I’ve been in situations like that and the poverty just crushes me. I’m WAY too vulnerable and high maintenance to live that way. I would survive, but I wouldn’t be happy. It would literally be impossible for me to be happy. I’m already very unhappy, but at least I can lock the door to my room and look at how I’ve decorated it and appreciate it. I can come home to AC and I can sleep in a nice bed. Even with the house, I’m still pretty broke. I have no income and no way to work enough AND go to school. I’m a super talented artist/musician. I’m basically brilliant in this area. I know I can be successful if somebody just gave me the financial backing. The horrible thing is this: my dad is pretty much my opposite. He’s a huge bigot and violent/schizo. He thinks everyone is watching him and bugging his phone and I’ve been abused for seemingly compromising his security system. I’m gay and I believe in world peace and I’m extremely spiritual. I’ve definitely gotten past being spiteful towards my parents. I hate them so much I don’t want them to influence me at all, so I just do what my heart tells me, because I know love is the only real truth in the universe. Because of this fundamental difference, my parents will not fund ANY of my creative pursuits because they want me to make money. I hate math. I hate office buildings and any kind of 9-5. I’m not only an artistic spirit, but I’m naturally better than ANYBODY out there my age. I am 100% self taught and I can blow away almost anyone. It’s ridiculous. I have this huge talent and my rich parents will not help me. I don’t know what to do. I keep on living because I’m hoping for something better, but I really just want to leave this place and go be with spirit. I don’t want to fight anymore and I don’t want to struggle. I don’t want to feel this pain anymore.

  36. Great Post! Thank you! I have a 2nd house stellium in Libra with Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto and finally, I think I’m getting one interpretation of this configuration that makes sense! I don’t enjoy power games, but really value my free time. Therefore, I always try to get paid as much as possible for the least amount of time. In the past, I have lived off: various scholarships, competition awards, a small inheritance from a grandparent, freelance work, sales of artwork… I have Jupiter trine Venus partile conjunct MC in Gemini. I am wondering how the relationship between my work and my resources will develop? Esp. towards the latter part of my life? Would it be from partnership (business and marital), or from the Jupiter placement? I’d really appreciate your take on this:) Thank you!

  37. I have Pluto in Libra at 27 degs, Saturn in Libra at 29 degs and Earth in Scorpio at 1 degs in my 2nd House. I totally experienced these dysfunctional and controlling financial dynamics, especially with my father, mother and one grand mother. I was super lucky that I received an inheritance at 21 years old and so I was able to avoid their influence on my life through money black mail for the last 8 years of my life. I used the fear and knowledge that if I would lose my own money and would come under their financial thumb again positively to motivate me to manage my money very wisely and carefully. I am taking risks to earn more money, but I try to avoid to gamble with my money, because I know that if I was forced to go back to my family for financial support, that it would devastate me and my higher purpose and higher mission here on the planet.
    I have had many people try to control me and try to seduce me through ”thinking about” and ”considering” to put me in their Will. It is a very subtle form of control, but very destructive and confusing/crazy making and I just stay away from these people now. Either give me money/support now with no strings attached just out of the goodness of your heart or I am not going to deal with you, period 🙂

    My goal from having experienced all this ”Money Monster Energy” how I call it, is to use my Money Magnet and Money Master talents to attract huge amounts of money and use this money in benevolent and non-controlling, non-abusive and non-destructive ways to assist all Life on this Planet Earth to build a better and brighter future for us all.

    Thank you for this great article 🙂

  38. I got Pluto in the 2nd house in Scorpio…I don’t care about money. I got a stable income and aint rich or poor. The 2nd house is a house of wealth. Wealth to me means spirtual contement. It has nothing to do with the actual wealth (For Me). Ruler of Pluto is in 2nd since its in Scorpio.

    I got Sun at 2 Cancer Pluto at 2 Scorpio maybe thats why I see the money connection as being bullshit. Its deeper then that. Its a sense of worth, do I really feel like I belong to this family? Do I feel like I am fuctioning to follow my dreams and wishes? Who knows. Just some food for thought.

  39. I have Pluto in scorpio in the second house, and at the age of 25 I am just now starting to uncover my unconscious motivational money forces related to control. There has definitely been some money manipulation with my mother, however I believe there were also some leftover issues from a lifetime before (drawing a connection to my mother and previous lifetimes because I have Neptune in the fourth house and moon in the 12th) I think that I tried to financially rebel against her because she left me at an early age. Now I’m slowly starting to get myself out of debt; thankfully I have a good father who has been helping me in little bits. I can say that I have experienced very extremely highs and lows in regards to finances. One time, I went from being broke and living in a very poor neighborhood to living in a very wealthy neighborhood having great amounts of money to spend and driving an expensive BMW…. Then it was right back to being poor, haha. I have gone through some pretty intense changes like this a few times, where there really was no in-between, and I can see what Pluto has taught me along the way. I am at a very low financial point right now, and this time I am hoping to somehow build up my own financial basis so that I can always have a secure foundation, as all the financial gains in the past have suddenly been taken away. I think that it also has to do with my values, which to be honest haver been too great in the past, and getting into astrology, I have really started to understand things, and now I try so hard to give myself whenever I can, even though I’m dirt poor, I volunteer at a homeless shelter, I treat everyone at work with so much respect and try to work harder than everyone else to make their days easier, and I know that the raise I may get from working so hard really won’t be enough to drastically change my financial situation; it’s just that I have done a lot of wrong in the past and I seek redemption, and I’ve also been at the top financially before, and at this point, I sort of just don’t care. Plus, my greatest fear is homelessness anyways, and for me, working with the homeless sort of opens up and eliminates that fear. Will I be so good if and when my financial picture improves again is the real question, though.

    • Can I just say WOW! I also have Pluto in Scorpio in the 2nd house and Your description of Your life could not be more spot on for me.I have had the exact same experiences from going from no money(growing up) to A LOT of money and financial abundance and then back to having no money again.The changes during the last 10 years have been extreme.I haven’t been financially stable or “in the middle” at all.It has been either a big low or a big high.I also feel that being on the low end again and having more time now to understand the value of money and the value of everything else, I have gained much more realistic view on life and on what I really want.Still I do feel that I am obsessed with financial security,I have always loved and preferred the finer things in life and still do.I guess the difference is that I can easily acknowledge it and I do not feel embarrassed at all about the fact that I enjoy money,I love having it and I love valuable material things.During this low I have found myself spiritually and also so many doors in my head have opened after starting to understand astrology and my birth chart! And even if the Pluto in Scorpio in the 2nd house means extreme highs and lows in my life I still feel I wouldn’t change either of them for anyone else.They are still my planets and signs and I love and respect them! 🙂

    • I can relate to this 😦

  40. Thanks for posting this article. I am at the end of a loooong (10+/- or so years) pluto transit through the second. It’s been rough, i have to admit. One more year left before it moves into the 3rd. In that time, i attended grad school, got married and divorced, got to the end of the program(s) (i.e. PAID for all the classes for 8 years) and was kicked out at the end because a new program advisor decided that she “no longer liked me”. Talk about anger and? DEBT. Swamp land in FLA would have been a better investment actually. Now, I don’t have the income to support the debt (so it seems) – as things have been. Who knew that education was such a gamble? I suspect that my luck would have been better in Vegas. Alas. I have been examining these events since 2010 when the rug got pulled out from underneath my feet (it is now 2013), from the inside-out, in an attempt to understand the cosmic joke here in this situation. I have to admit, it’s been tough, i just haven’t been able to “get” it! What’s not to like, and what’s so funny? Why the powerlessness in this situation, the blatant abuse of power and apparent lack of consideration for the effects on another human being’s livelihood (me) (i work in healthcare by the way, which is even more of a burn) ? What gives?? This article was enlightening on a few different levels. First, in examining the motivation BEHIND the career choice, i have to say, i was acting from 15 year-old hopes and aspirations rather than working in present-time. Fear and a certain blindness to self was present. Desperation perhaps? A goal was set, and dogmatically, i pressed on. There were warning signs along the way, that i (mis)interpreted as “opportunities” to prove my strength of will. Oops. Additionally, i chose a career path that i feel oppresses fairly fundamental personality qualities – like creativity, assertiveness, and natural leadership qualities. I parade around with a sheepskin facade to try to fit in. I am really a dragon, or a lion. The funny thing is, the dysfunction experienced is eerily familiar, on a subtle and difficult to define level. When family dynamics were discussed in the article, a little bell started ‘dinging’ in my head. What game or program am i playing out? Hahaha. So, many insights have crept into my awareness just now that i think i just might be able to unravel this cosmic joke and finally see the humor in being blinded and hence blind-sided for so long. So victim costume can be shed, internalization of others’ projections can be flung back from whence they came and the bull can be wrastled to the ground once and for all, (or at least for now). Returning power back into its rightful place. So my apologies for the lack of brevity, but i felt compelled to share. Thank you again for the article. Your words have turned on the glimmer of possibilities in a new BETTER direction. (FYI: sun cap in second house natal, + 5 other planets/influences in the second natal, ascendent is scorpio, (Pluto in the 11th house natal, currently transiting the 2nd cusp sag/cap. MC Leo, Chiron aries 6th). Cursed or just unconscious?

    Thanks.

  41. I have my Pluto in libra 00 in my first house but it looks it is in my second house really ! Not sure

    • Hi, Jorgelina, here’s what I find. When a planet is within 5 degrees of the number on the border (cusp) between its house and the next, then it tends to work for both houses. It may even combine the meanings of the two houses in some way. Donna

  42. life changer article-Pluto in 2nd house in Virgo here, always with never ending money issues-almost everything you wrote is me, me ,me

  43. Hi Donna…

    I have Pluto in Scorpio in my 2nd house. My Pluto is square my Sun; opposite my Moon; trine my Midheaven; and sextile with my Mars, Venus, Saturn and Neptune. Also, Saturn and Pluto are the dispositors of my chart. And right now, transiting Saturn is conjuncting my Natal Pluto.

    Many of the facts you have written about Pluto in 2nd are true for me.

    – My father (I am told) was abusive towards my mother, who left him when I was very small. To this day, when I do something my mum doesn’t like, she tells me that “the man she divorced has returned to her life”. I wish I could just BE myself without being compared to a ghost I have never met. After mum left my father, she (and I) became financially dependent on her parents who ‘controlled the purse strings’ with an iron fist as you have mentioned in your article. So, money has been fraught with complicated issues for me since childhood.

    – About the ‘failing for spite’ thing, I am sorry to say that it has often been true for me. But I am now aware of it and am trying to work it out. Reading astrology book and articles to know myself better is part of the process.

    • Bless you, Movie Buff. I can see you are working hard on insight and healing of a rough childhood. That’s one of the good things about people with a strong Pluto like yours–once you understand the problems, you will work hard and fearlessly toward getting better. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen my book, Healing Pluto Problems, but I think it would give you lots of perspective. It’s available in hard copy and Kindle from RedWheelWeiser.com. Donna

  44. For a long time I have been searching for answers as to why I am so self-destructive; why I resent my family so much for my failures and my lack of interest in their choices for me; why I can’t seem to save money and instead spend it on shopping sprees.
    It leaves me with an empty feeling in the end and I realise how these material goods are not worth denting my wallet for, yet I still go back and repeat the same, it’s like a vicious circle of self-destruction I can’t seem to pull myself out of.
    This article is accurate for me after checking out my birth chart and in particular the 2nd house. I have finally got some answers and can try move forward as I have learned from reading this that my negative bitter nature destroys the best of me and what I am truly capable of….

    • I am so glad that you’ve read and related to the article, SS. Astrology can give us such amazing insights that it can trigger a change point in our lives. Donna

  45. If you’re still answering questions, what would it mean to have Pluto in Sagittarius conjunct mercury in Sagittarius in the second house which is in scorpio, but intercepted by sagittarius? Jupiter is in 5th house in Pisces.

  46. Scorpio + Pluto in the 2nd house person here-

    Is it true that wherever Pluto lies is where you will contribute/impact society in some way? If that’s true, then I can’t figure out the significance of a pluto/scorpio 2nd house.

    ps. I really cannot identify with scorpio/pluto 2nd house. Mysteries of life..

    • Not necessarily that you WILL make an impact, since everyone has Pluto in their chart somewhere, and few of us make any perceptible impact at all. Maybe it’s where you MIGHT make an impact, if you put in the sweat equity to do so. Donna Cunningham

      • How sweet, thank you for your reply 🙂

  47. I’m presently doing some introspective work surrounding my financial and career picture, and am happy to have found your insights here– they are very helpful in pulling some threads together in a situation that has for me been characterized by unconscious murkiness.

    I found everything you wrote about to be spot-on. Natally, Scorpio rules my 2nd house; Pluto rides the cusp and squares my Sun in the 4th, and Saturn is also conjunct the Moon’s South Node in the 2nd. My parents came from a poor, working-class background but managed to achieve financial stability by the time I was born. They were always spendthrift and believed that hard work was the key to material and worldly success. From them, I inherited an impoverished worldview that coexists very uncomfortably with a stubborn belief that I can achieve anything if I *really* want it. I was a bright kid, and so I became the one who was to earn the family’s salvation by becoming a doctor or lawyer. I was encouraged to achieve academically, but was abandoned emotionally. (Devastating for any child, but especially for one with a Pisces stellium.) In the third year of my Ivy League education, I dropped out and moved to a different country, and have since been on poor terms with my parents.

    I have long been (somewhat!) aware that I subconsciously undermine my own financial stability and career options as a way of exacting revenge on my family for trying to force me into a role that is not my own. Although I have been poor since dropping out, I have come to rely on my own resourcefulness and ability to make short-term sacrifices for long-term benefit. I have established myself in a career that manages to satisfy both my need to embarrass my parents and my need to help people. The career doesn’t pay well, however, and now I’m in more debt than ever after spending on some health problems and classes last year. Feeling my first Saturn return combined with the Cardinal Cross in full force, I have a fire under my butt to shore up my finances, embark on a more prosperous and rewarding career where I can lead social change, and weed out once and for all the psychological hangups that keep tripping me up. Most notably, I have recently been granted admission to a university with transfer credits from my previous efforts… to be sure, finishing up old business in order to start fresh in a field I have passion about.

    All the tough psychological work and transformation to discover who’s underneath those old layers of socialization and parental expectations is paying off now, and in some ways, I feel more empowered than ever before. I relate a lot to the phoenix! In a twist of irony that seems more like unconscious subterfuge typical of my story than anything, while I was submitting my university applications this year, I worsened my financial situation: while already struggling with paying off a loan, I decided to go on a much-needed, but expensive, vacation with my partner. And once my acceptance letter came this month, my work suddenly dried up! Since it is my stated goal to pay off my extant loan before heading back to school in September (and incurring more debt), I have determined that it is more responsible to postpone my education if this is not possible. I feel like there is one final thing left that I need to become aware of before I can consciously shift this pattern, but I’m struggling with finding it; it feels like a huge blind spot. Besides psychotherapy (which I have lots of experience with!), do you have any advice that could help me in this moment? Do you have any suggestions for how I could use the Mars direct station on my Ascendant on the 20th to push things forward?

  48. Wow, i have to leave a big THANK YOU for writing this piece. I have searched for this information all my life, and your article shows me the light! The truth finally sets me free!

    • Glad it was helpful, Janet. All too many astrologers avoid talking about money indications in the chart. Donna

  49. I have pluto in Scorpio conjunct mars in my second house. I’ve recently lost everything, career, boyfriend, our home we had together. I am self destructive, and don’t know what to do. I’ve been semi successful before (not rich by any means, but have self sustained successfully) but now I’m at rock bottom and almost wanna commit suicide. Something is keeping me holding on, but I don’t know what. Little hope I have, has gone out the window. What can I do to help my self destruction? I self sabotage. All of this is my own undoing, but why?! Sorry for the dramatics. I guess I’ve just been needing some kind of answers and came across this. Thank you for your time.

    • Chandra, you’ve been under extreme stress, and if finances permit, it would be good to have a consultation with a professional astrologer who also has a counseling background. I’m retired, but will email you a list of astrologers whose work I know and respect. This long, rare, and difficult square between Pluto and Uranus in the middle of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn) really has been very wearing.

      Another thing to help you destress and regain strength would be one of the Bach flower remedies: Sweet Chestnut for the dark night of the soul–see an article about it elsewhere on this blog by putting the name into the on site search engine at the top right hand corner. Donna

      • Thank you for your reply! I read up on the Bach flower remedies late last night and decided to give it a go. I bought some off amazon. I got sweet chestnut, larch, and olive. I figured if start out slow. I know a lot of the work needs to come from within, but sometimes I wish there could be an easy fix. I hope these will help. And I can combine all three in a glass of water and drink them at the same time? Thank you again, looking forward to this.

      • Glad you decided to give them a try, Chandra. I would say to start with the Sweet Chestnut alone first for about a week, then add in the other two. Get a large glass, fill it with water, add a dropperful of each, and then sip it slowly through the day. (There are many articles about the flower remedies-also called essences–on Skywriter. For the newcomer, download the introductory chapter of my book on essences under the free tab on the front page of this blog.) Donna

  50. This information is a valuable key…I have Pluto at 22 degrees on the cusp of my 1st and 2nd houses, both ruled by Leo. Sometimes it seems like all I know is “transformation” my life has been one long series of change and introspective housecleaning. One of the side effects of this aspect is that when I allow someone to get close and befriend them they have a huge transformation…this is a good thing but they often see it as horrifying and turn against me. Money, too, has been an issue since I have struggled to just survive most of my life no matter what I do. Yes, I do feel often that I don’t belong, especially when my consciousness has expanded so rapidly but my material life is in stasis. For so many years I thought my purpose was being a healer/teacher/counselor (once again, even though I gave my all the money didn’t follow). Now I realize that what I truly want is to live in an area where I can do wildlife conservancy but am left wondering how to create the funds to materialize my greatest joy. As you can see Pluto has been an incredible force in my life.

    Namaste to all,
    Teresa

  51. I have Pluto in my natal 5th, but my astrologer advised me to move in order to get Pluto into my 2nd house, if possible. He says that should help stabilize my finances and ability to get/keep a job. Is that true? I already have money struggles and co-dependent relationships involving money as it is. Please answer soon. My house is up for sale, and this person has lied to me before.

    • Sorry to say this, Kathy, but #1) I don’t agree with his interpretation, and #2)before you moved to get better financial prospects, you really need to seek the advice of an astrologer who is certified in interpreting Astro*Carto*Graphy maps based on your birth charts. The maps would pinpoint the places on the world map where your chances would be best. You will find the list of certified practitioners here: http://www.continuumacg.net. (My name is on the list, but I am retired now.) Donna

      • After looking at it myself, I thought so. Thank you! 😀

  52. Hi Donna! I stumbled upon this post researching my Scorpio Moon in 2nd house and thusly the Taurus-Scorpio Polarity. I have Pluto and the Moon in 2nd house Scorpio and Mars in Aries in the 8th house. I feel the opposites are important but I can’t exactly define why. I would love some clarity in how to best express these placements (how I can use them to my best benefit and how to avoid the negative side to it) and how to release any subconscious blockages that are specific to them! Thank you so much!

    • Hi, to answer your question in the depth it deserves would take a book-length explanation! As it happens, I did write one–Healing Pluto Problems–available in hard copy or Kindle from the publisher, RedWheel/Weiser. Donna

  53. I’ve been dealing with Saturn in the second house until very recently. It’s been rough because Saturn was squaring my natal Saturn in the 11th (which is conjunct Mars). Saturn has now moved to the 3rd house, but I just looked at my chart today and realized that next month, the ruler of my second house will be making an aspect to my natal Uranus in the second.

    I have Uranus 13 degrees Scorpio. Pluto is my 2nd house ruler and will make a sextile to Uranus. Around the same time, Jupiter will also form a sextile with Uranus. The Saturn square Saturn and a recent transiting Sun-Saturn square has made finding a new job incredibly difficult. My hope is that the Pluto transit will ease things.

    What sort of energies can I expect when the 2nd house ruler makes an aspect to the natal planet in the second house? Not sure if that is made more complicated by the fact that it’s Pluto.

  54. All I can say is “wow”. Spot on. I have Pluto in the 2nd house (Virgo) conjunct Uranus and Venus in opposition to the 8th house Saturn and Chiron. I experienced most of what you have written about in your article. It was terribly humiliating. Once I was cut off financially (and this was done in a really disempowering way), I was forced to sink or swim. I swam and made many changes in my approach toward money (kind of … there is that huge student loan … ). I am helping others in their financial crisis and helping them manage their money, etc. Being on the other side has been quite enlightening! I’d like to know how to continue using the more healthier side of of these planetary energies to grow my income source and continue to help others. thank you!

    • Jill, you’d do it by consciously being aware of when you are using the best potentials of Mercury and Pluto, while avoiding their less positive traits.

      Here is the info on Mercury:

      Mercury’s roles: messenger, information specialist, networker, speaker, writer, trendsetter.

      Possible Constructive traits: communicative, fast learner, full of ideas, articulate, bright, adaptable, versatile, clever, imaginative, humorous, trendy, well informed, curious, persuasive.

      Possible Difficult Traits: distractible, fidgety, changeable, restless, overly cerebral, faddish, fickle, superficial, glib, nosy, gossipy, knows all/tells all, internet addict, Peter Pan, untruthful.

      And here are the pluses and minuses of Pluto:

      Pluto’s roles: psychologist, healer, occultist, magician, renovator, analyst, hospice worker, genealogist, banker, financier, medium, magician, shaman, seer, researcher, detective. Possible Constructive traits: deep, perceptive, psychologically astute, insightful, empathic, transformative, persevering, resilient.

      Possible Difficult Traits: suspicious, mistrustful, loner, resentful, vengeful, unforgiving, possessive, obsessive, compulsive, spiteful, enmeshed in power struggles, manipulative

      Review those traits regularly will help you become more aware of yourself. Donna

      • Much appreciate your reply!

        Thank you! 🙂

  55. hi i have sun conjunct Pluto in sagittarius in natal chart and i have sun,pluto,mercury in 2nd house scorpio i am libra rising how will pluto energy effect me ?

    • I’m retired from doing chart consultations, but it sounds like you must have a strong Pluto/Scorpio nature. Try the strength test for Pluto on my blog and seek out books about Pluto such as my Healing Pluto Problems or other books on Pluto like the one by Jeff Green. Donna

  56. Hi – thanks for this. I’m 6 years late, but this article certainly resonated with me. I have a strong Pluto/Scorpio/8th house dynamic going on, so people may find it interesting.

    I have Pluto in Virgo in my second house, opposite Venus in Pisces, at the midpoint between a wide conjunction between Uranus and Pluto, as well as Chiron. My Mercury is in my 9th house in Aries.

    I’m clearly in the have not side and my issues do relate to rebellion against my parents. My mother was badly affected by the Depression and was obsessed with financial stability, always in a state of anxiety over the need for money. She married my father, who came from a wealthy family and was getting a graduate degree in business when they met, because she believed he could make a lot of money. They were a very dysfunctional couple and that, of course, translated into a dysfunctional family.

    I was adopted (Neptune in my 4th house in Scorpio) and came from an artistic and leftist family (this according to both my mother and the adoption agency), so I responded to the obsession with money and superficial values philosophically and chose to be very downwardly mobile, getting an art degree and have struggled against the idea of making money while at the same time wanting to earn money through my art work, but have always run into the same disgust toward materialism and the need to sell to people who have the money to buy art and my disdain for wealth.

    I do tend to think of wealth in philosophical terms, which for me takes the ugly twist out of it. My biological mother was allowed to give or tell me one thing and she chose to tell me that I came from an artistic family – so the inheritance of talent from a family that I do not know is part of what makes me feel “wealthy”, despite not having actual money. That is undoubtedly coming from the 2nd, 4th, 8th and 9th house connections.

    This has given me quite a lot to think about.

    • Thanks for joining in, Margaret. Your description is much aligned with the qualities of the planets involved in the picture. Regards, Donna Cunningham

  57. I reread this post and comments after searching for info on the chart of a friend with Pluto (in Virgo) in the 2nd. His Aries Sun, ruler of his 2nd house Leo cusp, is placed in the 9th.

    More than money, I think Pluto here best describes what it is my friend values (spiritual power) and what he puts his resources toward, in his case a never-ending succession of metaphysical/spiritual classes, workshops, retreats, etc., with spiritual power (or the illusion of power) being the thing he wants most.

    With his 9H Sun within 9 degrees of his Midheaven, his not-so-secret wish is to earn a living as a spiritual authority and to become a great healer and magician (figuratively speaking), able to psychically heal and know. Yet opposite his 8H Chiron in Pisces (and 4H Neptune in Scorpio square his 7H Saturn-SN in Aquarius), he has a hard time really listening and emotionally/psychologically empathizing with and connecting to others, important qualities for any healer.

    I do understand how frustrated he is at not feeling a more direct spiritual connection; it’s been frustrating for me as well, watching him struggle and suffer year after year. I’ve tried encouraging him to consider how surrender (and love) allow the loving connection to flow to and through us, while force (and the desire for power) only pushes it further away. But he can’t really hear me, so instead he signs up for another class. I once gifted him with a book titled “The Power of Grace” but he never read it.

    With Scorpio ruling his IC, I also think living up to his family’s very limiting religious expectations (including his arranged marriage) have contributed to his sense of disempowerment and general confusion surrounding the issue of power.

    Just writing this has helped me to organize my thoughts and understand my friend a little better. Thanks, Donna.

  58. my granddaughter has retrograde pluto in scorpio in the second house. She was abused by her stepfather from age 11 to 14. He is a psychopath and pedophile. He also taught her to shoplift when she was very young. To this day she shoplifts and steals. Arrested several times for theft she is on probation. she works at times, but refuses to listen to me and her mom.

    • A very sad story, Grannie. It sounds like teenage rebellion complicated by sexual abuse. Hopefully, she’ll outgrow the rebellious part as time goes on, with the transiting Saturn aspects first squaring natal Saturn at 21 and then returning to its natal position between 27 and 28. Hoping for the best, Donna Cunningham

  59. I have both Pluto AND Scorpio in the 2nd house. You can throw my Moon into the mix as well. My 7th house is in Taurus, so I was actually happy to read that I’ll likely be supporting my future partner with finances. I’m currently a university student shooting for a business degree and a lucrative career.

    I learned a lot from reading this. What stood out to me is the parental control part and having money vs not having money. I’m 19 and still don’t have a credit card, believe it or not. I didn’t know there was an astrological reason for this. I do get holiday money on occasion however and have saved those over the years. I feel that the restricted/limited access to financial resources has made me more cautious with handling money and increases my desire to have a credit card and more assets. My Pluto (and Moon) is in Saggitarius by the way, so freedom means A LOT to me. There are times when I do frivolously spend my cash on leisurely goods outside of food and necessities, but I think I’ve become more practical as time goes by, which is good.

    • i have some of these same placements and im 19 as well with moon and pluto in second… pluto in sagg

  60. Crazy because i have the same problem with spending and saving money with my moon AND PLUTO IN the 2nd house


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